Repair 4 diesel

I own a 2004.5 Dodge RAM with the 5.9 325hp engine. I recently sprung for new injectors due to symptoms of worn injectors (some smoke). Bought brand new, non-remans, from injectorsdirect.com for $2k.

Take a wild guess how much it costs in labor to replace those injectors at any standard diesel shop ... ?

It cost me less than $500! Guess how long it takes an experienced mechanic to replace the injectors and crossover tubes on a 5.9? Three hours, and that includes beer breaks! Book is 4 hours.

Compare that to the Ford, or Duramax. The injectors aren't going to be much more (8 vs 6) but the labor costs, especially for the Ford, is insane. For some mechanical work on a Ford 6.0, the cab has to be lifted off, and put back on afterwards - book is on the order of 20 hours just for cab work alone!!

IMO, it's stupid to buy a Ford unless you own it only during Warranty.

As for the other poster suggesting to buy a Hemi. It may be true that at stock levels, the Hemi is comparable to the Cummins but that's only until you wake the cummins up by removing the "air before fuel" requirement using even the least expensive (Superchips 3805 $100) programmers - whereupon one can see immediately that the Hemi is a slow and much to weak for the truck and any substantial added weight.

Just food for thought. Cumminsforum.com is a great resource for Cummins owners.

The simplest mechanical diesel pickup engines are-

Cummins B 5.9 12-valve I6, '89-'97
Ford/International 6.9 & 7.3 IDI V8, '83-'94
GM/Detroit 5.7, 6.2 and 6.5 V8, 80's to '02

I'm chiming in here for a minute or two. There is diesel and there is gas engines. However, not all are alike in any way. It seems to me everyone wants something newer, bigger, better, more than the guy next door. In my opinion when the laws changed about emissions back in 05,06, it got even more complicated. Understanding what a diesel engine does is not that complicated. As a matter of fact, a few posts ago, it was said that a diesel would cost more to maintain, this simply is not true depending on what diesel motor you have. Sure the upfront cost is more but in reality it depends on what your engine is. From what I know, Pre 2005 Cummins engines are exempt from emission laws, at least it is in my state of Oregon. So that said, I have no electronic injectors, they are mechanical. The injector pump is gear driven and the only issue on these early trucks was the lift pump and oil nozzles getting plugged up by aftermarket oil filters. I don't have to add soot juice. I have no plugs to change or electronic injectors like a gasser or some diesels. I have watched youtube videos of powerstroke engine failures and people trying to figure out the unbelievable things that can go wrong with one of these engines. It is unbelievable. I would never own one. To break this down is this...the simpler the better. Again this is just my opinion but what I really think what is horrible is the people out there that take full advantage of a truck owner who's engine has failed while on a trip with family in tow. I hope karmas a ***** because no one deserves to be stranded and told it's going to cost 6000 dollars to fix it and your held hostage. Just my opinion, feel free to throw me under the bus but I'm done for now...just sayin' good luck with your ventures and keep it simple. Big Katuna,thank you so much for the laugh your clicky was out of this world!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HMnSLUQS7I

joelc wrote:

Dave H M wrote:
you siad the piggy bank is not fat. hmmmmm, you are willing to drop some big bucks in that 6.0.

My solution would be to drop the bucks on a trade and get the hey away from the 6.0

just saying.

So what would you purchase that would be more reliable. At least with my truck I know what has gone into it, and hopefully won't happen again.

That is the $$pricey$$ question. Since you're on a fixed income I would assume that new is out of the question at which point the condition and care of a used vehicle matters significantly. There can be inherent problems from all Big-3 manufacturers so how much are you willing to spend or risk?

I only know the Powerstroke 6.0L from what I've read on forums. Yes it does have a poor overall history but it does seem if they are 'Bullet Proofed' that it can become a reliable engine.

I guess one thing in your favor is the flaws in the 6.0L are extremely well known at this point and folks like Bullet Proof Diesel have developed solutions for the problems.

Yes, you could do a Cummins Swap but then there's a lingering question of service. You said you're going to be on the road a lot. If you experience issues while traveling will you be able to find a knowledgeable shop that can service your frankentruck? I'm not saying the Cummins swap is a good or bad thing, but if it were me I would have some concern about having someone else make any repairs or troubleshoot issues. If you as the owner are very knowledgeable and can do the work yourself that might not be an issue, but if you're relying on service shops in far flung locations it could be sketchy.

If everything else on the truck is good and it meets your needs, it might be worth your time to research the bullet proofing process and look for a reputable shop near your home that will do the work. If the cost of bullet proofing outweighs the loss of trading then it would be something to seriously consider.

KJ

mowermech wrote:
My neighbor had one of those Fords. He had so many problems with it that he finally got disgusted enough to get a HO Cummins and 6 speed manual transmission out of a Dodge and had it stuffed in the Ford.
He is quite happy now.
It was expensive, but much less than a different truck!

That right there is a very good solution! It is also the holy grail for any non-7.3 Ford truck to achieve!

Of course, it's much easier to just get an older Ford with the 7.3 and 5 spd (old body) or 6 spd (new body) manual that came in it stock...

Dave H M wrote:
you siad the piggy bank is not fat. hmmmmm, you are willing to drop some big bucks in that 6.0.

My solution would be to drop the bucks on a trade and get the hey away from the 6.0

just saying.

So what would you purchase that would be more reliable. At least with my truck I know what has gone into it, and hopefully won't happen again.

you siad the piggy bank is not fat. hmmmmm, you are willing to drop some big bucks in that 6.0.

My solution would be to drop the bucks on a trade and get the hey away from the 6.0

just saying.

Good friend of mine bought a used 2006 Ford truck and ended up putting in another 20000 in repair bills over the five years he owned it.

I have a 21K hitch on my truck and am pulling about 19K with the diesel. I did need a hefty truck (when is runs) that can tow the weight. Also, I got the diesel because when you get into the higher elevations the diesel does not loose torque as a gas engine would.(If it doesn't break down.) I knew that a diesel would be more to maintain but I did not expect 1000 fold over a gas engine.

rhagfo wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
If you want to save money and seeing as you don't appear to do your own wrenching, sell the 6.0 private party.
If it's a 80kmi cherry grampa driven truck, I'd say you could get $15k all day or maybe up to $20k if you find a buyer uninformed about 6liters.
Take that $15-20k and buy, private party, the lowest mileage, newest best condition HD gasser truck you can find from any of the big 3 with the nod going to GM and Ford over Dodge, unless you can find a 4th gen Dodge Hemi.

Did you look at the OP's profile??
His 5er is 13,570# Dry with a GVWR of 16,425#, not a gasser out there I would want to be towing that with.

No, I didn't. Wasn't in his sig line. Agree, 15klbs is a lot for any gasser. Even if it's a new deep geared dually.