TXOVAL

I'll try to keep this short...

I'm a Superintendent for a Commercial Construction Company and a year ago I finished up a new Science Lab, for a private school. The head maintenance guy drove a 3/4ton Chevy HD Duramax. He loved to give me crap about how awesome his truck was and that the Duramax was such a better engine then my cummins.

Well, today we did our 1 year walk through to make sure everything was going well, and I noticed he was driving a new decked out 3/4 Ton 4x4 Dodge CTD. I asked him what happened to his Duramax.

"Well at about 28000 miles the **** thing quit running and everytime Chevy tried to fix it, it would break down again. So I decided to get a better truck."

I just had to laugh

BigBlue

MnTom

ratsun

I'm sure his Duramax was awesome when new but I bet his CTD is better

Hemi Cat

I wonder if history is repeating itself from the old 5.7's. GM has a real problem with their new products. Just look at their history!!!!! The only thing GM has done right in the last 20 years on the first try is the Saturn!!! I worked in their Dyno labs doing R&D in the 70's and early 80's and saw first hand what really happens, But that peice of paper I had to sign keeps me from talking details.

Dave65

..But his DMAX was so AWSOME..Yeah right.

Geico266

It is amazing how loyal Chevy guys are. They line up to be guinea pigs year after year!

I'm real happy with my truck as a dailey drive and hauler. 160K and stronger than the day I picked her up off the show room floor. I got a few dents that wern't there before, but they were options.

xp8103

It's interesting how GM could use brain power from one of the premiere diesel manufacturers in the world (Isuzu) and ruin it?

MnTom

Probably the same way Ford did with Navistar.

Suburbanite

At least they're consistent. Consistent at turning out POS diesels! Most recent example, is the 6.5 & it looks like the Durapad is following the same path. It took another company (AM General, I believe) to mostly get the bugs worked out of the 6.5 but that didn't happen until '99, a year before the introduction of the Durapad. Let's see, the 6.5 was 1st available in '92 so it took ~6 yrs to get the bugs worked out which means the ~'07MY of the Durapad should be ok (don't bet on it).

Dieseldude4x4

Real trucks have six cylinders.

KATOOM

I used to be a one vehicle fan to whatever I drove but now in my later years I just like what is good. Kinda like getting the most out of my money is more important over ego now. BUT I do have to disagree with you guys on giving the Duramax a bad time. Lets all look back to when the Cummins was first around. Talk about lame, no power engines. Thats why still today I hear bad things about the Cummins engines. All steming from the early years. Yes Cummins has come light years from those days and good thing Dodge has tried to build a truck capable of lasting the duration of the engine. So I dont see why its fair to keep harping on the BRAND new Duramax engines. As far as I'm concerned they have done a excellent job of producing a motor with lots of power and torque right out of the box. And you can get wild by just adding a chip. No to bad for a totaly new design if you ask me. You cant blame the Engine or manufacturer on the dealers lack of competance either. I'm sure many of us speak from experience there. Funny too how the Power Stroke is almost a replica by design. And how Cummins is pumping out higher HP and torque engines to compete with the competetive market. Who's the competition? The Duramax and the PS. If they sucked as bas as everyone says then I wouldnt see any reason for Cummins to up the score. I personally hate the looks of the new Chevy's. They need some serious help in the design department, but the GMC's look pretty good. The Dodge 3500 dually 4x4 has to be the best looking truck out today. The new Cummins are awsome but I still dont like a few little design flaws DC has incorperated. Thats why I still drive mine. I am going to wait untill I feel they have built a truck I want to spend $40,000 plus on. Who am I kiding here. I dont have that kinda money anyway!

Cummins66

You've heard bad things about the Cummins . I have never heard anything bad about the Cummins. Heard Dodge bashed to pieces but never anything negative about the Cummins engine. Even in it's early years I think everyone realized what a reliable engine it had, it just took Dodge a few years to get the rest of it to hold together.

doomgaze

I have to go with Cummins66 here... I've never heard anything bad said about Cummins engines.

Also, to answer you, Katoom, the reason Cummins has to up the power is because of the ignorant folks out there. We all know that Joe Blow will only buy the truck that has the highest numbers. While Cummins could very well sit right where they are and still sell the trucks to guys like us because we are informed, they will lose all the Joe Blows. Which would ultimately be bad for everyone.

Got Juice?

My DMX has been trouble free in normal running, but regular duties are trailered loads hot shotting goods to Jobsites.
Carnage to date : On my 5th turbo (All my doing BTW.. Darn Juicegrips)
: Rear axle seal and 3rd member seal
: 4 U-Joints
: 1 Factory Radio
That's it.
Steering is still perfect, Though Shocks are due for replacement now after 79K Miles

Do I miss the looks of my old Dodge? You bet i do!
I do not miss replacing a trackbar , all the balljoints twice a year, and Adding a DSS to compensate for a DC flaw.

I DO miss more ground clearance and people asking if my truck is a 4x4
I DO miss the growl of the CTD.

I Love the smoothness of the DMX, and the fuel economy is not terribly different when trailering X load Requires X power to pull.
I Love the Allison Transmission.... perfect ratios N'uff said.

I miss the seating position in the dodge (but not the seats)
I don't miss the kidney abusing ride, But then again I believe the DMX could use another leaf on their 3/4 ton

My Ram was a tougher , rougher meaner truck... no doubt, and i miss a few things about it, and the ease of service for turbos among other things.

Having said that, The DMX has served me well, does not blowby or consume oil. CTD never has either.

The DMX represented the best overall diesel for me in 2002 when i bought it. If tomorrow i wanted another truck, I would go back and do my homework again, and test drive only 2 Diesels.

The Awesome Cummins Turbo Diesel

And The Awesome Isuzu Duramax.

BTW for the uninformed, The DMX is Built in Moraine OH, Assembled by UAW hands and has a lot of USA componentry. Yes, ISUZU DESIGNED the unit, but it does not come from foreign soil.

Also the DMX had extensive shock thermal loads in development. Full load WOT on an engine dyno, all fluids up to temperature and then cold water flushed through it to expose any weak points.... It never failed, and did not lift a head.

BTW, I know a fair amount about the CTD, and learning more every day. But for fun and Trivia... I'll post it in another thread.