Mid 1990s Powerstroke or Cummins?

yager said:
As exciting as it may be to step into the diesel tow rig world. Your answers to questions people have asked really keep saying Gas tow rig. Tow 7k, 3-4 times a year screams gasser.

IMHO sitting is what hurts higher mileage rigs more. Maintenance is different for most people. Some people wait for stuff to break, some are more PM oriented. Depends on how far you go and how much a break down would cost you (in time and $).

All that said, I fully believe there are people who 'need' a 1ton dully tow rig. They are so reckless in their driving style and speed and generally just don't know what they are doing or how to tow. For those people I fully support the 1ton dually is needed for them to tow anything. If your that person I applaud your desire to keep us safe.

Lastly, If you haven't already started looking, go look at trucks, pick ones you know you don't like that are close and just go look and drive them, get a feel for what each has to offer as well as the different price points.
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Thought I HAD to have a F250. Bought mine from my dad. He only put about 2000 miles on it in the last 6 years! Thought I was in good shape.... WRONG..... all the sitting was really hard on seals and rubber parts. Power steering seals, brake parts, fueal seals,

Maintenance is expensive. $70 oil change every 5K and I change my own! Tires cost a fortune, any replacement part is about 3x's the price of the 1/2 ton parts.

Don't get me wrong, it's a great truck, I love it, but if I had done my research....... I probably would have got a 1/2 ton gas truck. Especialy since it's a daily driver and I realy don't "need" a truck that big.
 
cumminsdzl said:
Just go with a manual no matter what you buy. It may be harder to find, but you will be much better off. No way is a 20 year old auto transmission behind a diesel anything going to be in good shape without some work. The older transmissions in those trucks suck for pulling, bottom line. Built they are great, but then you spend 4 grand to have one built.
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X2. Both trucks are good trucks. The Cummins is cheaper to work on, and a lot more simple than the Stroke. 94-98 12 valves are the best year to buy. They use a piston type injection pump (P-7100) which is easier to turn up and makes more power stock than the 93 and older (VE) which use a rotary vane setup. The manual trans Cummins trucks also have more horsepower than the auto trucks.
 
Tow with the 'Hoe!

Save yourself all the headaches of a 2nd hand truck. Upgrade the Tahoe a bit, invest in a HD weight dist hitch and a double axle brake trailer. Be prudent on the road, run at 62 on the Interstate, take your time up the hills, invest all you have saved for old age :)
 
Diesel is the only way to go IMO,but mine stays loaded with or hooked to something.
 
A personal opinion on an older Dodge... I have an extended cab '92 Dodge/Cummins, automatic, 2WD, with 175k miles that is everything I did NOT want when shopping for a truck. I've had it now for several years. I like it, and would not trade it. The 2WD has caused me some minor inconvenience on a few occasions. Currently, I have a Dana PowerLok ordered for it, and it will be installed in the very near future. Hopefully that will solve the minor inconveniences. The 2WD on the highway is great. The truck rides nice, and I am pleased with fuel mileage. When not towing, I get about 22 MPG on the open highway; when towing, it drops to around 12 +/- MPG depending on how hard it has to pull.

I am the second owner. Per the advice of the original owner I never tow in overdrive, and I shift the truck manually when towing. He towed a good size camper all over the country with no problems whatsoever. The transmission is an A-518 automatic. It has never yet been rebuilt, and the fluid is still pink and fresh as new. The original owner kept all maintenance up to date, and so do I. The only modifications the truck has is a 4" straight exhaust, and the pump has been turned up. Other than that it is stock.

If you go with the Cummins, the Killer Dowel Pin should definitely be checked. I took care of mine myself (not that hard to do). Instructions here: http://dodgeram.org/tech/dsl/Dowel_Pin/tab.htm and there are several other sources of info. The Diesel Truck Resource is a good one: http://www.dieseltruckresource.com

The best truck is the one you like! Good luck with whatever you get! :)
 
Gotta go diesel and dodge. Much cheaper to mod and both have there share of problems to deal with. I've owned a 1st, and 2 second gens (12v and 24v) cummins and loved them all. My 1st gen was a 90 and it came off a farm with more than 500,000 miles when I got it. Only had one tranny and a new head no other major work during its life. No overhaul and this truck would tow 15k to 20k on a very regular basis. It came off a farm so you know its life was hard. My 12v had 35's, a #0 plate, 370's and a 5 speed with south bend clutch and I loved it. 250k miles with no motor work ever done, only minor maintenance, only a 5th gear nut fix, and 16 mpg (hand calculated many times) with 10k to 12k lbs behind it. I absolutly loved that truck and was stupid for selling it. Stick with around a 95 or 96 12v with a d speed and I bet you will be very happy. Put a good clutch in it, farm boy diesel cheap exhaust, shave the fuel plate for free, and add some guages and have fun. You can get a kdp fix that you don't have to take the case off and I think it only runs around $70, and the 5th gear nut fix is cheap just costs the labor to take the tail housing off the tranny. Even if you have to take the gear case off to do the killer dowel pin its not hard. The alternative is a powerstroke that costs more to maintain and modify. Example powerstrokes have glowplugs that go out, aftermarket 370 injectors for a cummins $420 new, comparable for a ford 3 times that. Just trying to help you make an informed decision. Do lots of research on both trucks. Go to an auto parts store and price similar componants like fuel filters, front end parts, sensors, ect. And see what the difference is. I bet either way a diesel is right up your alley.
 
is it not reasonable that if you just tow a rig 2-3 times a month and its used for nothing else then a gasser would probly do the job just fine? Also keep in mind rebuilds on a gasser...rebuilding a gasser would seem to be way cheaper than parts sometimes needed for older diesels...Correct me if Im wrong!
 
^I'm pretty sure the OP wants a truck that would not need a rebuild anytime soon, regardless of gas/diesel
 
Brining this back from the dead :) I have towed my jeep with the Tahoe a few times now and it has done surprisingly well but I still need a dedicated tow rig so I don't blow the tranny or rear end up in my DD Tahoe.

So on that note. I am looking at a 95 Cummins 2wd manual 5-speed. What should I know about this year/features/etc.? I am sure the dash will be cracked ;) but what else should I look at?
 
this summer im gonna get me a tow rig. im in your boat. i used to have a 98 24V CTD 5spd and loved it at first. it was on 35s with a quad adrenaline, 4inch exhaust and intake. i got it to tow my yota. at first i was in love. then i got kinda tired of DD the cummins. ended up sellin the yota, so now i had a 3/4 truck that only hauled me. so i sold it. personally, i think teh only reason one should buy a 3/4 or ton diesel if your towing atleast 2 times a week. my choice was between a 6.0 chevy gas and a 12V. ive decided on a 6.0. i wont be towing enough to have a diesel. maybe tow the yota 3/4 times a month, maybe some hay gravel etc. a couple times every 2/3 months. go check out autotrader and look at prices on the early 6.0s ive seen RCLB 4wds fro about 8k. 2wds cheaper. yea i wouldnt mind to have a 12V to ebat around with and tuen up a little, but not for a DD. jsut my thoughts
 
BigClay said:
Brining this back from the dead :) I have towed my jeep with the Tahoe a few times now and it has done surprisingly well but I still need a dedicated tow rig so I don't blow the tranny or rear end up in my DD Tahoe.
So on that note. I am looking at a 95 Cummins 2wd manual 5-speed. What should I know about this year/features/etc.? I am sure the dash will be cracked ;) but what else should I look at?
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You will probably find that the drivers seat is torn and there is probably some rust in the fenders and maybe the cab corners. The dash shouldn't be cracked. The ones that fall out in pieces are the 98.5 and later 2nd gens. Look at the intercooler boots and make sure there's not oil around them. How many miles are on the truck? If you get real serious about it, pull the intake hose between the air filter and the turbo off and check out the turbo. Check end play and side to side play on the shaft and look for oil inside it. Look right under where the fan mounts. The front cover starts there. They usually crack there when the killer dowel pin comes out but look all the way around that housing. Get under the truck and make sure it's not leaking oil from the front of the engine. The rear main seal almost always leaks a little on a Cummins. Make sure you get truck into 5th gear when you drive it. NV4500s are notorious for the nut to back off of 5th gear. You'll know when you put it in 5th if it has backed off. Look at the exhaust manifold for cracks. It's not common for 12 valve manifolds to crack, but it is always possible. Pull the dipstick and drop a drop or two of oil on a paper towell. If there is fuel getting into the oil, it will show up. The oil will stay in the center and the fuel will make lighter colored ring around the oil. If you go look at the truck and the engine is cold, expect it to sound like it's missing if you try to take off with it when you first fire it up. A 12 valve needs a couple minutes to warm up before you drive it. Mechanical injection doesn't take into account engine temperature so it doesn't change timing or cut back on fuel when it's cold. Look for blue smoke when you start it and drive it. A little white smoke is common with a 12 valve on startup. You might want to find out if it has a 3.55 or 4.10 rear and if it's limited slip. Look in the glove box or on the under side of the hood. There should be a sticker telling what options are on the truck in one of those two places.
 
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