Any reasons not to go deisel?

[Tobias Reiper]

Last week I was talking to my brother about the possibilities of dropping a deisel engine into a pickup, not knowing that you could already buy them like that.

My reasoning behind it was because I noticed that deisel is generally 10¢ cheaper than unleaded, and my brother said I could also get better mileage out of it.

So are there any disadvantates, other than the possibility of getting mixed up and using the pumps I've used for the past five years?

[robert65]

I am not sure I would want to drop a diesel in. It would include a major rewiring. (15 yrs working for Ford speaking) You would need the harness, engine processor, and other stuff. Fuel pumps are different, exhaust system etc. I would look for a good used diesel truck that has all the service records available. Less headaches I think then patching together your own experiment. Spend a lot of time researching it before jumping in.

[robert65]

Another thing to consider is that the maint services are generally more costly to do. Call around and ask. The payoff is in the increased mileage but you have to prepare for the cost of maint..

[Em7add11]

Plus, diesel smells bad.

[robert65]

Plus, diesel smells bad.

That to.

[elysian]

Diesel fuel costs less than gasoline and you get more MPG.

That's the good news.

The bad news:
1. Drastically higher maintenance costs, especially in adjustments, filters and maintenance intervals (you have to do it all more often)
2. Not as prevalent availability of fuel
3. Horrendous smell/ very environmentally un-friendly and dirty
4. Hard starting in cold or damp climates (and I do mean very hard-starting!)
5. Decreased reliability, higher incidence of catastrophic engine failure
6. Lots of low-end torque, but not much acceleration or high-end. Think "semi truck"- they can haul a lot but not quickly!
7. Dreadful clattering noise and nasty vibration that will drive you nuts at freeway speeds!
8. Fewer technicians are certified/proficient/trustworthy in diesel repair.
9. Only a few manufacturers build a really good diesel engine, Cummins and Mercedes are the best (VW has some decent diesels as well) but they are still problematic compared to gasoline engines.
10. Parts availability :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

19 years in automotive have taught me to be most critical of such things! Don't go diesel. It isn't worth it for small truck or car applications. It is only cost-effective on medium duty trucks and larger, i.e. fleet vehicles.

If you are considering a new truck the Toyota Tundra is sweet (Tacoma is great for a small/midsize and the 4 cylinder gets good mileage.) The Chevy full size trucks with the V6 do reasonably well on gasoline and are not that expensive but IMO long term they are not as reliable or sturdy as the Toyotas (you get what you pay for.)

[Keith Rex]

If you know so little about deisel it would be suicide to attempt a conversion. Far better to trade up cheaper and pain free, but it will cost.
The objections given are pretty sound. Greenies like to go deisel because of the imagined environmental advantages and their superstitious belief that the world will soon run out of petrol. But the break even point of synthetic petrol is $35 American a barrel and we have enough coal oil shale etc to keep us in petrol for a zillion years.
Deisel exhaust not only smells bad it is cancer producing.

[bandecoot]

Diesel fuel costs less than gasoline and you get more MPG.

That's the good news.

The bad news:
1. Drastically higher maintenance costs, especially in adjustments, filters and maintenance intervals (you have to do it all more often)
2. Not as prevalent availability of fuel
3. Horrendous smell/ very environmentally un-friendly and dirty
4. Hard starting in cold or damp climates (and I do mean very hard-starting!)
5. Decreased reliability, higher incidence of catastrophic engine failure
6. Lots of low-end torque, but not much acceleration or high-end. Think "semi truck"- they can haul a lot but not quickly!
7. Dreadful clattering noise and nasty vibration that will drive you nuts at freeway speeds!
8. Fewer technicians are certified/proficient/trustworthy in diesel repair.
9. Only a few manufacturers build a really good diesel engine, Cummins and Mercedes are the best (VW has some decent diesels as well) but they are still problematic compared to gasoline engines.
10. Parts availability :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

19 years in automotive have taught me to be most critical of such things! Don't go diesel. It isn't worth it for small truck or car applications. It is only cost-effective on medium duty trucks and larger, i.e. fleet vehicles.

If you are considering a new truck the Toyota Tundra is sweet (Tacoma is great for a small/midsize and the 4 cylinder gets good mileage.) The Chevy full size trucks with the V6 do reasonably well on gasoline and are not that expensive but IMO long term they are not as reliable or sturdy as the Toyotas (you get what you pay for.)


This is about as funny as I have ever seen.

I had an 84 Hiace diesel LWB High Roof van The 1 tonne kind. I racked up 240 000 klms before I sold it as a working vehicle with a business.
It got serviced every 6 months.
I got 600 klms out of a tank fully laden (often over laden)
I could get parts in every town with a population over 500.
it never had a failure of any engine componant other than a front seal once in all that milage. ( cost to have a mechanic replace? $150 parts and labour)

I am thinking about the BMW X5 diesel as it gets 1000 klms from a tank accelerates like a petrol car and is just as quiet as one.

Catch up with the times kid.

[Rubia Warren]

:huh: I didn't think diesels were as hard-starting in the cold as they used to be. Didn't they used to have to use those plug-in, glow thingies before, so the motor would start or something? Or was that just a Volkswagen thing in the early 80's?
When I had my Volkwagen Rabbit, I always secretly coveted the ones that had diesel engines so I could sound like I was driving a semi as I putted around town in my little tiny car. :lol:

We in the midwest, Fatty. You shouldn't have any trouble finding somebody who can work on diesels. I am not an expert, but I've always been under the impression that they don't break down as often as regular motors, and also they last longer-- don't some of them last until about 500,000 miles or something like that?? I wouldn't go converting a regular truck into a diesel though- too much hassle. And right now, it's seeming like in our area, it's definitely a buyer's market for used vehicles- you just gotta take yer time & look around for a great deal.

If I'd have known you were interested in a diesel truck, my uncle just had one for sale recently that he picked up from the company he works for. It was a Ford powerstroke diesel, well-maintained (obviously, since it was a company truck), had a hydraulic lift thingie where the tailgate goes, too. Woulda made a real nice work truck for somebody and had another few hundred thousand miles left in it EASY. Kelly Blue Book had that thing at like 5 grand, and because the market is so soft around here to sell used vehicles, he ended up letting it go for only $1500. If I'd have known I'da hooked you up with his number (even if you couldn't have come all the way to Indiana, my family members often travel to Arkansas and we pass through Missouri to get there- he couldv'e met you there). I'm still kinda kickin' myself in the rear for letting that deal slide past me, myself- although I'm not sure what I'd have used it for, another than to pull cars or something.

Since yer a country boy, you should have no troubles finding a mechanic who knows about diesels if you buy one and it breaks down. Plus you could always convert it to burn McDonald's old french fry grease instead of diesel fuel if you're feelin' funky!

But if you wanna stick with regular engines and end up taking the Toyota advice, those are good, too. We have a '90 SR5 4X4 pickup that is tons of fun. BUt there again, if you live in an area where most mechanics don't wanna fool with Toyotas or aren't familiar with them, you could get charged more, either for labor, or even for parts. My spark plug wires alone in my car (corolla) were over 50 bucks to buy at the autoparts store. I had a grand prix, and they were like half that price. Plus if you get an older one, you have to, every so often, adjust those lifter thingies in the motor (or whatever they are called), or else over time it'll get screwed up (I'm talking old school toyota motors here, not a 2005). But they seem to last forever if taken care of. SO if you go diesel, or if you go toyota, you're on the right path, regardless (just remember that lifter thing, if you get an older model).

Let us know how it works out, Fatty! :highfive:

[technomage]

Catch up with the times kid.

Bande, that's in Australia. Here in the US, things are different: diesel maintenance falls under "all the market will bear."

[bandecoot]

Bande, that's in Australia. Here in the US, things are different: diesel maintenance falls under "all the market will bear."


Well in that case life is a female hound and then you get 26 mpg out of your crappy unregulated gasoline engines. I got better than that out of a 1971 Austin 1800 landcrab.


Like I said catch up with the times. ( I wont call YOU kid, even though you ARE younger than me)

[mossrose]

Diesel is NOT cheaper than regular gasoline where I live.

:nsm:

[QuantaFille]

Has anyone realized this thread is old?
:gravedig:

[Jedidiah]

Deisels are popular where I live.

[Raptor]

Well in that case life is a female hound and then you get 26 mpg out of your crappy unregulated gasoline engines. I got better than that out of a 1971 Austin 1800 landcrab.


Like I said catch up with the times. ( I wont call YOU kid, even though you ARE younger than me)
Landcrab? :hrm:

:haha: Bande

[Teallaura]

1) Who cares if it's old?

2) It's spelled 'diesel' - not usually a spelling nazi but that one is bugging me.

3) You can get used diesels in the US.

4) Unless Canada is even weirder than I already think it is, the pump for diesel won't fit into a gasoline engine's tank.

5) In a word, bio-diesel! Much cheaper, smells like french fries. Drawback is putting in the extra work to produce the stuff.

[Conductor42]

very environmentally un-friendly and dirty

Europe's diesel cars are cleaner than our unleaded cars.

[Jedidiah]

5) In a word, bio-diesel! Much cheaper, smells like french fries. Drawback is putting in the extra work to produce the stuff.
You gotta eat a lot of french fries. :lol:

[bandecoot]

Landcrab? :hrm:

:haha: Bande


Yep Landcrab was the models nickname, it would go just as fast sideways as forward. Fun car to drive.

[QuantaFille]

Yep Landcrab was the models nickname, it would go just as fast sideways as forward. Fun car to drive.
It looks kinda cute. I want one! :cheesy:

[Rubia Warren]

Everybody else has way cooler cars than we do. I think I've been sheltered. WAAAH! :bawl: No fair no fair!!