Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Cummings /Power Stroke/ DuraMax

+1 I have the 06 Dodge and I plan on keeping it for a long time. I have no use for a truck that won't run when the "particulate filter" is full.

It always surprises me to the number of people who bash the 6.7L cummins over the 5.9L because of the particulate filter. I understand it had a lot of issues when it first came out. As of current, I do not see the number of issues as before with the new PCM flashes that are out.
The 5.9L pre '04 was a great engine. We replace more 5.9L engines ('05-'07) than anything else in our shop due to injector failure and cylinder wash/scoring. If it isn't a whole engine it is injectors. Personally I think the fuel systems on those models are crap. The filtration is uber poor.
If it were up to me I wouldn't own a 5.9L- I'd go 6.7L all the way. WAY less issues and I'll take having to take the vehicle out for a drive to regen the filters anyday over a $15K engine replacment.

just saying

Hemi.

So you are saying the 6.7 has better filtration than the late 5.9 s ??

Aren't the fuel systems basically the same(common rail) ?

The reason alot of 05-07 trucks were losing injectors is because the Bouche injectors required a minimum 7 micron fuel filter.

All Dodoge dealers were supplying and still sticking in those trucks were 10 micron filters for a long time. Dodge didn't bother telling any owners this either.......

Luckily, I've run 5 micron Baldwins in my 05' all along.

Yes the fuel systems are the same- common rail. The filtration is different and there is actually an upgraded filter on the 5.9L that brings them up to the 6.7L.

Hemi

True. Dodge filters use to be 10 a while ago. Bouche actually recommends 5 I believe not 7 microns. The upgraded filter for the 5.9L is 7 and the filter system for the 6.7L is 5.

Hemi

5.9 Liter owners can run 5 micron without upgrading to the newer filter system. Just buy baldwin PF 7977 filters for the 5.9, they are 5 micron filters/water seperators.

I think the 3rd generation engines(03-07) are just fine, they were just hampered by the wrong filters being used in them. I see it more as Dodges fault than the motor itself.

FWIW evryone I know who has 6.7's have had nothing but pure hell with them.

I LOVE my 03 5.9 HP with the 6 speed. It's my second Cummins powered truck. I've had nothing but good luck with them. As stated, watch what you put in for a fuel filter in these rigs! All the filters on my truck are Fleetguard(Cummins)from our local International dealer. The price is no higher then other brand filters from an auto parts store.

Get whichever truck you like the best. Good Luck to ya

The Cummins is a class A diesel, the Ford a class B

if you plan a rebuild after a zillion miles that is important.

01' that works hard!

Hi all new guy here!

Anyway, I'm in the market for a new truck and have been considering a diesel. I work Fire/EMS, and all our squads (ambulances) are Fords, 2 with the crappy 6.0 diesels. These two defiantly spend more time in the shop than the 6.4 models. Not to full any debate but, any Power Stroke that serves as an ambulance gets run hard! The Dura Max is starting to gain a foot hold in the fire/ems market as well.

My question is, I will never run and abuse a personal vehicle like I see work vehicles done. Not all is intentional, these trucks just get a work out.

With the newer engines I know they have all the "clean diesel" technology. I have read for the casual owner, this is a problem if the engine is not run to near full potential. Is this true? I don't pull anything, and don't drive far. My concern is what I have read as far as the particulate filter systems. Does any of the big 3 use the urea system? My dept. recently got an order in for a few new fire trucks to beat the 2010 regs. Which one I hear is the Urea system.

If you're not pulling anything, you will likely be much better served with a gas rig. Cheaper to buy up front, newer diesel rigs don't have the same mileage advantage of the older ones over gas, and you'll have to do alot of driving to save the fuel to pay for the more expensive diesel engine.

When you're regularly pulling a load is when a diesel comes into it's own.

PPFD,

Right now the Cummins is the only 2010 emission diesel available in a HD truck (available in the Dodge). It uses a particulate filter with a regen system. Which, basically when the particulate filter gets so full it reaches extemely high tempetures in the exhaust/filter to burn off. The problem comes when the vehicle is excessivly used at 30% load or less. Mostly, people idling for extended periods of time or low rpm driving. This causes more "particulates" to accumulate in the filter quicker as the exhaust temp is lower. When this new system was launched in the Cummins/Dodge it was basically flawed and was not working properly. Once the filter gets to 100% full the vehicle would go into a limp in mode or completly stop running all together. Of course this pissed many people off. As of now, with new programing in the PCM the system is no longer flawed. The problem you still get are people using these trucks as grocery getters or still excessive idling them and not paying attention to the system telling them the filter is 60, 70, 80% full. When that happens the truck must be driven at highway speeds with rpms above 2200 to "regen" the system.
The new Dodge 2010 cab & chassis will have the urea system and all the other HD will stay with the particulate filter. Ford and GM are bringing a urea system to market in their 2010 HD diesels, but those will not be available til late spring as I have heard.

Hemi

The older 5.9 Cummins is real hard to beat for fuel mileage and still tow a bunch down the interstate. A friend of mine bought one of the very last 2007 3/4 ton Dodges with 5.9 and gets over 21mpg with his truck. Owns a feed store and pulls lots of heavy loads with it, he loves his truck.

The Ford 6.0's have had a lot of problems in the past! The Duramax seems the far better choice if you can not find a Cummins. Also the Duramax has a great tranny behind that engine.

I am waiting for FORD to come out with a new Diesel engine that will be better than the 7.3 was in past years. However, that remmains to be seen.

The newer Dodge "Blue Technology" engines don't give much in fuel mileage! A freind of mine purchased a new one ton dually and he is getting 14mpg on the highway after 25,000 miles on the engine. A far cry from the 22mpg he got with this 5.9 engine.

Hemi,

Thanks for the great explanation. I don't understand how these kids now a days can afford a diesel truck then stick a few thousand in mods in them to blow that cool black smoke. I'd be in the grocery crowd as well of I bought a diesel!

Exactamundo! When I bought a Dodge/Cummins new in '97 there was a $4k+/- difference just to get the diesel option. At that time you had to drive the diesel 130k miles to have the same amount of money into it as if you had bought a gas engine. That was figuring cost, service and fuel at then mpgs, and after that point the diesel started saving you money.
With the changes in the prices of the diesel option, fuel costs, service and mpg differences today, I wonder where that 130k has gone to now?

These guys are right, if you don't use the new diesels to thier potential it's really a waste & really not too good for the engines.

They aren't built for idling around unloaded like I do with mine.

I just put my big truck on craigs list which is kinda sad but I have seen the light. I just can't use it like it needs to be used.

I'm looking to get back into a half ton crew with 6.5' bed. (Ford for me)

That is true to a point, but the diesel option doesn't evaporate when you sell the truck. There is still value there. It has been my observation that the gas Dodge trucks depreciate much faster than their diesel cousins.

It really doesn't make much sense to buy a diesel if you are not going to tow much. I don't think I would buy a gas Dodge for any reason. I would buy a gas Toyota, Ford, GMC....in that order if I didn't have my Dodge Cummins.

WE watch powerpokes and jap chevy diesels dead on the road from melted pistons, crap fuels systems and lack of parts. Cummins just keeps on running like a Timex. Not too many 1,000,000 miles Duramelts still on the road.

The diesel option for Dodge is now about $6k. I have heard that GM's new 2010 emission diesel is going to be close to a $10K premium. Even more reason to not buy a diesel if your not pulling.
Speaking of diesels, I have heard that Jeep is going to offer a diesel in almost every vehicle they make in 2011. How about a wrangler with a 4cyl tourqie diesel!

Hemi

Hemi,

You may not have seen my post on another thread, but I was asking if you know the ETA of the new 2010 HD 3500? I would have thought they would be on the dealer lots by now since we are getting so close to 2010.