Cheaper, gas or diesel???

[93fordturbo]

My good friend and i have been discussing this topic as i am going to need to make a decision in about a year as to which vehicle i am going to buy. I run gas and diesel now but i am just in college, and am barely scraping by. But when im done in a year, i will have a stable job with a good income. I will need a RELIABLE vehicle. Those of you idi owners love youre trucks as i love mine. But my friend said that i can haul anything i want to haul with a 5.4 gas truck or something like it. I only will be hauling cars once in a great while and a boat trailer. He says gas trucks are cheaper and that they are cheaper to run. My way of thinking, diesel may cost more, but runs longer in the long run. Diesel fuel is priced higher, but you get better mileage so it almost offsets. What should i get? IDI, cummins, gas motor??? etc Convince me with your thoughts. I am partial to diesel tho but i am open to ideas. Thanks guys

 

[performancelaw]

5.4 will pull good up to around 7,000 pounds with overdrive off. From what I've read online about the 5.4 in a 250 is pulling they get around 9 mpg. The diesel will out last the gas job. If you're only pulling once in a blue moon the gasser may be cheaper for you in the long run with maintenance costs tho.

 

[snicklas]

If coverall cost is what you are looking at, Gas will win Hands Down on being less.

Oil Change
~$30 Gas - ~ $90 Diesel
Fuel is cheaper, parts can be cheaper, and it looks like you will be running empty a lot, so the mileage will be somewhat of a push.....

Dad has a 5.0 in a van, and a 5.4 in a 97 LD F-250 4x4 (7 lug truck) and it pulls his 5000+lb boat fine. It gets below 10 towing, and up to 15 empty, and has served him well. It has spit 1 plug right after he bought it (used) but once repaired with a new head, it has been a great truck. the 5.0 in the van also pulled the boat, it just was older when we got the bigger boat. That being said, the van (94 E-150 Custom Van (heavy) van) has 275000 miles on it, and has never been apart. A gasser will last along time, if you keep the maintenance up on it. so I would say, if your want less cost in the long run.... go with a gasser.....

Also remember, if you are buying a sticker truck (new off the lot) there is a several THOUSAND Dollar difference in cost between a gasser and a diesel......

 

[freebird01]

buy a civic for commuting....or some other 30+ mpg car...save the truck for workin. your wallet will thank you

 

[bghnkinf350]

Not a fan of the 5.4. Mine was in the shop for 3 weeks because of a hanging valve. It was over looked and kicked loose by the dealer over 3 times before them finally being forced to tear it down. It had less than 90,000 miles.

Agreed with buying a commuter, especially if you have built up your truck.

 

[PwrSmoke]

If you are talking brand new, a gas truck is the cheaper bet for most folks. A diesel truck is minimum 25% more money than the gasser, so you start off trying to recover $8-10,000 in cost difference from the improvement in fuel economy alone. You can do that a lot faster if you need to really work the truck a lot, but for an occasional hauler, it may take a long time, especially considering diesel fuel is running 10-15 percent higher per gallon than gas. I ran a 15K miles per year scenario with gas at $3.70 and diesel at $4.15 (current prices here). Figuring the gas truck averages 14 mpg and the diesel 18, the diesel costs about $500 per year less in fuel. The diesel option in a 2012 F-250 is $8k, so 8000/500=16... 16 years to make up the difference while using the truck as a schlepper and occasional hauler. These days, there really isn't a huge difference in maintenance costs between two otherwise similar gas and diesel trucks either. Heck, if you add DPF fluid, expensive oil changes and filters, the diesel may actually cost more to maintain. The diesel probably has the edge in longevity and we know it has the edge in power and torque. Is that enough to justify the extra cost? For some but not for all. I'm looking at it strictly as a dollars and cents question, which is why I bought a newer gas truck instead of a diesel. Haven't regretted it. Of course, I then planned on selling my old diesel... but I couldn't do it. Had the truck too long! It was like selling an old friend.

 

[DragRag]

If you are willing to use waste motor oil in your diesel fuel it would be equivelant of driving a truck cost wise that gets 30-45 mpg. A gas engine truck just can't touch the diesel cost of operation, the gas engine will cost way more be because you are not going to get 30-45 mpg in any gas engine truck that can pull a boat, or another car or truck around. Using waste motor oil tips the scales towards the diesel engine, plus resale value on diesel is way better then gas. Sure they cost way more new, but why buy new or even late model when there are plenty of idi's and powerstrokes on the the cheap out there that can burn the black diesel and pretty much any other type of oil.

 

[bab029]

In the past I have debated getting rid of the diesel but have since decided to keep it. I have it figured like this:

(1) I will have a truck no matter what.
(2) While I do not need the capability of a 3/4 ton diesel, a half ton truck in my price range will either be: (A) older with higher miles, which is not necessarily ideal or (B) newer and under-powered and basically trimmed (XL model...)
(3) A half ton, auto truck with a 302 or similar engine gets 12-15 mpg on the low end. Mine gets 16-20, and a little more with waste oil and a light foot even with 4.10s.
(4) Gas burners burn....gas. My truck burns anything oily.
(5) My truck was owned by a meticulous mechanic and received a great deal of preventative maintenance prior to me buying it. It lights quick in the morning, and while quality parts for a diesel are not much more than quality parts for a gasser, the difference is that a diesel will eat low quality parts while you may get away with cheaping out in your gas truck.

I figure that as long as I keep this truck in stock shape (no turbo as much as I really want it... more parts=more problems), it'll just keep running. I am fixing up a little 87 ranger to get some fuel mileage. Lowering it a hair, putting in the air dam, and bigger, aluminum wheels from a mustang.

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

Oil Change
~$30 Gas - ~ $90 Diesel

where do you get you oil from? mine changes do not cost nearly that much.

 

[chvycmnslvr68]

In the past I have debated getting rid of the diesel but have since decided to keep it. I have it figured like this:

(1) I will have a truck no matter what.
(2) While I do not need the capability of a 3/4 ton diesel, a half ton truck in my price range will either be: (A) older with higher miles, which is not necessarily ideal or (B) newer and under-powered and basically trimmed (XL model...)
(3) A half ton, auto truck with a 302 or similar engine gets 12-15 mpg on the low end. Mine gets 16-20, and a little more with waste oil and a light foot even with 4.10s.
(4) Gas burners burn....gas. My truck burns anything oily.
(5) My truck was owned by a meticulous mechanic and received a great deal of preventative maintenance prior to me buying it. It lights quick in the morning, and while quality parts for a diesel are not much more than quality parts for a gasser, the difference is that a diesel will eat low quality parts while you may get away with cheaping out in your gas truck.

I figure that as long as I keep this truck in stock shape (no turbo as much as I really want it... more parts=more problems), it'll just keep running. I am fixing up a little 87 ranger to get some fuel mileage. Lowering it a hair, putting in the air dam, and bigger, aluminum wheels from a mustang.

I dont know why people think that turbos are more trouble to run .. I have a 93' Cummins with the original turbo and all the original injectors .. the fuel pump needs to be resealed due to age but other than that the engine has never been touched except to fix a couple oil leaks .. its over 400K right now and still don't use a drop of oil ... except what i pump in the fuel tank ... which has been over 700 gals in the last three years ... I dont hardly buy any diesel any more ... just used oil and thin it with a little gas and go on .. I took a 4500 mile trip for x=mas and didnt spend a dime on fuel ... then i moved to maine from OK and then back to colorado ( where i am originally from CO) and only spent a couple hundred on fuel pulling a heavily loaded 40' goose-neck trailer over 4400 miles ... I would have spent around two to three grand on gas ... on just one of those trips .. so as far as cost between gas and diesel goes ... its just whether you are willing to burn OIL of not ... ISNT THAT THE NAME OF THIS SITE OIL BURNERS .....

 

[PwrSmoke]

My answer was new vs new. Otherwise we need specifics... IDI diesel vs ???

Our trucks don't easily get 16-20 mpg unless you drive 55 mph with a direct drive trans or no more than 65 with an OD. Twenty-five years of driving the same truck has proven that to me. Plus, the odometer is notoriously off in the direction that shows higher mpg than actual with stock diameter tires (31.5"). My truck is almost exactly right on with 33s but, unfortunately, tire width and tread pattern chops off 1 mpg.

Back when I first got my truck, I had a neighbor that had one almost identical truck (same year) but it had the 460. Same 4.10 gears, same C6. The only other OEM difference is that mine is an XL and his was XLT. Mine also had the Banks kit on it and he had a muffler shop dual exhaust system on the 460. We both towed trailers at about the same weight. One time we arranged to leave western Colorado at the time and we were both heading east over the Rockies and parted company in Missouri. Made for an interesting comparisons. Under load on flat ground, 7 mpg was about his best while mine was 10-12. Even with mine being turbocharged, he could still outpull me on the hills. Not by a lot but he could slowly pull away from me. Solo, he could walk me an easy truck length off the line but by 30 mph I was catching up but couldn't pass him at the quarter mile point. Not sure how fast his truck could go but my governor kicks in at about 82 mph and I'm sure a 460 truck can go faster than that. Solo around town he did about 10-11 at best where I did 14-15 at best. Cruising at 55 I could do 16 pretty easily (corrected odometer), sometimes 17, where the 460 did about 13 at best.

Does anyone here regularly run waste oil? I mean like every tank? If so, how much do you add and do you filter it first? If you don't, how long does it take to plug up the fuel filter and is there any data on the effects on the pump? I worry because there is some seriously nasty stuff in waste oil, not all of it compatible with fuel systems... even diluted. On the plus side, increasing fuel viscosity (up to a point) is a good thing.

 

[chvycmnslvr68]

My answer was new vs new. Otherwise we need specifics... IDI diesel vs ???

Our trucks don't easily get 16-20 mpg unless you drive 55 mph with a direct drive trans or no more than 65 with an OD. Twenty-five years of driving the same truck has proven that to me. Plus, the odometer is notoriously off in the direction that shows higher mpg than actual with stock diameter tires (31.5"). My truck is almost exactly right on with 33s but, unfortunately, tire width and tread pattern chops off 1 mpg.

Back when I first got my truck, I had a neighbor that had one almost identical truck (same year) but it had the 460. Same 4.10 gears, same C6. The only other OEM difference is that mine is an XL and his was XLT. Mine also had the Banks kit on it and he had a muffler shop dual exhaust system on the 460. We both towed trailers at about the same weight. One time we arranged to leave western Colorado at the time and we were both heading east over the Rockies and parted company in Missouri. Made for an interesting comparisons. Under load on flat ground, 7 mpg was about his best while mine was 10-12. Even with mine being turbocharged, he could still outpull me on the hills. Not by a lot but he could slowly pull away from me. Solo, he could walk me an easy truck length off the line but by 30 mph I was catching up but couldn't pass him at the quarter mile point. Not sure how fast his truck could go but my governor kicks in at about 82 mph and I'm sure a 460 truck can go faster than that. Solo around town he did about 10-11 at best where I did 14-15 at best. Cruising at 55 I could do 16 pretty easily (corrected odometer), sometimes 17, where the 460 did about 13 at best.

Does anyone here regularly run waste oil? I mean like every tank? If so, how much do you add and do you filter it first? If you don't, how long does it take to plug up the fuel filter and is there any data on the effects on the pump? I worry because there is some seriously nasty stuff in waste oil, not all of it compatible with fuel systems... even diluted. On the plus side, increasing fuel viscosity (up to a point) is a good thing.

I HAVE BEEN RUNNING WASTE OIL FOR ALMOST FIVE YEARS NOW ... I have had some problems with my fuel pump ... but I was told by a fuel pump specialist that the oil had nothing to do with it .. just years ... the only problems i have had is fuel leaks .... I have put around 70K on my engine running waste oil in it... I have run every thing from ATF to Hydraulic oil to 15/40 and it runs good on all of the above .... I have not Pre-filtered any of it and I average around 10K out of my fuel filters ... I recently installed a Cat water seperator pre filter ... which is just a superfine screen ... and i havent replaced a filter yet ...the only problem iI have had is viscosity... and that only effects the ability to get the oil to the injection pump ... ATF and Hydraulic oil I have ran straight .. 10w30and 15/40 i usually mix about 80/20with the cheapest gas i can get ... I first started out mixing the oil with diesel but it seems like it separates slightly and by the time i get to the bottom of the tank i start having viscosity issues ... I get about 26 -27 MPG on average ... but I have to keep my speed down around 60-65 MPH to achieve this .. I don't have a speedometer so all my mileages are figured on map miles which can be short as much as 9 or 10 % so probably actually get a little better than 27 on HWY and around 18 local driving ... The 454 I took out of this truck got 11 Hwy and 6 local .. BIG DIFFERENCE .. no comparison ... I run 10K on my oil change intervals so the cost of maintenance is almost identical to a gasser which only goes about 1/3 of that and it only costs $36 for oil and $6 for a filter so the cost of changing is almost made up by the free fuel iI get from It .. three gals X$4.12 /gal it covers almost half the cost of an oil change ... I have a 105 gal tank in the bed of my truck with an electric fuel transfer pump and when iI find a place to get oil I just reverse the cables and suck it up ... through a screen .. and fill my tank then go add gas to it and have around 2700 mile worth of fuel for around 80 bucks ... lets see someone run a gas engine 2700 miles on $80

 

[FordGuy100]

If you dont plan on using alternative fuels (just straight #2) and you find yourself not really using it as a truck....then a gasser will win. If you were towing for more than 25%, I would say the diesel will win. New...the gas jobs can get as good of fuel mileage as the diesel, so you would have to justify it by making it basically a towing only truck, otherwise the gasser wins.

 

[snicklas]

where do you get you oil from? mine changes do not cost nearly that much.

I get it @ Wal Mart or AZ.... but my 6.0 holds 15 quarts (so I have to buy 4 gallons), and my oil filter is $22.....

Fuel Filters are $40-50, and the Air Filter is almost $100 (No that is not a K&N either)...

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

lets see someone run a gas engine 2700 miles on $80

Where do you get that much waste oil? Around here a guy has to buy waste oil because recyclers buy it up and also most of the mechanic shops, loggers, truckers, farmers, etc burn the waste oil to heat their shops in the winter time. So when you figure in the cost of buying the waste oil and what not it isn't much cheaper than just buying #2 at the pump.