Which 3rd gen. motor is best?

[DBusch]

i hear that the later 2005 and 2006 engines had better valves and seats in the heads that can take higher EGTs than the 2003, 2004s, and some 2004. 5s. So, that engine should be the one to have.

 

[JoshWelsh]

I have the 305/555 truck and have over 105000 miles on it. I have had only two major problems. One was one injector failure at about 60000 miles back when all i had for performance mods was a tst. And Two I dropped a valve on to number two piston due to high egt's and this was with 75000 miles, but I had twin turbos and stacked boxes and was running it pretty agressively

 

[CPittman]

Mine has 148,004 and I've put in a water pump and had the lift pump retro-fitted by DC. Change the Delo every 5K miles, the fuel filter every other oil change and the air filter every third oil change. Runs like a freight train - all day every day.

 

[cclark746]

from what i have read i think the valve seats are stronger on the 04. 5 and ups, and also the smarty makes 130hp on @30psi boost on the 03-04 while makes 170hp @40psi boost on the 04. 5 and ups. you also have the different turbo wastegate. 03 to 04 also have a lot of oil leaks on the crankshaft cover and the rocker and i know someone is gonna agrue with me but on most of the ones i have seen have had a oil leak

 

[J&LRam]

best for what ?? for fuel milage the '03 in my sig will shame most 1st gen Cummins. I don't know what Cummins did but its heads above the '97 and '01 Cummins I had for mpgs and with great power [stock].

JIM

 

[2broke2smoke]

just curious how many guys who picked either have ever owned both ...



opinions are like a-holes ...



04. 5 and up ...

 

[Elite1]

My first Dodge/Cummins was a 96' 12 valve. Great motor, very good mileage but the rest of the truck fell apart (autotrans, rearend, brakes).

My 03' 305/555, 6 spd manual, has been a dream. I have 96 k on her and had only one problem and that was the lift pump. But that was pretty inexpensive to buy at the Cummins dealer and replace myself. I have been very happy with this truck and it gets about the exact same mileage as my old 96' 12v.



btw: a few years back, I went to a dyno day at AFE. The stock 305/555's were putting out more HP on the dyno than the stock 325/600's !

 

[Hercules130]

04. 5+. no aaps, no vacuum pump and they all had oil cooling jets.

 

[ChrisKringle]

My 305/555 ran cooler and "seemed" to have more torque than my 04. 5 '600'.

 

[Panther1400]

The salesman where I bought the truck said that my 06 was the BEST one, J/K, just like all of you I am happy with mine and glad to hear that everyone likes the one they are driving. To me that says that cummins make a good engine no matter when it was built they all have benefits. :-laf

 

[HighRanger]

I had a 99, 01, and now my 04. I would take my 04 hands down to any of the others I had. My 99 couldn't keep a transmission, 01 marked it's territory no matter how many gaskets I changed. So far the 04 has only had one problem and that was caused by a FASS install gone wrong.