How many miles on your 3rd gen injectors?

[DavidMyers]

Here in Nc there’s lots of 3rd gens around getting an average of $15-20k plus. I picked up my truck for $9200 5years ago. The stick is what no one wants except me, I was looking only for a manual. It feels so much more like a truck. LOL love the pacbrake too with 26ft 7000 TT going done grades needing to turn it off cause it slows to much ! Love it!

Ahh the Duster you have was one of many Dodge/Plymouth cars I disliked in my youth as they tended to run better than my 70 Nova I souped up!

2004 2500 2wd. NV5600 Love Shifting! 267k. Going strong!
Banks HiRam and Intercooler, AFE air intake and filter and Pacbrake with viair constant duty air compressor.
Edge CTS2 - added pre egt, Lift pump press and NV5600 temp sensors, stock tires.

 

[jgillott]

I’d like to understand those who with less than 150,000 mi, feel their truck is not worth fixing as needed. Is it body condition, had a lot of other repairs or a desire for change. Just curios.

In my case, as was mentioned above, it is all over seemingly incurable electrical issues.

 

[brods]

Can you elaborate?
I think we’re all in the same boat with bed rust issues and such, and a few of us have gremlins like jgilliot’s electrical issues, but where do you draw the line and bail? There’s a cherry ‘03 just hit the classifieds here, and there’s no disputing the residual value of this truck- even in rough condition. So I feel, unless there’s serious structural issues, or catastrophic engine failure to the point of inverting your potential value, and of course your heart is in it, I see it as a viable investment.
I still plan on doing a major freshening and updating to my truck at a certain time in the future. Heck, if I can make it work (since my circumstances will be changing), I may make a go at reconditioning these trucks for others.

I’m not sure how to answer that without writing a novel. Suffice to say corrosion is insidious and affects everything. jgillott pretty much covered the rest of it, especially the "… when will the next failure occur". I do not want to own a new truck. I could see leasing so it is always under the bumper to bumper warranty, maybe, but given the costs of new ones I don’t see that as likely either. I really like this 3rd gen. It is comfortable. It drives ok. The gauges are the best I've ever seen in any vehicle, day or night. The controls are straight forward and simple without all the needless bling. The Cummins, well nuff said! So it really comes down to how much money and effort would it take to get my truck back to a "take it anywhere" state of reliability (ie repair my trucks existing running gear to the tune of many thousands of dollars and eventually a body swap from an inexpensive southern 1500 for a few thousand more) vs running this one into the ground and then buying a gasoline powered southern 3rd gen.

 

[DavidMyers]

Seemingly incurable electrical issues? I have had my share but nothing that wasn’t easily fixed. FCM problem with trailer lighting-solved by installing a Modulite Trailer Light Power Module, broken wires in the doors for power locks, clutch fan wiring eaten by the fan, clutch pedal switch, and the mysterious lamp chime solved by replacing the rear lamp modules. So far so good.

 

[jgillott]

Seemingly incurable electrical issues? I have had my share but nothing that wasn’t easily fixed. FCM problem with trailer lighting-solved by installing a Modulite Trailer Light Power Module, broken wires in the doors for power locks, clutch fan wiring eaten by the fan, clutch pedal switch, and the mysterious lamp chime solved by replacing the rear lamp modules. So far so good.

Consider yourself lucky that you don't have a TIPM equipped truck.

 

[GCroyle]

194K on truck, original injectors and fuel system.

No TIPM, no rust thanks to SC mild winters and garaged.

One driver.

NV5600.

 

[Wayne M.]

Hey Dave, thanks for your shocking admission about your Nova. There's no doubt Detroit muscle in small and big forms will live on after we're all done here.
That leads me into how I feel about these trucks. I strongly feel that regarding the diesel pickup age, the 3 gens remind me of, say 1967 of the musclecar age. Not the pinnacle of the muscle car age (those trucks may be today) but dang good stuff.
I firmly believe the trucks of today will not be able to be rebuilt as these, and older trucks are. The dependence on electronics, and complex emission equipment (and now suspension systems!) would prevent that. In fact, my 14 Durango has a some sort of end of service date on the emission label.
I urge us to look at the 1gen guys, and some fleets, like UPS (some of their package cars are from the '60's). It may be tricky, time consuming and kinda expensive, but it might make sense to hang it up for a while and give it what it needs. That's what I plan to do.

 

[jgillott]

Hey Dave, thanks for your shocking admission about your Nova. There's no doubt Detroit muscle in small and big forms will live on after we're all done here.
That leads me into how I feel about these trucks. I strongly feel that regarding the diesel pickup age, the 3 gens remind me of, say 1967 of the musclecar age. Not the pinnacle of the muscle car age (those trucks may be today) but dang good stuff.
I firmly believe the trucks of today will not be able to be rebuilt as these, and older trucks are. The dependence on electronics, and complex emission equipment (and now suspension systems!) would prevent that. In fact, my 14 Durango has a some sort of end of service date on the emission label.
I urge us to look at the 1gen guys, and some fleets, like UPS (some of their package cars are from the '60's). It may be tricky, time consuming and kinda expensive, but it might make sense to hang it up for a while and give it what it needs. That's what I plan to do.

I actually really envy your attitude and feelings toward these trucks. I wish that I could feel the same way. I think that I have mentioned it on this forum before, but there is a guy that lives approx a mile down the road from me that is still daily driving a late '70's Chevy K10 step side. It was dark red, then black, then silver, now it is white. He drives it 8-10 years, rebuilds it from the ground up and then starts over again. That's commitment to a vehicle.

If I put my truck up for sale today, some young kid would buy it and think that it is the greatest thing in the world. It just has a couple of little rust bubbles in one panel, never wrecked or abused, super clean inside and out, and never modded. Within a few weeks, it would be lifted with new wheels, big tires, belching black smoke, and they would absolutely love it. Maybe I'm just too old to have that kind of excitement over an 11 year old truck.

Don't know. It's still sitting out by the barn and I'll take it to work in the morning and I'll probably continue to do so at least for the time being.

 

[Wayne M.]

Less than a mile from me, there’s an old man and his wife. German machinist, a real recluse and an original to the area. He’s still driving a 60’s Land Rover. It’s his only vehicle. The hoods up on a weekly basis. Thing runs every day and like a top. I know people cut him off and sneer at him. I admire him, give him thumbs up.

It’s just reality that these trucks are changing stations in life. I’m willing to roll with that change.

 

[verk]

147,500 miles 4,192 hrs, 16,687 key count. Actual miles probably 1,500 higher because of speedo error with 285/75 tires. Telltale signs of injector(s) going south. I used to look forward to this day as an excuse to upgrade to better injectors. I never considered how bad a shape the rest of the truck would be in.

Is this a count of times key has been inserted in ignition ? This is made available with something aftermarket ?

 

[verk]

I’d like to understand those who with less than 150,000 mi, feel their truck is not worth fixing as needed. Is it body condition, had a lot of other repairs or a desire for change. Just curios.
I plan to do what it takes to keep my 04 6-speed as long as I can as it has been a great truck for me as I have 267k plus on it.
I guess it will b time for a new threads of what has been replaced. I purchased my truck with 212k on it.
For me new in-tank fuel pump, FCA, tires , clutch fan, speedi sleeved front crank seal, fix timing cover cover oil leak, added extra fuel filtration, nv5600 oil cooler, radiator, condenser, blend door USA set to be installed in a month or so, new seat covers factory set and new headlights as the others were to fogged over and rear tail light modules . Theirs one of us at TDR that’s ends posts with something like working on it and loving it! That must be me too.
2004 2500 2wd. NV5600 Love Shifting! 267k. Going strong!
Banks HiRam and Intercooler, AFE air intake and filter and Pacbrake with viair constant duty air compressor.
Edge CTS2 - added pre egt, Lift pump press and NV5600 temp sensors, stock tires.

I'm at about 150k and I started Fluid-Film 5 years ago when a friend who sandblasts suggested it based on what he noticed what happening to vehicles given the change in chemicals used on the roads. I think this can effectively stop any progress of rust at the moment it begins to be used. By covering the steel and displacing the chemicals rust will not continue. If your goal is to maximize the life of vehicle then one of these products makes sense. 3 years ago I bought and quickly sold a '91 W250 with a Cummins that I considered restoring. This same sandblasting friend along with the purchaser ended up restoring it. The frame was blasted and then painted with Bar-Rust 235 and a few panels were replaced including a section of floor, but in the end something as good as new that is practically impervious to rust ( should still spray in opinion ) at a much lower cost to replacement ( new or used ).

 

[Wayne M.]

Sven, you're singing my tune.

 

[brods]

Is this a count of times key has been inserted in ignition ? This is made available with something aftermarket ?

A Smarty can read the key count. I assume it is how many times the key has been turned from off to on, but I really don’t know for sure. The key count would be an indication of the average trip length. Assuming 10% key on without going anywhere (programming, etc) it works out to a dismal 9.8 miles per key on for my truck.

Wayne, I really do get what you are saying. I own a 1988 GMC Jimmy and an 51 Jeep so I really don’t need any more basket cases.

 

[DavidMyers]

Key counts?

I wondered the same on the term key count.

2004 2500 2wd. NV5600 Love Shifting! 267k. Going strong!
Banks HiRam and Intercooler, AFE air intake and filter and Pacbrake with viair constant duty air compressor.
Edge CTS2 - added pre egt, Lift pump press and NV5600 temp sensors, stock tires.

 

[akhappyjack]

237.300 miles 7073 hours still gets a quart of marvel mystery oil and power service every two or three tanks

 

[TGVET]

394,105 today
8,750 hrs. Runs great still thanks to GDP after OEM fuel filter and new fuel filters every 10K.

 

[jonny d]

351,000 on my 05. I replaced one injector at around 200k. I have at least one more with an issue right now that I need to fix. I change my fuel filter at every 7k oil change. I like to pretend that helps.

 

[101st ABN]

250,000 on my 03. Stock fuel system.

 

[AHill100]

I replaced mine with 122,000 on the clock

 

[TGVET]

Stock injectors that is. No rework of any kind done to them. Or, how many miles did you get to before you had to do injector work?

I'm at about 200,460 with no failures. They ain't perfect and this winter I've had a lot of funkiness, but they're stll original.

400,000