What is it about the early 6.0's that helps them hold up better? I've always heard that they were supposed to have improved the engine after 05.
1.Some of the early 03 motors came with a round EGR cool, though I know nothing of the differences vs the rectangular one, I know that I have not seen a circular EGR cooler fail, and that the feedback I got from the customers with the circular EGR coolers is they weren't having problems.
2.Less rail issues, they had less going on, I never had an internal high pressure oil leak or failure in there rails before
Those are the only 2 reasons I can really come up with. I just saw a lot less 03s coming through the shop with catastrophic failure. I did the occasional turbo and EGR valve, but those 2 issues where not year biased, and also did not have as many problems as people would like to believe. You do have to keep in mind, I was heavy on 6.0 work in 2006 and 2007, so the 03s may have been just out of warranty, and that could have been the reason why I didnt see many. I have a buddy with an 03, and that thing has been nothing but a champ, but he is nice to his trucks.
They did have some HPOP issues vs the 04 and 05 generation motors, but that wasnt to abundant.
the 05s may be squared away, but I was around for the snap to connect fitting issues, so maybe I just saw to many 05 trucks. I did so much work for trucks just taking craps related to the cooling system, and internal high pressure oil leaks. It was almost never ending.
I still like the motors, I think they had a bad rep gained from poor techs not knowing how or what to do with these trucks, and making mountains out of molehills and then that translating right back to the customer, witch put a bad taste in there mouths. I know the Vt365 IH trucks seem to run like champs without many issues, so horsepower caused issues here.
This is just my assumption based opinion so no one fly off the handle, but the duramax was meant to go into the GM light duty chassis from the start, and the cummins 6b is such a solid platform it can handle the extra ponies. The 6.0 seemed to have been set up for the 4000s IH trucks, and then it was an afterthought to put them into the Ford trucks, and then all the sudden Ford was having the 6.0s 130hp over the IH applications, so of course there where some unexpected issues. Ford also cheaped out on some components where they shouldn't have (think turbo metals, and EGR valve durability)
IMO, the modern diesel I prefer, and this is soley just because I like what I like and common sense just doesnt play into sometimes, is the GM platform.
I like an LB7 dmax, because it was easy to work on and maintain, and the Federal trucks did not have any emessions parts. The LBZs are the motors I would prefer if I had to get an emessions motor, but I would delete everything.
The common rail cummins trucks have always felt slow compared to the other trucks, mod for mod comparison. I have driven a ISB 5.9 duallie with a chip intake and exhaust, and it felt a tad bit slower then a stock duramax. I have driven a chipped only crew cab short box truck that I did an alignment to, and thought the truck was stock, and with that in mind it felt good. Then I found out it was chipped and it still felt about as fast as an LBZ duramax. I am strictly talking in hot roding diesels though, witch is a faze I am so over, as you see what I am driving now.
Still me in a modern truck, is a duramax all day long, coming from a Ford guy who has been Ford since he was like 6 years old. My next pick for motor love would be the ford, because I know them, then the Cummins 6b. All the new motors are super solid units though, its like if you had to choose witch super hot chick youd rather go on a date with.
The gm platform loses a bit of points for the crappiest front end of any of the big 3 trucks, dodge with a not so distant 2nd, and ford has a solid front end under the modern trucks.
Trans wise, Ford takes the cake, moded, or unmoded, (excluding the snap ring issues of the 05 transmissions, that where supposedly solved with the recall) the torqueshifts have held power in trucks I have seen, and I havent seen anything beyond some random solenoid sticking issues, that was super rare. Allison comes in 2nd for me, they wont handling moded power to much at all, but stock they go forever with the right service intervals. I know nothing of the dodge transmissions other then having something in the family in the form of having a 44re in my Jeep behind her 318. I hear they are crap, but I cant say I have come across failures.
Sorry for the long winded, I have a lot of opinion on the subject of trucks, and some of it is rational.
