So there I was... Shopping for a new truck

[bigceltic]

I don't necessarily mind having the extra room inside the cab and at 6'5 I feel bad for anybody that has to sit behind me. Also the boys are starting to catch up with me.

I am 6'3" and my 6'4" son can sit comfortably behind me in the mega. This is one of the reasons we bought it - I knew he was going to be tall.

 

[3rdGen_to1stGen]

Sorry for the late response, but since I'm looking for a third gen it looks like the mid-year 2007 introduced the 6.7.
As I understand it's a bit more difficult to delete some of the emissions stuff was also the first year that they introduced that engine and the last year for that generation of truck so there could be some other problems.
I hear the transmission is a lot better which would be good because on my 5.9 having owned it for well over a decade it seems like I was chasing transmission problems from the word go even after doing a modestly upgraded rebuild.
Considering my philosophy of use with trucks being something that you're going to try and hang on to forever and take care of yourself whenever possible seems like the 5.9 lens itself to this a little bit more. The stock power output really isn't that big of a difference so I imagine after some modest performance enhancements they would both perform similarly I imagine the 5.9 would be a bit better on lower end power whereas the 6.7 would be better everywhere else you also can't use the diesel marine oil anymore 12 TBN and deleting certain things until it is a truck that just does its job is a bit more of a task with the 6.7. I've heard of the injectors are better just music to my ears. I guess I would have to get a new smarty.

Does anybody want to give me some pros and cons not on the 6.7 in general but the 2007 6.7 versus the 5.9? Keeping in mind that I have over a decade of experience taking care of a 5.9 and then we all know that it's a good engine however I'm not beyond learning and my philosophy of use is that I'm going to be tinkering with it a bit and then trying to just turn it into something simple that works and puts out a little bit more power then stock and then never selling it. Easy to maintain fun to drive.

 

[crispyboy]

I have a 2009 3rd Gen truck. It has 141k miles. It has had the typical front end issues with ball joints and track bar. These were replaced with Carli parts, proper alignment and it has been a much better truck to drive. The truck had emissions components until about 80k miles. Each turbo lasted 40k miles. I had enough of that. The truck is tuned with a "stock" hp tune as I didn't want any extra undue strain on the driveline. If you keep the catalytic converter and stock muffler in place the truck is quiet and civilized in my opinion. The truck drives much better for the past 61k miles. The truck get used for everything from commuting to trailer pulling. Around town mpg 16, 19-21 mpg on the highway solo 70 mph and 11-13 pulling my camper. I really like the integrated exhaust break and the control it provides in handling a load. The transmission (68rfe) is mediocre at best. I like the 6 speeds and has a nice low gear for reverse. This was the first generation of this transmission. It is likely the transmission will have valve body issues within the next few years. Later model transmissions have changes made to the valve body. My main complaint is the constant desire of the transmission to upshift and lug the engine. It does better in tow-haul mode. It is an easy transmission to service. Last week I put on the second set of Bilstein 4600 shocks. The first Bilsteins went 100k miles.

 

[Grumpy8811]

I have a 2009 3rd Gen truck. It has 141k miles. It has had the typical front end issues with ball joints and track bar. These were replaced with Carli parts, proper alignment and it has been a much better truck to drive. The truck had emissions components until about 80k miles. Each turbo lasted 40k miles. I had enough of that. The truck is tuned with a "stock" hp tune as I didn't want any extra undue strain on the driveline. If you keep the catalytic converter and stock muffler in place the truck is quiet and civilized in my opinion. The truck drives much better for the past 61k miles. The truck get used for everything from commuting to trailer pulling. Around town mpg 16, 19-21 mpg on the highway solo 70 mph and 11-13 pulling my camper. I really like the integrated exhaust break and the control it provides in handling a load. The transmission (68rfe) is mediocre at best. . The first Bilsteins went 100k miles.

surprised you didn't opt for trans tunes when you got rid of the emissions components..

 

[crispyboy]

I tried it and didn't like how it shifted.

 

[3rdGen_to1stGen]

I have been doing a bit more shopping and I must say these trucks really retain their value. The cost of a 2007 is equal to or greater than what I paid for my 2004.5 over 12 years ago and the cost of a 2004 or 2005 can get up there too. One thing I have been noticing especially up around my final destination in the northwest and even some where I currently live here in Florida is that if they have 400,000 plus miles or say that there's any kind of an engine problem you can knock 10 or $12,000 off the price and you're talking about a three or four thousand dollar truck. After looking into it industrial injection and others can overhaul these engines depending on what you want done for anywhere from $4,000 to $8,000 if you want some extra nice things added in like head studs and well they'll be glad to take your money and give you any kind of rebuild you want which would eliminate a lot of the things that I would imagine I would need to worry about with a 20 year old vehicle. The only other thing I would need to do considering the automatic transmission as a travesty that needed to be rebuilt the moment it rolled off the lot pretty much, cuz that would be looking to either overhaul that or trade it in for a core. This would of course mean that I have a third vehicle while all of this is taking place.

It's a viable option because if I end up spending 16 to 18 on a 20 year old vehicle there's things that I'm just going to go ahead and know that I need to do to it and I'm not just talking about a lift pump and a leveling kit I mean we're probably going to have a few injectors that might be a problem and some other little things maybe some big things this would be an opportunity to send a lot of things out for rebuild or replace like heat exchangers maybe electric fans maybe an all-metal radiator because it seems like those plastic tanks are always breaking and steering and suspension always seems to be a thing.
I would probably on the hunt for some nice Laramie seats for the front because those are usually pretty torn up.

The one thing at the time the meat and potatoes would be if I save a bit of money on the truck because it either has high mileage or somebody's complaining about engine problems then I'd be looking for engine overhaulers everybody's opinion on having industrial injection do it versus somebody else, if it comes with a six speed then I would probably just be looking on p a t c or something for a really nice clutch. However if it comes with an auto I have two options. I can either have it rebuilt and there's a guy 100 miles from me who's an artisan in Leesburg Florida lifetime warranty on his transmissions but nobody ever comes back for the warranty because he's that good he does custom machining on the valve body gives you a triple disc does some other nice things for you including increasing the size of certain ports that assist the torque converter and aside from the fact that the input shaft and the flex plate would be on me to purchase he usually gets that done for around 3,000. Additionally there's other places that will sell you one hell of a transmission for around that price with yours either as a core or they just rebuild it for you.

I've also heard that there are people that go with the Allison meaning that these guys are not only using an adapter plate but they have to look for different size drive shafts as well. I think it's pretty safe to say that all of us wish that they would have put the Allison in the Dodge but as far as what it's going to cost to actually get one in there it just seems like one of those pipe dream things it might not be a viable option.

I'd be having the same problem if I was looking at a 1998 truck that has the P pump with zero electronics. Yes it is an old truck but if I'm rebuilding the engine and the transmission and while that is happening I may even go so far as to lift the body up a little bit and really get in there and do some things that we all wish we could do to our frame another little customizations which would probably happen with either truck.

I'd like to give people's opinion on this particularly with people besides industrial injection that do a good job overhauling engines I know that they have a longevity rebuild and they have a performance rebuild and they have an in-between rebuild. They also allow you a number of options when it comes to your injectors I think they'll even put the fluid damper on there if you want them to and obviously head studs which would be even more important if I went with the 12 valve because you can't just beep boop beep performance into that truck you are probably going to end up installing some compounds.

The other question is this: my third car I mean I could make this thing any kind of reasonably priced older vehicle car truck whatever, but I wouldn't mind it if it was an affordable and reliable diesel. The reason I say this and I know about all of the dangers and I'm prepared for this, but the reason is that I'm very interested in algal biodiesel, getting a single piston popper diesel generator trying it out in there first and then trying it out in an older diesel and then going towards the main event the reason I prefer algae is that once you get your strain right it is always a known quantity as far as your levels and your cook time and your testing you have repeatable results over the guys that are going out and finding fry oil and have to titrate it and there's more guesswork involved.
There's a place two towns over from me that has an entire farm dedicated to growing algae for diesel and they're running it in modern tractors and their engines are just as sensitive as any of ours unless it was made in the 90s or something and one of those guys had a truck almost exactly like mine and he was running it in there too. I've already made a little bit on the small scale just using bottles for cultivation and really rudimentary stuff but since I'm moving I didn't want to get too involved with either purchasing or designing a 6 ft setup that has a water heater and two hoppers with a giant pump and washing station and all that kind of stuff.

But yes aside from my single piston popper diesel that I can try it out in I'd like to find a backup vehicle that runs diesel if possible to help enable my addiction to these trucks.

I realize that's a lot to unpack I'm mostly concerned about the rebuild aspects of the engine and transmission and the backup vehicle commercial and trying to make it's a diesel.

Thanks again

 

[3rdGen_to1stGen]

Perhaps I was a little overpowering. Let me break that down.
1. 3rd generation trucks that have 200 to 300,000 mi on them are still pretty expensive considering everything else that needs doing on them. Industrial injection will give you a nicely built long block for around 8,000. I haven't called them yet to see if I were to give them everything on the engine if they would include cores for things like the fuel pump and the lifters and obviously the injectors I was wondering if there was another outfit besides industrial injection that I could count on for this because I found a extremely good deal on trucks like that that have 450,000 miles or where they say that they're having a little engine issue those trucks cost more like 4,000 maybe $5,000 as compared to 16 to 19. This would effectively give me a brand new engine that there's a lot of things I don't have to worry about and it does come with head studs as well. I need options if we know of any and the same goes for if I were to try to do this with a 1998 12 valve.

2. I may as well send the transmission out because they're always a problem aren't they until we rebuild them? It's only a matter of time. This is going to be that level of project I know that many transmission companies have their $5,000 plug and Play I also know that there are several companies that make the adapter plate for the Allison and after checking around they will accept the 48re as a core. This would of course mean different size drive shafts and it might mean other things as well. I'm sure that a bulletproofed 48re would work wonderful but I've always been curious about that Allison. The other thing would be should I be shopping for a six-speed. I imagine a six-speed would run better and have less trouble but I hear that it's just not possible to be as fast as an automatic no matter how good of a gear shifter you are. It's not that I intend to take this thing to the track but it is nice to see these large trucks get down the road quickly.

Thank you!

 

[Tuesdak]

1) Rumor has it there is an upgraded 2004.5 2500 likely going to auction soon with accident damage that's cheaper to fix than engine + injectors + transmission.
2) What are you going to do to dispose of it if you make a bad batch of alternative diesel?
3) Where you going to find the time to rebuild an old pickup and make alternative fuel?
4) As you just found out insurance isn't going to cover a new engine cost in an old pickup let alone the rest of the cash you have to dump into it.

 

[3rdGen_to1stGen]

1) Rumor has it there is an upgraded 2004.5 2500 likely going to auction soon with accident damage that's cheaper to fix than engine + injectors + transmission.
2) What are you going to do to dispose of it if you make a bad batch of alternative diesel?
3) Where you going to find the time to rebuild an old pickup and make alternative fuel?
4) As you just found out insurance isn't going to cover a new engine cost in an old pickup let alone the rest of the cash you have to dump into it.

I may be in a situation when I move that I may have more time than the none I have now with my current position. It is not just a move, it is a quality of life move.
The idea behind agal biodiesel is to make small batches until you get your mix right.
The strain always produces the same quality oil reducing the titration and guess work. It would only be after I am confident in my "cook" that I would make a large amount. This is just something that interests me, not something I am banking on to replace petro-diesel...unless it does that is. Who knows. I have not thought about it that much yet.
Regardless if I get a well kept 3rd gen or a project truck, there is going to be elective improvements as well as non-routine stuff to take care of so I will keep another form of transportation in order to improve my truck and make ongoing repairs. It's just the way she goes.
My insurance company as well as some independent adjusters have helped me through this situation and there is a way to credit yourself on specific categories of improvements as well as different coverage depending on the state, but even if they did not, I have no interest in new trucks and would do it anyway. It is not like I go around totaling vehicles.30 years of driving and this was my first (just lucky I guess) and I think the ABS light had something to do with it.
Anyway, customizing and upgrading my truck is something I think most of us understand. I just want to do it. I do lean away from swapping an engine and all that, but rebuilding the trans and improving and restoring certain aspects is just the price I pay for preferring the 3rd gen Cummins I guess. Just curious if anyone had anything to say about going the OH cheaper truck route vs. paying a lot for something that will need some work anyway.
If you have information on any good deals send me a link next time. I would be interested to see, If you mean that 2003 that was on here for a mint, I cannot pay that much lol.

 

[Ozymandias]

A full Allison conversion costs just a little bit more then a properly rebuilt and upgraded 48re.
I was just a year to early otherwise I'd run a six speed now, and I was in need of a transmission immediately back then.

 

[3rdGen_to1stGen]

A full Allison conversion costs just a little bit more then a properly rebuilt and upgraded 48re.
I was just a year to early otherwise I'd run a six speed now, and I was in need of a transmission immediately back then.

So you regret not having done the Allison six-speed I assume you're talking about not the six-speed manual? As of right now I'm actively but cautiously so I don't have any buyers or mowers looking for a new sled and some of the things I'm considering have to do with whether or not I should just get an auto so I can either do a bulletproof build on that from one of the people that we know and love and maybe consider doing the conversion to Allison which unfortunately means new drive shafts and a lot of work and well I think patc can help me with some of that stuff for all my monies, trying to decide between long and short bed fairly certain I'd like a mega cab. When I look at some of these prices that people are selling these trucks for I get a little angry at my insurance company but it is what it is there were things about it I didn't like there were things about it that I wish I had so I'm just going to say it's God's will.

 

[3rdGen_to1stGen]

Among the vehicles I'm looking at some of them do in fact say that they're having a little issues with the engine or they come with high miles and that knocks a full digit off the cost and all of a sudden we're dealing with thousands of dollars instead of anywhere from mid-teens to 20.

This could allow me to simply rebuild or have a long block overhaul exchange situation since I already know that I'm going to have to have a backup vehicle for sprucing the new girl up.

Besides industrial injection and probably speaking specifically about the Northwest area since I don't much fancy the idea of having to put a thousand pounds into a crate, but I'll do it all the same if it turns out that the ends justify the means... Do we know of any other places besides industrial injection that does either good overalls with delivering the truck to them or has a overhaul exchange program if I decide to buy a truck on the cheaper side of things because they're having whatever they refer to as engine problems? From what I can tell from industrial all they do is the long block which means you're putting your own rockers back in you're putting your own injectors back in your putting your own CP3 back in those are all potentially things that I would want overhauled reworked potentially exchanged and or upgraded. Going through all that trouble just to put questionable parts back in that you might have trouble with later just doesn't really seem smart to me.

Anyway it's just a thought because there are plenty of trucks out there that have lower miles like less than 200,000 might just need a little bit of this and that and the expense would come with buying the vehicle rather than making it new.

I know that ATS is typically a good source but mostly for transmissions and they wouldn't be too far away from Sweet home Montana just would like to know if there are alternative options and what they are so I can look into them and figure out what's viable and what's a pipe dream.

 

[Ozymandias]

I spent 13k on built 48RE out the door, whereas I could have spend 16k for a nice 6 speed Allison out the door.

An easy decision to me. But not available in Fall 2023.

 

[CVR222NV]

Since you are in Montana you might want to check out DFC Diesel in Edmonton. I worked with them on my long block rebuild and it comes with a warranty. I went with their tow-haul long block, but we did a number of upgrades. They were great to work with. The DFC Diesel long block comes with upgraded 6.7 rockers but you are on your own for everything else.