What's the best diesel in a pickup?

[jondrew55]

There is no arguing that the newer Diesels (in any vehicle) have complex emissions controls that restrict engine performance and add maintenance costs that are frequently related to the emissions control systems as opposed to the engine itself. But there is a reason they still exist in terms of horsepower and pulling torque that is superior to conventional gasoline engines. My new RAM Cumins gets about 21 MPG hi way (not towing) and 14 MPG towing my 30' airstream. Combined with it's 35 gallon fuel tank I have more range than a gasser would give me (meaning less fueling stops). I'm happy with that combo. I can turn a wrench, but I'm not a diesel mechanic so when the trouble light comes on and I'm out of warranty I'll have to open up my wallet. The best I can do is keep up my maintenance schedule. I'm not interested in a pre-DEF truck simply because anything that old is going to have it's own set of problems. Doesn't matter if the engine is good for a million miles if the trans or something else in the works keeps giving up the ghost.

Originally Posted by dsrace

there are no good diesels in pick ups based on the question. when you have emissions the require def then you have added sooooo much back pressure the engine cannot breathe well. that will cut years off the life span. when you design trucks that require mechanice to lift cabs off, its not a good truck. all because the general population cannot figure out how to park a truck that 10" longer. the better question would be "which later model deisel engine has the least number of problems?" duramax (isuzu) is out of the running right from the start. i have owned power strokes for many years. all of them have been 7.3 ltre engines for good reason. i will not buy a newer diesel pick up truck due to complete lack of longevety and poor design. you will be better off buying a gas engine or a class 6 truck.

[varmonter]

Originally Posted by Jbrow327

Let's say 2010 and later, what is the most reliable and powerful diesel engine you can get in a pickup?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think towing comes down to 3 things:

1. Torque rating at the wheels. (Manufacturer numbers are at the crank. So your looking for as little drivetrain loss as possible.)

2. Torque curve. The most torque you can have at any given RPM.

3. Axle ratio. The higher the number the better.

Discuss.
Name the model years after 2010 that are reliable and why.

1.Cummins with a manual tranny.and a aftermkt clutch.

2. Cummins
3.3.73 generally yields best towing vs mpg
4.10 usually will haul more
I have 3.42 g56 tranny. i only tow 11k..
I like the manual 6speed.. combined with the exahaust
brake it has so much control in the mountains out west.
4. Cummins had some issues 2019 2020 with thier high pressure fuel pumps. Look for a cp3. I think up to 18 and starting again in 21 iirc.
Cp4 was prone to failures. (I think ford still uses.)
4th gen had them and now the new ones do again.
I had a duramax prior to this ram.
Blew a turbo at 55k...other than that rock solid.
Fords 6.0 as stated above was garbage. Never owned a ford truck...not saying i wouldnt...just never have...so cummins has a good track record.
Rams trannys not so much...which is why i have
The stick shift. They stopped putting them in trucks in 2018..
They detuned the engines in the manual tranny optioned trucks..but my truck has no lack of grunt..
And the motor will probably last longer..
It only has 37kodo...it will probably outlive me.

If toyota made a 1ton diesel drw..id own one..

[BirchyBoy]

Today, whatever truck you can find for a reasonable price is the best one.

[jimcumminsw]

Originally Posted by dsrace

i know you just want to pick out the prettiest color and most comfy interior and thats all thats important to you. thats great, many more like as well. not sure who fed you information about def but i am sure you never looked it up for yourself. def is about 65% deionized water and 35% urea. when injected into the hot exh stream the water vaporizes and the urea turns into ammonia and isocyanic acid. so you are not exhausting water as you are telling people....you are infact shooting acid into your exhaust! oppsoite of your statement. obviously there is acid in def or it would seize gasoline engine when people accidentially fill there fuel tanks up with it.

Really? I think you need to do some real research on the use of DEF in the SCR on a emission compliant truck that uses SCR technology!

Here is an article that explains how the system works and the by products from the exhaust system. Which is nitrogen (N2) and water (H2O)

https://www.cumminsfiltration.com/si...es/MB10033.pdf

[jleonard]

Thanks for that link Jim, very informative.

[dsrace]

Originally Posted by jondrew55

There is no arguing that the newer Diesels (in any vehicle) have complex emissions controls that restrict engine performance and add maintenance costs that are frequently related to the emissions control systems as opposed to the engine itself. But there is a reason they still exist in terms of horsepower and pulling torque that is superior to conventional gasoline engines. My new RAM Cumins gets about 21 MPG hi way (not towing) and 14 MPG towing my 30' airstream. Combined with it's 35 gallon fuel tank I have more range than a gasser would give me (meaning less fueling stops). I'm happy with that combo. I can turn a wrench, but I'm not a diesel mechanic so when the trouble light comes on and I'm out of warranty I'll have to open up my wallet. The best I can do is keep up my maintenance schedule. I'm not interested in a pre-DEF truck simply because anything that old is going to have it's own set of problems. Doesn't matter if the engine is good for a million miles if the trans or something else in the works keeps giving up the ghost.

you are correct. old is old and if one cannot fix the issues themselves then they better have deep pockets. i say that in reference to what many charge for todays labor rates. glad you enjoy your diesel, sounds like it is working great for you and that's the main purpose. i will never buy another pic up truck diesel, instead i will buy a class 6 or 8. they are built to run much longer, easier to work on and are no more difficult to drive then my f350 drw. many have very few issues with def trucks and many have horror stories ranging into $13k to $20k repair bills. todays gasser engines are climbing on the diesels though. just for reference, the ford 7.3 gas engine is claimed to be 475 ft lbs tq at only 4000 rpm and 430 hp at 5500 rpm. couple that to a 10 speed trans and that's a great pulling motor. lower priced then a diesel and easier to find a mechanic. tq is king when it comes to shear pulling power, hp is a by product of tq and surpasses tq at 5252 rpm (HP= (torque X RPM)/5252). so the higher you rev an engine the more hp it can make. that is not an important # other then a quick way for many to asses there needs/wants. the '21 standard cummins 6.7 is a claimed 850 tq and only 375 hp. the ho version is 1075 tq and 420 hp. couple that to a 10 speed trans and that is a pulling machine like the 6.7 psd, with a healthy price tag that follows. to do any deeper engine work on the late model fords, rams, or duramax's you have to pull the cabs. that's a min of $1200 ( average) in repairs on top of the actual repair. all because the mass's cannot handle a longer truck.

[dsrace]

Originally Posted by jimcumminsw

Really? I think you need to do some real research on the use of DEF in the SCR on a emission compliant truck that uses SCR technology!

Here is an article that explains how the system works and the by products from the exhaust system. Which is nitrogen (N2) and water (H2O)

https://www.cumminsfiltration.com/si...es/MB10033.pdf

here is the first link that came up. not what i consider a great source but not going to put anytime into finding the actual reports. there are actual lab studies that you should read as well. irregardless there is acid formed in the exh, so there is acid in the exh. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_exhaust_fluid

[Gammel]

I have 13K on my '21 F350. It has been flawless in every regard. The 10 speed transmission is so smooth you barely know it is shifting.

[Nlambert]

I have to say that while I know a lot of folks complain about DEF and it's effects on diesel engines, I don't know if it's as bad as some make it out to be.

I've owned and operated quite a few 6.7L Powerstroke (operated) and 6.7 Cummins engines (owned/operated) and knock on wood... none have ever suffered from a DEF related failure. My current daily driver is a 2016 Ram 3500 with just shy of 130k miles. To date, it's never had any failures of any sorts, nor required any type of repair aside from typical maintenance. My neighbor has a 2014 2500 with well over 230k on the clock. Still runs the stock DEF system with no flaws. A close friend has a 2013 F350 SRW with around 150k miles with the same results.

Not saying they don't happen, but I am saying that I don't think they're as bad as some make them out to be.

When/if there comes a time where a gasser can get the same longevity under the same loaded conditions, similar fuel economy when loaded, and produce similar torque in the same rpm range I'll consider a gasser. Otherwise, diesel it is. It just works. Better mpg empty is nice, but the cost savings is reversed the minute the same load is applied to both (for now)

[PulNSerenity]

Originally Posted by varmonter

1.Cummins with a manual tranny.and a aftermkt clutch.

2. Cummins
3.3.73 generally yields best towing vs mpg
4.10 usually will haul more
I have 3.42 g56 tranny. i only tow 11k..
I like the manual 6speed.. combined with the exahaust
brake it has so much control in the mountains out west.
4. Cummins had some issues 2019 2020 with thier high pressure fuel pumps. Look for a cp3. I think up to 18 and starting again in 21 iirc.
Cp4 was prone to failures. (I think ford still uses.)
4th gen had them and now the new ones do again.
I had a duramax prior to this ram.
Blew a turbo at 55k...other than that rock solid.
Fords 6.0 as stated above was garbage. Never owned a ford truck...not saying i wouldnt...just never have...so cummins has a good track record.
Rams trannys not so much...which is why i have
The stick shift. They stopped putting them in trucks in 2018..
They detuned the engines in the manual tranny optioned trucks..but my truck has no lack of grunt..
And the motor will probably last longer..
It only has 37kodo...it will probably outlive me.

If toyota made a 1ton diesel drw..id own one..

Many clutches will out perform one clutch. I too like the control of having a manual but you can pull so much more with today's automatics. Heck I would say at least half of the tractor trailers out there now are autos. The company I drive for has all autos. Very few issues. I will notice every once in awhile it won't make a shift like I think it should, but then think how many times you have made a bad shift.

[Dfb]

According to the research I have done, there is no doubt the cummins is the most reliable, durable diesel engine in the pickup market. One truck has over 2 million miles with no head removal. It is all cast iron ,no aluminum. It is a real medium duty engine and can be had with a medium duty aisin. If you asking which pickup is faster going up a grade with a load, it's the Ford. My dad had an 06 Duramax he loved . Great fuel economy. But the best engine is the Cummins.

[Dfb]

Question is "best diesel".

[Dfb]

According to the research I have done, there is no doubt the cummins is the most reliable, durable diesel engine in the pickup market. One truck has over 2 million miles with no head removal. It is all cast iron ,no aluminum. It is a real medium duty engine and can be had with a medium duty aisin. If you asking which pickup is faster going up a grade with a load, it's the Ford. My dad had an 06 Duramax he loved . Great fuel economy. But the best engine is the Cummins. The cab does not need to come off for repairs. Only 2 bolts hold yhe water pump. 4:10s on the 3500 , aisin trans.

[varmonter]

Originally Posted by Dfb

According to the research I have done, there is no doubt the cummins is the most reliable, durable diesel engine in the pickup market. One truck has over 2 million miles with no head removal. It is all cast iron ,no aluminum. It is a real medium duty engine and can be had with a medium duty aisin. If you asking which pickup is faster going up a grade with a load, it's the Ford. My dad had an 06 Duramax he loved . Great fuel economy. But the best engine is the Cummins.

No doubt the autos will pull more..I just like manuals and ram hasn't been known for their auto trannys..But Cummins makes a great motor...I'm not hauling a 23k 5er so it's not an issue. And the control I have in the mountains is hands down better than any auto..jmho.