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gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
:stupid:

When you look at the reports of the K&N (air and oil) filters, they are great for performance but provide very little protection.
also remember a cummins calls for an oil change every 5K instead of 3, that will help offset extra costs of oil.
Good to know. Hacktastic is looking at a used one today for me down near LA. Gonna start getting my jew-jitsu on soon and looking all over socal for the perfect one. I figure I'll only get an 09-10 F150 if I can find a screaming deal.
 

5150dhbiker

Turbo Monkey
Nov 5, 2007
1,200
0
Santa Barbara, CA
I said reliable?
Everyone I know that has or had a duramax has never had a single problem with it. The people I know that have fords and cummins have constant problems :~ My buddy's '03 Ram has had the tranny go out twice and my friend's powerstroke had some major problems with his motor.

I'll stick to a chevy.
Then again...right now I'm saying f**k trucks since I sold mine on Friday and am buying an older BMW.
 

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
494
Im over here now
Everyone I know that has or had a duramax has never had a single problem with it. The people I know that have fords and cummins have constant problems :~ My buddy's '03 Ram has had the tranny go out twice and my friend's powerstroke had some major problems with his motor.
that seems to go against all the facts about the Powerstroke and Cummins. granted random sh!t can happen, but when i think of reliability or durability, Duramax doesnt come to mind
 

demo 9

Turbo Monkey
Jan 31, 2007
5,910
46
north jersey
I have been VERY pleased with my tundra crewmax, its fast, powerful, and apparently can pull anything ill be able to find. I plan on keeping it until 250,000-being a toyota, i think that it will last that long. Back seat is HUGE, if for nothing else, go to a dealership, these seats are amazing (they recline and everything) The best mpg i have been able to get (with a big bed bike rack and tow mirrors) was 18.8 acording to the truck itself. this was from lake george to north jersey cruise at 71 sitting in 6th at about 2k. 3 people in the car. That is not as high as a chevy will get you, and probably beat by a ford as well, but its quite the truck, test drive 1, i think you will fall in love. your ****ed on gas as it is, might as well get the fast and beefy 1.
 

milohead

Monkey
Dec 9, 2008
754
0
Johnson City, Tn
that seems to go against all the facts about the Powerstroke and Cummins. granted random sh!t can happen, but when i think of reliability or durability, Duramax doesnt come to mind
I will say that 04-08 powerstrokes did have some issues. However the 03 and earlier and the 09- 2010 are tight.
 

demo 9

Turbo Monkey
Jan 31, 2007
5,910
46
north jersey
thats a very optimistic number.
cant remember the last time i heard someone say they had over anywhere near that with the newer Tundras.
i dont think thats too bad, i take care of it, give it all the maintenance, and i dont think that many tundras have even gotten to that mileage yet the 07s are only 4 years old at this point. The rest of their cars last about that long (on average) and diablo has put the hurt on the 06. 50k all mountain last i saw it, and i know trail crew doesn't exactly baby that truck. JD powers most reliable 5 years strong, gotta speak for something.
 

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
494
Im over here now
I will say that 04-08 powerstrokes did have some issues. However the 03 and earlier and the 09- 2010 are tight.
i thought the issues were resolved after the first year with the last-gen powerstroke


i dont think thats too bad, i take care of it, give it all the maintenance, and i dont think that many tundras have even gotten to that mileage yet the 07s are only 4 years old at this point. The rest of their cars last about that long (on average)
you dont see too many of the last gen models with that many miles either.....that could be because the frame fell apart
 
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gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
that seems to go against all the facts about the Powerstroke and Cummins. granted random sh!t can happen, but when i think of reliability or durability, Duramax doesnt come to mind
That's what I've heard too. Cummins seems to be the benchmark in reliable diesels.
 

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
i dont think thats too bad, i take care of it, give it all the maintenance, and i dont think that many tundras have even gotten to that mileage yet the 07s are only 4 years old at this point. The rest of their cars last about that long (on average) and diablo has put the hurt on the 06. 50k all mountain last i saw it, and i know trail crew doesn't exactly baby that truck. JD powers most reliable 5 years strong, gotta speak for something.
Only thing that scares me about the Tundras is that stupid air pump thingy in the emissions that seems to go bad in a LOT of 07-08 tundras every 50k miles. And its a $2-4k fix or something crazy like that.
 

demo 9

Turbo Monkey
Jan 31, 2007
5,910
46
north jersey
Only thing that scares me about the Tundras is that stupid air pump thingy in the emissions that seems to go bad in a LOT of 07-08 tundras every 50k miles. And its a $2-4k fix or something crazy like that.
ive heard, i have a 2010, and im hoping its fixed, any idea WHY it brakes, aftermarket if it breaks again?
 

TheMontashu

Pourly Tatteued Jeu
Mar 15, 2004
5,549
0
I'm homeless
Everyone I know that has or had a duramax has never had a single problem with it. The people I know that have fords and cummins have constant problems :~ My buddy's '03 Ram has had the tranny go out twice and my friend's powerstroke had some major problems with his motor.

I'll stick to a chevy.
Then again...right now I'm saying f**k trucks since I sold mine on Friday and am buying an older BMW.
Dura max motors are ****, Alison trannys are the ****. The motors that go in the dodges are AMAZING, the trannys are CRAP. Powerjokes, unless just a 7.3 are pieces of junk.


My girls dad has an allison dura max. Thing drove amazing with a just a chip. It's BRAND new, so I guess time will tell how the new dura max motor's are
 

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
ive heard, i have a 2010, and im hoping its fixed, any idea WHY it brakes, aftermarket if it breaks again?
Water gets in there and f's everything up. Supposedly if you're religious about it you can keep it from happening. But there's no after market fix right now. Ask hacktastic about it. He's got an 07 and been freaking out about it reading up on it.
 

descente

Monkey
Jul 30, 2010
430
0
Sandy Eggo
my pops has a GMC 2500HD with the vortec 8.1L. its got an exhaust, intake, and chip. it is the fastest truck i have ever driven by far. just imagine all the power of a duramax but without the turbo lag. it just goes the instant you stab the pedal. he regularly gets 16+ if you are just cruising on the freeway. and the Allison transmission is by far the single best heavy duty truck trans on the market. first couple years of the duramax have problems with injector gaskets, but most of them should have that worked out by now. my buddy who had the issue got it fixed under a recall or something and no issues since. personally, i would choose gas over diesel every time, but now that no body puts a gas big block in a newer truck you gotta go diesel if you don't mind the racket they make

i'm 6'2" and last time i rode in the back seat of a mega cab it felt like riding in a van there was that much room. head room tho not so sure, i guess it depends if you carry your 6 and a half feet above or below the waist....then again, i think a diesel van would be even sicker. WAY more room inside than any pickup, just gotta get some form of bike rack in or out.

dream truck would be: megacab body on a ford frame, axles and suspension with a cummins engine and allison trans.

but you should probably not buy uhmericun cause its ignorant...
 

loco-gringo

Crusading Clamp Monkey
Sep 27, 2006
8,887
14
Deep in the heart of TEXAS
also remember a cummins calls for an oil change every 5K instead of 3, that will help offset extra costs of oil.
I suck at math, but say I change my oil in my Xterra every 3k (which I don't, as I use synthetic), it's still less than 4 quarts. My Powerstroke was 16 quarts every 5k. Looks to me like I still use a ton less oil on the Xterra. I know it's apples to oranges, but the cost of preventative maintenance on something that uses a $20 oil filter, 4 gallons of oil and uses a $100 air filter is pretty high.

With a 7.3 International in a Ford everything was $100 at a time for repairs.

For the Powerstroke, that number went to $500 at a time.

New diesels cost a ton to work on.
 

TheMontashu

Pourly Tatteued Jeu
Mar 15, 2004
5,549
0
I'm homeless
I suck at math, but say I change my oil in my Xterra every 3k (which I don't, as I use synthetic), it's still less than 4 quarts. My Powerstroke was 16 quarts every 5k. Looks to me like I still use a ton less oil on the Xterra. I know it's apples to oranges, but the cost of preventative maintenance on something that uses a $20 oil filter, 4 gallons of oil and uses a $100 air filter is pretty high.

With a 7.3 International in a Ford everything was $100 at a time for repairs.

For the Powerstroke, that number went to $500 at a time.

New diesels cost a ton to work on.
I can't say on new diesels, I go to fleet pride, 3 gallons and a quart, less than 10$ on the oil filter. It's like 50$ or so an oil change.
 

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
New diesels cost a ton to work on.
Is it that much more to make the F150 more cost effective in the long run? What kind of problems are more expensive? Any specific examples? I'm just wondering if its like basic stuff I can do on my own if need be.

Also just checked, cummins diesels are *only* 10qt of oil
 
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eric strt6

Resident Curmudgeon
Sep 8, 2001
23,439
13,743
directly above the center of the earth
My F350 Diesel gets 18-20 on the freeway. Oil Changes> buy Delo 400 at Costco and you save about 30% over auto parts stores same with buying the filters on line in 6 packs.

Fuel filters get changed every 15k and tranny fluid and filter at 30k

at 93,000 miles on my 03 it hasn't spent a day in the shop. I mostly use it for hauling my wifes show horses to competitions.
 

kickstand

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2009
3,441
392
Fenton, MI
I'm still driving my 2001 Silverado Z71 with 165,000 miles on it, the only thing I've replaced was the water & fuel pump. Best truck I've ever owned!!!!
I sold my 2000 with 185k, it was a great truck.

my pops has a GMC 2500HD with the vortec 8.1L. its got an exhaust, intake, and chip. it is the fastest truck i have ever driven by far. just imagine all the power of a duramax but without the turbo lag. it just goes the instant you stab the pedal. he regularly gets 16+ if you are just cruising on the freeway. .
I will not call you a liar, but I have a very hard time believing this. My brother has one with the 8.1 and the allison, it never gets much more than 12. But it is a raped ape, and tows fantastic.
 

kickstand

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2009
3,441
392
Fenton, MI
Is it that much more to make the F150 more cost effective in the long run? What kind of problems are more expensive? Any specific examples? I'm just wondering if its like basic stuff I can do on my own if need be.

Also just checked, cummins diesels are *only* 10qt of oil
I've done the math every which way, and as cool as I think diesel trucks are, you have to drive a TON of miles to justify the added cost of ownership.

I still WANT a diesel, but I don't think its the most economic choice, UNLESS you are towing a ton of weight and driving a ton of miles. They are awesome trucks, and can pull down some good mileage numbers for their size.....

I still want a 7.3 ford.
 

Sghost

Turbo Monkey
Jul 13, 2008
1,038
0
NY
I've done the math every which way, and as cool as I think diesel trucks are, you have to drive a TON of miles to justify the added cost of ownership.

I still WANT a diesel, but I don't think its the most economic choice, UNLESS you are towing a ton of weight and driving a ton of miles. They are awesome trucks, and can pull down some good mileage numbers for their size.....

I still want a 7.3 ford.
You mean people shouldn't buy diesels or 1/2 ton+ trucks unless they actually need them for the work horse capacity?

 

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
494
Im over here now
You mean people shouldn't buy diesels or 1/2 ton+ trucks unless they actually need them for the work horse capacity?
thats why the big three should consider bringing back their 1500/1.5ton series diesel projects.
Ford is finally putting their twin turbo V6 EcoBoost into their F150, but id love to see a small displacement diesel instead
 

descente

Monkey
Jul 30, 2010
430
0
Sandy Eggo
I will not call you a liar, but I have a very hard time believing this. My brother has one with the 8.1 and the allison, it never gets much more than 12. But it is a raped ape, and tows fantastic.
i know its hard to believe, but he drives like a granny most of the time (65-70 on the freeways). they have so much power you hardly ever have to step on the gas pedal anyway. chip, intake and exhaust brought mileage up a bit too, as well as stepping up to 285/75 tires to get the freeway rpms down a little. i know its not easy to believe, but if you keep it tuned up, tire pressure up, and all your fluids changed regularly it makes a big difference.

my buddy has a nearly identical duramax and he regularly gets 18-20+ depending on usage.

i think most dramatically is towing. i've towed my 6000lb bronco on a 2000lb trailer with both trucks. acceleration and performance were pretty much identical between the two. the gas truck dropped down to about 10mpg, cruising at arizona freeway speeds (75-80). the duramax dropped down to about 12-13 under similar circumstances. both engines lost about the same amount of mileage percentage wise. (if you believe in using MPG as a measure of engine efficiency). when you drop the hammer on the gas truck tho it will go through gas like a frat boy through freshmen sluts on the first week of school. and it will accelerate like a rocket ship. i've also towed my bronco with a healthy 7.3 PSD and it could maintain speed alright and accelerate good on flats, but no chance of accelerating on a hill. and it got about 10-11 mpg. so i guess the point i'm trying to make is diesels only get good mileage when they are empty in my experience. once you throw a good load on there all bets are off as driving style and route are going to dictate your economy more than anything else.

once you factor in the extra cost to purchase a diesel, extra cost of maintenance, extra cost of fuel (where i live diesel is pretty regularly $.20 more than gas) it just doesn't make much sense unless you are running a fleet of work trucks, or you're that guy stocking a junkyard with his pickup truck.
 

TheMontashu

Pourly Tatteued Jeu
Mar 15, 2004
5,549
0
I'm homeless
I've done the math every which way, and as cool as I think diesel trucks are, you have to drive a TON of miles to justify the added cost of ownership.

I still WANT a diesel, but I don't think its the most economic choice, UNLESS you are towing a ton of weight and driving a ton of miles. They are awesome trucks, and can pull down some good mileage numbers for their size.....

I still want a 7.3 ford.
I pay 2.89 for diesel (2.29 for the offroad diesel :) ) Gas around here is right at 3$ I'm not sure what the 5.9 common rail trucks get for milage. But I know you can EASILY get 30 out of them (there's a guy with an old 12 valve around here claiming he gets 33, and a guy with a 6.7 saying he gets 37) Say you get 19 out of an F150 like for claims you get.

That's 9 cents a mile, Vs like 15 cents a mile. That's in fuel costs. You also have to remember a cummins engine WILL go 500K without blinkin an eye. More like 7-800K with much trouble at all. If you're trying to keep the thing for 250K remember how many ****'s your gasser is going to take on you in that time. I bought my 12 valve with 200K and that motor runs like NEW. You also have to take into account the fact that diesels have a MUCH higher resale value, especially if you're in a 4wd cummins.

The ONLY costs that are higher are the initial costs (partially offset by resale value) and the cost of oil changes

Fuel costs are lower, and reliability is MUCH higher.......
 

KavuRider

Turbo Monkey
Jan 30, 2006
2,565
4
CT
I get 10mpg. Period.
I drive a 1988 Econoline 1/2 ton conversion van. 5L V8.

Bah.
Its funny, one of the local guys has an E350 1 ton Ford van with the V10, gets like 15mpg. Things huge and still get's better mileage...
 

Kanye West

220# bag of hacktastic
Aug 31, 2006
3,742
476
i know its hard to believe, but he drives like a granny most of the time (65-70 on the freeways). they have so much power you hardly ever have to step on the gas pedal anyway. chip, intake and exhaust brought mileage up a bit too, as well as stepping up to 285/75 tires to get the freeway rpms down a little. i know its not easy to believe, but if you keep it tuned up, tire pressure up, and all your fluids changed regularly it makes a big difference.
Keeping the RPM's below 1500 through the acceleration phase and on the freeway on my Tundra actually yields excellent mileage. Stepping on it with any aggressiveness drags it down fast.


The air pump thing is pretty much the downfall of the 2nd-gen Tundras. If there is any legitimate complaint about those trucks, that is basically it. It's part of the emissions system at startup for about 30-45 seconds. It consists of these two tiny pumps that are located in front of the right front wheel behind the wheelwell paneling. They aren't sealed real well, and their location puts them right in the way of water drainage through the engine bay. When one goes bad, it throws a CEL code and puts the truck into limp mode (easy to fix on the go with a battery disconnect). The pumps cost $1200 each though.

The nice thing is that they are easy to access and easy to clean. Some attention with every other oil change to ensure there are no contaminants in there goes a long way.

Unfortunately it sounds like all years for the 2nd-gen are prone to being affected. My local dealership service department told me there were TSB's for '07's that were made in the San Antonio, TX facility, but looking around the forums it seems to occur with every year, and every build facility. Also, the new Toyota parts (with a different part number) don't appear to be an improvement at all, and there are no aftermarket options available for it.
 

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
494
Im over here now
cally it. It's part of the emissions system at startup for about 30-45 seconds. It consists of these two tiny pumps that are located in front of the right front wheel behind the wheelwell paneling. They aren't sealed real well, and their location puts them right in the way of water drainage through the engine bay. When one goes bad, it throws a CEL code and puts the truck into limp mode (easy to fix on the go with a battery disconnect). The pumps cost $1200 each though.
thats a horrible place to put that thing. and even worse that it puts the truck into limp mode when it goes bad,
 

KavuRider

Turbo Monkey
Jan 30, 2006
2,565
4
CT
your van is also 22 years old w/ the old 5.0L
Oh I know, just b!tching :D
It was a cheap camper vehicle I bought, not supposed to be my daily driver, but then the newer sedan (Hyundai Sonata) I bought crapped the bed, so it took over.
I tend to ride my bike a lot. :p
 

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
I pay 2.89 for diesel (2.29 for the offroad diesel :) ) Gas around here is right at 3$ I'm not sure what the 5.9 common rail trucks get for milage. But I know you can EASILY get 30 out of them (there's a guy with an old 12 valve around here claiming he gets 33, and a guy with a 6.7 saying he gets 37) Say you get 19 out of an F150 like for claims you get.

That's 9 cents a mile, Vs like 15 cents a mile. That's in fuel costs. You also have to remember a cummins engine WILL go 500K without blinkin an eye. More like 7-800K with much trouble at all. If you're trying to keep the thing for 250K remember how many ****'s your gasser is going to take on you in that time. I bought my 12 valve with 200K and that motor runs like NEW. You also have to take into account the fact that diesels have a MUCH higher resale value, especially if you're in a 4wd cummins.

The ONLY costs that are higher are the initial costs (partially offset by resale value) and the cost of oil changes

Fuel costs are lower, and reliability is MUCH higher.......
I think you've made the case for me. I guess I'll only get the F150 if I can find a really sick deal on it. The dodge is the only one I haven't sat in/driven, so we'll have to see how that goes first. Hopefully gonna settle that this weekend.
 

TheMontashu

Pourly Tatteued Jeu
Mar 15, 2004
5,549
0
I'm homeless
I think you've made the case for me. I guess I'll only get the F150 if I can find a really sick deal on it. The dodge is the only one I haven't sat in/driven, so we'll have to see how that goes first. Hopefully gonna settle that this weekend.
I don't now what kind of risk you are down to take, and how enforcement is in your area, but I run offroad diesel. It's died red and there is no road tax on it, so it's quite a bit cheeper. There is a 1000$ fine for the first offense so know that, I'm in the bay area so I don't have to worry so much about getting my tank dipped, but if you live in a farming area, enforcement is going to be much higher. It's like 20$ a fill cheeper