Who made the best domestic diesel engine in trucks?

[os2firefox]

Anyone have a Ford 6.7?

Yes and I'm loving it!

Before that, I've owned a ford 7.3 and it just kept going even after 300k miles. The wife wanted something newer, so I ended up selling it.

[mcyclonegt]

Find a reputable diesel shop, then find a real clean 6.0 Ford super duty (coil spring front end) with a blown engine. (This will be easy.) Then have a 24v Cummins 5.9 installed with a p pump conversion and an Allison transmission. Bam, best of all worlds. Truck will be around 40k invested and last you the rest of your life.

[Olympia173]

The Nissan Titan is available with a Cummins diesel in it. Not sure what the specs are, but maybe something to look in to.

[Guntrader]

Cummins 5.0L V8 Turbo Diesel looks like a Duramax knockoff only smaller.
Cummins has never been known for innovation.
And going to a V-8 with aluminum heads, it's a Cummins in name only.

[techiej]

Get a non-DEF engine, preferably Cummins and ideally connected to an Allison transmission. When I had a motor home this combo was pretty much bulletproof.

[deadshot2]

I know it's new and probably doesn't have a lot of history yet but what about the Nissan Titan Diesel.

Truck is built in Mississippi (or at least my Titan was) and the engine is a 5 liter Cummins Turbo Diesel.


If the new Titans are anything like my 04, they're pretty good trucks. Nothing has fallen off mine or broken yet and the gas engine had enough "poop" to pull my heavy travel trailer at good highway speeds and "reasonable" gas mileage while doing so.

The Titan may carry a Foreign "Badge" but it probably has more US Parts in it (including labor at all levels) than most traditional "American Car Mfr's"

The second generation Titan was designed in California, engineered in Michigan and is assembled in Mississippi. The V8 Cummins are built in Indiana and Tennessee.
Cummins has partnered with Nissan and has announced that the next generation Titan will offer a 310-horsepower (230 kW) Cummins 5.0-liter turbo diesel V8

(Wikipedia)


When I bought my Titan in 2004, Nissan's business plan was to only make and sell a relatively small number of them rather than the GM/Ford/Dodge plan to build and sell as many as possible. I think this resulted in a better finished product. Fewer recalls (compared to what I got with my other branded vehicles both personal and company).

[Old Growth]

My 98 12V Cummins has over 250K miles and is still on the first TRANNY. I dont drive it like a dickweed. I drive like an owner operator.

I dont have glowplugs to burn out and then break off when I try to remove them to replace them. I dont have to replace glowplug wiring and relays. I dont have to eliminate or clean out malfunctioning EGR kinda garbage.

I also get better mileage than most others. I also enjoy having the same kinda power without two extra cylinders and more displacement to feed.

I also dont have wiring inside my valve covers to replace.

I enjoy the simplicity of my ol truck. And the resale value is ENORMOUS.

[sportsdad60]

My 98 12V Cummins has over 250K miles and is still on the first TRANNY. I dont drive it like a dickweed. I drive like an owner operator.

I dont have glowplugs to burn out and then break off when I try to remove them to replace them. I dont have to replace glowplug wiring and relays. I dont have to eliminate or clean out malfunctioning EGR kinda garbage.

I also get better mileage than most others. I also enjoy having the same kinda power without two extra cylinders and more displacement to feed.

I also dont have wiring inside my valve covers to replace.

I enjoy the simplicity of my ol truck. And the resale value is ENORMOUS.

Dodge?

[sportsdad60]

Also, as I tell others that ask, unless you're towing heavy and often, a diesel is a waste of your money.
If you're throwing on a mid sized camper or a tongue trailer and only towing maybe a dozen times a year, you'll save money in short an long term going gas.
Now once you get into a huge double slide camper that sticks out 6' or some heavy trailer or fifth wheel, or tow a shit ton, then yes a diesel will fit the bill.
Regardless, a diesel is more to maintain, and more expensive to maintain.

The latter, my last truck camper was 12' and 4,000 lbs. I had it on a F250 1997 (460 gas burner) with airbags and extra leaf springs. It has a classic 1972 Holiday Rambler Camper, the last year they made them! I wish I'd never sold it ! (See photo)
Also, I want to leave options open for a 5th wheel or trailer, 27' or longer.

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[das_napeth]

Ford 7.3 or just about any Cummins. Wifes step dad has over a million on his 7.3 (albeit with 3 transmissions) cummins really seem to be the go to lately. Wife does horses, more and more people seem to buying dodges than fords and definetely chevys on the circuit. These are people who haul over most of the country too.

[wklink]

I have a 6.0 in my 2005 F350. Good engine with some problems. If bulletproofed you can get 300K out of them easily. Mine is partially bulletproofed (different oil cooler, egr delete, ARP Head Studs) but I am not confident that it was done correctly so it will be done again at the end of the year. I know the EGR is still there, that is going to go. I know the 6.4 fixed a lot of those problems and I haven't heard nearly the trouble with the 6.7 that went in later Fords.

You could get a Ford and do a Cummings swap into it which would be the best of all worlds. The Cummings is by far the best diesel out there, the Ford Tranny is good and the 2000-2016 chassis on the Ford is pretty strong. But that means a specialist and a special (read expensive) conversion.

[Sinus211]

My 98 12V Cummins has over 250K miles and is still on the first TRANNY. I dont drive it like a dickweed. I drive like an owner operator.

I dont have glowplugs to burn out and then break off when I try to remove them to replace them. I dont have to replace glowplug wiring and relays. I dont have to eliminate or clean out malfunctioning EGR kinda garbage.

I also get better mileage than most others. I also enjoy having the same kinda power without two extra cylinders and more displacement to feed.

I also dont have wiring inside my valve covers to replace.

I enjoy the simplicity of my ol truck. And the resale value is ENORMOUS.

just buy an old 12v, replace the lift pump and deal with the small back seat.

[Old Growth]

My 98 12V Cummins has over 250K miles and is still on the first TRANNY. I dont drive it like a dickweed. I drive like an owner operator.

I dont have glowplugs to burn out and then break off when I try to remove them to replace them. I dont have to replace glowplug wiring and relays. I dont have to eliminate or clean out malfunctioning EGR kinda garbage.

I also get better mileage than most others. I also enjoy having the same kinda power without two extra cylinders and more displacement to feed.

I also dont have wiring inside my valve covers to replace.

I enjoy the simplicity of my ol truck. And the resale value is ENORMOUS.

just buy an old 12v, replace the lift pump and deal with the small back seat.

I had to replace the mechanical lift pump at 172K miles. It was getting a little "dead pedal" off an on outside of Albany Or. I drove it all the way home with no problems.

New pump (oem Carter) was $100. I installed a mech fuel pressure gauge under hood (under $40) just for future trouble shooting. I always give it a glance when its running and I have the hood open.

My truck is stock other than a air filter and 4" exhaust. NO gauges, no mods, nothing.

When I bought it, my buddies had me convinced that the tranny would blow up anyday and I should be ready. So I spent $2K on a billet triple clutch disc torque converter just for the day a rebuild had to happen. That converter is still on my shelf waiting with years of dust layers on it.

I love my truck. It earns its keep. Just this weekend it hauled many log loads. Over 50,000 lbs total. It spends its life hooked to a 24' deckover trailer.

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[Sinus211]

Awesome. The wife is pissed that I want to spend $20k on a 20 year old truck. But after driving sagela's 2000 with the 6spd manual I'm completely sold.

[KeystoneCowboy]

Awesome. The wife is pissed that I want to spend $20k on a 20 year old truck. But after driving sagela's 2000 with the 6spd manual I'm completely sold.

Thats my only complaint. As my truck isnt a daily driver, wish it was a 6 speed. It should have a much better transmission than Dodges have a reputation for, but I keep an eye on it, and dont beat the shit out of it. Its used pretty much exclusively to tow one of my two trailers, or a dump trailer for project's. If the stock tranny does go out, I may look at converting it over a manual at that time, maybe.