Ok what truck to buy ?

[kellem]

After several struggles in the mountains I've decided it's time for a new truck.
My old truck has been really good but new trailer is pushing it.

Current truck is 2004 Ram 2500 5.7 Hemi pulling 8K trailer, struggling mightily on the big hills with a bunch of junk in the bed.

I'm going new here but stuck on the 6.4 Dodge or the 7.3 Ford.

I'm a gas mechanic so no diesel please....yeah I know.

6.4 or 7.3 ?

[FishOnOne]

Me Again wrote:

kellem wrote:
Just left the Dodge dealership and was told the HD's are moving to America, built alongside the half tons.

Fish always seems to forget this when he bashes RAM manufacturing. That is the Ford Powerstroke diesels are made in Mexico.

https://fordauthority.com/fmc/ford-motor-company-plants-facilities/ford-motor-company-mexico-plants-...

All vehicles more or less have parts from all over the globe. Made and assembled are not necessarily the same.

But he bought a 3rd gen RAM that have been used hard and put away wet, and has never gotten over his mistake.

Call it what you want but read the fine print...

[Grit_dog]

^
^
Fish loves that Dodge. He only complains about the cheap dash that disintegrated in the Tejas sun. Apparently ford has better quality dashboards....That’s cool. My Dodge is 13 years old and the dash is like new. Garages are great!

[FishOnOne]

kellem wrote:
Just left the Dodge dealership and was told the HD's are moving to America, built alongside the half tons.

That was the plan but FCA's foreign leader changed his mind.

Link

[Me_Again]

kellem wrote:
Just left the Dodge dealership and was told the HD's are moving to America, built alongside the half tons.

Fish always seems to forget this when he bashes RAM manufacturing. That is the Ford Powerstroke diesels are made in Mexico.

https://fordauthority.com/fmc/ford-motor-company-plants-facilities/ford-motor-company-mexico-plants-...

All vehicles more or less have parts from all over the globe. Made and assembled are not necessarily the same.

But he bought a 3rd gen RAM that have been used hard and put away wet, and has never gotten over his mistake.

[kellem]

Just left the Dodge dealership and was told the HD's are moving to America, built alongside the half tons.

[Me_Again]

FishOnOne wrote:
One truck is "Made in USA" and the other truck is "Made in Mexico".

Choose wisely...

=

[blt2ski]

specta wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

specta wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:


I'm sure it doesn't cause problems but if there was something magical about that combination of design criteria...everyone would be putting out a 7.3L gas engine.

That's why they went with 7.3L and not 7.1 or 6.9 or 7.4 or 7.8.

That's what they try to achieve for every engine regardless of displacement.

Sure they try to achieve the ideal operations but they can do that with just about any displacement.

If they had a much loved 7.2L, you can bet they would have reworked it during design to be 7.2L.

I guess you're right. It ended up being a 7.3 due to their love of the old cornbinder engine.

I was only going by what the engineers said who designed the new 7.3.

other than liters, unlike the original 6.9/7.3 v8 idi diesels from ihc, they made great gas versions from those blocks too! that will not happen with todays motors no matter how you slice the cake. even IF ihc could have still made the T444E 7.3 version, which had 2 parts left over from the IDI version. Todays version would need to be different also due to as noted, EPA for both sound and air pollution standards. No different than the current GM 4.3 is not the original block design from the mid 80s, ie a 350 with 2 cyllinders lopped off. That block design ended with the vortec 4.3.
As noted, a good engine builder desinger can make ANY engine size run great. Question becomes, does it meet the end spec needed for what it is being used for!

Marty

[specta]

valhalla360 wrote:

specta wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:


I'm sure it doesn't cause problems but if there was something magical about that combination of design criteria...everyone would be putting out a 7.3L gas engine.

That's why they went with 7.3L and not 7.1 or 6.9 or 7.4 or 7.8.

That's what they try to achieve for every engine regardless of displacement.

Sure they try to achieve the ideal operations but they can do that with just about any displacement.

If they had a much loved 7.2L, you can bet they would have reworked it during design to be 7.2L.

I guess you're right. It ended up being a 7.3 due to their love of the old cornbinder engine.

I was only going by what the engineers said who designed the new 7.3.

[noteven]

Teacher! Teacher! I know I know! It’s a 7.3 because no one would know what a 445.47 cubic inch is?

[valhalla360]

specta wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:


I'm sure it doesn't cause problems but if there was something magical about that combination of design criteria...everyone would be putting out a 7.3L gas engine.

That's why they went with 7.3L and not 7.1 or 6.9 or 7.4 or 7.8.

That's what they try to achieve for every engine regardless of displacement.

Sure they try to achieve the ideal operations but they can do that with just about any displacement.

If they had a much loved 7.2L, you can bet they would have reworked it during design to be 7.2L.

[specta]

valhalla360 wrote:


I'm sure it doesn't cause problems but if there was something magical about that combination of design criteria...everyone would be putting out a 7.3L gas engine.

That's why they went with 7.3L and not 7.1 or 6.9 or 7.4 or 7.8.

That's what they try to achieve for every engine regardless of displacement.

[Elk_traveler]

kellem wrote:
After several struggles in the mountains I've decided it's time for a new truck.
My old truck has been really good but new trailer is pushing it.

Current truck is 2004 Ram 2500 5.7 Hemi pulling 8K trailer, struggling mightily on the big hills with a bunch of junk in the bed.

I'm going new here but stuck on the 6.4 Dodge or the 7.3 Ford.

I'm a gas mechanic so no diesel please....yeah I know.

6.4 or 7.3 ?

Then you want a Ford, period. Currently have V10 in Class C Motorhome but towed 5th wheel for many years with 7.3 L Ford turbo diesel and crossed the Rockies many times including the Beartooth highway in Montana towing 10K trailer. Climbed every grade on the Beartooth in overdrive never downshift for any reason. Still own the 96' 7.3L truck which is now ledgendiary. Sadly the EPA and the cost to Ford from engine manufacturer international was to much for Ford to keep in market therefore this engine no longer available.

[jerem0621]

Define “Struggle” please?

If you mean it slows down on hills and you have to get the RPM’s up to maintain speed, you will have to do that with any Gas V8.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[thomas201]

Bionic gave good advice. Buy first on the seat, then price. You really cannot lose with any of the the big 3.