Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Value/Opinions of this 2001

[J DeMaio]

Hi guys:



I used to own a first genner truck and sold it. I'm in the market for a good cummins again, and I think I found one. It's a 2001 W-2500, Cummins/auto, 3. 54 gears, only option is air. Truck has bed liner, nerf bars, aftermarket (larger) tires and wheels. It has 80,000 miles on it, 5000 miles on Lee Myles rebuilt transmission (seems VERY good). They are asking $17,800 for it. Is this a good deal?



What is the most you boys are towing with your 2500 auto's? What are common problems with these trucks/engines? Do you have to worry about the KDP? How bad is the lift pump problem if you use good fuel, conditioner, and keep the filter changed within 10,000 miles? Any other advice is much appreciated.



Thanks,



John

 

[WadePatton]

Originally posted by J DeMaio

It's a 2001 W-2500, Cummins/auto, 3. 54 gears, only option is air. Truck has bed liner, nerf bars, aftermarket (larger) tires and wheels. It has 80,000 miles on it, 5000 miles on Lee Myles rebuilt transmission (seems VERY good). They are asking $17,800 for it. Is this a good deal?



What is the most you boys are towing with your 2500 auto's? What are common problems with these trucks/engines? Do you have to worry about the KDP? How bad is the lift pump problem if you use good fuel, conditioner, and keep the filter changed within 10,000 miles? Any other advice is much appreciated.

John

Hey John, I'll hit some high points here.



I wouldn't buy a truck without the "SLT" power window/locks etc. Plastic bed liners hide/do as much damage as they prevent. I yank 'em first thing and eventually spray in a liner. A rebuilt transmission without an aftermarket DIFFERENT torque converter and valvebody is just another OEM unit which will fail ---say around 75k---. Although some go longer, the OEM design just cannot take the torque of the Cummins--even stock. Yours takes big $ hits for lack of options and standard cab? 4x2? --and that's fine if that's what you want, just don't pay too much.



Deal? Depends on your local market and how far you're willing to travel. Condition is everything (interior, paint, etc. ) on a truck with over 75k on it. A 96 5-speed 4x4 CC with 125k just sold for 14,800 near here (VERY clean). A 97 5-speed 4x4 CC with 86k on it was listed for 10,900 (locally) the other day and was sold before I could call. Those trucks run 13-14 around here generally. Haven't been pricing the VP trucks.



Towing, I'll let some other guys give you input there. But I do have a 47RH truck with an aftermarket auto that will be hooked to the sled come next year. I'm going to hold the ponies down to around 400.



Engine--The KDP was phased out in 99. There is a "53" block that is thinner than most and a few of them have cracked. LP is a roll of the dice. My original was weak at 55k. My replacement is going great at 95k and about 5k ago I eliminated ALL the banjo bolts with a Wildcat kit--fuel pressure has never been so good.



While I find the OEM brakes on my 2000 truck plenty good, note that rear discs became standard in 2001. 5 and I don't tow much.



The ultimate pump for BOMBing is the 215HP P7100 as found on manual 96-7 and early 98's. The early VP-44 pumps (98-99) don't seem to take to pump-wire tapping as well as the later trucks. That makes the ultimate truck (for 2nd Gen BOMB'ers like me) a 98 Quad/p7100-- a rare bird indeed.



HTH

 

[J DeMaio]

Truck is standard cab, 4x4, and in very good shape all around. This is CHEAP compared to the ones seen on the classifieds section of this website. Given they are SLT's but none have this few of miles. I did notice on the sticker in the glovebox that it has a lockup torque converter. Truck seems to shift very good (like no other i've driven) with a good seat of the pants acceleration. I probably will not bomb it, just install a straight pipe and K&N filter. Is the VP-44 and the lift pump covered under warranty still? Brakes are excellent as the pedal only goes down ~1/8".



Thanks



John



P. S. I talked to the previous owner, he's never had a trailer hooked to it.

 

[WadePatton]

AFIK they all have TCC's after 1995. IOW Locking Torque converter is not an option. LSD or Anti-spin diff is.



Never had a trailer... yeah, I pulled the plastic liner out of one and found 5th-wheel mount tracks.



+4x4 that's good, most of them are and parts/mods are easier to find/discuss with everybody.



Shifting "feel" is primarily dependent on TV cable adjustment. I'm learin' this AT stuff.



Never had a trailer and blew out the transmission at 75k--what did I tell you about those 47RE's?



Good Luck and NEGOTIATE



and FORGET the truck prices found on this website, some of these guys are WAY optimistic. Concentrate on what you can find in a 2-300 mile radius.

 

[J DeMaio]

These trucks are VERY prevalent in this area and bring high $$$. Another question I ask: Lee Myles rebuilt the transmission, shouldn't Chrysler have warrantied the driveline for 5yr/100k mile? He said he hauled a pickup load of dog food for his distributorship once a week and did a lot of hunting so he drove a lot. When he drove it to Canada this past year it got 19. 5 mpg. It's just hard around here to find low mileage trucks in any decent condition. Anything north of me (Columbus/Cleveland) you have to deal with rust. I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy it, but the negotiation is not over



I'll let you guys know what the outcome is.



Thank Wade,



John

 

[WTBurke]

Hey John... Wade is right on the mark with all of this and the only thing I'd add to the desires of the 2001 is the half year such as 2001. 5 they have the four wheel disk brakes. It's a nice thing to have. Also the 2002 models I've seen are missing the rear wheel inner fender liners. This is small stuff but, I share it to sharpen your eye when viewing some of these models.



Good luck



William

 

[2ndgen2500]

that is way too much for that truck IMO, i found a 99' Laramie quad cab CTD with 33,400 (and bought it) for 17,000$, also while i was looking i came across, a 01 single cab, st (or whatever the no power no nothing option is) cummins, with 22,000 miles, and i had them talked down to 14,500 and it had A 5 SPPED!!!! IMHO that is too much, id consider maaaaaaybeeee 15500$... . i looked for about4 months to find a truck, lucky i did find one my ford died in the parking lot!!!!!

 

[WadePatton]

Originally posted by J DeMaio

Another question I ask: Lee Myles rebuilt the transmission, shouldn't Chrysler have warrantied the driveline for 5yr/100k mile?

NAWP, transmission warranty is only 36k.

 

[J DeMaio]

Well guys:



I'll be a regular on this board now. I signed the papers today for $17,600. Didn't seem too aweful high to me. Anyway, I hope to keep it for a LONG time. They are going to run it through the shop and change oil and filters and check brakes,u-jointgs and everything else and fix accordingly. They are going to wash, buff, and wax it. I'll try to get some pictures from the dealer before I get it dirty again and post them. Seems like it's going to be a keeper.



Thanks,



John

 

[J DeMaio]

How much do you guys/gals tow (in weight #'s)? What can I do to the auto transmission to make it last? How often do I keep the fluid changed? Can you put lockup switches on these transmission's like the 12 valve 2nd generation trucks to make the converter lock up? Do I tow in OD or not?



Thanks,



John

 

[WadePatton]

#1 most thing to do to save the transmission is cross your fingers.



#2 keep your power mods very moderate.



#3 monitor your ATF temp.



#4 Call one of the transmission vendors and find out how much to save up for an application specific transmission.

 

[WTBurke]

John



Again Wade is 100% on the mark the answers may seem short and sweet but, they are very true in full content. Once you invest in the drive line transfer system you will have a truly bullet proof road weapon. These machines are very worth the TLC.



William

 

[J DeMaio]

Like I say guys, I plan on towing heavy. The transmission has 5000 miles on a rebuild, the engine is going to remain stock (hopefully the BOMBING bug won't be contageous this time around ) Can a TC lockup switch be installed on this year of truck?



I'm hoping with this new transmission, I will have NO dreaded auto transmission trouble and all will be fine for many trouble free miles.



Keep this good advice coming, I'm just learning about these style trucks so all is good.



Thanks,



John

 

[Fireman Dave]

JD,



My truck has 52,000 on it - over 12k are towing my TT. The trailer weighs around 7,000 lbs - not a huge challenge for our trucks, but still a nice chunk of weight. Your truck is rated a little higher for towing than mine since it's a regular cab. My transmission is totally stock, and I change the fluid and filter every spring (about 12k anually). It might be more often than necessary, but it gives me good peace of mind - plus it's fun! I tow out of OD unless it's flat interstate. That's what I like best with my 3. 54 gears. The general consensus is to not run it in OD under 1750 rpms. Some guys tow all day in OD, so you'll get varying opinions. This is just what I do. A lot of people say our stock autos are much better than most people think. They are better than the previous generation.



Good luck with the new rig!



Dave

 

[J DeMaio]

Thanks Fireman. Long time no hear, good to talk with you again. I'll keep this in mind. If it's below 55mph or very hilly (depending on what I'm hauling) I'll stay in D, If im running on flat ground I may put into OD. BTW, my new truck also has 3. 54 gears.



John

 

[WadePatton]

Originally posted by J DeMaio

the engine is going to remain stock

John

Oh gosh, tell me where we failed.





Don't know about the transmission, but I'll bet I could find out with a search for "lock AND up" or "lockup" and "search titles only" selected.

 

[VicR]

Sounds like a good deal and a great truck. Welcome aboard.



Guages are a great investment, stock or modified. Fuel Pressure/ EGT/Boost/transmission temp would be a good place to start.



Enjoy the new ride. A guy I used to work with has an ST too and likes the ability to clean off the vinyl floor easier then carpet.



-Vic