Diesel?
#1
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Diesel?
With gasoline at $3.10/gal., and climbing, I'm thinking about a used diesel, pref. stick-shift. Diesel is at $3.55/gal, but I'm wondering if the better mileage is worth it.
(0800 hours, 6 MAR 08 crude: $105.70/bbl!)
Any smoker-drivers out there with advice?
(0800 hours, 6 MAR 08 crude: $105.70/bbl!)
Any smoker-drivers out there with advice?
#2
Well, my wrecker is gas (350 Chevy) and I wouldn't want to trade to diesel; smelly, noisy, dirty, and you don't even want to know how expensive some of the parts are on a diesel engine. The much higher price of diesel fuel right now I think just about negates any $ savings.
#3
I once owned a 1 ton service vehicle with a diesel when the cost was 1/3 less than gas and saved a few dollars.
Today, forget it!
Even if there was a slight savings at todays prices, as TG said, stink, noise, replacement part prices and difficulty starting in the cold make them not worthwhile IMO.
Years ago I bought a '90 Chevy van with a 6.2 diesel with a damaged engine for next to nothing.
It was a low mileage vehicle with a thrown rod that to just buy the parts and fix it myself would be more than what the vehicle was worth.
Pulled the engine, parted it out and got almost enough for the pieces to buy a reman 350 gas engine.
This is a truck you are talking about right?
Today, forget it!
Even if there was a slight savings at todays prices, as TG said, stink, noise, replacement part prices and difficulty starting in the cold make them not worthwhile IMO.
Years ago I bought a '90 Chevy van with a 6.2 diesel with a damaged engine for next to nothing.
It was a low mileage vehicle with a thrown rod that to just buy the parts and fix it myself would be more than what the vehicle was worth.
Pulled the engine, parted it out and got almost enough for the pieces to buy a reman 350 gas engine.
This is a truck you are talking about right?
#4
Diesel
I have a K3500 6.6 L Duramax Diesel with the 6 speed allison tranny.. now you guys are kidding right ? there is NO point of comparison between a diesel and a gas engine, the power, the torque, the miles they can go ( we're talking 300 K miles easy ) etc.
No don't buy it just for the fuel economy they're more expensive to begin with but are they better ? you bet !
Did you say noisy ? what ? sorry I can't hear you !
( jokes aside yes they're much better just google gas vs. diesel engines )
No don't buy it just for the fuel economy they're more expensive to begin with but are they better ? you bet !
Did you say noisy ? what ? sorry I can't hear you !
( jokes aside yes they're much better just google gas vs. diesel engines )
#5
I'll side with Lou on this one. Running a 2001 Dodge Ram 24 valve 5.9 turbo diesel flatbed with work boxes. No comparison to a gasser. Got 349K on it. Unmistakable torque superiority, fuel mileage, bulletproof and dependable. Gotta plug it in below 25 degrees, but it cranks when I tell it to and pulls what I put behind it without a whimper. OK, noisy, smells like.....well like diesel. Fuel prices are politically out of whack, since it costs less to produce diesel than gas, but Exxon has to make a profit somewhere, right? Poor gas companies.
#6
Got nearly 300,000 miles on my last gasser and the replacement was about $2k. We had it replaced and back running in a few days using common tools and a regular engine cherry-picker. When something breaks I trot down to the local CarQuest place where the part is on the shelf and reasonably priced.
#7
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not bashing diesel
Not bashing diesel they have many good points like being very long lasting,pulling power to spare etc.
But besides the extra fuel costs keep in mind that simple things like a oil change will cost extra also. Not uncommen for a diesel in a pickup truck to have 15 or 16 quarts of oil vs 4-5 in a gasser.
And really what percent of diesel pickup truck owners will ever go 300 thousand plus miles considering that most owners only keep a car or truck 5 or so years.
Not only that the engine might get 300+ thousand miles but what about the other components like suspension, electrical,transmission etc.
But besides the extra fuel costs keep in mind that simple things like a oil change will cost extra also. Not uncommen for a diesel in a pickup truck to have 15 or 16 quarts of oil vs 4-5 in a gasser.
And really what percent of diesel pickup truck owners will ever go 300 thousand plus miles considering that most owners only keep a car or truck 5 or so years.
Not only that the engine might get 300+ thousand miles but what about the other components like suspension, electrical,transmission etc.
#8
Sorry
My negative comments weren't meant to slight owners of diesel vehicles.
My comments were somewhat narrow minded because as has been said diesel engines do serve a purpose.
If you are consistently pulling a load you can more easily justify the extra expense.
However, you have to concede that diesel powered vehicles are substantially more expensive to buy than comparable gas ones and that maintenance costs can go through the roof.
This is the point that he will have to factor into any fuel savings he will get.
The most important piece of information missing from qwincyguy's post is what he is doing with the vehicle or even if he is talking about a truck.
My comments were somewhat narrow minded because as has been said diesel engines do serve a purpose.
If you are consistently pulling a load you can more easily justify the extra expense.
However, you have to concede that diesel powered vehicles are substantially more expensive to buy than comparable gas ones and that maintenance costs can go through the roof.
This is the point that he will have to factor into any fuel savings he will get.
The most important piece of information missing from qwincyguy's post is what he is doing with the vehicle or even if he is talking about a truck.
#9
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Hi, all.
Thanks for the opinions. I was spinning the diesel option around in my mind as the cost of gasoline creeps ever upward.
VW new beetles with diesel/5speed trannies are reporting 50-55 mpg highway.
That's $7.10 per r/t commute of 104 miles, opposed to $14.20
in a gas Toyota @ 25mpg. Diesel $3.55/gal, gas $3.10/gal
Very attractive....
I'm advised to wait for the diesel Hondas, those clever fellas in Nagoya have supposedly licked the cold-start problem.
I'm not surprised.
Stay tuned.....
Thanks again
Thanks for the opinions. I was spinning the diesel option around in my mind as the cost of gasoline creeps ever upward.
VW new beetles with diesel/5speed trannies are reporting 50-55 mpg highway.
That's $7.10 per r/t commute of 104 miles, opposed to $14.20
in a gas Toyota @ 25mpg. Diesel $3.55/gal, gas $3.10/gal
Very attractive....
I'm advised to wait for the diesel Hondas, those clever fellas in Nagoya have supposedly licked the cold-start problem.
I'm not surprised.
Stay tuned.....
Thanks again
#10
TG has a point on replacement parts. Heck, the diesel option is over $5k, add 4wd, flatbed, dual wheels and a radio and steering wheel, it gets up there. Here in the mountains, pulling power is an ultimate need, and the diesel wins hands down, plus the fuel mileage (although higher in cost) is constantly better whether you are towing or running nekkid. Our church pianist drives a diesel VW bug. Cute little thing, sounds like a sewing machine with a bad bobbin. I crank my Dodge next to her, and she just winces. Good luck with the choice, as I'm sure you will make an educated one.
#11
Not bashing diesel they have many good points like being very long lasting,pulling power to spare etc.
But besides the extra fuel costs keep in mind that simple things like a oil change will cost extra also. Not uncommen for a diesel in a pickup truck to have 15 or 16 quarts of oil vs 4-5 in a gasser.
And really what percent of diesel pickup truck owners will ever go 300 thousand plus miles considering that most owners only keep a car or truck 5 or so years.
Not only that the engine might get 300+ thousand miles but what about the other components like suspension, electrical,transmission etc.
But besides the extra fuel costs keep in mind that simple things like a oil change will cost extra also. Not uncommen for a diesel in a pickup truck to have 15 or 16 quarts of oil vs 4-5 in a gasser.
And really what percent of diesel pickup truck owners will ever go 300 thousand plus miles considering that most owners only keep a car or truck 5 or so years.
Not only that the engine might get 300+ thousand miles but what about the other components like suspension, electrical,transmission etc.
15w-40 Diesel oil is really cheap, about $ 9 for a gallon at your local walmart, oil filter is also cheap and yes my truck uses 10 quarts but then again it requires an oil change about every 8k miles ( and that's pulling a trailer all the time ) , fuel filter does run kind of expensive at $ 40 + a pop, at your local
autoparts store, change required about every 20K miles, ( I buy mine at a web store for about half that ), tranny spin on filter may or maybe not an issue depending on your model.
As for all other components, typically a diesel truck will be a heavy duty model so things like suspension, tranny ,brakes , axles, leaf springs, differential etc will be much stronger than a light duty truck hence the benefits of a long lasting engine.
Rudolph Diesel got it right from the beginning , diesel engines are much better but I wouldn't buy one just based on savings at the pump , it is much more than that, its a diesel thing you wouldn't understand...
http://www.duramaxforum.com/
#12
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I know this sounds trashy but the solution is to have both. Diesel for fair weather economy and gas for the cold winter starts. Twice I've wrecked my diesels starting in the cold. Spun bearing and blown head gasket.
#13
Ouch on the bad diesel experiences. Must have not been plugged in and must have been Duramaxes (just kiddin, Lou!). I have found you must purge the water from the fuel filter and use the engine heater on nights below 20F, or you will have trouble. Otherwise, the Ram has been a good one for the winter.
#15
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The pumping stations use stuff like that. The ones I've seen are natural gas fueled. They actually go down inside the cylinders to clean them.
#17
my we DO digress, eh?
my friend just drove back from new mexico and wisconsin...saw 4.09/gal in NM and 4.50 somewheres else...politically rediculous is more like it!
my friend just drove back from new mexico and wisconsin...saw 4.09/gal in NM and 4.50 somewheres else...politically rediculous is more like it!