Well I got to ride in a 08 1500 z71 chevy today wow that 5.3 is hands down a animal compared to a 5.4. I am a ford guy through and through but I work on gm, I mean fords are still using EGR valves and FPR the 5.3 has been a returnless fuel system since 03 and they DO NOT use a EGR valve on it and get better fuel economy. The 5.4 has a huge stroke but that 5.3 does just as well with "anchent" pushrod tech.
Call me old school but I still like my pushrod engines, if I want something with the outside demesnions of a 460, just give me the 460. Tell me something good is coming?
I was ready to buy a diesel but when a dirtier, less refined fuel costs more than unleaded it isn't worth it and with the new emmissions laws killing the fuel mileage advantage it seems even more of a money loss besides on fuel filters and oil changes. Has anymore heard how the dmax and cummins did with the new emissions laws?
Has anyone drove either of these new forigen trucks tundra or titan? their numbers on power are kinda scrary. I have seen some videos of them on youtube and its at a toyota dealer so you know who won against the oval, bowtie, and goat. A friend of mine found a video of a guy( I don't rememeber what site or anything been 6months ago) had a hidden camera on him went to a toyota dealer test drove one salesman was running down the american trucks claiming the toyota to be at a 3/4ton class. Well it ended up with this guy pulling off and theres people there and a 90s 250 4x4 pulls out a suitcase(loaded with cash) from the 250 tells him if your toy can pull my 460 ill pay cash for it and trade my 250 in 460 showed the big block tq grunted it still don't know if it was real or not but was cool.
My tranny guy(I do alot of side work dealing with everything working on vehicles) when I had my tranny in for my 96 f150 and a customers 98 f150. He works for the city rebuilding trannys, he was telling me about the chrysler trannys blowing the valvebodys apart. Guess makes another era of chrysler transmissions no good, I mean yeah ford and gm has issues too but aftermarket fixes that but blowing the valvebody completely off, he had 3 of them sitting there like that.

Just my 2cents.
Curtis

 

How do you think I feel with my 80's model 5.0 EFI pushing only 185 horsepower? It sucks. And all these new trucks pushing so much horsepower.

Too bad they don't have the durability to back it up. That's why I love my truck. Built when they were tougher.

 

Well yes tech has helped but the windsors were ignored on improvments in trucks. We seen roller cams, new mod engines their exhaust manifolds are basically short tube headers because competition is so high now everything out of the box is pretty well 3/4% there supercharge it and thats it. Look at the wide world of windsor upgrades possibilities are endless.

 

Have you ever seen the new Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel fuel? It is hardly dirty and less refined. The stuff is as clear as drinking water. Also, taxes on diesel are higher than on gasoline (stick it to business, I guess). Since diesel has more heat energy, BTU's per gallon, it is still "worth it" even at a higher price.

Even with emission controls, turbodiesels are inherently much more efficient than non-turbo gasoline engines. I want my 50mpg diesel car and California wont let my buy one, yet. That is supposed to change in a year or two.

Jim

 

Yes I have seen ultra low sulfur diesel here its at 3.50 and the red off road is at 3.49 so 1 penny more hmm? I work on both yes they are nice but at $1200 for a injecton pump on some of the ones I deal with, well a 7.3 runs $800 plus instalation(friend of mine just did it on his 03 with 104k) cam position sensors are $200 for them, heck everything for the newer body is crazy exspensive $430 for a wheel bearing. 16qts for a oil change, more fuel filters. plug it in or your screwed in the winter some of us arn't that lucky to have a plug there. I'm not saying I don't like diesels I really like them but for me 460 or 408w.

Oh and the new diesel for 08 you can light it on fire like gas guy i work with already tried it at his other work brought in a sample for me.
Curtis

 

I think the new Chevies are not getting the gas mileage everybody hoped for unfortunatly. But really its a truck so not to much to be expected on that front. I always thought Fords gas motors. produce more torque down low tthen then the Chevies do. As far as Dodge there noted for there bad transmssions. Kind off common for them. Toyota has a ways to go to catch Ford in the truck department. Oh yeh there mekin some strides but unless Ford trucks go really downhill an bad I think Ford will still be on top. As far as trucks Ford is still coming out with features on pickups we havent even seen yet.

 

Yeah a truck will always be a truck, no way around it unless you have a ranger 2wd 4cyl. Best big engine average I have ever seen is my friends 8.1 just driving it easy not a lot of stops will average 13.2mpg and I already know put a trailer on it been in the truck many times with the 30ft enclosed snowmobile trailer loaded down with 600-1000cc sleds gear and 5 guys getting 6 with a head wind doing 96mph that truck rocks, thats with a 06 250 v10 behind then drafting to keep it in lock up getting 5mpg. I'm a ford guy but the 8.1 is exactly that I have seen both rode in both drove both no issues with either, except for the piston slap crap on the 8.1 that when the truck had 30k on it is when it started gm told him okay how many miles on it? throw another 100k on that warrenty so they will stand behind it. Seen way too much warrenty crap my friends 04 f150 200miles out of warrenty rear end bearings went bye-bye.

Curtis