Which truck would you buy

[hotrodj125]

I don't knowif I should put more fuel on this fire or not, but I have 99 F-250 with the 7.3 with 370,000 on it and runs great yet with only a water pump change,and a 06 with the 6.0 with 160,000 and doesn,t run good till it gets warmed up torunning temp and has had turbo and EGR problems. Both tho, I;ve had to changethe front ball joints every 100,000 miles--- but the last time i put in moog greaseable joints and they are holding up great now.

[Tarcon]

GMC 6.6 Duramax Diesel. Allison Transmision. Mine is a Crew Cab with an 8' box. Off road suspension. Towing Package. Love this truck !!!!!

[dustman_stx]

Now that the 6.0 idea has apparently been scrapped and the OP is looking at a 7.3, I would vote for the Ford. As most have said, I feel the Ford is a better truck as long as it doesn't have one of the newer diesels in it like the 6.0 or 6.4.

[Campster]

This still dragging on? Just go find a Cummins and be done with it! I spent about three minutes deciding my choice. I haven't regretted one bit...

[jimh]

the maintenance records are important. you also want to make sure the cooling system has been properly maintained. gold antifreeze, that came in the 2002 7.3, needs to be changed out at 100000 and replaced with the same. if it has the green antifreeze, there is an additive that goes in (DCA-4 or FW15?). (i went back to ford to get the gold antifreeze because i wanted to be sure that it met spec).
i had a 92 7.3 that developed a pin hole leak in the cylinder wall at 123K and had to be replaced. Ford came out with a notice 2 mos after i replaced the engine saying failours were due to poor radiator maintaince. if u look in the manuel, it mentions it but u have to be able to decode it.
I now have a 2002 7.3 and keep it maintained. i had my first problem with it last year; the alternator went out.

I wouldn't buy anything that has been "chipped" either. my understanding is that a different program reduces engine life. you also don't know to what degree they reprogrammed it and if other equipment was changed out to accommodate it.

[dustman_stx]

Originally Posted by jimh

I wouldn't buy anything that has been "chipped" either. my understanding is that a different program reduces engine life. you also don't know to what degree they reprogrammed it and if other equipment was changed out to accommodate it.

I wouldn't either. Good luck finding a Cummins that hasn't been. Maybe it varies depending on what part of the country you are in, but the majority of used ones around here have been chipped or have had exhaust mods done.

[jeeplj8]

Originally Posted by dustman_stx

I wouldn't either. Good luck finding a Cummins that hasn't been. Maybe it varies depending on what part of the country you are in, but the majority of used ones around here have been chipped or have had exhaust mods done.

you should never be scared of an exhaust mod on a turbo diesel. Remember the turbo is the limiting factor in exhaust, not what comes after it.

As for a chip - that can be good or bad. many people run a Edge brand or type tuner mostly for the built in gauge monitoring. The problem is that with Ford or Chevy, they actually reprogram the ECM through the OBD port. you can easily remove the tuner and the new owner will never know if the truck has been tuned or not. on the Cummins you have to actually wire around the factory computer. you will be able to tell by the plugs if it has had a tuner.

[dustman_stx]

Originally Posted by jeeplj8

you should never be scared of an exhaust mod on a turbo diesel. Remember the turbo is the limiting factor in exhaust, not what comes after it.

As for a chip - that can be good or bad. many people run a Edge brand or type tuner mostly for the built in gauge monitoring. The problem is that with Ford or Chevy, they actually reprogram the ECM through the OBD port. you can easily remove the tuner and the new owner will never know if the truck has been tuned or not. on the Cummins you have to actually wire around the factory computer. you will be able to tell by the plugs if it has had a tuner.

I mention the exhaust mod for 2 reasons: 1) Many of the trucks I have seen with exhaust mods have had the snot driven out of them and 2) Most of the trucks that have exhaust mods were run with a chip, and like you said, you can't tell for sure if there has been a chip or not many times. My understanding is that with a chip it is quite easy to run exhaust temps WAY too high, especially if running a hot program when towing. And I just don't trust a PO to have used a chip in a conservative manner.

[dustman_stx]

I'll add this- even older guys I know have given in to the urge of romping on their diesel at least occasionally when chipped. I can't say for sure what type of wear and tear this puts the drivetrain through, but with the additional torque and HP it can't be good on anything.

[erwin]

if you want to save money like I did, look hard for a f350 7.3L dually, complete stock, lower millage "older" truck. I just got my new baby for under $10K, 1999, 160,000 miles. Look for a 2x4, since it's much cheaper and you do not need a 4x4 for towing a 5ther on the road.

My other truck (work truck) is a 96 F350 7.3L. I expect them to outlast me. For daily driving, the wife and I both have a time-capsule 91 Volvo 745 and a 245 as spare and they will definately outlast us. If you heared anything about 7.3L PSD and pre-93 volvo station wagons (they have a lot in common!), you know how happy our life will be for the next few decades. and maybe yours too.