For anyone wondering gas vs diesel heres a little report. We've got a 2018 powerstroke dually and a 2019 F350 6.2 L gas single wheel with a Deweze bed and feeder on it. The dually was in the shop this week and we had to go get 20 bred heifers in Lorena, Tx which is 220 miles one way from us. It took 2 trips but we made it just fine. We pulled a 28' cattle trailer and hauled 10 hd at a time. Truck got 7.5 mpg down there and 6.5 mpg loaded on the way back. This was doing 65-70 mph. Truck pulled great on the flats but the trip was rarely flat. The transmission kicked down into 4th on most hills and 3rd on some but trans temp never changed. This truck gets about 9mpg daily driving around here so I thought the fuel milage was good. I figure the dually would've avgd 10 mpg so we only spent maybe $30 extra in fuel. Overall it was a good easy couple days driving. The 28' cattle trailer is a triple axle and weighs around 7,500# and these were big heavy bred Brangus heifers that probably weighed 1,050# or better.
2019 F 350 SW 6.2L Tow Report
- Thread starter Lucky
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A.J.
Well-known member
Sounds like the truck did great filling in. The 6.2 has been a solid, reliable engine for Ford. It's a shame they aren't gonna make them anymore. That should be a good truck for you for a long time.
The Godzilla Ford 7.3 gas burner form the report I got from an owner is not far behind a diesel in power and gets better MPG than the 6.2. Thanks for the info Lucky on the 6.2 as it sounds like it did well, as my next one may be a gas burner.
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Ford 7.3L Godzilla Engine Info, Power, Specs, Wiki
Complete information on the Ford 7.3L Godzilla engine, including detailed info, specs, vehicle applications, horsepower, torque, materials, emissions and more.
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Lucky
Well-known member
I didn't add this but, while the gas gets the job done a diesel is still way ahead in power and drivability while towing heavy. The problem with the diesel now is the upfront cost but more so the maintenance cost. Our diesel is in the shop because a kitten got up in the fan shroud and decided to get out while the truck was running. A fan blade broke off and put a hole in the radiator. New fan and radiator bill is $2,750. Seems like every repair on a diesel is at least a grand. Plus the DEF is a PIA to keep up with.
Ya my diesel has a little over 200K miles now. I have been hit with 3 different $1500 parts in the last 5 months. In the big picture it's probably not a big expense but it's sure leaves you a little raw.
The last one was 1 hr in to a 4hr round trip with a trailer. It told me 90 miles until reduced power. I'm wondering of the big gas motors have any codes like that.
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Hogfarmer10
Well-known member
I've got the 7.3 gas. Love it so far. Yes, it also has a reduced power mode. I accidentally let my foot get on both the brake and accelerator at the same time. It activated limp mode. Scared me until I figured it out.
chevytaHOE5674
Well-known member
I liked the 7.3 godzilla until they have started having all kinds of trouble with the lifters and camshafts delaminating. A logger buddy has 3 of them and all 3 have been sitting at the ford dealer waiting for parts as the lifters and camshafts failed at roughly the same mileage. Unfortunately ford doesn't have the best track record with gas motors.
Lucky
Well-known member
Our 2018 dually only has 70k on it and I'm thinking about trading it next year. I hate to do it because the truck is still like new since we don't work out of it. I just hate to have one out of warranty for too long. One of the problems with the powerstroke that scares me is the upper oil pan gasket leaking. A friend of mine just spent 5k replacing the gasket. Apparently you gotta pull the transmission and a bunch of other stuff. My BIL put gas in his last month and spent 12k on a new fuel system.
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We had several Ford diesels in that year range with fuel system issues. It was a nightmare.
I'm in same boat on my duramax. It has the miles but the interior and eelvery thing is nice and tight amd it drives great. Plus, it's long payed for. I'm just in a rough patch with electronics.
I'm seriously considering a single cab long bed gas 4x4 or some thing else gas to keep the miles off the diesel.
wbvs58
Well-known member
They are starting to bring Ford F150's into Australia along with Ram's mainly to sell to the retiree market to tow their big caravans on the big lap of Australia that everyone except me seems to want to do. The Toyota Landcruisers that have been popular have not got the rated capacity to do it legally once the vehicle and van is loaded up with what everyone wants to take. On our outback roads there have been quite a few Nissan Navara's and Mitsubishi Triton dual cabs break there backs. Landcruisers are still the only vehicle people on big properties will buy, they stand up to the punishment of outback roads and tracks.
Ken
Ken
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
All my previous trucks have been diesel and dually's. This last one, 21 RAM 3500, 4 door, 8' bed is single rear. Nephew says it tows the trailer nearly same as the dually. And the power is great. Obviously, don't haul as heavy a load as what you are talking, but put it in cruise mode and it pulls the hills without losing speed (lot of hills in NY - they call them mountains, but they are hills).
Lucky
Well-known member
I've had a dually in the mix for the last 16 years. If I trade this one I we'll get a single wheel. We just don't tow enough to need a dually any more and the newer single wheels tow nearly as good as the duallys. I think it has allot to do with the new 18-20" tires not having the sidewall flex as the 16-17" tires had.
I was very interested in a 7.3 gas to replace the '97 7.3 diesel that I currently drive every day. A buddy of mine was truck shopping last summer and wanted me to go with him, we tried out a 2022 F250 with the 7.3 and 3.55 gears, 10 spd automatic. I took it up I-64 on Afton Mtn (long, steep mtn here in VA) and locked the trans in manual mode. On the long pulls, it accelerated almost identical to my 26 year old truck - which is nothing to be impressed with. Off the line, it had more HP and a lot better empty acceleration, but the torque was a little disappointing to be honest. I didn't find the motor anywhere near as impressive as the folks brag about in online forums. Maybe a set of 4.30 rears would help? But nonetheless, mark me underwhelmed.The Godzilla Ford 7.3 gas burner form the report I got from an owner is not far behind a diesel in power and gets better MPG than the 6.2. Thanks for the info Lucky on the 6.2 as it sounds like it did well, as my next one may be a gas burner.
Ford 7.3L Godzilla Engine Info, Power, Specs, Wiki
Complete information on the Ford 7.3L Godzilla engine, including detailed info, specs, vehicle applications, horsepower, torque, materials, emissions and more.
I was just talking about that yesterday with my wife's brother (he is a big GM guy so he will not being giving Ford any Love, but is impressed with this engine) who has worked at Mahle for 44 years and is way over my head on this stuff. He said that engine is simple and will be easy to make HP upgrades. Matter of fact the latest pistons changes are made to accommodate the extra hp. Give the Ford folks a little time to beta test and get it streamlined and I think more hp is on the way.
It hasn't take long for tuners and drag racers to start fiddling with the big 7.3, nicknamed "Godzilla." And some of those folks have already gotten the big-inch Ford engine to make 600 horsepower with just some relatively basic modifications—and, more importantly, with no turbos or superchargers needed.
Ford's 7.3-Liter V-8 Makes 789 Naturally-Aspirated Horsepower With Built Internals
The giant gasoline V-8 in Ford's new Super Duty pickups can make huge naturally-aspirated power—and it can fit in a Fox-body Mustang.
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It had plenty of HP, just felt lacking in the torque department.
Don't get me wrong, I wanted to be impressed by the engine - the simplicity and overall design are very attractive. But it's not in the same ball park as modern diesels in terms of torque.
I don't think a gas can compete with a diesel with torque, but a bigger turbo can add torque and I am sure it will be tried. The question is can the engine stand the additional heat and stress? A few years ago we never thought you could get 1000 lbs. torque out of a smaller diesel engine and last.
There are actually a number of reasons why diesels make so much torque, but the big reasons are stroke length, turbocharger boost, and average effective cylinder pressure. Turbo-diesels typically operate at higher turbocharger boost levels than do comparable gasoline engines.
However, diesel is much denser than petrol and can store up to 15 per cent more energy per given volume. This means that each time diesel is combusted, more energy is transferred through to pressure on the piston, increasing the amount of torque acting through the crankshaft.
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The gearing is everything in a gas work trucks. I wouldn't want anything higher than a 4.30. 4.88 would be my pick I think.
Lucky
Well-known member
I forgot to add the F350 we hauled the cows with has 4.30 gears or maybe 4.11's I can't remember. The dealership I bought it from kinda specialized in feed trucks. They had a bunch of low geared bed deleted trucks. They also rigged it out with the Deweze, feeder, and bumper for me.
I can completely understand why people that tow heavy a dozen times a year would go with the 6.2 or 7.3 over the diesel but, as Cfpinz says the torque just isn't there were you really need it. Nothing can compete with the low rpm torque a diesel has when towing heavy, especially in hilly country. Again though, I was really really suprised how this truck handled what I suspect was an 18k load especially on the long hills.
I can completely understand why people that tow heavy a dozen times a year would go with the 6.2 or 7.3 over the diesel but, as Cfpinz says the torque just isn't there were you really need it. Nothing can compete with the low rpm torque a diesel has when towing heavy, especially in hilly country. Again though, I was really really suprised how this truck handled what I suspect was an 18k load especially on the long hills.
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