Used Diesel Trucks

[Angus Cattle Shower]

I'm starting to look for a new truck, I tortured my 98 Chevy 4x4 with a 5.7 Vortec and 3:73 gears pulling loads too big and need something better on fuel for driving back and forth to work every day. I finally piled up the rear end so I think it's time to swap differentials and send it down the road. I'm looking for a used diesel for under 10k, but I don't know a whole lot about them. I know that the 6.5 had electrical issues and Cummins are hard on back tires and the automatic transmissions are kinda weak. I thought about a 6.2 for about 30 seconds, they're good on fuel but cant pull anything of size. What does everyone think? Any horror stories? Any good stories? All advice and input is welcome! What diesel would you buy for under ten thousand dollars?

 

[dun]

If I wasn;t hauling regularly I would get a Ranger pickup for 90% and any decent solid diesel for the hauling.

 

[John SD]

If I wasn;t hauling regularly I would get a Ranger pickup for 90% and any decent solid diesel for the hauling.

What dun said. For a daily driver to work do you really even need a pickup? Some kind of reliable and reasonably economical car would get the job done. Possibly a Buick Lesabre or something on that order. Might not be a babe magnet like a pickup though. ;-)

 

[kerley]

My Dodge/Cummins to date has not failed to pull anything that I have hooked it too. True tires are not cheap but nothing associated with a diesel is. I bought mine for pulling and thats all I use it for. My daily driver ia a 1996 GMC Sanoma 4cyl. 5 speed stick.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

I'm starting to look for a new truck, I tortured my 98 Chevy 4x4 with a 5.7 Vortec and 3:73 gears pulling loads too big and need something better on fuel for driving back and forth to work every day. I finally piled up the rear end so I think it's time to swap differentials and send it down the road. I'm looking for a used diesel for under 10k, but I don't know a whole lot about them. I know that the 6.5 had electrical issues and Cummins are hard on back tires and the automatic transmissions are kinda weak. I thought about a 6.2 for about 30 seconds, they're good on fuel but cant pull anything of size. What does everyone think? Any horror stories? Any good stories? All advice and input is welcome! What diesel would you buy for under ten thousand dollars?

the detroit 6.2 and nd 6.5 are boat anchors,,,just soon live next to someone with a knocking rambler

 

[Angus Cattle Shower]

I have a little car for running around, it's a toyota echo 2 door with a 4 cylinder and a 5 speed. I just need a truck. Did Detroit motors make the 6.5?

 

[ALACOWMAN]

I have a little car for running around, it's a toyota echo 2 door with a 4 cylinder and a 5 speed. I just need a truck. Did Detroit motors make the 6.5?[/quote] yep... it took the duramax to put chevy back in the truck bidness built by Dmax a '''chevy and isuzu''' partnership

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

A diesel pick-up for under $10K that is worth a hoot will be verrrrryyyy hard to find.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

A diesel pick-up for under $10K that is worth a hoot will be verrrrryyyy hard to find.

if i were to gamble on any older high mileage it would be the cummins

 

[Nesikep]

You can find a good cummins dodge for well under 10K, my friends truck just turned the 666,666 KMs (425,000 mi) and still runs good... the cummins engines of older years made more torque at low rpm than the same year chevs and fords. the NV4500 in the 94-99 trucks like to have the 5th gear retaining nut back off (you lose 5th, but no major damage), and if you need more power, a die grinder is all you need, but the clutch won't like it

BTW, whereabouts are you located... CANADA doesn't tell me much

I saw a '98 dodge diesel 5 speed with 12ft deck in canmore AB for 5,500 bucks 2 years ago. I think many people who like cummins engines will say the 12 valve engines are better, a lot of the 24 valves were built in brazil in the blocks are notorious for cracking under the exhaust manifolds.

With a few modifications, you can keep reasonable fuel economy and get good power from them. If you're in the flatlands, go with a 3.55 rear end ratio, if you're in the mountains or tow really heavy stuff, go with the 4.10 gears... but bear in mind 130 kph is TOPS with the 4.10s and they do use more fuel... On the plus side, I had a 24,000 lb trailer (weighs 4,000 kg) and had a Cat D3 dozer on it (7,000 kg) and my truck pulled it up a 12% grade


Just on tuesday I blew the clutch in my truck, and I'm going overboard and installing a $1000 performance clutch in it

 

[Angus Cattle Shower]

I live in Central Saskatchewan. What causes the cracked blocks?

 

[George]

Had a ford with a 7.3 turbo,what a piece of junk that was,couldn't fight it's way out a wet paper bag!!Chev 6.2 were good on fuel but no power,the 6.5's were junk also.They were famous for broken cranks,good engine to stay away from.I bought a 99 dodge 3/4 ton diesel 4 by 4 last year thats in really nice shape and with 140000 miles on it for $8000 2 years ago,and i just love this truck for pulling.20 foot gooseneck trailer and 8 1500 pound cows in it,and it will cruise 75 mph all day long if you ask it to!By the way i still have that ford truck,i can't sell it because i have so much money tied up in the piece of junk,and i know i will never get it back out of the piece of crap.Brother in law is suppose to find me some dynamite,and i plan on disposing of that truck properly,thats how much i like that ford truck.I figure with the loss i'm going to take from that truck,i will get more satisfaction out of blowing it up,and i will load up the remains and haul it to the scrap dealer.Ford=found on road dead,which made it fix or repair daily!!!

 

[novatech]

My 02 dodge has 230,0000 miles on it. Same autotrans. that it came with. I have had no problem. I have had no more problem with the tires than any other truck. There is a trailer behind it everyday. I rebuilt the turbo at 200,000, and put in a rebuilt injector pump at 215,000. I get about 16 miles to the gallon. Other than the sun baked cracked up dash, which I put a cover over, it has been a fairly inexpensive truck to pull with (repair wise). The disc brakes arew to small, but they may have improved this in later models.
My criteria on a truck is that it must be something I can work on myself. I am not going to buy anything that can only be repaired by the dealer.

 

[Caustic Burno]

My Dodge/Cummins to date has not failed to pull anything that I have hooked it too. True tires are not cheap but nothing associated with a diesel is. I bought mine for pulling and thats all I use it for. My daily driver ia a 1996 GMC Sanoma 4cyl. 5 speed stick.

02 Ford with a 7.3 set's in the barn most of the time, drive it to church once a week unless it has a job. The rest of the time it is a Chevy Impala, cheaper to drive and replace when the time comes.
I think you are going to have a hard time finding a diesel in that price range that is worth having.
On the other keep your eye's open and be patient there are other old men like me that have one that is ten years old with 120,000 miles or less on them. Old men get a wild hair once in awhile as well.

 

[chippie]

we have a 2000 Ford crewcab F250 diesel 7.3L with an automatic transmission. We bought it in 2001 with 80,000 miles and it now has over 350,000 miles. It gets about 16 mpg city and I forget what it gets pulling a trailer. At least two thirds of the mileage is with a trailer. I am always sure to turn off the overdrive when pulling. I learned that the hard way by ruining the transmission on a Chevy.

It made the big 350 last week on the way home from hauling cattle to auction.

PS. We have a 2001 3/4 Dodge diesel with the 5 speed manual transmission. I prefer it for pulling a trailer. Gets great fuel mileage. 22 city, 18 pulling a loaded 4 horse trailer. We use the Ford more for trips because of the 4 doors.

 

[Waldershrek]

I bought my 01 Dodge 2500 with 250K on here for 9 grand. No real problems up until this week when I had to get the tranny rebuilt but now she'll be good for another 250K. Only issues with the 98-02 trucks is the injection pump but if they are taken care of with proper fuel pressure they are fine.

 

[expensive hobby]

Stay away from Fords.....as like many others have said "they are crap." I have owned both the gas and diesel turds and will not buy another. I had a 2005 F250 with the 6.0. and a 2008 F250 with the "new and improved 6.4." Neither were worth their weight in gold. The 6.4 twin turbo was more of a turd than the 6.0. And it kept going through exhaust gas coolers. I traded the 6.4 even up for a F250 with a 5.4 gas job. Its a turd too but it does what I need it to do for now, and I do not have to fork out the extra for diesel. Would love to buy a newer diesel but kind of scared to because from what I gather they are all turds with all the emmission control crap. Nothing like the older ones and you can't find a manual shift anywhere.

 

[Nesikep]

There are kits (not cheap though) to put an older P7100 pump on the 24V cummins... I heard the late model 5.9's with common rail injection were really good on fuel... I've never had one though

 

[James T]

I've got an '05 Dodge 2500 diesel with about 120k on it and the bank says it's worth about 14 thousand so, I would think if you shop around you could find something at about $10k. For commuting, I would go with an economy car. My truck only gets about 16 mpg and I'm thinking of getting something with a little more mileage potential too.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Stay away from Fords.....as like many others have said "they are crap." I have owned both the gas and diesel turds and will not buy another. I had a 2005 F250 with the 6.0. and a 2008 F250 with the "new and improved 6.4." Neither were worth their weight in gold. The 6.4 twin turbo was more of a turd than the 6.0. And it kept going through exhaust gas coolers. I traded the 6.4 even up for a F250 with a 5.4 gas job. Its a turd too but it does what I need it to do for now, and I do not have to fork out the extra for diesel. Would love to buy a newer diesel but kind of scared to because from what I gather they are all turds with all the emmission control crap. Nothing like the older ones and you can't find a manual shift anywhere.

I have driven Fords most of my my life and never had any problems with any of them.