6.7 or 5.9

[MannyC]

im looking to purchase a new or near new 3500 srw megacab 4x4. i can either buy a new with the new motor or get one a little older with the 5. 9. what is the better purchase for general driving and occasional towing of a 9000lb boat trailer combo. need the megacab, love the diesel, but don't know enough about the new cummins to make an informed choice. thanks!!!!

 

[Simplysmn]

well haveing a 08 with the 6. 7 all I can say is yeah the MPG stink's but the pulling power is Awesome . I would say Go New they have some Great deal's right now .

 

[RVTRKN]

That is a question a lot of people would liked answered. I own both so I think I speak from experience, If your going to buy used, then go with a 5. 9 in whatever configuration you want.



My preference would be a 04. 5 through 07 5. 9 with a manual transmission. If you can find a 04. 5 thru 05 with a NV5600 that would be even better. The 05 might be a G56 which has a lower 6th gear ratio than the new G56, so beware and do your research, don't let a dealer talk you into it. The 48rfe is OK unless your going to increase your HP then you will need to upgrade the trany, and no exhaust brake unless its an 06 or better with the auto. If your going to upgrade the trany make sure you beef it up to support a EB.



Now the 6. 7 with the G56/Aison in a C&C will be trouble free and the reg truck with a G56/68rfe will be more complicated. There is an issue with the new emissions plugging the turbo's and the DPF's on the regular trucks. This is due to a little different emissions system on them. My recommendation would be only to buy a new truck with the 6. 7 for the learning curve from Dodge/Cummins and the fact your warranty will be backed by the Federal Government if Dodge goes bankrupt



I hope this helps you, and if you need more detail you can PM me.

 

[MannyC]

thanks for the info. im leaning towards new because i dont think ill find a good used megacab with the options i want + the 5. 9. i am coming out of a fully loaded denali and with kids the rear entertainment, leather (easier to clean) and navigation for me is a big plus in my business. i wont be doing more than occasional towing, but i would ideally like a 3500 srw to have a large margin of safety pulling my boat. what is the fuel mileage to be expected in the 6. 7 in my configuration?

 

[AHarris]

Regarding the exhaust brake, I don't believe this option was ever offered with a 5. 9. Integrated EB's first became available with the 07. 5 6. 7.

I do recall Dodge offering an aftermarket EB as a dealer installed accessory, but it was nothing like the VGT-based EB that the 6. 7 offers on all engines. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, please.

If it were me, I'd go with the 5. 9. It is a study in simple elegance. It's a much simpler motor, lots fewer problems, and probably a better choice for lots of short trips since you don't have to worry about plugging up the DPF if you do lots of short trips and it never gets a chance to regen. I have a 6. 7, love it, never had problems with it but worry about the sheer complexity and long-term durability of the emissions crap the EPA has hung on this fine motor. More parts=more things to go wrong.

 

[RVTRKN]

Regarding the exhaust brake, I don't believe this option was ever offered with a 5. 9. Integrated EB's first became available with the 07. 5 6. 7.



I do recall Dodge offering an aftermarket EB as a dealer installed accessory, but it was nothing like the VGT-based EB that the 6. 7 offers on all engines. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, please.

Jacobs EB is a Cummins authorized EB and is the only EB that will not void your warranty, on certain configurations, but it probably was only installed from the dealer. The automatic 48rfe was not fully capable of a EB until the 06 version, but the NV5600/G56 was. Even though the EB was an authorized EB, when installed on an 05 or older model with the auto, it would void the warranty. I'm not sure if the Jacobs EB was a factory option if it was ordered that way, but it wasn't until the 06 that it would have been available.



The 6. 7 VGT EB was actually an after thought and was not a standard option until the 6. 7's built after Jan 07. The 07 C&C's built before Jan 07 had a $400. 00 option when ordered from the factory or the dealer could activate the program on the ECM for the same price. I ordered my C&C in Jan 07 and was told at that time that the EB is a byproduct of the VGT, so now that it was standard on the 6. 7, it was part of the reason for the increase in the Diesel option from Dodge. The "Blue Tech" Diesel is an extra cost that is mandatory when you order a 6. 7, except on the early 6. 7's built before Jan 07, there is a slight difference between the C&C 6. 7's and the C&C 6. 7's built before Jan 07. The EGR cross over cover is one example of it, that is not on the early version.

 

[HBarlow]

Regarding the exhaust brake, I don't believe this option was ever offered with a 5. 9. Integrated EB's first became available with the 07. 5 6. 7.

I do recall Dodge offering an aftermarket EB as a dealer installed accessory, but it was nothing like the VGT-based EB that the 6. 7 offers on all engines. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, please.

If it were me, I'd go with the 5. 9. It is a study in simple elegance. It's a much simpler motor, lots fewer problems, and probably a better choice for lots of short trips since you don't have to worry about plugging up the DPF if you do lots of short trips and it never gets a chance to regen. I have a 6. 7, love it, never had problems with it but worry about the sheer complexity and long-term durability of the emissions crap the EPA has hung on this fine motor. More parts=more things to go wrong.

My '06 Ram 3500 SLT QC DRW w/48RE automatic was ordered from the factory with Jacobs/MOPAR exhaust brake. It showed as a line item on the invoice and the MSRP window sticker. But it was not installed. When the truck rolled off the transport truck the exhaust brake was still in the factory shipping box in the backseat floor. It wasn't factory installed because mass production assembly line manufacturing is not set up for minor alteration/additions on only one unit out of dozens or hundreds. It was intended for installation by the dealership. I opted to have a friend who was formerly a Dodge dealership tech install it.

The exhaust brake was completely integrated with the ECM, 48RE, cruise control, etc. and worked great.

You are correct about the integrated exhaust brake function of the variable geometry turbocharger. It was designed as a standard feature on all 6. 7 engines since introduction but appeared briefly as an extra cost option. I think that caused confusion and misunderstandings so it was rolled into a higher price as part of the ISB6. 7 engine option.

 

[AABEN]

Jest by what you want. The 6. 7 has ben out longe enought for 90% of the bugs are worked out====Good luck

 

[AHarris]

The exhaust brake was completely integrated with the ECM, 48RE, cruise control, etc. and worked great.

Now that would be the best of both worlds: the sturdy, reliable, and upgradable 5. 9 and the automatic exhaust brake that works so well on my 6. 7. If I could get my hands on one of those... .

 

[MannyC]

i test drove a 6. 7 crew cab today- nice! not a megacab, but tried it anyway to test the ride and make sure it was what i want in a replacement vehicle. it was a great ride. very stiff but no squeaks and the engine was more than i expected. the one i drove was a stick and it quickly reaffirmed that i want an auto for my use. the truck has a lot of power to keep in check and wrestling with the stick is not worth it. the shop managers advised me the 07s were terrible but the 08s have been largely trouble free. they advise not to buy one if i wasnt going to take some long trips to heat the truck up.

 

[AHarris]

My 07. 5 has been 100% trouble free in the nearly 2 years I've had it... and that includes lots of short trips. Maybe that's because I have a stick, use the EB routinely to keep the turbo clean, and make sure the engine reaches operating temperature even on the short trips. If the trip is less than 3 miles and I don't need to haul anything like groceries, bowling ball, materials, or kids I just take my bicycle.