7.3l vs 6.5l vs 5.9l unbiased opinion

[6.9poweredscout]

I've never had a major issue with my straight axles, tires wear fantastic, you could clean and adjust wheel bearings, unlock hubs so theres less parts turning, for less wear. Ttbs burn up tires. Can't adjust wheel bearings either, or grease them either in the ifs setup.

 

[Silver Burner]

Can you Chevy-lovers go back to your own forum please.... Here's what I've observed over the years. Chevy's, as far as gas motors, will run like a *****-ape forever and then blow up catastrophically. Fords will run forever but get weaker and weaker until they finally give up the ghost... The Ford (International) IDI is a superior engine to the Chevy diesel, and the D60 front on 1-tons is far superior to any Chevy IFS. The Ford TTB is strong but still not a very good design. Still, I've beat the crap out of D50's for years in the woods hunting and cutting wood and I've never-ever had one break. I have seen broken Chevys though... As far as interiors go, Fords trump Chevys by a BIG margin until the 99-ish model year when the new Silverado design came out. You get a 1-ton LT Silverado and the interior is so gorgeous and plush. Way nicer than even a Lariat SD until you get to about 04 when the Harley-Davidson editions came out, but then you're stuck with the 6 Liter... One other thing, Chevy did not make nearly enough 5-speeds for their gassers or diesels.

 

[jhnlennon]

Can you Chevy-lovers go back to your own forum please....

Who said I was a chevy lover? The OP asked for an UN-BIASED OPINION, being in the automotive field for virtually my whole life has taught me that all the brands have their strong and weak points. Bashing any of them is just riduculous.

I was defending GM's IFS because I have worked in an alignment shop, and I can say the IFS gives very little trouble. IFS would not stop me from owning a GM, its the mediocre diesel option they had in the OP's price range. If you were looking a for a gas powered rig however, I dont think you could argue that SBC is probly the cheapest most solid platform out there. Ive seen so many with 300k on them still running and not burning oil its rediculous. I cant say the same for a SBF in a truck application.

IMHO, you cannot beat a 1st gen dodge. 205 transfer case, dana 60 kingpin frontend, dana 70 rear, and cummins 6bt. If they would have offered a crew cab in those years with that combination, you couldnt have asked for anything more in a truck. Look around at the prices pristine 1st gen dodges are bringing, theres a reason people are willing to pay what they are for them...

 

[chvycmnslvr68]

Well I am a chevy lover .. and the main reason that i am so keen on them is because I grew up constantly dragging my brothers fords home with my chevy's .. ... But like jhnlennon I was trying to give an unbiased opinion about the IFS and the most economical diesels ... and having been a Diesel mechanic for over twenty years I know from experience that you cannot beat the cummins engine in a P/U application ... now if you want to go with a 466 or something like that you can come close but for the weight and size difference the cummins still wins ... no matter who the maker the in-line six cylinder configuration will out perform and out live any V-8 in the same class as far as Ford, Dodge, or GM, It just comes down to each persons personal preference ... they all have advantages and disadvantages ... And where does this site say FORDS ONLY ... I was under the impression that this was an OIL BURNERS site not a FORD site ... if you want an all ford site there are plenty of them out there to choose from ....

 

[Thatguy]

chevy=pos, period. I have had enough of them even fairly new ones to know I will never buy another. I grew up in a Chevy house hold and they are all crap. Chevy owners are blinded to the fact that their truck is crap and constantly need attention, there has not been a decent chevy built since 87 (91 on the Suburbans and crew cabs)...... even the Vortec 350 is crap.


what is your price range exactly...... there are some nice OBS F-250/350s with powerstrokes for decent prices right now.

 

[Rot Box]

I've had a few of each over the years. All of them were 4x4's... so I better give my opinion

95 K2500 6.5TD auto
01 Dodge Cummins auto
92 Dodge Cummins manual
86 F250 6.9 N/A manual
91F350 7.3 ATS. manual

Imo the first gen Dodge/Cummins (89-93) is the strongest, simplest and most reliable light duty pickup truck ever sold in the USA. And did I mention they produce great power and give crazy fuel mileage! The kingpin dana 60 front and 205 transfer case are as good as it gets in terms of strength and the transmissions weren't terrible either. They ride like a brick poop house and weren't available in crew cabs but thats really the only complaint I've had with them. Up to 93 I think the Dodge body and electronics were every bit as reliable (or unreliable depending on how you look at it ;p) as the GM's and Fords but the ride was definitely less comfortable--mostly because of the front leaf springs and the seat which can definitely be upgraded.

Can't go wrong with a good IDI though. 6.5's are very hit or miss if you ask me--I sold mine because I was under the hood more than I was in the drivers seat

 

[Puller]

Here is my opinion. I owned two 97 Chevy 6.5's, one 2500 & the other a 3500. Both were bought new with 4x4, Auto's. Great trucks owned both till around the 200,000 mark. Both had injector pumps replaced around the 120,000 mile mark. 2500 tranny made it to 140,000 and the 3500 to 190,000 miles. Both had 8' plows on the front ends and were used for landscaping. They pulled dailey 14 to 16k worth of skidsteer, 32' gooseneck, brick pavers, balled trees and not once did I have front end problems. They both drove great when I sold them. Other than hard starting in the winter and being a little weak for towing power they were great trucks. I wouldn't hesitate to own another.

I've owned every style of 5.9 Cummins from a Ve, P-Pump, VP-44, Cp3 injected including one 6.7. Great motor and for towing on a regular basis (I have a Hotshoting & Trucking company) there is no doubt in my mind this is the best engine for service life, maintenance cost & fuel mileage. I've ran them to well over 350,000 miles grossing 30k on a regular basis. Although the Dodge has a lack luster interior and rides the worst of all three its a truck. If you like to tweak the power they are super easy to do so and are rock solid reliable with a manual tranny (never had much luck with the auto's).

I have only owned one Ford IDI (which I have currently). I've owned every 7.3 for the IDI to the OBS to the Super Duty and all I can say is they are great all around motors. It's comparable to the 6.5 Chevy for power, however I love Ford interiors. They are cheap to repair, the build quality seems to be on par or better than Chevy (Dodge is a complete last in this area). The Ford suspensions seem to carry a load better than a Chevy and equal the Dodge. My Ford has zero rattles and for being 18 years old I think that's impressive for how much plowing it has seen. My IDI has been in the family since new and I will say it has had the most front end repair work of all the trucks I've owned. But to its defense its had a 925# V-blade plow on it since it was 3 days old which out weighs my next closest plow by 125#'s (not to mention it has the D50 TTB). At 120,000 it is seeing a full fuel system overhaul, mostly because its just time and has never left anyone stranded. It starts in the cold pretty good compared to my 6.5's but not as well as any of my Cummins did (but it does start which is the important thing).

If I had my choice for a older truck it would be a 92 to 97 F350 4x4 Crew Cab Short Box with a P-pumped 12V 5.9 Cummins and a built E40D auto (350hp & 650 Ft lbs at the wheels). It would be good on fuel, could pull pretty much what I need and would be easy to drive for the wife. I plan to build this exact truck this winter instead of buying another new truck with all the emissions garbage. Plus for $15k and my labor I can have a killer truck.

As stated before, all makes of trucks have there good & bad. As long as its made in America does it really matter what brand truck you drive as long as your happy?

 

[blackwater]

Well tomorrow I am going to look at a 92 Ford F350 XLT 2wd crew cam dually with a 7.3l and a 5 speed. He just put a new clutch, injector seals, glow plugs, and batteries in it. I have seen the truck and it looks pretty good for 20 years old. It already has a ball and wiring in the bed and the tires are about 50%. The body is in good shape except one running board is bent and the interior is nice except a wore spot on drivers side seat. it is power everything and the ac works so I'm told. The truck has been owned buy the same guy since 94 and he has used it to pull a horse trailer over the years. Is there anything specific I need to pay special attention to when I check it out? Does it sound like a deal at $3100?

 

[Wyreth]

Well tomorrow I am going to look at a 92 Ford F350 XLT 2wd crew cam dually with a 7.3l and a 5 speed. He just put a new clutch, injector seals, glow plugs, and batteries in it. I have seen the truck and it looks pretty good for 20 years old. It already has a ball and wiring in the bed and the tires are about 50%. The body is in good shape except one running board is bent and the interior is nice except a wore spot on drivers side seat. it is power everything and the ac works so I'm told. The truck has been owned buy the same guy since 94 and he has used it to pull a horse trailer over the years. Is there anything specific I need to pay special attention to when I check it out? Does it sound like a deal at $3100?

There is a really good buyers guide for these trucks in the tech section.

http://www.oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?7597-New-to-the-IDI-Buying-a-used-one-Read-on

 

[jhnlennon]

Well tomorrow I am going to look at a 92 Ford F350 XLT 2wd crew cam dually with a 7.3l and a 5 speed. He just put a new clutch, injector seals, glow plugs, and batteries in it. I have seen the truck and it looks pretty good for 20 years old. It already has a ball and wiring in the bed and the tires are about 50%. The body is in good shape except one running board is bent and the interior is nice except a wore spot on drivers side seat. it is power everything and the ac works so I'm told. The truck has been owned buy the same guy since 94 and he has used it to pull a horse trailer over the years. Is there anything specific I need to pay special attention to when I check it out? Does it sound like a deal at $3100?

Sounds like an excellent deal, especially if its a 1 owner and was maintained. Trucks like that are hard to find.

 

[jhnlennon]

chevy=pos, period. I have had enough of them even fairly new ones to know I will never buy another. I grew up in a Chevy house hold and they are all crap. Chevy owners are blinded to the fact that their truck is crap and constantly need attention, there has not been a decent chevy built since 87 (91 on the Suburbans and crew cabs)...... even the Vortec 350 is crap.

Thats the most BIASED thing Ive ever heard. I could sit here all day and complain about the design blunders ford has made through the years(triton and spark plug spitting, 6.0 diesel, 2.9 head cracking, etc,etc) but every manufacturer has ups and downs. An old IDI is a great platform, as is a 1st gen dodge, or a 87 down chevy straight axle 6.2(those would be the trucks in the OP's price range). Whatever suits your fancy.

 

[DragRag]

I laughed when I first saw the title of this post. It was only a matter of time before the mud throwing would start. Does anyone honestly believe your going to get an unbiased opinion on which of the big three are better? Every person here that posts likes one over there other for various reasons including myself. Asking for an unbiased opinion on this topic is like asking for a sexually proficient ******, it's not going to happen.

 

[chvycmnslvr68]

I suppose that the fact that there is more 88-mid 2000's chevy's still on the road today than any other make is totally irrelevant ... I guess one man's biased opinion is supposed to override the facts .. I agree that the GM brand did go down hill after 87' but there are millions of these trucks still going and being driven everyday .... too bad FORD can't say that ... I know that people who have always had fords are loyal to them to the end but all three major motor companies have somne very competetive equipment out there ... this poster is looking for UNBIASED opinions ... you are very biased toward Ford ... and that is your right .... I however am slightly biased toward GM and I have my reasons for that .. mostly because I have had to push pull or drag my brother and my dad's fords home my whole life with my beatup wore out chevy's ... and the GM line has always got better fuel economy ... which these days is a very important factor to consider when looking for a truck ... I dont think much of V-8 diesels period ... I have had several, both Ford and GM and while the 6.2 got exceptional fuel economy they just wont do the work of an inline six cylinder ... flat facts ... it is a shame that the major truck manufacturers couldn't have all had the chance to use the Cummins or if Cat would have built an engine for use in P/U's that would have been something ..

 

[6.9poweredscout]

i remember reading somewhere that ford sold more 7.3 idi and powerstroke (diesel) trucks then chevy and dodge COMBINED. i'm pretty sure that was in diesel power mag too, so it wasn't just jowe blow stating it.

 

[The Warden]

i remember reading somewhere that ford sold more 7.3 idi and powerstroke (diesel) trucks then chevy and dodge COMBINED. i'm pretty sure that was in diesel power mag too, so it wasn't just jowe blow stating it.

I recall hearing that too...actually, although I don't have a source, I recall that in the early 2000's (a while after the SuperDuty was released, but before the 6.0 was introduced) someone once said that half of all new full-size pickup trucks in the U.S. were sold with the 7.3l PSD at that point.

I laughed when I first saw the title of this post. It was only a matter of time before the mud throwing would start. Does anyone honestly believe your going to get an unbiased opinion on which of the big three are better? Every person here that posts likes one over there other for various reasons including myself. Asking for an unbiased opinion on this topic is like asking for a sexually proficient ******, it's not going to happen.

Truer words have not been spoken in this thread IMHO...at the risk of getting too philosophical about it, I'm firmly of the opinion that it's not really possible to be completely objective about ANYTHING. A person can attempt to step out of his own shoes and try to look at things from an unbiased perspective, but regardless of how well-disciplined he is, human nature dictates that whatever he says is going to be tainted by the biases that result from his own personal experiences. One may try to train his mind to avoid that, but it's really not possible to be truly, 100% objective. That's just how things are.

With that said, while some have pointed out correctly that this is a universal diesel site, the simple fact of the matter is that the considerable majority of the currently active members on this site are Ford IDI owners, and as such, most of the opinions you're going to get on here will reflect that.

As to my opinion...I think that the IDI's a good engine that'll have a good lifespan if taken care of properly. At the same time, if I were to choose between an IDI and a 12-valve Cummins, the 6BT would get my vote without a second thought...partially due to the stronger design of the straight-6 and partially because I'm of the opinion that Bosch fuel system components have a considerably longer lifespan than Stanadyne fuel system components. As to trucks...I've always liked how the '94-'02 Dodge trucks look, but since I've never dealt with one, I don't really have an informed opinion on them. I've played with enough Ford (both my truck and my old van, along with various vehicles at towcat's shop) to get an idea of the pluses and minuses of them. As to GM, frankly I've developed a very low opinion of their build quality and design quality over the years and wouldn't touch one with a 10' pole. But, that's just my biased opinion.