I think the MPG can vary wildly based upon the condition of the engine. I have 2 LBZ's, one gets 16-17 if I'm lucky, the other I can approach 20 if it's mostly highway. They can get really clogged up too in very short order, and I'm sure that's a good portion of it. If the engine had brand new OEM injectors, EGR delete and PCV reroute, piston rings in great shape and the intake track is squeeky clean, they'll get 24-25 highway driving with a tune. But that's never the case with all of the emissions stuff that plugs them up after a few thousand miles, and wear and tear on the injectors etc.
It sounds like the OEM's are ruining the purpose of a diesel, longevity, durability, and mileage for the sake of saving trees
It's a compromise between mileage, emissions and power. But, i can't believe a nearly a 50% increase in mileage. There is no way the engineers would leave that much on the table.
Anyone remember what kind of mileage the early Cummins and 7.3 Power Stroke we’re getting before all this emissions garbage was added? Sounds like they’re on a learning curve with diesels as they were with gas engines many years ago
Mark, I had the "misfortune" of driving an almost new F350 4dr dually with the 7.3 for about a year. This was approx 2001 & th etruck was either a 1999 or 2000. My buddy had a contract with the Bentley dealer in Michigan to deliver these big dollar cars all over the country. He had back surgery & conned me into driving his truck pulling 2 trailers. Both were Featherlites' One was a 48 ft 2 car tri -axle & the other was a 53 ft 3 car tri -axle with a lift in the front. That Ford got 9.9 MPG with the trailers loaded or empty, no matter how you drove it. It was bone stock, so I don't know how much better it would have been with mods, but I do know I convinced him to hook a bone stock '01 Duramax dually to the 48 ft trailer for one long trip to Vegas & back, the mileage went to 12.5 MPG & it pulled much better. God Bless Bill https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ar-transport-hauling-open-or-enclosed.614419/
I was working at a Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep dealership until 2001 when I went to work at a Ford dealer. Stock 5.9L 24V and 7.3 PowerStroke got around 16-18 MPG each on the highway. You could get them into the 19-21 range with chips, intake, and exhaust.
Oh, and we love the 6.0 and 6.4 Powerstrokes at my shop. Opening the hood starts at $5K, and then it gets ugly from there.
No, and you used to (and still do) hear guys that say they got 20+ with them, but my realistic experience was upper teens. I've got a 1994 F250 with the 460 in it because a similar condition, year, and mileage PowerStroke 7.3 in the year 2001 when I got the truck was $15k more than mine was. I figured out it wouldn't pay for itself in fuel savings for almost 300k miles at the time. And you're right, when my truck was stone stock I got 12-13 mpg at 70 mph. After lifting it and putting 35s on, I might squeak out 10 mpg. The 6.0L was the bane of many diesel tech's existence when they came out. The 7.3 was far superior.
A lot of municipalities, school districts and delivery folks are ditching diesels period in the medium-duty sector and going back to gassers. They’ve run the numbers and it seems to make sense.
Our local school bus outfit is ditching them because the buses are in the shop constantly with DEF issues instead of hauling kids to school.
Buying a 6.0 or a 6.4 truck is like playing Russian Roulette with 5 bullets in the gun... Any decent diesel tech can have the cab in the air in about an hour.
Really?? I don't doubt it, I watched a vid on You Tube on a companies OTR tractor in for regular service.... cleaning the particulate filter, OMG WHAT A PAIN IN THE ASS AND POCKET BOOK Way back when, diesels were mostly exempt from emission standards, but they started gaining popularity in the light duty (1 ton and down) market and some cars. EPA "Whoa, these thing are getting popular, lets regulate 'em" Oil companies "hey diesel fuel is REALLY selling, up the price per gallon" Give the diesel engine back to who needs it, the BIG GUYS, OTR tractor trailers, maybe the price of diesel fuel will come down, and the cost of operating one will become more affordable for the big guys. If they need a gasser with torque, petition Buick to produce the 455 again with killer heads, and a bullet proof oiling system
My 2006 CC 6-sp got 18 at around 70mph. Speed makes a huge difference in my experience ( 20+ at 60 - Canada, 16 at 85 - New Mexico) Found similar performance with my '98 Ford. I never saw MPG improvement with programmers though many swear by them. My EFI live programming of the Duramax with rev limit increase to 3900RPM made the truck more fun to drive. Did the same to my 2017 RAM cummins 6-sp. Also winter diesel vs summer diesel impacts MPG. Check out BTU/gal for #1 and #2. Towing the Lund I get about 15 in the summer. 2018 was the last 6-sp full size truck. handshakers R.I.P.
Yes! I see an almost 1 MPG difference between winter & summer fuel every year while transporting. God Bless Bill https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ar-transport-hauling-open-or-enclosed.614419/
My son just drove from NY to Sanibel Island, FL in a 2012 LGH dually and got 16.7 mpg overall. Untested truck, not tuned or deleted, and the check engine light didn’t even come on lol. The only thing that was somewhat eventful was the washer solvent froze in a line somewhere in PA and didn’t thaw out until SC. It’s cold down here (SW FL).
Actually, I lied. My son’s LGH is indeed tuned and deleted, and whoever did it left the cat on. He scrapped the cat and that paid for a full 5” exhaust, which he had to have bootlegged in to New Yorkistan. And it’s final resting place is here in FLA, sold.
I have a 2008 LMM Dually Crew cab.. Removed the DPF and went with EFI Live. Got the Cory Willis tunes with a 4 inch low restriction exhaust. On a flat highway road, unloaded I have achieved 25 mpg before. Six speed Allison helps a bit too.
I just started to look at LBZ trucks to replace my 96 GMC dually 454 gasser. I know that I want an 06-07, Chevy or GMC[I like them both]. What should I look for on these ? besides no rust on the body. I found an 06 Chevy crew cab duallywith 200 on it for 15k. and an 07 crew cab duallywith 300 on it for 11k, both are 4x4. The 07 is a NC truck its entire life, and is spotless, but has 300k on it.
If they've been taken care of and weren't used as work trucks, there's nothing to worry about with 200 or 300k on them. We just had a nice '06 truck in the shop yesterday with 840k on it's original Duramax. Wouldn't have had a clue it had that many miles other then the odometer. I'd try to check and see if they've had injectors done. That is the biggest and most common issue with D-maxes in general (besides little stuff like glow plugs), and is not cheap or something most guys have the stones to do at home, although it can be done, obviously.
