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Test drove a Sick Point OH!

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Bombing GM 6.2 Diesel

Good Cummins shop near Austin

I mean a 6. 0 liter PSD! Yeah, err...



Anyway, stopped into the dealer while I was in Canon City today. Rainy day, bored, no girlfriend to go home to (at a show with her mom) and I hadn't test driven a new PSD yet. I talk to the dealer and tell her that I drive a red Dodge. She sold Dodges for a while and has sold Fords for 4 years. She says, "Oh, that red Dodge out there? yours?"



I say, "Yes, it's a 99. "



Then she says, "Is it a 24 valve or a 12 valve?" I am thinking great, she sold Dodges but doesn't know what year the 24 valve was introduced.



She and I went out to a forest green, QC, F-350, TorqShift auto, all bells and whistles. We get in and she tells me to wait for the little red coil thingamajig to go out before I start it, since there is no more "Wait to Start" light. Just a squiggly line.



I asked her if she prefered one or the other, she said Ford cause they make a better work truck.



I start her up (the truck, not the lady) and now I know why people call them Sick Point O's!



I take it out onto Hwy 50 and off we go. We start talking about the truck, etc, etc. I asked if it was an '04 and she agreed but later found out it had an '03 motor, 325 HP/560 Torque rating.



It wasn't as fast as I expected all the claims to live up to, and I did not like the 4400 rpm redline. Little too high for a diesel. Acceleration was ok, rode like a truck, little more harsh than my 99 Dodge. Dash looks pretty fugly.



Later we talk about a Cummins in a Dodge. Then she tells me, "Well, Ford does own 51% of Cummins and they could have stolen the whole market if they went with the Cummins. "



Like my boss says, "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull$hit. "



Of course, she thought this was true, or knew it was BS and didn't think I would know. I of course, just agreed. Nod and smile, nod and smile...



Anyway, nothing special to me, sound like a wounded sewing machine, fugly dash layout, BSing dealer, oh and of course, the shoehorned engine. You thought cylinder #6 was hard to get to on a Cummins, the whole freaking engine is on the 6. 0...



I will stick with my 6 banger.
 
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Re: Re: Test drove a Sick Point OH!

Originally posted by mgoncalves

Throw in the mileage, and you have why I bought my Dodge over a Ford.







Matt



I don't even know what the mileage of those are. This one was barely even driven, 266 miles on the odo.
 
Oh yeah, she said she heard a rumor about Ford dropping the 6. 0, and she said, "No way would Ford spend billions developing the 6. 0 and drop it in a few years. "



Little does she know!
 
I get to hear em all almost daily. The idi 7. 3 was decently quite. The 6. 0 does sound sickly to me. Grabbed one of my diesel mechanic buddies to listen to one the other day. Hes been working on everthing from cats to detroits to cummins for 30 + years. He agreed it just sounds unhealthy. It does not inspire confidence in me. The 7. 3 sounded more like a real diesel.



I worked with a guy that owned a 7. 3. Thing wasnt in the best shape(engine that is, truck was fine). I pull up and he pulls up. We work with a man who used to work on diesels in the 50s. He stands up and waits for the other guy to walk off. Then he walks up to me and says. I like your truck. It sounds like a real diesel and then he goes back to work. After that I really started to pay attention to the way they sounded. The 7. 3 has a firing sequence that sounds wrong to my ears. If that makes sense.



Then again I liked the way the 244 ford inline 6 sounded. That was a good little engine. I retired mine at 344k miles. The front end just would not go any further. Rest of the car had another 150k left easy. Original transmission engine and running gear. I wish I still had that car. 24mpg wasnt bad for a four door sedan from the 70s. Not even a speck of rust and it was older then than I am now. LOL. Am I gushing.
 
Originally posted by NPloysa

Oh yeah, she said she heard a rumor about Ford dropping the 6. 0, and she said, "No way would Ford spend billions developing the 6. 0 and drop it in a few years. "



Little does she know!



Think about the way GM and Ford have been doing things. For 20 years (or more?) they've been hunting for a good engine. GM went 6. 2, 6. 5, Duramax in that time. Ford went 6. 9, 7. 3, 6. 0, and rumored to go 6. 4 in a couple years. The Ford/GM guys will tell you it's all in the name of progress. I say, they're hunting for a "winner". Just my opinion. DC found a winner and is sticking with it.



I can identify a 6. 0 from far away. They just sound so unnatural.
 
I posted a link to my original post over on The Diesel Stop. It was locked because of brand bashing. What else is new? They don't want to hear the truth so they lock it. Our moderators on this site at least let things play out and don't lock it even though it may tear the Dodge or Cummins name apart.



Read the locked version here: http://forums.thedieselstop.com/ubb...36809&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=31&fpart=1



But I still LOVE posting over on TDS. Sure is fun to ruffle their blue feathers.
 
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Interesting post over there on thedieselstop. I always get a kick of people who take brand-name stuff so personally.



Before my wife and I bought the dodge CDT (01), we test drove the ford (7. 3) and dodge back-to-back within about 20 minutes of each other (driving an Audi between test-drives). The ford had nice power and it was quicker then the dodge (ford was the 6 speed and the dodge was an auto), but it was my wife that said "... but you have to love the sound of that diesel - it sounds like a real engine. " I grew up working on boats, and one of my favorit marine engines was the DD 871's. It was the sound that really turned my on - we would run those things fully loaded all day long at 2200 rpm with little to no problem at all. There was nothing sweeter then hearing the two engines synic-up and just run along. When I got in the CTD, that all came back, and I knew that was going to be the truck for us. I have an hour run to work every day, and there are many of mornings that I don't even turn the radio on - just let her hum along at 1850 rpm happy as can be.
 
I hear ya mmclaughlin, I usually leave my stereo off, open the back slider, and listen to the truck make music. Even in the winter! I just crank the heat and open the windows! I NEVER did that with the two powerstrokes I had. 1994 and 1997 PSD.
 
Oh yeah, she said she heard a rumor about Ford dropping the 6. 0, and she said, "No way would Ford spend billions developing the 6. 0 and drop it in a few years. "



I wonder exactly how many "billions" she thinks Ford Motor Company spent on the 6. 0 introduction. Does it actually cost billions and billions to switch a motor? I figured it would be a couple hundred million at best.



I don't even think Ford in general is worth a billion dollars unless you include all the other makes!
 
Ford didn't spend billions developing anything... Ask International how much THEY spent developing the 6. 0. Ford just buys it and adds their computer to it.



If that saleswoman really thinks the 6. 0 is a Ford engine, she needs refresher training. No excuse for any Ford salesperson not to know the basic info on the company's best selling vehicle.
 
Its unfortunate... Ford actually had some decent diesels back when they really used to design them themselves. Maybe they should have done their own this time.



I like International Harvester tractors. But any truthful IH fan should admit IH made some pretty crappy diesel engines in their history. Its almosts as if the 6. 0 continues this cycle... good good good bad good good good bad. :) Of course IH of old was a completely different company back then which ultimately led to their failure.
 
Internationals dt 466 is pretty good. Not as many 530s out there but I havent heard anything bad. I know a guy with one of them new international trucks and the 530. He raves about it. Best thing since sliced bread. Its brand new though.

I have an international gasser. Its a 345. The thing is balanced very well. It runs like a luxury cars engine. Starts right up in the middle of winter and its about 40 years old.

Over the years international has made some very reliable gas engines. The 6. 9 was flat out a debacle when first introduced. I dont think they took their time to properly develop it. 90k was what was expected before overhaul.

Im not brand loyal at all. If I had a choice Id probably take the HT466 over the 8. 3. For the baby diesels though. Nothin compares to the reliability of the 5. 9. Its a tough little engine.
 
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