Will probably need a new truck sooner rather than later...

[evan price]

Ford has huge problems with the 6.0 Powerstroke(it had something like 33 recall notices on it), and the 6.4 was basically a redesign of the same motor. I wouldn't touch EITHER of them with a ten foot pole. The new Ford Diesels are coming with a new 6 speed, so it may be something to look into.

Ehhh, the post 2008 motor is supposed to be better than the duramax. I have no direct experience with them, but they're getting more power and have a longer MTBO than the Duramax, and it IS a navistar medium duty design after all; and is used in International medium duty trucks.

The 6.0 liter Powerstroke was also a Navistar medium-duty truck motor, the T365E. There were just as many problems with those in Navistar Class IV-VI truck applications as there were in Ford light-line trucks. I distinctly recall my friend's ambulance company having half of their fleet down waiting for parts when they started buying the IHC 6.0 liter chassis. The fact that the fleet manager had not yet disposed of the older Ford NDI 7.3 trucks that were being replaced is what allowed them to continue operations!

[308Mike]

Two wheel loaders, two excavators and a stationary power unit for an air compressor/generator/welder rig. Hours on each is well over 20,000 and so far only one has been out for overhaul due to a turbocharger seal failing and causing a runaway (Snuffed with a CO2 extinguisher).

THANKFULLY, it wasn't one of the newer kids who might have simply though: "Hey, but it at least stopped the engine, didn't it??" While standing there with a dry-chem fire extinguisher and nozzle (still smoking with dry-chem dust) and pointing at the engine intake, and NOW DEAD engine.

If he's a keeper, make HIM rebuild the engine, maybe next time he'll make better decisions (but then again, you have to remember just how much today's kids are being shielded from modern mechanics and/or physics - as well as critical thinking skills. After all, it *might NOT* be his fault he didn't realize what he was doing.

It's too bad we've dumbed our society down to the lowest common denominator - which is now INCREDIBLY STUPID - reading at the 3rd-grade level (*IF* at THAT).

GRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!

[evan price]

Two wheel loaders, two excavators and a stationary power unit for an air compressor/generator/welder rig. Hours on each is well over 20,000 and so far only one has been out for overhaul due to a turbocharger seal failing and causing a runaway (Snuffed with a CO2 extinguisher).

THANKFULLY, it wasn't one of the newer kids who might have simply though: "Hey, but it at least stopped the engine, didn't it??" While standing there with a dry-chem fire extinguisher and nozzle (still smoking with dry-chem dust) and pointing at the engine intake, and NOW DEAD engine.

If he's a keeper, make HIM rebuild the engine, maybe next time he'll make better decisions (but then again, you have to remember just how much today's kids are being shielded from modern mechanics and/or physics - as well as critical thinking skills. After all, it *might NOT* be his fault he didn't realize what he was doing.

It's too bad we've dumbed our society down to the lowest common denominator - which is now INCREDIBLY STUPID - reading at the 3rd-grade level (*IF* at THAT).

GRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!

Actually, I was the one who snuffed it. I was working on an electrical problem with one of the excavators and the other excavator was on the other side of a truck trailer. I was looking for a tool in the toolbox when I heard the engine go from mid-throttle to oh-crap-overrevving! throttle, looked up, saw the plume of smoke jetting out of the exhaust and dropped my tools and ran. The operator was trying to stall it out by engaging the high-speed travel and forcing the machine against a huge pile of scrap metal but it would spin the tracks in the mud and the motor was not bogging enough. Luckily they had CO2 extinguishers and not dry-chem. Popped off the lid for the air cleaner and then blasted the extinguisher down its throat. I will honestly say the thought crossed my mind that if parts were going to forcibly exit the side of the motor, straddling the top of it was not a good place to be.

That motor survived the overspeed. But since it had so much time on it anyway and the turbo needed R&R'ed the owner decided to buy an exchange rebuilt motor. I think it was $8,000 with shipping. Came with a rebuilt turbo & injectors, ready to drop in.

[308Mike]

Two wheel loaders, two excavators and a stationary power unit for an air compressor/generator/welder rig. Hours on each is well over 20,000 and so far only one has been out for overhaul due to a turbocharger seal failing and causing a runaway (Snuffed with a CO2 extinguisher).

THANKFULLY, it wasn't one of the newer kids who might have simply though: "Hey, but it at least stopped the engine, didn't it??" While standing there with a dry-chem fire extinguisher and nozzle (still smoking with dry-chem dust) and pointing at the engine intake, and NOW DEAD engine.

If he's a keeper, make HIM rebuild the engine, maybe next time he'll make better decisions (but then again, you have to remember just how much today's kids are being shielded from modern mechanics and/or physics - as well as critical thinking skills. After all, it *might NOT* be his fault he didn't realize what he was doing.

It's too bad we've dumbed our society down to the lowest common denominator - which is now INCREDIBLY STUPID - reading at the 3rd-grade level (*IF* at THAT).

GRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!

Actually, I was the one who snuffed it. I was working on an electrical problem with one of the excavators and the other excavator was on the other side of a truck trailer. I was looking for a tool in the toolbox when I heard the engine go from mid-throttle to oh-crap-overrevving! throttle, looked up, saw the plume of smoke jetting out of the exhaust and dropped my tools and ran. The operator was trying to stall it out by engaging the high-speed travel and forcing the machine against a huge pile of scrap metal but it would spin the tracks in the mud and the motor was not bogging enough. Luckily they had CO2 extinguishers and not dry-chem. Popped off the lid for the air cleaner and then blasted the extinguisher down its throat. I will honestly say the thought crossed my mind that if parts were going to forcibly exit the side of the motor, straddling the top of it was not a good place to be.

That motor survived the overspeed. But since it had so much time on it anyway and the turbo needed R&R'ed the owner decided to buy an exchange rebuilt motor. I think it was $8,000 with shipping. Came with a rebuilt turbo & injectors, ready to drop in.

Oh well - too bad you didn't know that before hand (hind-sight is always 20-20), so you could listen to the motor after spraying dry-chem into the intake and hearing it grind to a halt. For me, that would be FAR worse than hearing fingernails on a chalk-board!!!

Ya' did good!! Thinkin' smart during a high-stress situation - I suspect you'd been brought up right and to THINK when things are going to SHIITE. If'n I had a company out in the field, that's the kind of people I'd want to employ (but I haven't won the lottery yet).

When my wife & I come up that way, we'd sure love to meet you, NPR, and a few others from the Alaska contingent!!

[blackeagle603]

Well, speaking of high mile diesels and expectation of some level of repair expense.... Had to repair an oil leak today (fitting on the high pressure side). No time or inclination to do the repair -- left it at the shop. Heading over to collect it now.

[JAG2955]

Well, the alternator finally kicked the bucket this afternoon, when wife and I were heading back from Wilmington. First the volt meter dropped, just as it had done many times before. Then the gauges died. I lost the use of the onboard computer, judging by how rough it was running. Finally, it stalled out. Luckily, I had my Wagan PowerDome with me, and after three to five minutes, I was able to get it started up again and was able to get it the rest of the way home to Sears for a replacement. I'll pick it up tomorrow.

Always be ready, from the mundane to the insane, fellas. All of our friends are out of town, and without the PowerDome, we may have been waiting for awhile.

[bubblewhip]

Being a noob, what exactly is wrong with Chevy's truck engines? Is the V8 not the same small block they throw into everything?

[merll2005]

Being a noob, what exactly is wrong with Chevy's truck engines? Is the V8 not the same small block they throw into everything?

They are talking about the Duramaxx, not the gas v8. I don't know what's wrong with it; we've only had the 6.2. Which is great in the farm truck because it will start after sitting for months and didn't cost $10000 extra.

[slowpoke]

Being a noob, what exactly is wrong with Chevy's truck engines? Is the V8 not the same small block they throw into everything?

They are talking about the Duramaxx, not the gas v8. I don't know what's wrong with it; we've only had the 6.2. Which is great in the farm truck because it will start after sitting for months and didn't cost $10000 extra.

The earlier duramaxes(LB6) had an issue with the injectors failing, causing dilution of the motor oil and engine failure. The injectors were also located inside the valve cover and that meant it was quit costly to do the replacement. There was a class action suit about that. They redisgned where the injectors are in 2004.5 with the LLY engine, which also added the particulate filter system. Then they updated them again in 2006 with the newer LLZ, although still called an LLY untill the 2007+ years when they added the DEF systems. So sweet spot is really a 2006's. And damn this thread getting me to want one again.

One other thing; the GM/Chevy's have issues with a hole wearing into the transfer case. There is a "cheap" fix for it by adding some internal tabs if it hasn't worn through yet, if it has worn through then its likely run without oil and damaged. I think the failure mechanism on that is that it wont shift out of 2wd, but I'm probably wrong on that.

Maybe I'll just wait and get a Nissan with the 2.8 cummins in a few years.

[JAG2955]

Still looking for a new truck. I may have to do a cross-country move in the near future (if you hear about it, it's good news), and I don't trust the Avalanche to take me outside the county.

So what do you experts think of this one:
Potential Truck Candidate

I think that at that price, it's overpriced by a few thousand, but I believe if I can get out the door for around 28K, but definitely less than 30K, after haggling and trade-in, I may take it. But I do hate red trucks.