Life with out a Cummins ?

[JustaSix26]

Well i have been thinking long and hard on this and wanted to see what everyone thought. I have been driving a cummins for the last ten years , i got my lic in my dads old 94 12v me and cummins go way back. I have had alot of cars on the side but now all i have is my 2003 in my sig. i have noticed it has a bad, geting worse idle at first start up sounds like a big block chevy with a big cam and what i think might be a little wash down by the oil pan. I have 180k on stock injectors an liftpump and from what some cummins people have told me is on early rail cummins thats rare, i have been pushing it really hard latley on my #7 tune on my smarty but hey ist hard not to. It runs great its just that my work has gone from slow to nothing the last two years and i dont have the extra cash to cover a new set of injectors and at some point a lift pump, and besides fishing i dont need a truck anymore with the job change. So should i cut my losses and try to sell it in what is about the worse time econ wise or hold on hopes and prayers that it hold up for another year or so. I will be taking a big hit on the truck and i new i would. I have put 12K in this truck in the last 2 years, $7400 full suncoast , $1500 in front end work ,$1200 in ac work just to name a few. when i started i had high hopes for the truck but when i started things were alot different then. I will miss the smoke , you guys, and all the diesel world but i have to do whats best for me right now so i need to know you guys what do i do ? the truck is paid for and it needs small stuff like new front tires but other than that its good to go. I love this truck i have had it sense new and it will be hard to see it go but if keeping it is going to cost me a few thousand i have to let it go. sorry for the long post but as far as it goes this a big deal for me. Thanx for yalls time and all your help over the years - Andrew

 

[Tinman]

No one can tell you what to do. But here is one this I've learned the hard way. If something you use, in this case a CTD, is only an appliance to you - meaning in has a job to do, if it does it, it's is just fine for it's purpose - then look at it practically. That is, cost/benefit and what is cost effective. If something is a toy, used for something you need to do or not, then it's not about practicality at all. It's about want and desire. If you can't completely temper that desire with practical reason and forget what you want (and get what you need), then you should get what you want cost be damned. I'd say since you are playing with Smartys and Suncoasts, I don't think you'd be happen without your truck. If you can't afford to pay to play, then keep the truck and don't play. The fact of the matter is new injectors and lift pumps are an operating cost for these trucks. Even the old trucks would need 7100 pumps replaced if you put enough miles on them. So it's the age old question, buy new, put money into an old.

 

[JustaSix26]

Thanx for you input tinman and i know what you are saying , i know there is cost that comes with owning and driving CTD . I have driven 2 in my short lifetime over 300K miles its just that the cost over the 24v parts im used to is unreal i mean i can build a nice V8 motor for what just the injectors will cost. If money was not a problem i would not even be thinking this way and i know i will be unhappy for a good while but if i keep it and it and it fails it will become yard art its been a great truck and deserves better than that. I also have talked to some people in the injector aftermarket and they have told me that there is a chance a failed injector will bomb the motor on there way out , i know what needs to be done but with all the CTD experts on here i just wanted to know that i am not over looking somthing. Thanx All -Andrew

 

[HBarlow]

You've owned the truck several years, modified the engine, and drove it hard. Now it needs work.

How will you gain by either giving it away (or taking advantage of some poor buyer who doesn't know it will soon fail) and buying another truck?

You'll have to spend the price of buying the replacement truck, paying higher fuel costs to drive a gas V8, the price of the modifications you know you'll want, and when you've got it you'll only have a weak gas hog V8 that can't pull a trailer. And the replacement truck will wear out or break also.

My advice would be to replace the injectors on your Cummins with OEM injectors from Cummins, and continue driving it as is.

 

[LRutigliano]

I hear you and can totally understand the work being slow thing...



Your truck is paid for... that is a big accomplishment, now don't just give it away...



Seriously, you are going to take a bath on selling a truck with a "major" problem along with all of your awesome modifications.



With your extra time, learn all you can about injectors and replacement and DIY. Get some Stage 1 DDPs (Joe Donnely recommends them highly) and your truck will run even smoother with better mileage with Smarty.



Get a new OEM replacement LP from Geno's for $165 and be good to go...



Eat Top Ramen or stop smoking or whatever you can to help pay for the repairs... I even recommend you shop your insurance around, you might be able to save ALOT!! Try Liberty Mutual, they were able to save me ALOT of $$ per year... You can do it - see where you are currently throwing money away and see if you can take that money to pay for your truck repairs !!!



Then you will be good to go for another 180k miles...



Good luck!

 

[PaulJohnson]

You've owned the truck several years, modified the engine, and drove it hard. Now it needs work.



How will you gain by either giving it away (or taking advantage of some poor buyer who doesn't know it will soon fail) and buying another truck?



You'll have to spend the price of buying the replacement truck, paying higher fuel costs to drive a gas V8, the price of the modifications you know you'll want, and when you've got it you'll only have a weak gas hog V8 that can't pull a trailer. And the replacement truck will wear out or break also.



My advice would be to replace the injectors on your Cummins with OEM injectors from Cummins, and continue driving it as is.

I don't think he would be taking advantage of anyone by selling them the truck... ... They would see all the problems it has also. Nothing wrong with selling a truck with problems if you don't want to do the repairs and the new buyer does.

 

[JustaSix26]

Thanx for all the post guys this is the imput i need!!!! I did drive it hard but it has been stock for the first 150K of its life i only started the mods when new Diesels got so darn fast STOCK i could not keep up. I would not sell the truck with hidden problems for one the last 2 cummins i sold used went to cummins fans just like us , when i sold my old 12v the guy that bought it was driving a new (at time) 24v and he never started it looked inside ask if i would drop it off the next day. Still see that truck every now and then bet it has 500K on it . So thats not in the cards. The more i look around at what i can get for the same money if i sell it looks like a better deal to keep it , is there any thing i can do to help the injectors out , i have been using the gray Ps fuel add for the last 100k other than that what is there. Thanx for trying to beat some thought in my tiny brain Guys. ``Andrew

 

[EArp]

Hey JustaSix. This is just my humble opinion, but from a Christian perspective I would keep in mind that it's just a material thing. Although all of us enjoy our trucks, it is after all just a truck. As long as a heavy duty truck is not something you have to have for your job, it may not be a bad idea just to list it on Craigslist or Autotrader and just see if you can get the price that you know it's worth/fair. After all, you don't have to sell it for less than you know is a fair price. If you can get what you want for it, you could always sacrifice for a short time and drive something that's alot less expensive, and then later on when things pick up for your business you can get another truck. If you can't get what you know is fair, then hang on to it. If you still have all your stock parts (with the exception of the transmission) you could consider selling the exhaust, smarty, intake, and gauges and putting that money towards new injectors so it wouldn't be setting you back so much. Anyway, sorry for the long post. Hope everything works out for you either way, and if you go we definitely wish you the best.

 

[JWadford]

i just towed a skeeter bass boat to dixon california with a 2008 ford f150, it was wound up on every hill and got 10. 6 mpg, the truck ran decent but 10. 6 mpg, on the way back it was 17. 8 without the boat, even my not daily driver friendly cummins would get better highway towing mileage than a stock gasser, the price of gas is higher than diesel around here too