Ford 7.3 engine users?

JRscooby wrote:

blt2ski wrote:

I still believe for most interstate driving, a gas rig appropriately loaded, with current technology, will be fine into the low 20k realm.
The only thing a diesel will have generally speaking, is power at 10k feet vs the gas bring 30% down to to elevation. As I don't know if any diesels with out a turbo. With the advent of the eco boost style engines, elevation power loss will not be an issue.

Marty

Marty

I'm not sure if anymore I would declare "above X lbs, you need diesel"
but instead the decision would be based on miles per year. In the past, my thought was how much value is in a engine that will last 2-3 times the useful life of truck? but if drove enough miles/year the fuel savings would pay. But we have got to the point gas engines are lasting long enough that the rest of truck is likely to be reason to get rid of it. Meeting emissions standards with gas has improved efficiency and the parts needed to do it have proven pretty trouble free. The same can't be said about diesel, and cost to repair can exceed value of pickup.

Scooby

Being as Ive seen a number of F750 rigs run by Wa ST mostly DOT rigs. I do believe that gas vs diesel should come down to the how many miles you drive etc. Iis gone from 15-20k miles a year, 80-100k miles to pay for the increased cost of a diesel, to 150-200+k miles, and 30k+ miles a year. This is assuming a 3-5 year ROI on the diesel.
These bigger gas motors have a place in the under 30k gvwr/gcw rigs running down the road.
I pointed out the exhaust brakes in the Isuzu's I've driven since early 80's, as something that's been around awhile too. With some jurisdictions outlawing "Jake brakes", IE the use of velves to get compression braking, exhaust valves do a similar effect. With out the noise issue.
I've have heard about them on gas rigs, I'm going to assume one can still get use out of it. Whether it's as good as used on a diesel. That I don't know.

Marty