V-10 or 6.0l diesel
 

I am trying to decide between a V-10 and a Diesel. I have a Silverado 6.0l gasser now, but it's a 1/2 ton and I need more. I have been searching for some info on the 6.0l and found quite a bit. My question(s) is/are:

What are the routine maintenance costs for a Diesel?
Are there additional maintenance items other than the norms...?
Major repair costs, higher or lower than a gasser?
Gas mileage between a V-10 and a Diesel (I have read 12-13 for V-10, 16-18 for Diesel)

Bottom line, I am looking to buy an 05-07 F250/350 CC, and plan on keeping it for 6-8 years, longer if it's still in good shape. I don't tow often (3 or 4 times a year), but when I do it is in the 8,000-10,000# range.

Thanks

Chip

The answer to all of your questions is higher, higher maintenance, higher repair (significantly in some cases) and higher fuel mileage.

This is, however, a debate you don't want to start. A similar debate went on for 100 pages....

You are going to open a whole can with this topic. If you would like, do a forum search on PSD vs. V10 and you can see the 3000 responses....My advise, if you only tow 3 or 4 times a year a V10 should be more than adequate....The 6.0 will pull better and get better mileage, but for 3-4 times a year it probably isn't necessary.

Man is this gonna be a loaded thread. First off I have owned both, 01F250 v10 and my current 05 F350 6.0 Both suited my needs at the time well. From what you're describing the V10 will do just fine. If this is a daily driver and you put alot of miles on it, the fuel bill will kill you. Thats where the 6.0 may be better, however the maintence may offset it. Especially if this is your first diesel. My opinion go with the v10.. Good luck

Wow, fast replies. A little more info on my end.

This will be a daily driver, 50mi. a day, plus 3-5000 a year in road trips, so fuel consumption is going to be a big part of the decision.

Aldridgec: What are we talking about higher costs for maintenance? I know oil will be about 4 times higher just from volume, 16qts. but other maintenance?

Sammy77: Can I ask what your estimated maintenance costs are per year? Roughly, I would save @ $1,000 on fuel costs with a diesel. Would that be enough to cover additional maintenance?

It actually takes 15 qts. And it also depends on what type of oil you use. All you really need is 15w40 either motorcraft or rotella. Plus you need to change out the fuel filters (which I can't remember if the 6.0 has one or two fuel filter) every 15k miles. So if you save about 1k dollars a year in fuel cost you will probably be ahead if you go with a diesel. Oh and if you do mods you will get better mpg and be that much far ahead on fuel savings.

I can get oil, filters, misc. small parts at cost through a buddy so I generally get the good stuff, Synthetics, high flow filters and so on.

Sammy77: Can I ask what your estimated maintenance costs are per year? Roughly, I would save @ $1,000 on fuel costs with a diesel. Would that be enough to cover additional maintenance?


Its kinda hard for me to put it in $$$. I do all my own maintenance work. If you're paying the dealership to do it. I would say you maybe close to your estimate. However I recommend if you're serious to educate the hell out of yourself on the 6.0 This is the best place to do so.Repairs are very costly on a diesel in general. It can be a devil, but its the devil you know.

Just ask yourself this..
Can you afford a single repair that's well in excess of $2000? If not, then don't even bother with a 6.0L. Turbocharger replacements, HPOP failures, and headgasket repairs will ALL be in that range. The small fuel savings(we're talking about real world here, not jac's fantasy world where diesels make fuel and never need any repairs whatsoever) will quickly disappear when you have to do any kind of repairs on that 6.0L. There are good 6.0L's that never have problems,but you've got better odds at winning the Powerball lottery with a single ticket purchase in your lifetime that finding one of those.
On the other hand, the V10 trucks will use fuel-not a single V10 owner will argue against that. But,they will also reward you will reliability that is untouched by any of the diesels. I tow a travel trailer with mine that weighs roughly 9000lbs, is 11 feet tall, and is just over 33' long. It's a MASSIVE wind drag going down the road. My truck gets 8-10 mpg at 65mph doing that. it has NO problems accelerating to the legal speed limits, and has no problems maintaining speed with that load. I've pulled a 14K lb load with it a few times(mini-excavator on our company's gooseneck trailer), and it had no problems moving that load down the road. It actually pulled that load up to speed just a few ticks shy of a similarly loaded 6.4L truck.
Videos here:
6.4L @ 19K lbs combined weight:
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my 6.8L @ 21K lbs combined weight:
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Bottom line, the V10 trucks are just as capable of towing loads as the diesels are, they will just use more fuel doing it. My truck does get 14-15 mpg running solo on the highway with a 4.10 gear, and my mixed average running around town is 12.5 mpg.
JL

Thread cleaned - answer the poster's questions without resorting to insults. It will not be tolerated.

Granted it's just 2 snapshots in time, but both the 6.4 and 6.8 are showing 12.5 average MPG.

Mike

I think you may have answered all my questions right there, thanks.:-drink

That is an awesome video. The truck just won't quit pulling. :D

for towing/hauling 3-4 times a year the V10 wins that competition for sure..

I love my diesel, but thanks to the great info here, I'm slowly becoming borderline anal about taking care of it, and that's something you don't hear often in the debates between the engines. Diesels don't just have highter maintenance costs, you also need diagnostic gauges to help with that maintenance and catching issues early. I'm already looking into about a grand worth up engine upgrades that have nothing to do with power or tuning, and everything to do with monitoring the engine and fixing a few minor mechanical flaws, all to help increase longevity. A gas engine would have done everything I needed, but I wanted the diesel toy to play with while I was working, and I'm willing to pay for it. A V10 would pull the wheels off every trailer I own.

Just relax dude, it's a truck engine, nothing to get upset over. Please don't start calling out Mods in the open forum.