Re: Cummins diesel stories 5.9
[Re: Grizzly]
#2248357
02/06/17 11:54 AM
02/06/17 11:54 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 43,848 Round Lake Beach, Illinoisy
Rhinodart
Rhinotruck
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Rhinotruck
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 43,848
Round Lake Beach, Illinoisy
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I'm from a Class 8 Truck Family. I've owned 2-a 2001 and a 2002 with Edge 60hp, the Parents had a 1990 12-valve. All were brand-new.
Now have a couple of 2001 360 Rams, a '98 318 5-speed, a /6 and 318 First Gens with 833od's in them: Don't miss any of those diesels one bit.
I'm not saying owning a Cummins is a bad idea, but don't buy one for fuel mileage, to save money, or to use as a daily driver: you will be disappointed, pay a small fortune, and eventually run into big-dollar repair bills. Diesel mechanics is an art of its' own and most of us can't do it ourselves.
Buy one if you are, as we say in the trucking industry, loaded both ways. This is the God's honest truth, some of us find out the hard way. I like my Hemi Ram now, and the only diesel truck I will ever own going forward is a first gen, at least they are harder to kill...
The funny thing about science is that if you change one miniscule parameter you change the entire outcome to the way you want it.
JB Rhinehart, Realist
A-Body's RULE!
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Re: Cummins diesel stories 5.9
[Re: Grizzly]
#2248440
02/06/17 01:40 PM
02/06/17 01:40 PM
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 21,066 in a cattle trailer down by th...
Guitar Jones
Paddle faster! I hear banjo music!
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Paddle faster! I hear banjo music!
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 21,066
in a cattle trailer down by th...
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I'm not saying owning a Cummins is a bad idea, but don't buy one for fuel mileage, to save money, or to use as a daily driver: you will be disappointed, pay a small fortune, and eventually run into big-dollar repair bills. Diesel mechanics is an art of its' own and most of us can't do it ourselves.
I love diesels, and I love my diesels. I've had 6 over the years. I had the first 89 in this zone, an 06, two Duramaxes (or is it Durami?)(meh) and a TDI VW, but my '92 is awesome. Yeah it's loud, smelly, dirty, rough riding and it smokes but I wouldn't want it any other way. And yes I do all my own work.
"Come get your wife"
'92 D250 Club Cab CTD, 47RH conversion, pump tweaks, injectors, rear disc and hydroboost conversion. '74 W200 Crew Cab 360, NV4500, D44, D60 and NP205 divorced transfer case. Front and rear disc and hydroboost conversion. 2019 1500 Long Horn Crew Cab 4WD, 5.7 Hemi.
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Re: Cummins diesel stories 5.9
[Re: 67plymouthman]
#2248553
02/06/17 03:58 PM
02/06/17 03:58 PM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 18,582 Rust Belt, SW PA
Silver70
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 18,582
Rust Belt, SW PA
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I have an 01 24v and I never worked on a diesel in my life before I bought it. It's way easier to work on with way more the gas counter parts. If you can work on a gas engine, you can work on a diesel. Feel like a broken record on these kind of posts... ya you use more oil, but change it less than half as often. I put in 100hp injectors and an edge comp box, gained a ton of power and increased the fuel economy. Lets see a gasser do that! My truck is like driving a 4wd muscle car I can haul anything with and drive in the snow/mud. I have a 95 360 ram and an 04 hemi ram... so can;t say I wouldn't switch back, but I would never buy a gas ram for doing lots of towing.
68 Road Runner, 69 Belvedere, 71 Challenger Vert 340 barracuda, 01 Ram CTD, 95 Ram, 04 Ram, 85 Daytona turbo Z 66 GTO, 06 Magnum RT AWD. 07 Ram CTD, 07 Ram
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Re: Cummins diesel stories 5.9
[Re: DaytonaTurbo]
#2248627
02/06/17 06:06 PM
02/06/17 06:06 PM
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 21,066 in a cattle trailer down by th...
Guitar Jones
Paddle faster! I hear banjo music!
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Paddle faster! I hear banjo music!
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 21,066
in a cattle trailer down by th...
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180K before the trans had problems? Just how long do you think those things are going to last? The gasser versions weren't any better but I don't see anyone slamming them.
"Come get your wife"
'92 D250 Club Cab CTD, 47RH conversion, pump tweaks, injectors, rear disc and hydroboost conversion. '74 W200 Crew Cab 360, NV4500, D44, D60 and NP205 divorced transfer case. Front and rear disc and hydroboost conversion. 2019 1500 Long Horn Crew Cab 4WD, 5.7 Hemi.
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Re: Cummins diesel stories 5.9
[Re: DaytonaTurbo]
#2248663
02/06/17 07:25 PM
02/06/17 07:25 PM
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 337 Colorado
67plymouthman
OP
enthusiast
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OP
enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 337
Colorado
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I am prepared for the maintenance. I knew that going in. I tried to buy the cleanest truck that I could and that had many updates/repairs. I needed more than a 5.7 and didn't want to buy a new truck with the 6.4. The money I save on registration, financing, and taxes hopefully fund the updates on the used one. I won't be putting to many miles on it yearly. Thanks for the advice.
Hopefully I won't learn the hard way.
Last edited by 67plymouthman; 02/06/17 07:40 PM.
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Re: Cummins diesel stories 5.9
[Re: DaytonaTurbo]
#2249034
02/07/17 12:32 PM
02/07/17 12:32 PM
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 21,066 in a cattle trailer down by th...
Guitar Jones
Paddle faster! I hear banjo music!
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Paddle faster! I hear banjo music!
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 21,066
in a cattle trailer down by th...
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Those transmissions are just as crappy in the gassers. I wouldn't buy one with an automatic. However I was just trying to point out that if someone buys one around that mileage, if the last guy didn't do the trans, he will be very soon. Funny the auto equipped trucks get the higher output engines. I might also point out that there are a ton of upgrades for this transmission. Practically every diesel drag racer uses this trans. While the Allison has the bullet proof reputation they aren't perfect either, especially the earlier versions of the 1000 had some C3 clutch lubrication problems. I've owned two trucks with the Allison and while they were trouble free I hate the fact that they have a set shift schedule no matter what. They don't deviate at all. They shift into whatever gear at a certain speed and that's it. No matter if you are accelerating or decelerating. The Ford trans has it's own issues too so just ragging on the 47/48RE is really pointless. I don't know of anyone except rhinodart that has had that many problems with it. He's also broken the stick transmissions too so I tend to think it's him and not the product. Just my 2 cents. YMMV.
"Come get your wife"
'92 D250 Club Cab CTD, 47RH conversion, pump tweaks, injectors, rear disc and hydroboost conversion. '74 W200 Crew Cab 360, NV4500, D44, D60 and NP205 divorced transfer case. Front and rear disc and hydroboost conversion. 2019 1500 Long Horn Crew Cab 4WD, 5.7 Hemi.
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Re: Cummins diesel stories 5.9
[Re: Rhinodart]
#2249263
02/07/17 07:44 PM
02/07/17 07:44 PM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312 Cincinnati, Ohio
Challenger 1
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312
Cincinnati, Ohio
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Well in my defense I did haul heavy, usually a 44' or 53' enclosed going from coast to coast and quite a few of the problems were in the mountains on I-40 or around Arizona. I always wondered to myself what the rear end gearing was in the trucks that had trans problems you drove? Because not enough gear is going to stress the trans more than if it had a deeper gear.
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Re: Cummins diesel stories 5.9
[Re: Challenger 1]
#2249269
02/07/17 07:59 PM
02/07/17 07:59 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 43,848 Round Lake Beach, Illinoisy
Rhinodart
Rhinotruck
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Rhinotruck
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 43,848
Round Lake Beach, Illinoisy
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Well in my defense I did haul heavy, usually a 44' or 53' enclosed going from coast to coast and quite a few of the problems were in the mountains on I-40 or around Arizona. I always wondered to myself what the rear end gearing was in the trucks that had trans problems you drove? Because not enough gear is going to stress the trans more than if it had a deeper gear. The 99 dually had 3.55's with the NV4500, the 04 single wheel had 4.10's with the 48RE, the 05 dually had 3.55's with the 48RE, the 07 dually had 4.10's with the G56.
The funny thing about science is that if you change one miniscule parameter you change the entire outcome to the way you want it.
JB Rhinehart, Realist
A-Body's RULE!
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Re: Cummins diesel stories 5.9
[Re: DaytonaTurbo]
#2249274
02/07/17 08:06 PM
02/07/17 08:06 PM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312 Cincinnati, Ohio
Challenger 1
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312
Cincinnati, Ohio
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FWIW, I work at a heavy duty truck/trailer repair division of a transport fleet. Nobody drives a diesel as their daily driver except the boss who's always having problems with his. Been a diesel mechanic since 1985. Have never owned a diesel powered pickup, could have ordered one in 1993 when I bought my first 3500 truck to tow with. Did not want the noise, smell and expense of a DD diesel pickup. Mainly did not want to hear a diesel when I went racing because I heard them all day long at work. Plus 8500 bucks extra just for the diesel engine at the time bought me a bunch of race car parts. So I had to buy a chevy, dodge did not have BB gas engine no more. So I had to switch from dodge to chevy in 1993 and got my first 4 wheel 2 wheel drive 3500 454 auto 411, it towed like a couch for 125K miles with no trouble. No major repairs at all, just maintenance. Then bought another new 3500 dually 454 in 99 that I DD everyday for 13 years. It held up great too until the 13th year. Then the rear end broke. I fixed it and traded it in for a ford truck in late 2013. Both of my chevys towed heavy trailers and neither had trans or front end issues. I put brakes on it a few times but that was it as far as suspension goes. WOW is all I can say about the expense some of you have had with your diesel pickup trucks. Buddy of mine walks into my work maintenance shop and I am replacing 2 of the injectors in a old ford powerstroke. Precedes to complain about injectors he had to put in his ram pickup. I can't remember how much he said but it was alot I was thinking at the time. I have always said on here diesels are not worth it in a pickup in many cases.
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Re: Cummins diesel stories 5.9
[Re: Rhinodart]
#2249284
02/07/17 08:13 PM
02/07/17 08:13 PM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312 Cincinnati, Ohio
Challenger 1
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312
Cincinnati, Ohio
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Well in my defense I did haul heavy, usually a 44' or 53' enclosed going from coast to coast and quite a few of the problems were in the mountains on I-40 or around Arizona. I always wondered to myself what the rear end gearing was in the trucks that had trans problems you drove? Because not enough gear is going to stress the trans more than if it had a deeper gear. The 99 dually had 3.55's with the NV4500, the 04 single wheel had 4.10's with the 48RE, the 05 dually had 3.55's with the 48RE, the 07 dually had 4.10's with the G56. 3:55s are no good for the hills or mountains IMO. 4:11s are good. My 99 chevy was ordered with 4:56s. The salesman told me it was to be gas hog, it was!! Luckily I live 1.5 miles from work and some days only drove to and from work. But it would pull with those gears, I pulled a 49' for while. 49' trailer was too much for my 99 454 dually with 4:56 gears. That is why I got the toterhome.
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Re: Cummins diesel stories 5.9
[Re: Guitar Jones]
#2249613
02/08/17 12:11 PM
02/08/17 12:11 PM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 21,318 Manitoba, Canada
DaytonaTurbo
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 21,318
Manitoba, Canada
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Those transmissions are just as crappy in the gassers. I wouldn't buy one with an automatic. However I was just trying to point out that if someone buys one around that mileage, if the last guy didn't do the trans, he will be very soon. Funny the auto equipped trucks get the higher output engines. I might also point out that there are a ton of upgrades for this transmission. Practically every diesel drag racer uses this trans. Funny, in the years of cummins pickups I had, the standards had the higher hp rating. You can argue me, but I have known too many guys who have shelled out 3-4k for a transmission job because the automatic in their cummins crapped out somewhere on the side of the road far from home where they had no choice but to eat the repair cost at a shop. Those 4sp autos were junk, just look at how many are for sale with transmission problems. It shouldn't take thousands in upgrades to make one live behind a stock 5.9.
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Re: Cummins diesel stories 5.9
[Re: Silver70]
#2251031
02/10/17 02:14 PM
02/10/17 02:14 PM
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 51 sw pa
AirGrabber1
member
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member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 51
sw pa
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Figured id chime in here. Diesels are definitely not for everybody. And im surprised of a lot of the bad luck people have had in this thread. Of coarse forums are manly for people having issues, and solving them.. Me, Ive had many ram cummins trucks, personal and work/business since they decided to put em in the 1st gens. since 93 Ive had 10 personal and add another 10 to that for work employees ect.. With the exeption of an 07 and an 11 all of my personal trucks have manual trans. They've all seen about 150k of mixed family truckster/towing about 10k-15k from time to time and off road use, with the exception of my 03 and 05 which each have/had 250k and the 05 which I still have has 277k. and presently also have a 13. Most all of them had 4.10 or 3.73 and the 13 has 3.42. Of the 10 personal trucks ive had 2 were modded pretty heavily, and ran like a bat out of hell and was just absolute blast to drive, but out of all of my personal trucks, Ive had 6 warranty claims. and one of em was for the radio in my 13.. fuel line rubbed on filter housing on the 97, 03-05 each had front hub assemblys/bearing while in warranty, front axle ujoints on 03 and 07 and throwout bearing failed on 13 ( at 12k ) gave me a new clutch on that too. Most of the 3rd gens I did do ball joints/tie rod ends at some point and u joints all around, which are to be expected regardless of gas/diesel or brand as it is typical maintenance. My 05 I did pull all the injectors and sent them out to be rebuilt when the first one went out at 230k. All have seen an avg of 19-20 mpg. Even the 07 and up trucks. The worst being the 07 6.7 16mpg and the best being the 05 22mpg. and around 12-14 towing. Now as far as value goes, the initial diesel option cost is more to have them, however, when your done with them, you get it back, and then some. The diesel trucks will hold there value usually more than the initial cost when comparing to a gas truck. As far as work/business trucks go, they get used and abused, just as they are intended to be. Most of them autos, loaded with fuel tanks, tools, pulling trailers, lots of idle time and off road constantly, and still basically only need typical front end wear stuff, ball joints, ujoints ect.. and definitely always stocked lift pumps for the 24v second gens trucks, shift solenoids, water pumps and idler and always had a spare hub assembly for them along with track bar bushings. Never had a single driveline failure engine or trans in any of them. Personal or business. Only had one work truck (99) lose an injector pump (twice) for a pinched fuel line starving pump for fuel. Now, with all that being said, I work with diesels of all brands constantly work with heavy equip/mining for a living, do all of my own maintenance and repairs on my personal trucks and all the work trucks maintenance/repairs other than warranty are done in house for the most part. My experience with diesel ram/cummins trucks, personal and work, is, as long as theyre maintained properly they will yield you the best bang for the buck and if you can do any of the maintenance/repairs yourself youll be that much further ahead. But most importantly, the power and reliability is the main reason I stick with them. When repairs are needed, they can be pricey, especially when having to farm out the work. Clean fuel and fuel filters are your friend with a diesel. Ignore the fuel system and typical maintence on a diesel of any kind, and you wont have much luck with them. And if youre buying one to go to the grocery store once a month you will not be very happy with it..
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Re: Cummins diesel stories 5.9
[Re: Orange_Crush]
#2251280
02/10/17 09:54 PM
02/10/17 09:54 PM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 8,658 fredericksburg,va
cudaman1969
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 8,658
fredericksburg,va
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Thanks orange, I hear you on the $$$ but going over mountain passes at high elevations with 10,000lb load sucks with gas motors. Good point. BTW, I've never done it, but I have been told that you'll be money WAY ahead of you get yourself one of these: http://www.dieselfuelfilterkits.com/03_12_cummins_fuel_filter_kit.htmlIt will save your lift pump and possibly your injector pump. Much better than the standard filter. I put one of those kits on last year, nice kit no problem going on. Once the payments stop put that money in the bank to fix whatever when it comes up, can't ride for nothing. I have an 06 with many issues but I just fix them as they come along. Can't beat that low down grunt of a diesel on up and down grades, no down-up shifting, smooth. If I want easy driving I take the SRT 392 out for a spin.
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