# ATTN: Diesel Gooroos'



## HCStevens (May 11, 2006)

Guys, I am looking for a diesel 4x4....dodge, chevy, ford.....it doesnt matter to me, I just want yalls opinon on the best motor out there. BTW looking for a used under $21000 give or take a few k.


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## BOCA PAILA (Feb 17, 2005)

*2000 2001 2002*

FORD 7.3 DIESEL..... NO OTHER OPTIONS


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## Shin-Diggin (Jun 17, 2005)

I've got a 2003 7.3 Crew cab 4x4 I was selling for $19,000, but it was keyed on the right side the other night. Color grey in/out. Mileage is around 118,000 I thing but not sure.


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## LongRodMaster (Mar 5, 2005)

the 7.3 is a good motor no doubt but the 3rd gen 5.9L cummins is hands down a better motor. They all have there goods and bads. Would help to know a bit more info like Tranny type (auto or stick) What you going to use it for daily driver to the store and back or hauling a boat RV?


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## BUBAFISH (Jun 10, 2008)

FORD 7.3 CUMMINGS 3RD GEN AND 06 DURAMAX.


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## bwguardian (Aug 30, 2005)

Hauling with the truck, get a Ford 7.3L

Daily driver, get a Dodge 5.9L


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## LongRodMaster (Mar 5, 2005)

^^^ i disagree but thats going to happen when you ask this question.


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## rstrick1978 (Jul 28, 2008)

well i am a diehard ford man. find a 99 to 03 7.3l diesel. I have had 2 and loved them both, chip them, work them, they hold together. I have nothing against the cummins, just the truck that is built around them. almost made the dodge purchase but didnt' like the interior. ur call. if you buy a dodge, 03 to 06.


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## bwguardian (Aug 30, 2005)

LongRodMaster said:


> ^^^ i disagree but thats going to happen when you ask this question.


Brother in law has both...had the Dodge first and then got the Ford after he pulled the 25 Whaler with dad's Ford. Funny thing is, when he needs to haul 16,000 plus he comes gets the F-550 with the 7.3L!


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## LongRodMaster (Mar 5, 2005)

uh F-550? comparing a 3500 to a 550 is like apples and oranges lets talk apples to apples.


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## bwguardian (Aug 30, 2005)

The F-550 has the 7.3L...that is what we were talking about.


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## fishnfool (Jul 23, 2004)

best all around truck motor combo - 99-03 super duty with 7.3 for sure 
(the 99.5-00 are actually the best as they have forged rods if you could find one with low miles). Not as much power as some but plenty strong and very reliable. I think the duramax is a close second. The Cummins is a great motor, too bad it has a Dodge around it.....

I am a Ford man and love the new Ford trucks but would stay away from the 6.0 and 6.4 if I were you. If I had to buy a new one today - Chevy with duramax. Ford has a new motor built in house coming next yr, we'll see.

I personally had a 00 Ford with 7.3 that I did lots of work to and was dynoing 450-460hp at the wheels. I put it back to stock and sold it to my brother with 100k miles on it to be his vet truck. He is still driving it with no issues and almost 200k miles. I had a 6.0 that went through 3 sets of HG's in 50k miles. I got a duramax in 08 that was flawless but got horrible mileage thanks to the new emmisions laws.

I now got away from diesel and got a new F-150 - great truck! I miss my diesel about twice a year when I really need it for something but have found the 150 much more capable than I expected.

Anyway, that was a long way of saying find you a 00 super duty with low miles and you'll be very happy!


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## fishnfool (Jul 23, 2004)

LongRodMaster said:


> uh F-550? comparing a 3500 to a 550 is like apples and oranges lets talk apples to apples.


A good friend of mine has a construction business. He hauls a Dozer daily. His daily driver truck is Ford 350 dually, auto with 4.30 gears. He also has a Dodge 3500 dually, 6 speed manual, with 4.10 gears as a work truck. He says the Dodge is stronger out the hole but by 50 the Ford passes it and continues to pull away. He drives the Ford now most of the time and lets his guys use the Dodge.


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## LongRodMaster (Mar 5, 2005)

I bet his 7.3 wont leave my 5.9 off the line or after 50!


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## bwguardian (Aug 30, 2005)

LongRodMaster said:


> I bet his 7.3 wont leave my 5.9 off the line or after 50!


Careful...the F-550 has mods with 4:88 gears!


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## fishnfool (Jul 23, 2004)

LongRodMaster said:


> I bet his 7.3 wont leave my 5.9 off the line or after 50!


I doubt his would but promise the one I sold to my brother would.


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## marshhunter (Mar 20, 2008)

didnt the '99 7.3 have a fuel problem?? i would look for an '03 7.3 in my opinion best 7.3 out there


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## LongRodMaster (Mar 5, 2005)

bwguardian said:


> Careful...the F-550 has mods with 4:88 gears!


Im willing to to risk it!

12.4's at 110mph in the 1/4 not many streetable 7.3's out there running faster than that. But I am will to see 

This is what happens every time some one asks this question LOL ford, chevy, dodge mines better. :brew:


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## Shin-Diggin (Jun 17, 2005)

I logged alot miles on all the diesels out today. 

2003 7.3 Hauls great, not a hotrod. Nice and decent interior. 

2004 Duramax, ran like a mustang, road like a caddy. Great interior.

2005 cummins, ran strong and felt quick. towing or crusing always had enough power. 

2008 6.4, to be continue, but not looking good for the home team. Now take off all the BS, and chip the heck out of it, and they roll. But that voids the factory warranrty.


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## fishnfool (Jul 23, 2004)

LongRodMaster said:


> Im willing to to risk it!
> 
> 12.4's at 110mph in the 1/4 not many streetable 7.3's out there running faster than that. But I am will to see
> 
> This is what happens every time some one asks this question LOL ford, chevy, dodge mines better. :brew:


12.4 is very respectable! My 7.3 was close to that if I sprayed it but couldn't do it every day.


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## gitchesum (Nov 18, 2006)

We got a little red Dodge regular cab truck that I KNOW no 7.3 will touch.  

I've always been a Dodge guy, my Dad was always a Ford guy. We could always find something wrong with each other's trucks. 

But, to this day, I still haven't seen a Ford Powerstroke with over a million miles on the original engine.


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## gitchesum (Nov 18, 2006)

Now as far as what truck to buy? You gotta drive em all and figure that out all by yourself.


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## Shin-Diggin (Jun 17, 2005)

And there a reason I left the 6.0 off the list. But if your gonna buy one at least make sure its and 06 or 07 model.


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## bwguardian (Aug 30, 2005)

gitchesum said:


> We got a little red Dodge regular cab truck that I KNOW no 7.3 will touch.
> 
> I've always been a Dodge guy, my Dad was always a Ford guy. We could always find something wrong with each other's trucks.
> 
> But, to this day, I still haven't seen a Ford Powerstroke with over a million miles on the original engine.


I know of a couple haulers that had over a million several years back; even had the original tranny...if you can believe it.


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## bwguardian (Aug 30, 2005)

LongRodMaster said:


> Im willing to to risk it!
> 
> 12.4's at 110mph in the 1/4 not many streetable 7.3's out there running faster than that. But I am will to see
> 
> This is what happens every time some one asks this question LOL ford, chevy, dodge mines better. :brew:


No, this is what happens when you call someone out...he asked a question, and had answers. Then you decided to be an ***** with the ^^^^!


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## LongRodMaster (Mar 5, 2005)

I am sorry if you *felt* called out. I simply implied I did not agree with you on your opinion much like others don't agree with mine including your self. They are all opinions and like I said in my first post they all have thier good points and bad. You have your experiances and I have mine as every one else has thiers.

Have a nice day!


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## LandPirate (Jun 5, 2009)

I had an '03 Dodge. The motor pulled hard but I never liked the auto trans. It starts out strong in 1st then falls flat when it shifts to 2nd. The a/c doors were crapping out which is a very common problem on the '03s. And finally the front doors wouldn't seal. Had it back to Dodge numerous times and they'd tweak the doors to seal up but a month later they were flapping again. The wind noise and depressurization of the cab drove me insane. 

I traded for an 08 GMC and haven't looked back. Much better riding, driving vehicle and no wind noise. The Allison transmission is the best there is. Honestly, If you could pair a Cummins with an Allison it would be lethal.


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## marshhunter (Mar 20, 2008)

gitchesum said:


> Now as far as what truck to buy? You gotta drive em all and figure that out all by yourself.


i couldnt agree more. 
but i would take it a step further i would go to some diesel mechanics in your area and ask them there honest opinion(about the trucks your considering) i would also find out if there is anything that he sees go wrong all the time (ie air conditioners on dodges or the cam sensors on fords etc...)


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## ATE_UP_FISHERMAN (Jun 25, 2004)

Don't buy the 6.0 Ford Diesel.


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## cabosandinh (Jun 7, 2007)

don't know anything about Dodge or Chevy, but I drive an 02 F-250
4x4 with 185k miles , tows a 9000 lb Whaler/trailer and I think it's
going to keep trucking into the half million mile mark. I get 20 mpg
on the highway, everything is still working and original except for 
K&N air filter, Edge programmer and Borla muffler.

If you're buying a diesel , I hope you're buying for towing reliability
and not hot-rodding

I have a friend that is looking for a new truck but he insist that it
has to be 00-02 Ford 7.3 L


There was an article in Trailer Boats about a boat delivery guy with
over 1.2 million miles on his Ford 7.3. The guy's secret was:
don't drive faster than 60 mph and religious fluid change

Whatever you buy, if you change oil every 5k, flush the transmission
and coolant every 20k, and diesel additives once in a while 
the truck will last you a long time.


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## wfishtx (Apr 10, 2006)

I had a 96 F250 with the 7.3. Motor was great with the exception of the injector wiring harness, tranny was ****. The rest of the truck seemed to hold up well.

As for Dodge, my opinion is that they make a great motor, but that's about the only thing great about them. I don't find it hard to believe that you can put a million miles on a Cummins, but I do find it hard to believe the motor would last that long in the original body. There isn't much about a Dodge that last very long except maybe the Cummins motor.

As for Chevy/GM, other than the 96 Ford (which I inherited through marriage), this is all I drive, so you can imagine what my opinion will be. Best all around truck from the motor to the tranny to the smallest of details.


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## Little-bit (Oct 19, 2005)

I have a 2002 dodge 4X4 with the 5.9. Great engine but the rest of the truck is a POJ. The A/C stays broke, the dash is cracked, replaced the transfercase, rear main seal, injector pump, lift pump.... etc

I also have a 1996 Toyota 4X4 with the 4cyl. It has 198K miles and no problems. Too bad they wont market the diesel truck here yet.


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## Arlon (Feb 8, 2005)

LandPirate said:


> I had an '03 Dodge. The motor pulled hard but I never liked the auto trans. It starts out strong in 1st then falls flat when it shifts to 2nd. The a/c doors were crapping out which is a very common problem on the '03s. And finally the front doors wouldn't seal. Had it back to Dodge numerous times and they'd tweak the doors to seal up but a month later they were flapping again. The wind noise and depressurization of the cab drove me insane.


I have an 03 Dodge 5.9 with 110K miles. I had to replace the waterpump a few miles back (5 minute, 2 bolt, $35 job on a cummins) but that's all I've touched on it. Tow a 5th wheel, no problems yet. So far it's been the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned. Still has the factory freon in it. AC, everything else works just as it did the day it was delivered. Mine was probably made on a wed. (-:}

No dash cracks or other trim/seal/body issues either.


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## Dave aka Regulator (May 21, 2009)

The best guys to chat to on buying a truck for towing would be the guys in the hot shot business I think. They are on the road hauling god only knows what on a daily basis.. 

I tend to notice alot more Dodges out there on the highway running hotshot loads. "Might just be me though"

Another thing to think about when y ou compare Ford, Dodge & Chevy is the fact are you comparing a "STOCK' truck vurses an UPGRADED Truck.

I run a 06 Dodge Cummins with a 6 Speed Tranny. Its Totaly stock other than a cold air intake and straight exaust. 

Im almost to the 50,000 Mile mark and havent had any issues with it other than trashing the injectors with some really bad fuel. "Warenty's are sooo great" 

So far the only Fords or Chevys that have passed me are the ones that are all chipped out and turned up or they where Hauling nothing while I was loaded to the hilt.


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## Argo (May 21, 2004)

I have an 05 dodge 5.9 cummins with 85k miles, not a single problem with it since I got it new in 04/05 whenever it was..... interior still looks new except for some carpet stains.....

I also have a new 09 6.7 dodge with 2000 miles on it that is stronger than my 5.9 ever was on anything lower than 3 on my edge hot juice...... Both trucks get around 17-19mpg my 05 is lifted with 35" tires on it.....


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## HCStevens (May 11, 2006)

Thanks for all the advice guys. I have also heard great things from the 7.3, but wanted something a little newer than an 03'. Any more advice or experience with the duramax would be appreciated. I will be using the truck to haul cattle trailers and an 18' bass boat...only a couple times a month. Not so much hotrodding, but Im always on the lookout for a truck that will get me out of trouble in a hurry.


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## fishnfool (Jul 23, 2004)

You won't go wrong with Duramax/Allison, great combo! Try and find an 06 or early 07. All the new emmissions **** that has ruined all the diesels started in late 07.


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## Cru (May 24, 2004)

*Duramax/Allison*

I did the research, towed with them all and bought a new 2008 GMC 4x4 crew with the Duramax/Allison. I wanted to leave everything completely stock for warranty purposes. My first 10,000 miles have not disappointed. It hauls the travel trailer and Whaler with twins like it should. The Allison really shines!


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## bwguardian (Aug 30, 2005)

I think you should get a Dodge!


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## arron (Jul 8, 2009)

dude if you can find a 7.3 with low miles buy it. I am a duramax guy my self. the 6 speed is better than the 5. the company i work for runs them all and if you like dodge with a 5.9 the 4 speed auto. tranny is junk if you are going to haul.


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## arron (Jul 8, 2009)

I HAVE A 2008 GMC DURAMAX 4x4 dully with 36000 miles on it. it is in a class all on its own.


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## oneneo3 (Feb 7, 2008)

5.9 Cummins. Leave the Fords and Chevy's in your smoke... then let off and get 20+mpg!


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## RLwhaler (Sep 10, 2005)

Duramax and Allison tranny is a GREAT combo.

RL


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## TheDingy (May 13, 2009)

Duramax is the best.... I have towed over 80k lbs with a 1 ton duramax with no problems other than brakes.... Also our normal load of a six horse trailer maxed out gives the combo no problems. I was a cummins man until i started driving the dmax's a few years ago and they rock the cummins world. Also a friend has a 4 horse and tows with a ford. We pass her in cruise control going up hills when we have the 6 horse and 6 horses in it.

-Linn


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