Diesel vs gas......................

[blt2ski]

OK folks, there have been a few to many diesel vs gas threads that have shall we say gone to "Hell and a hand basket"! So if all of you would put in you BEST, no flaming reasons for going gas vs diesel, pro and con, I will either leave your thread, or copy and paste pertinant info to the 4 posts of pro and con of diesel or gas. This can include the GM 8.1 vs Dmax or Ford V-8/10 vs PSD etc too.

Be real and honest in you answers, not hear say, flaming etc PLEASE!

If posts are good ones, I will leave, if inflamatory or trolling in nature, they will be deleted! I will get this stick'd to the top for future parusing for those that need this type of info.

Added 6-23-04

We are getting closer to answers I am looking for etc.

Stuff like Ken's - T-Bone posts are good. There are a few others of you that have not posted, some with a 9 point question and answer type to figure out how you went with one or the other. If you are one of those, PLEASE repost in this thread. I may have to look up whom has done this and PM you, but if you think this is you, you now know what to do.

Also, for those of you with $ per gallon for either fuel right now, I would prefer to see a post with ...."in my area, diesel is typically .10 less than unleaded" then explain your numbers. As currently in the Seattle area, diesel and unleaded are any where from 2.05 -2.30 per gallon, with mid test .10 more and premium about .20 more, with equal high low splits. Two weeks ago those prices were upwards of .30 -.40 per gallon more. people were posting $ per gallon that were for me. "I wish" If someone is reading your post a year from now, they may want to know where your paying 1.65, when the price of fuel is over $3 per gallon. Let's keep prices out of it if possible.

Bert and tin tipi, got into a good discusion on the pros and cons of RPM's, drive train etc. I would prefer to NOT see the quote of the other in responding threads, maybe just write a quick wording of re tranny gearing, instead of the whole 40 words or so in that paragragh, so the repsonse is shorter if possible quicker and easier to read etc.

I have deleted some 15+/- posts, that were off topic etc. Please note, I am trying to keep this at the top, as the ONLY gas/diesel thread in this area. So if one is trying to decide, we do not have to go thru this BS any more. As such, I will be deleting ANY future posts close to resembling this type of topic. I may have to change "this" title to a better one, if one has a better sounding title, to be more positive, better claification, let me know here, or in a PM/e-mail, what ever you feel most comfortible with.

Again thank you for all of you that are keeping responses positive, etc.

Also we could use a few more positive reasons to go gas, as many can see I have both gas and diesel, both have a place! Both have positive reasons to buy that fuel, lets keep the threads etc to that purpose only!

Marty

[marty649]

What I find odd Steve is how your always comparing your old low power diesels to a newer Hemi,(compared with the 325+hp Cummins since 04.5). Now if I compare my 91 Cummins to my 05 it's like comparing my 05 to my Ford 9N tractor, slow noisy crude. Wife won't race me in the 91, but I can tell you it wouldn't be close, nor will she allow me to try and sell it again.

[Hannibal]

Odd, I've owned four Cummins powered Rams and now a Hemi powered duplicate of my '03 Cummins powered Ram. There is literally nothing stopping me from trading the Hemi powered Ram for another Cummins powered Ram. Money is available and Cummins Rams are marked way down new and used. If my Hemi powered Ram was anywhere near as bad or the Cummins Rams anywhere near as good as described above, I would have traded for my 5th Cummins Ram long before now. It just ain't so. I have no more loyalty or emotional attachment to my truck than I do our Frigidaire refrigerator. It's not a part of me nor do I " just love it" and it's not "just wonderful" or any other silly affections I've read here of guys and their trucks. It's just a truck and it's been a good one. When it's usefulness is used up, it'll be traded for another. I have no agenda or any reason to lie about it. It is what it is and it does what it does well. The Hemi is very smooth and quiet except for a nice hotrod roar at 4200rpm up the steep ones. I remember the thrill of my first diesel and annoying my family and friends with the standard "I'll never own another gasser" line and all the amazing things it does better. 21 years later, I got over it. It's a pickup truck, not a semi tractor. :B

[Ace_]

How large was your Hemi?

[DannerFamily]

blt2ski wrote:
dubdub07,
So if you have a high HP/low torque motor, but the correct gearing to multiply the torque so it is equal to a high HP/torque motor, they will have the same potential.

There is more to it than just HP and torque figures.

Marty

I've owned both an 07 Hemi and an 07 Cummins (6.7)

I've pulled the same trailer with both - so yes they both work.

Argue all you guys want - listed here are real world results.

My comparison of the 6.7 (A) and Hemi(B)- with trailer attached:
===================================================================
A - Can pull forward (from stop) on a steep uphill slope at idle.
B - Must race engine to get enough torque out of the engine/torque converter to pull forward on hill - TAKES TIME/COORDINATION - may actually roll backwards some if not done quickly enough.
===================================================================
A - Can back into spots (even up hill) in idle - no goosing required - tranny stays cool as a cucumber.
B - Once again must race engine - TRANSMISSION HEATS QUICKLY.
===================================================================
A - Can roll down the highway pulling 70mph in 6th gear all day long - small grades require no gear change, just varying boost. VERY QUIET rolling down the road in 6th - can just barely hear the turbo spool(if all else is quiet, radio off). 5th gear will take care of any extreme hills/head winds - still quiet.
B - Can roll down the highway at 60 mph in 5th if the road is flat and there are no head winds - QUIET. For 70 mph must be in 4th or even 3rd when hills/head winds are present. In 4th loud in 3rd VERY LOUD and lots of powertrain vibration transmitted to the cab.
====================================================================
A - With a 34 gallon tank and averaging 12 MPG towing - I can go 408 miles before fueling is required.
B - With a 34 gallon tank and averaging 6 MPG towing could only go between 204 miles before fueling.
====================================================================
A - 70 MPH in 4th gear @ 3000 RPM all the way up to 11,000 ft I70W from Denver to Eisenhower tunner (and back). Engine at 220F and tranny at 190F.
B - Never tried it - would have been much slower due to altitude - would have been a 2nd gear crawl with torque converter unlocked.
This trip is why I bought the CUMMINS.
====================================================================
A - 60 MPH down I70 from Eisenhower tunnel to Denver - never touched the brakes because the Exhaust brake feathered and maintained the cruise control setting - absolutely amazing performance here.
B - Would have been much slower and scary.
====================================================================
A - 300,000 mile average rebuild
B - ??
=====================================================================

I loved the Hemi as a runabout, but when towing the Cummins IS SUPERIOR in every measure except initial cost and of course replacement cost.

Enjoy!

[GACamper]

Rvndave wrote:
After pulling a 6% grade I would like to hear the 6 cylinder diesel is overkill. As for running the flat land, I barely have to push the fuel pedal, engine is just loafing along. Must be why I get so much better fuel mileage towing with a diesel vs gas.

[Rvndave]

After pulling a 6% grade I would like to hear the 6 cylinder diesel is overkill. As for running the flat land, I barely have to push the fuel pedal, engine is just loafing along. Must be why I get so much better fuel mileage towing with a diesel vs gas.

[Hudson69]

Hannibal wrote:

Hudson69 wrote:
Small displacement economic diesel engines are nice, but the automakers only sell hot rodded diesels that guzzle fuel.

It's ridiculous to put a 6 cylinder engine that came out of a 25,000+ gvwr into a pickup.

That's why that's all they make. That's all they sell.

The 5.9L and 6.7L Cummins will very rarely be seen in a 25k lb GVWR truck. Links to examples would be great! As well, the 930 lb Dodge Ram CPL Cummins is about 200 lbs lighter than the 1100 lbs commercial truck application Cummins. It's not the same engine.

https://www.fleet.ford.com/showroom/2009fleetshowroom/2009-F750.asp

[Jarlaxle]

The 5.9L and 6.7L Cummins will very rarely be seen in a 25k lb GVWR truck. Links to examples would be great!

Many Freightliner M2's have 6.7 Cummins engines (and older ones had 5.9's). We have one at work: a 2008 Freightliner M2 with a 220HP Cummins ISB 6.7 and a 2000-series Allison. It's a 26' box truck with a GVWR of 26,000lbs. Ryder has a vast number of these...just about any 26' non-CDL Ryder with the "Certified clean idle" hood tag will have a 6.7 Cummins.

The Cummins 5.9 was very widely used in 40' school buses (GVWR 25K or so) for many years.

[Hannibal]

Hudson69 wrote:
Small displacement economic diesel engines are nice, but the automakers only sell hot rodded diesels that guzzle fuel.

It's ridiculous to put a 6 cylinder engine that came out of a 25,000+ gvwr into a pickup.

That's why that's all they make. That's all they sell.

The 5.9L and 6.7L Cummins will very rarely be seen in a 25k lb GVWR truck. Links to examples would be great! As well, the 930 lb Dodge Ram CPL Cummins is about 200 lbs lighter than the 1100 lbs commercial truck application Cummins. It's not the same engine.

[Hudson69]

Small displacement economic diesel engines are nice, but the automakers only sell hot rodded diesels that guzzle fuel.

It's ridiculous to put a 6 cylinder engine that came out of a 25,000+ gvwr into a pickup.

[cdru]

As of today, 5-6-09, in North Central Minnesota, gas and diesel are both $2.199 a gallon. cdru

[RVbikers]

Diesel is still 30-40 cents more then gas here.

[Ace_]

mgratner wrote:
Gas, if not already in all areas, will very shortly be higher than diesel all over the country. Watch the Flying J site for a week and you will see what is going on. Diesel Rules.

Cigar Mike

I heard that several years ago, when I bought my truck. Maybe you'll be right, but maybe not.

[Hannibal]

And then this fall gas prices will back off and diesel prices will rise with heating oil demand...

Real trucks don't have little 6L motors. They have 14L + diesel engines.:B

[mgratner]

Gas, if not already in all areas, will very shortly be higher than diesel all over the country. Watch the Flying J site for a week and you will see what is going on. Diesel Rules.

Cigar Mike