Buying a used diesel?
10-25-2002, 10:20 PM
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Buying a used diesel?
Hey guys, i'm looking to buy a ram 2500 with a cummins in it. And most of them i saw had over 100,000 miles on them. I was just wondering if thats high milage, and if there would be any major problems after 100,000. And what to look for if you are going to buy a used diesel.....
10-26-2002, 12:20 AM
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Re:Buying a used diesel?
100k? It is just getting broken in. ;D I have driven several trucks while looking before and most of them had well over 100k on them and run just fine. Our trucks at work have over 200k and are in excellent shape. The trucks get WORKED HARD every day and have never had any major problems. Don't let mileage sway your decision.
10-26-2002, 02:33 PM
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Re:Buying a used diesel?
CMN_NOT_STROKIN is giving you good advice. I have heard the average lifespan for these engines is 450,000 to the first rebuild!. No doubt there are some out there with a million miles on them. A lot will depend on how well it was maintained of course. Proper Oil and filters and adjusting valve lash all add to the life and performance of the vehicle. 100,000 would not sway me if the truck appears to be well maintained.<br> Check out the front end, ball joints and tracbar. Also if it is an automatic tranny, that is the weakest point. Any mods to the engine can do serious damage to the drive train. Especially if no gauges have been added to monitor tranny temperature.<br> As with any used vehicle you are at the mercy of your best guess concerning condition. Spend some time looking it over and don't be afraid to ask if you can run an oil analysis. If the owner agrees and he hasn't just changed oil recently you might learn a great deal. Good Luck! and Welcome to the site!
10-26-2002, 02:57 PM
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Re:Buying a used diesel?
The Cummins will outlast the truck. Period. 500,000 miles at least before any "major" work *might* have to be done. If it's an automatic, expect to be replacing it within the year or two. If it's a manual it's probably good to go. The engine is the least of your worries when it comes to a Cummins powered Dodge truck. It's simply the best engine you can get for a 3/4 or 1-ton truck.
10-26-2002, 07:14 PM
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Re:Buying a used diesel?
The truck you're looking at has over 100,000 miles, which isn't a problem for these engines, but what year is it? If it is a 24 valve engine, you will want a fuel pressure check because our 24v engines have a weak lift pump. If your fuel pressure is less than 10-12 lbs at idle, or less than 8 lbs any time, you will want to change out the lift pump. If your fuel pressure remains low, the injection pump could be damaged, and that's big bucks.<br><br>Good luck with your decision!<br><br>DeWain
10-26-2002, 10:20 PM
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Re:Buying a used diesel?
The truck is a 24 valve engine, so I will have the fuel pressure checked before I buy it. Also people told me to run an oil analysis on it. What all does one of these things tell you and how much is one?
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10-26-2002, 10:42 PM
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Re:Buying a used diesel?
[quote author=engcogod link=board=5;threadid=6271;start=0#57917 date=1035688854]<br>The truck is a 24 valve engine, so I will have the fuel pressure checked before I buy it. Also people told me to run an oil analysis on it. What all does one of these things tell you and how much is one?<br>[/quote] Here is a site that will tell all. http://www.blackstone-labs.com/index.html<br><br>Places like Caterpillar do the locally as well. Call your local truck parts vendor he may know somebody local.
10-26-2002, 11:32 PM
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Re:Buying a used diesel?
As mentioned, the engine is least of your worries usually. Service records are a plus if available. However, you still have however many miles on the rest of the truck. Problem areas include the entire front steering/suspension, front brakes on some, fun with the vacuum controls on the climate control, the auto transmission good for 150k maybe (locally have seen them done as soon as 80k, some stretched to a bit over 180k), and the manual transmission with it's 5th gear problems.<br> Personally, my truck needed all ball joints, outer tie rods, front brakes (turned rotors, pads), shocks and the climate control is wacky. At 73k. Wiil do inner tie rods and idler arm just to be safe before the next set of tires. Control arm bushings will need to be done in 2-3 years at a guess.<br> Don't just ignore the engine, there are maltreated ones out there, but it's usually how to fix the rest of the truck that brings out the questoins on the board. Most of the engine discussion seems to be how to get more power out of it.<br><br>Good luck,<br>Rob
10-27-2002, 02:09 PM
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Re:Buying a used diesel?
Trying to get my defroster working is an act of god. These cheap POS dodge chasiss **** me off. The **** fall off and all kinds of crap. I hate dodge products. I'll repeat myself.. they're built like sh|t. But you can't beat the drivetrian. ;D
10-28-2002, 06:06 PM
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Re:Buying a used diesel?
[quote author=SFtopSGT link=board=5;threadid=6271;start=0#57827 date=1035660786]<br>...A lot will depend on how well it was maintained of course. Proper Oil and filters and adjusting valve lash all add to the life and performance of the vehicle...<br>[/quote]<br><br>Top, you mention adjusting the valve lash and I've seen it mentioned before. How big a job is this and what all does it include doing? I guess what I mean is, how experienced a mechanic does it take to do this? Also, how often should it be done?<br><br>CR
10-30-2002, 06:53 AM
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Re:Buying a used diesel?
Valve lash adjustment is relatively easy to do. All you really need is a set of feeler gauges, the proper wrenches, and some patience in finding TDC. The worst one to get to is the #6 cylinder because it is back under the cowl. The rest are easy to get to and adjust.<br><br>I have heard that the rule of thumb is to set them every 50K miles or if you start getting increased vibration at idle. The proper lash makes the motor more smooth at idle and diminishes some of the clatter. <br><br>Check the FAQ or search the archive for good instructions.
10-30-2002, 06:52 PM
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Re:Buying a used diesel?
best decision was to go with the cummins. Ask the guys who bought gm diesels new and ask them how many times gm has replaced their injector pump under warranty? This summer I did a Hummer commercial and was asking th gm engineer about this problem and he told me that when they first put out that particular injector pump that it would last 200 miles, and that is not a typo. They have a warrany extension on the pump to 190,000 kms (in Canada) My friend had his changed 4 times b4 he went out and bought a ford pos.
