Inline-6 engines are pretty tough and are highly underestimated. BMW makes some of the silkiest sixes you would ever put under the hood of a car.

Who can forget the venerable 250-cid 6cyl Chevy engine that found its way into so many cars? Ford had their 300-cid L6 in the F-Series and Econoline vans for eons. Even Chrysler had every right to be proud of the "Tower of Power" 225-cid Slant-6 that powered every old lady's Dodge Dart or Plymouth Valiant (among other cars).


With modern diesels, the big turbodiesel six is the way to go. Every truck we have at work (smallest being 25,000 GVWR Hino & Sterling box trucks - to the largest Navistar Class 8 tractor pulling 80,000 lbs) all are the same design. We also have three-axle Freightliner straight trucks with the Cummins ISC (8.3L, I think). The smaller Sterlings have the Cummins ISB (6.7-liter); which is a true beast!


If I were in the market for a big pickup truck, choosing between Dodge, Chevy and Ford would be a tough call. It's all in whether you get gas or diesel, 3/4 ton or 1 ton, what type of driving you do, what you haul, etc., etc.

The quality of these trucks is light years beyond what it was just a few years ago; but they also cost a lot more as well. Whatever you get, just take good care of it - and it'll take good care of you. Most all of our trucks at work fall apart long before the engine gives up the ghost.

 

if I had to get a diesel it would be a cummins for the very reason of ease of access. the duramax is a good engine but it is challenging to work on in vehicle.

 

I know they're not the same thing, but I got burned on two Cummins ISX engines to the point where I am averse to anything Cummins in any vehicle, large or small, that I buy. I really liked their N-14, but do not have any interest in them getting any of my dollars now. Those ISX engines are nearly $30K each for a reman crate motor and that doesn't include core charge. After two negative experiences, I will not give them a chance to do it to me again.

And I don't care for any diesel V motor. So that leaves me pretty much out of the diesel game except for my commercial stuff. I have no interest in having a diesel pickup anytime in the foreseeable future. And we haven't even talked about the emissions stuff!

 

I prefer gassers. they are easy to fix, work on and diagnose. parts are cheap. I have never had to put injectors in a gasser. even the local transit service is getting out of diesels and going with gas engines for their smaller buses. the current cost of diesel fuel makes it less of an advantage. For LD trucks, you really must meet a specific need to justify a diesel.

 

If you are going to be pulling VERY HEAVY loads, doing a lot of idling or plan on driving a ton of miles in a short period of time (like 40k miles per year or more), a diesel MIGHT be your best bet.

For light-duty work, a gasser might be adequate. The higher cost of diesel fuel does eat into the money you 'save' by getting more miles per gallon. The diesel also costs more than a gasser on a new truck and the repair/rebuild costs are higher when that time comes.

UPS and FedEx were almost entirely diesel-powered fleets (even the smaller trucks) years ago, but have recently gone back to gasoline engines in the smaller and mid-size trucks. Higher per gallon costs and emissions problems have taken some of the luster off having an oil-burner.

 

"taken some of the luster off having an oil burner". Man, that is an understatement. Fortunately, as it pertains to heavier trucks, there are some loopholes around this. I ordered up a 2013 Freightliner semi truck, without a motor, and then dropped in a pre-emission, factory remanned motor to get around all this new emissions junk. Legal. EPA ties the emissions regulations to the year the engine was made, not the vehicle itself. If a vehicle already comes with an engine, then the standards apply to that year, but if it doesn't come with an engine, then the emissions compliance falls on the year the engine was made.

Too bad GM doesn't offer the same thing in letting a buyer purchase a fully done Silverado, only without an engine, and provide a wiring harness setup for the motor the end user is wanting to use. They could easily do this by providing a wiring harness that matches up a pre emission Dmax to the new vehicle. It would be legal. As the heavy truck folks do, they classify the new vehicle as a "kit' vehicle available thru the parts stream. They probably never will, as they are in bed with the greenie folks.

 

We have some 2011 International tractors at one of our other terminals that came in this way. They were purchased "sans engine" as new trucks and had 'old' brand-new crate engines (pre-emissions Cummins ISM) put in them. Do DPF and no DEF!!


No way the EPA would allow that for private customers. No way at all.

 

They sure do allow anyone, a "private customer" can buy this just as any fleet. I, as an individual, ordered and had delivered a 2013 Freightliner the very same way as you describe. Paid $112K for the completed truck. Sitting in my driveway right now. Just used a remanned "crate" Detroit Series 60. There is no requirement that anyone doing this have a registered business, EIN number, DOT number, MC number, etc. A person that wanted to use this as a way to yank their heavy duty 5th wheel RV around the country could do it.

The process made me very aware of the details behind the regulations regarding this. Anyone can build just about any vehicle they want in their own garage and have it registered, licensed, and drive it down the road legally. As long as it meets DOT safety requirements. Virtually every state has regulations that allow for building of "kit" vehicles. And except for California, there is no stipulation that engines in them must meet current EPA regulations on new production engines. Only that they must meet the regulations for the year the engine was built. Trucks that are ordered sans engine and then a pre-egr engine is dropped in are classified as "kit" trucks. Anyone offering a "kit" truck can do all or partial assembly at the factor before delivery. This is true of custom kit cars and other such.

 

Don't let word of that get out!


I am sure there would be gazillions of diesel enthusiasts out there who would LOVE to find a way to drop in an "old" 7.3L Powerstroke/DT444e Navistar engine into a new 2015 F-250 pickup truck.


The 7.3L doesn't have nearly the power output of newer diesel engines, but the longevity & dependability of them is undeniable.


BTW, is your Freightliner a Cascadia? Those are nice trucks. I got to drive a rented 2015 Cascadia (with a DD15 engine) for a few days when the regular tractor was in the shop. The Cascadia is a very nice rig that makes our POS International 8600 look like a 1974 Ford Pinto!

 

The Cascadia offering for doing this type of thing only came about with the 2015 model year. Only Coronados and Columbias available when I did my 2013 MY in 2012. I got the Columbia. Signature interior, premium arctic and noise abatement insulation packages, woodgrain dash with 18 gauges, 18 speed factory remanned Eaton, factory remanned Detroit 12.7L 500HP, built in refrigerator, 70" sleeper, and the list goes on and on. A darn good truck.