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Stick with the Cummins powered trucks. The later model ones with the P7100 injection pump are the best. They were produced from 94 to early 98. All 12 valve trucks are simple and last forever. They will also start when the Ford will not even think about it in the cold weather. They have a lot more power than the Ford/Navistar engines do too. IDI stands for In-direct-Injection FWIW. I would suggest some reading on the TDR or DTR websites for all the good and bads of each model.

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Not much of a choice on milage, work is to slow to get a newer on. A 2001 with 150K out here is over 15K. I can not finance anything, credit was tanked 2 1/2 years ago. I know the Auto rebuild is about $1500, looking at the2X so not to have the 4X wobble. May go the motorcycle route and leave the truck on the job.

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Not much of a choice on milage, work is to slow to get a newer on. A 2001 with 150K out here is over 15K. I can not finance anything, credit was tanked 2 1/2 years ago. I know the Auto rebuild is about $1500, looking at the2X so not to have the 4X wobble. May go the motorcycle route and leave the truck on the job.

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A $1500 rebuild on a Dodge transmission will leave you walking in about 60,000 miles. I have $2500 in parts alone in my '03 and that's building it myself. It will last longer than the rest of the truck though. If I were in your shoes, I'd be looking at the '96 with 145K on it.

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Not much of a choice on milage, work is to slow to get a newer on. A 2001 with 150K out here is over 15K. I can not finance anything, credit was tanked 2 1/2 years ago. I know the Auto rebuild is about $1500, looking at the2X so not to have the 4X wobble. May go the motorcycle route and leave the truck on the job.

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A $1500 rebuild on a Dodge transmission will leave you walking in about 60,000 miles. I have $2500 in parts alone in my '03 and that's building it myself. It will last longer than the rest of the truck though. If I were in your shoes, I'd be looking at the '96 with 145K on it.

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Unless you are making 1000 lb/ft of torque you spent way to much money on that trans, but then like you said it should last forever. With normal duty use the stock automatic is well up to the task.

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Unless you are making 1000 lb/ft of torque you spent way to much money on that trans, but then like you said it should last forever. With normal duty use the stock automatic is well up to the task.

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After spending the last 4 years building nothing but Dodge transmissions I'd rather be safe than sorry. A stock automatic is absolutely junk. They don't run near enough line pressure and that's a big reason they go out as often as they do. The stock torque converter is also extremely inefficient. You sure don't hear people talk about how great stock automatics are. It's always been their downfall.

Most of the parts put into mine are insurance, so I hopefully never have to do it again. Some are also fixes for common problems associated with them (reverse servo, Sonnax manual valve and PR valve). There were probably a few parts that I didn't need (heavy duty flexplate, billet input shaft, billet overdrive support) but I'd rather have them now and be able to add power later than not have them and fry it. The way it sits it would stand up great to a 600-650HP daily driver that would probably put down somewhere in the neighborhood of 1500 ft/lbs of torque. If the $1500 rebuild was referring to parts only and doing all the labor yourself then I'd agree that it would probably be ok. If you're paying $1500 for a reman unit, then I don't see it lasting any better than the one you just pulled out and you can definitely plan on replacing it again.

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Unless you are making 1000 lb/ft of torque you spent way to much money on that trans, but then like you said it should last forever. With normal duty use the stock automatic is well up to the task.

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After spending the last 4 years building nothing but Dodge transmissions I'd rather be safe than sorry. A stock automatic is absolutely junk. They don't run near enough line pressure and that's a big reason they go out as often as they do. The stock torque converter is also extremely inefficient. You sure don't hear people talk about how great stock automatics are. It's always been their downfall.

Most of the parts put into mine are insurance, so I hopefully never have to do it again. Some are also fixes for common problems associated with them (reverse servo, Sonnax manual valve and PR valve). There were probably a few parts that I didn't need (heavy duty flexplate, billet input shaft, billet overdrive support) but I'd rather have them now and be able to add power later than not have them and fry it. The way it sits it would stand up great to a 600-650HP daily driver that would probably put down somewhere in the neighborhood of 1500 ft/lbs of torque. If the $1500 rebuild was referring to parts only and doing all the labor yourself then I'd agree that it would probably be ok. If you're paying $1500 for a reman unit, then I don't see it lasting any better than the one you just pulled out and you can definitely plan on replacing it again.

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A master kit was under 300 last time I bought one for a 47RE , I went crazy to and put a billet input in it and have a DTT convertor , don't think I have more than 3500 in mine and put over 180k miles on it ...

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The OP doesn't tell us exactly what he needs in a truck. If he is primarily using the truck to commute and haul some tools, I'd question if a diesel will be cost effective. If a half ton would meet his needs, I'd suggest a 1/2 ton gas truck with a six or small 8 cylinder engine. Keeping his current truck and buying a compact 2 wheel drive pick-up with a 4 cylinder / 5 speed for commuting duty may be another alternative.

Diesels are wonderful for heavy duty hauling, towing, etc. Diesels have lots of advantages such as more power, longer engine life, higher resale value, etc. Unfortunately, diesel trucks cost more than gas trucks to purchase. Diesel fuel generally cost more than gasoline. Oil changes cost more on a diesel. Parts usually cost more on a diesel. Bottom line: Diesels use less fuel, but many other items will cost more which offsets much or possibly all of the fuel savings. [/quot

Let's say we buy two new trucks one diesel and one gas and drive them to 50,000 miles. The gas truck a hemi would need 10 oil changes with 6 qts per change, so a total of 60 qts. Now take a cummins diesel and and change at 7500 and you need 6 changes to get there. So you need 72 qts to do it. So with a diesel your oil changes are 50 bucks more in 50,000 miles. Really not that much money.

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The OP doesn't tell us exactly what he needs in a truck. If he is primarily using the truck to commute and haul some tools, I'd question if a diesel will be cost effective. If a half ton would meet his needs, I'd suggest a 1/2 ton gas truck with a six or small 8 cylinder engine. Keeping his current truck and buying a compact 2 wheel drive pick-up with a 4 cylinder / 5 speed for commuting duty may be another alternative.

Diesels are wonderful for heavy duty hauling, towing, etc. Diesels have lots of advantages such as more power, longer engine life, higher resale value, etc. Unfortunately, diesel trucks cost more than gas trucks to purchase. Diesel fuel generally cost more than gasoline. Oil changes cost more on a diesel. Parts usually cost more on a diesel. Bottom line: Diesels use less fuel, but many other items will cost more which offsets much or possibly all of the fuel savings.

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with most of this.
Getting 3.5 mpg in a truck gives you LOTS of options for cheap improvement in fuel costs.

I became a 1st-time diesel owner about a year ago (box truck bought for storage and moving between houses, now sees occastional Lowes duty). If anything goes wrong with it engine-wise, it's lots more expensive. And no matter how much you know and how skilled you are automotive-wise, a diesel is a whole new world. It's like moving to a new city and learnign your way around. And you might be dependent on a repair shop, which sucks if you aren't used to it. BTDT