This is fun! OK, bring your souped up 460 back in 150,000 miles and try it again. Then fill up with gas and see who can tow the farthest without stopping. Something tells me Dave won't miss a beat and you'll need a tow truck. Heck, you'll probably need to scrap the entire engine before then anyway...

 

Well once again, the age old diesel vrs gas thing.

Sorry all, BOTH have there places.

A couple of things I will add.

A stock 6.9 will not keep up with a stock 460. Modded? Well both can be. And I can guarentee you that the 460 has more aftermarket performance parts support than the 6.9. And it has more rpm potential, which just requires a lower gear, or a downshift to access.

A stock 6.9 will outlast a stock 460. It is just built heavier and runs at a lower max rpm which helps to offset some of the longer stroke, which affects mean piston speed.

So now we get down to preference. If you drive a lot, then the diesel makes far more sense. Back when diesel fuel was cheaper, then it really saved on the fuel bills. Now the only real savings is the difference in milage, which can* be twice or a little more with a diesel engine over a gas engine, as mesured not in horespower output, but over a driving range.

* diesel fuel by nature has 10% more BTU's. So a 100 hp gas engine at full throttle compared to a 100 hp diesel engine at full throttle will only result in 10% more fuel with the gas engine to develope the same 100 hp. The real savings come from PART throttle operation, which can be up to 80% less with the diesel.

So - if it a lease vehical that you wil be trading in say three or four years, at 15k a year, the cost of the diesel is hard to swallow. But if you have the truck for a longer period of time, then the payback on the diesel comes thru.

Me, I would take the 6.9 myself, but then I would plan on keeping it longer. Besides you can catch the 460 on the down hill - especialy with no exhaust brake!

David


Thought of the day - Jumo diesels were used in aircraft in the 30's, so much for a diesel being too heavy!

 

Hi All,

First off, I must say I went the big block route many times, It depends on the build. My 87 one ton 4x4 with a fresh (me) built 466 (.030 over) Flat tops D3 heads summit 260 grind cam and a carter 750 cfm carb with all factory exhaust, ZF 5 speed and 4.10s got 10 mpg either pulling the trailer with a 8n and brushhog or empty, but it needs high test fuel. Also built a '70 spec 466 for my '84 that I converted into a one ton but that was a big engine. The guy I sold it too had a friend with a chevy with a "untouchable 502" guess what, Lunch time!
However,I just bought a '94 you guessed it, one ton 4x4 7.3 turbo E4od 4.10s and loaded (211,000 miles) and it was a farm truck. I love those One Tons.
Enjoy the ride, sometimes there short.
I need to sell a couple of trucks!

Factoryone

 

This is gettin to be BS....my posts keep getting "moderated"

Censorship at its finest

 

I wonder if they'll listen to another of their own..........good post.

 

Are you following the rules? Keep it clean, no personal attacks, etc.?

Remember, this is a friendly place.....

 

Absolutely!!


It's ususally after I quote someones' post....yours was one.

The screen jumps to "post is being moderated" and it never shows up.

I even tried to PM you, and it went into cyber space???

 

Weird, I had the exact same thing happen when I tried to do a "reply with quote" in another thread today.

I reported the problem. Did you? I suspect it is a board software glitch rather than a case of being censored.

 

I should not have said what I said, I apologize.

Gas versus diesel threads are not good, diesel guys are diesel guys and gas guys are gas guys. The threads always get heated and probably should be closed as soon as they start.

For what I do with my truck, I would not trade it for 4 with 460 motors in them.
I am sure there are gas guys with the same feelings about my diesel.

In the end they are both Ford trucks, lets all be happy.

DOHCmarauder, as far as I know, none of your posts have been moderated. But the forum software does send some posts to a moderation que because of some words or links.

Bottom line if I am driving down the road and I see your Ford on the side having problems, I will stop and see if I can help, gas or diesel motor.

But I will also stand up for my diesel till the day I die.

I was born Ford, my grandfather owned the dealership in my home town till he died.
When I got my IDI, I became a Ford diesel convert.
And I am IDI all the way.
You are also correct on aftermarket part support, the turbo is about the end of bolt on performance mods, we have to make our own parts if we wanna go high HP.
That never stopped some of us, me included.

 

Buy a 7.3 PSD and be done with it

I have had 2 460s one was carburated the other EFI both pigs on fuel but true to 460 reputation it didn't matter if the truck was loaded or empty it got the same mileage. My last 460 powered truck was a 88 F-450 got at best 8mpg I think 6 mpg was its regular mileage. I had a 7.3 IDI 89 F-450 truck was okay but had no top end compared to the 460 I used to get 12mpg. Now I have a 95 F-450 PSD truck gets 12mpg and has good power I could get more by doing mods but I'am not interested.

Would I go back to a 460 not a chance unless I had somebodies credit card to buy fuel with. I never drove a 6.9 but I had the 7.3 for 3 years it was pretty slow it did the job and was reliable but thats about it.

As for longevity the most kilometers people got out of IDIs was 300,000km (186,000 miles). It was very rare to get more than that out of them before they needed repairs and I mean internal repairs. Most trucks used on B.Cs West Coast is worn out at 300,000kms get a truck with more than that is getting long in the tooth.

 

Let's see if this makes it through.......

All I've said from the start is that diesels have the advantage in economy and longevity (which is debatable when factoring in rebuild costs)

Some people come back with the above info like it is some revelation.

The other fact is a gasser will always have more power than a same size N/A diesel (or smaller) N/A of course meaning not turbo or supercharged.

 

GLORY BE!!!..............the above post was tried in so many words after a quote and never made it through!!!

 

Given that a gasser will need at least two rebuilds (possibly three) to the diesel's one, and the gasser has all those other maintenance parts - plugs, plug wires, caps, rotors, etc. that a diesel doesn't - I still think the overall maintenance costs for a gasser are higher for an equal number of miles. You can't deny the 75%-100% better fuel mileage even though its partially offset by 15% - 20% higher per gallon fuel costs these days.

OK, I'll give you that one, cube for cube, the gasser probably does have a power edge - or at least a speed edge....

Here's one for you. For under $500 bucks I can easily start producing my own bio-diesel from waste veggie oil for about 75 cents a gallon. How you gonna' make your own unleaded gas? LOL!

 

Like I said, "debatable".........I can probably rebulid a 460 twice for the cost of one diesel rebuild. I need to check on the IDI before I write something dumb but I KNOW the 12(?) quart oil changes and expensive filters (oil, water separators etc..) of a PSD offset tune up costs.

And I'll give you 33%-50% better economy

I actually bought an '81 Mercedes 300SD recently....was gonna do the whole WVO thang. Had 2 resturants lined up giving me oil, was gonna buy a "still"..

After driving that turd for a couple months.......I said forget it.

Now my Jetta TDI is............adequate at best.....still sluggish but better than the MB turbo diesel. VW won't allow anything over B-5 in the tank.



I also drive rescues (ambulances) all PSD's.........can't stand 'em but they do the job.

The one diesel that currently stands out IMO is the Duramax....the most "gasser" like diesel out there.

I hate the way the oil companies toy with us. When fuel was well over $3.00 a gallon, I started to reluctantly look at the diesel way (hence the Jetta and the MB) but at closer to $2.00 a gallon I'm not as concerned.



Not here to talk anyone out of their beloved diesels, I just noticed this thread while skimming the latest posts.......

 

I reckon anythin gots pistons and a crank don dare is be nuthin but aw converted ol steam engine anyhoo...