Powerstroke not too durable
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Powerstroke not too durable
Hi guys,
let me start off by saying, im a ford man, and have been so for many years. I bought a 97 f-250 turbo diesel ford about a year ago. It had 160K mls and ran fairly well when i purchased it.
After no more then 5 months, it started burning oil rediculously, im talking 2 quarts every 1500 miles. Really down on power, and would shut off for no reason. I just recently sold the truck, and purchased a 2000 dodge ram with the 5.9L cummins. It has 105K miles currently.
By far the cummins is a better diesel motor than the powerstroke. It is smotther as far a s power delivery, runs cooler, and in my opinion performs better while towing.
I'm in the car business my self, and i go to numerous car auctions. And teh majority of the powerstorkes that i see over 120K miles, all have some sort of mechanical issue. Either smoking heavily, running rough, just plan wore out.
On the other hand the cummins i see with 200K plus miles are still running fairly well. Very rearely have i seen a cummins smoking or anything of that sort.
Bottom line is i wont buy a ford diesel until they switch to cummins, which i hope would be soon.
Just thought id share my opinion
let me start off by saying, im a ford man, and have been so for many years. I bought a 97 f-250 turbo diesel ford about a year ago. It had 160K mls and ran fairly well when i purchased it.
After no more then 5 months, it started burning oil rediculously, im talking 2 quarts every 1500 miles. Really down on power, and would shut off for no reason. I just recently sold the truck, and purchased a 2000 dodge ram with the 5.9L cummins. It has 105K miles currently.
By far the cummins is a better diesel motor than the powerstroke. It is smotther as far a s power delivery, runs cooler, and in my opinion performs better while towing.
I'm in the car business my self, and i go to numerous car auctions. And teh majority of the powerstorkes that i see over 120K miles, all have some sort of mechanical issue. Either smoking heavily, running rough, just plan wore out.
On the other hand the cummins i see with 200K plus miles are still running fairly well. Very rearely have i seen a cummins smoking or anything of that sort.
Bottom line is i wont buy a ford diesel until they switch to cummins, which i hope would be soon.
Just thought id share my opinion
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Joined: Jun 1999
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From: Everett, Wa
Hmm, I see a logical fallacy here. You make an assumption about durability on vehicles you have not owned from day one. What are the maintenance records for both trucks. Unless you owned them you can't tell me.
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Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Asheville, NC
Is it a bad motor? Or bad maintenance?
Had a friend that had an '86 F-250 diesel. It had a bad glow plug module, and he never got it fixed. Drove it for 2 years using ether in a can to start it. One day, it just stopped. Never changed the oil either. Seized. Had 120k on it. Sad. It was a real beauty when he got it.
I service my vehicles.
Had a friend that had an '86 F-250 diesel. It had a bad glow plug module, and he never got it fixed. Drove it for 2 years using ether in a can to start it. One day, it just stopped. Never changed the oil either. Seized. Had 120k on it. Sad. It was a real beauty when he got it.
I service my vehicles.
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I understand what yoru saying.
The thing is i go to car auctions every week. I see probably around 5 or so dodge diesels and also 5 or so ford diesels every week.
Thats what i base my opinion on. Out of the 5 dodges that i see every week maybe one has problems. Out of the fords its probably 3 of those 5.
It's been known for a while that the cummins is a more durable engine when used for a long time.
I personally like the way the ford performs when new, but i wont buy a used one, just because of its lack of long term durability. Now thats my personal opinion, take it as you may.
The thing is i go to car auctions every week. I see probably around 5 or so dodge diesels and also 5 or so ford diesels every week.
Thats what i base my opinion on. Out of the 5 dodges that i see every week maybe one has problems. Out of the fords its probably 3 of those 5.
It's been known for a while that the cummins is a more durable engine when used for a long time.
I personally like the way the ford performs when new, but i wont buy a used one, just because of its lack of long term durability. Now thats my personal opinion, take it as you may.
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Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Asheville, NC
I love a Ford. Never had a Dodge, and the GMchevs all rusted out while the Fords just went on. Talking about trucks with a 6-cyl. Ive never had anything else.
Until I got my 351 1983 F-150.
Until I got my 351 1983 F-150.
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From: Alvin, Texas.
Don't hold your breath on a Cummins 3.9 or 5.9L in a lighter duty F-truck anytime soon.
Yeah, they may be an option in the F650(?) and up, but reengineering a truck line to accept a totally different engine design doesn't just happen overnight.
So, if you want a Cummins-equipped Ford, read above, because that's your only shot for now.
I am not a fan of the 6.0 and I am not a v8 diesel engine buff, but I can see worse than the 7.3L, for sure.
I would also look into the previous owners and very likely lack of attention to diesel care detail for the reasons you come across the issues in PSD trucks that you do.
It's like telling me that a woman owned vehicle is really a great buy. Well, if probably half of the guys here don't know what to do and therefore have conniption fits when the check engine light comes on, well, you get the idea!
I have seen Cummins smoke bad and snap con-rods. Yeah, they were marine K19's and the company I worked for would recycle parts (i.e., said con-rod) through several rebuilds.....but they are not perfect, either.
Yeah, they may be an option in the F650(?) and up, but reengineering a truck line to accept a totally different engine design doesn't just happen overnight.
So, if you want a Cummins-equipped Ford, read above, because that's your only shot for now.
I am not a fan of the 6.0 and I am not a v8 diesel engine buff, but I can see worse than the 7.3L, for sure.
I would also look into the previous owners and very likely lack of attention to diesel care detail for the reasons you come across the issues in PSD trucks that you do.
It's like telling me that a woman owned vehicle is really a great buy. Well, if probably half of the guys here don't know what to do and therefore have conniption fits when the check engine light comes on, well, you get the idea!
I have seen Cummins smoke bad and snap con-rods. Yeah, they were marine K19's and the company I worked for would recycle parts (i.e., said con-rod) through several rebuilds.....but they are not perfect, either.
Last edited by AlfredB1979; Aug 30, 2005 at 10:18 PM.
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From: Sussex County, DE
I will not dispute that the Cummins is a better engine, but the PowerStroke is not a bad mill either. The Fords in my area tend to be owned by contractors and landscapers, and generally are poorly maintained. It is not fair to judge used engines that you can't verify the service hisory of. We had the PowerStrokes in a bunch of trucks when I worked at DelDOT, and while the Dodges we had with the Cummins did perform better and got better mileage, they both went to auction at 200,000 miles in the same condition... purring like kittens. But keep in mind that these vehicles were well maintained and driven by experienced equipment operators (and for that matter, had their block heaters plugged in overnight during the winter). Did I like the Cummins better? You bet. But I liked the Ford Chassis better too. Either way,they were both good trucks.
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Junior User
Joined: Aug 2005
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Just got rid of a 1999 Ram with the CTD. The engine was very solid, but the rest of the truck was falling apart: brakes, transmission, interior, etc. The truck was very well cared for, and had only one owner: me. I hope you have better luck than I did, but durability and reliability do not end with the engine.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 1999
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From: Everett, Wa
We have a few people on this board with more than 500,000 on there PSD's. and many more that are over 200k. I would call that reliable. My guess is you got an abused truck. Either engine if abused won't last long.
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2002
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From: Coal Region
cummins is an inline engine of course it'll run smoother and handle a load better.
ur comparing apples to oranges man, so u have one bad experience...i guess that mans all the other people with 500K on a PSd are liars? previous maitence and how it was used dicates a lot how the vehicle will hold up.
ur comparing apples to oranges man, so u have one bad experience...i guess that mans all the other people with 500K on a PSd are liars? previous maitence and how it was used dicates a lot how the vehicle will hold up.
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If Ford was that bad why is there so many of them on the road being used for work ?
At most auctions I go to you can buy a Dodge Cummins cheaper than a Ford most of the time the auctioneers have troubles getting bids on Dodge Cummins trucks. Dodge trucks are JUNK period if it wasn't for them riding on Cummins coat tails of their reputation they Dodge wouldn't have any sales.
The reason why Cummins lasts so long in Dodge trucks is the truck never gets worked hard because it falls apart soon as you put a load in the box. Dodge puts such light suspension into their trucks to prevent them from being overworked.
At most auctions I go to you can buy a Dodge Cummins cheaper than a Ford most of the time the auctioneers have troubles getting bids on Dodge Cummins trucks. Dodge trucks are JUNK period if it wasn't for them riding on Cummins coat tails of their reputation they Dodge wouldn't have any sales.
The reason why Cummins lasts so long in Dodge trucks is the truck never gets worked hard because it falls apart soon as you put a load in the box. Dodge puts such light suspension into their trucks to prevent them from being overworked.
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Damascus-Boring, Ore
The key words here are "at the auction." When we take a vehicle in trade, the first trip it makes is into the shop, where a determination is made whether it's a wholesale or a retail piece. A PSD without major issues will probably wind up on the used lot and get retailed for stoopid money. The ones that don't pass muster get packaged and wholesaled- and a few of them wind up "at the auction," where they'll still bring stoopid money. 
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Jax Fla.
I recently traded my 92 F250 for a Cummins powered Ram 3500. While I can't speak for the new powerstroke, the 7.3L Navistar was bombproof. The 92's weren't turbo'd so I installed a Banks Sidewinder at 60K miles. This truck worked hard and had 172k on the clock when I traded it... it still pulled like new, unfortunately the rest of the truck was showing it's age. Overall I loved that truck but wanted a change. I don't know much about the rest of Dodge's lineup but the 3500 is one seriously stout machine.
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Joined: Jan 2005
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From: Lindsborg, KS
Remember, the Cummins wasn't made by Dodge, never has been, never will be, it's out of semis and tractors. The powerstroke was actually designed by Ford. I still don't see how dodge can make a cummins louder then heck and when it's in a tractor, it's quiet
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: North Dakota
The powerstroke was definitly not designed by ford, I think navistar would have a few bones to pick if ford made this claim, get your facts straight. Neither Ford, Chevy, or Dodge make there own diesels. They have specialized companies like Navistar, Izzue, and cummins build there diesels. The chassis is brand loyal and thats not even totaly true as ford uses dana front and rear ends as just an example of many parts are manufacured not by the big three but for the big three!!