Ford Diesel Trucks vs Dodge Diesel Trucks

firstwindstar02 · 02-07-2008, 08:22 PM

Who makes the best diesel truck? I'm interested in buying the fuelmeister.com bio diesel making kit. I know a few restaurant owners that would supply me with a steady supply. It claims 70 cents to the gallon and I know diesel is 40-60 percent more gas efficient anyways. Is Ford better than Dodge? And I'm talking about the 1998-2003 range. I don't want to pay more than 8000.

ajpletcher · 02-07-2008, 09:27 PM

well im not exactaly an expert on the subject, however i do know that the bio deisel does work ... Good. As for the Motor Do your research on what you want. The motor in a dodge is a cummings and ford used internationals for a while I think ... check on that. But as for the mody and every thing behind the tranny, i think there pretty comparable. Except dodge has a thing for their trannys, the go bad easily.

Good Luck

r8nger · 03-01-2008, 04:01 PM

Ford has a better chassis, I like the cummins engine. Dodge front ends stink, wear out early.The 7.3 p.s. are the best Ford diesels .That veg oil deisel, could be a pain in the a-- .I know of a few engines that have gotten all gummed up with that stuff. Requiring expensive repairs ,such as injectors and pumps. I think the newer diesels are even more sensitive to contamination.

Hammerhead46 · 03-14-2008, 08:50 AM

Wait for the 2009 Ford.
I hear from a local Ford mechanic that Ford is going to put Cummings Engines and Allison Transmissions in the F350 and up trucks.

chukarhunt · 04-11-2008, 09:31 AM

Stay away from the 98 dodges. That was a bad batch of trucks. You probably want to stay with the older years if you are wanting to run biodiesel. If something is to go wrong then it will be easier and cheaper to fix. Cummins in the dodge is a great engine, same for the 7.3 in the Ford. In 2003 I believe is when ford started putting in the 6.0L. That isn't such a great engine. It all depends on what truck you want.

phantom_smack · 04-11-2008, 10:11 AM

I believe cummins is gonna be F450 and up,ford only recomends using only a cerain percentage of biodeisel and it has to meet a certain specification.I would think something with an injector pump could tollerate alot more bio-d than the electronic injected

Backdraft17 · 04-12-2008, 04:23 PM

The Cummins in a Ford is a rumor, it has been for awhile now. You will not see a Cummins in a Ford, nor will you see an Allison trans in a Ford. I am Ford guy all the way around no question about it, but I would go with the Dodge Cummins. Cummins makes the best diesel engine, I swear by Cummins engines. The 6.0 Ford has turbo problems & injector problems stay away from them, try to get a 7.3 Power Stroke.

firstwindstar02 · 04-14-2008, 01:13 PM

I was thinking about getting a diesel excursion or super duty or possibly swap a cummins into an expedition. I haven't decided yet. However I was told on another forum that diesels aren't a good choice unless you do a lot of driving. It isn't good to just do short trips. Is this true? How long would I have to warm it up for before driving? Is there a minimum I would have to drive without wearing out the starter, battery, and glow plugs? Thanks in advance for any advice on the matter.

chukarhunt · 04-17-2008, 09:20 AM

They say diesels aren't good for short trips because it needs to burn the fuel right. You know how the diesel regeneration works in the '08 superduty? There is a spot in the exhaust where it lets the fumes and toxic stuff build up, then after a period of time the engine changes the fuel mixture and what not and burns all that junk up (i cant remember if it is carbon build up or what). That is what the diesel engine has to do everytime you run it. It has to run long enough to burn up the junk or you will get build up and your engine will wear out faster. Making trips to town and stuff isnt bad, just if you run it like a work truck and you are stopping and going all the time.

heyratch · 04-26-2008, 03:12 PM

I am new here, so hi guys, there are problems with the oil from the restaurants because it does not have the same wear quality, it does not coat parts as well and tends to break down quicker than regular oil. The recommended mix is no more than 10% oil /90% diesel. UBC in Vancouver Canada uses it on all of their vehicles and most have had to be rebuilt because their mixture was to heavy on the oil. Be careful mixing it any more than that or you will have problems.

I owned a 99 dodge cummins diesel (Automatic though cause I'm real tired of changing gears in rush hour traffic)and the tranny in the 99 and up was better than the 98 and down by a mile. The truck was a lot better than my buddies 00 ford diesel (automatic). He kicked himself for a long time after buying it because he liked my dodge much better. I tried to tell him but he would not listen! Ride and handling seemed better in mine too. They all have their problems though and it is definitely a personal preference! I am not specifically a dodge guy, it is just my own opinion. I like certain Ford trucks too but I am real picky.