Hi,

I'm new to this board this is my first post here as well as being uncertain about the latest info on the 5.9 vs the 6.7 pros and cons.

My situation is this. My 93 5.9 with about 400k miles on it just had a serious electrical system melt down, fried and melted wires under the dash all over the place, oil leaks worn out front end, brake problems and the list goes on ( the 5.9 is still running strong tho). So now I'm faced with getting a new one.


I've located both 5.9's and 6.7's in my general area at about the same cost give or take a bit, actually the 5.9's are slightly less but not by much. I'm really having a hard time deciding on which route to go.


What I'm looking at is a 2500 4x4 slt package with the auto transmission for both choices. My typical usage entails approx. 80% highway driving and the balance around town stuff for work related issues, running around town for groceries etc.etc. and usually 6-7 trips a year during the winter up to Canada dragging a 4 place snowmobile box trailer 600 to 700 miles each way when the temps usually hover around -30 to -40 degrees. The trailer grosses out about 7000 lbs.

Guess what I'm looking for here are opinions as to how everyone feels either choice would be to handle my intended usage of about 35,000 miles a year driving, expected fuel mpg for both choices, and overall reliability issues between both choices.

Thanks in advance for your opinions,

Tom

 

I would go with the 5.9, on the my last trip i averaged 19 mpg hand calculated on the freeway going 70 miles per hour empty. Can't go wrong with that.

 

In the 5.9 stay away from the auto unless you have to have one. Well crap I would stay away from it in the 6.7 also.

 

I'd avoid that 6.7 like the plague.

 

TBOLDUC, welcome to the forum.

I'd been thinking about getting a 6.7 dually auto, but from what I've been reading I think I'll either keep my current truck until the wheels fall off, or find a 5.9 stick.

If someone absolutely wanted an auto for heavy towing I could see getting a 6.7 with the 68RFE, or a cab and chassis with the Aisin.

If I were in your shoes, though (towing light) I'd get a 5.9...

Just my .02.

 

I'd go with the 6.7. As is usually the case, those who experience problems with anything new will be the ones to post their experiences, whereas those (like me) who have had no issues will most often just carry on our merry way. As all new owners of the 6.7L know (or should have known when they bought their new rig) there are going to be some issues when dealing with an entirely new engine build. I've had my rig since the beginning of April with only a minor annoyance which will be addressed with the newest TSB.

I'm sure that the vast majority of CTD owners would agree that Cummins quite simply doesn't know how to build a bad engine. Yes, there have been issues and they have been quick to respond. Posts in other threads have indicated that in stock form, the 6.7 is quite a ways ahead of the 5.9 in terms of towing performance, especially with the integration of the E-brake feature. I've got just over 10K on mine with about 20% of those miles towing a loaded bobcat trailer.. roughly 12000 lbs. City MPG is around 13 while highway is about 17 hand calculated. I'm thinking that after 50K or so I should be able to approach 20 highway.

One more thing to consider. Up here in Canada, LSD is no longer available... only ULSD, so you'll either have to fill up a slip tank before coming up or have fuel additive on hand.

 

Stay with the 5.9, if getting one now. Unless you like going to the dealer every week for the latest computer "flash".

Those with the 6.7 with no problems apear to be the lucky ones.

Cummins and Dodge did NO TESTING for this new motor in this country ... evident by the amout of problem with the new emissions system in them.

 

Um - I've read of the problems with the regens and the DPF's etc. just like everyone else here has, but...

With what authority do you make the statement you made above, that they did NO TESTING in this country? Do you have anything to back that up? Just curious.

 

Hey it's the DPF not the new motors. There hasn't been any problems
with them, thank the EPA for all the junk on the trucks that is giving us
all the trouble! Oh and it's not Dodge's fault either but
they are trying to fix it.

 

Yes ... all the posts of people with DPF problems and EGR valve problems ... not only on this board, but on others. If there was any testing done, there would be NO PROBLEMS with these items at all. These problems would have ALL been addressed prior to the 6.7L introduction. I'm sure these will be solved somehow in the next 2 to 3 years. But once again the average "Joe" has become the proving ground.

I don't like to see and hear about all these problems. I would like to purchase a new truck either this year or in 2008. But there is NO WAY I will put down money have to constantly have the truck towed to the dealer or make weekly visits to the dealer for things that should have been worked out prior to its introduction on the market. If you can't have confidence about driving the truck to the market for something let alone a long towing trip, then why would you with to take the gamble.

I thank you folks who own a new 6.7 and volunteering to be lab rats for Chrysler, but you should not have to be.

 

That is a pretty strong statement. As a former DC engineer, I would LOVE to hear how you back this up. No testing in this country eh? Wow, that is just hysterical.

So, they uncrated the very first 6.7 liter motor every built, put it in a truck...hooked up the new dpf that they had never seen before and shipped it off to a dealer....right? What medication are you on at the moment?

I would also love to know how much experience you have in the 6.7, with the 1997 12 valve in your signature that is. Do the 03 jetta or 04 kubota in your sig have 6.7's?

Anyone remember the release of the 5.9? I don't think some DPF reflash problems are reason to bury the 6.7. Search the archives...I'll bet the same 12valve owners were trash talking the 5.9 a few years back (shall we list it's release problems?)...and now they can trash talk the 6.7. It's kinda fun. I often go over to the brain surgery boards and tell them how it should be done. They know I am smarter than they are...because I used a bandaid once now I'm stuck on bandaid brand cause bandaid's stuck on me.

Again, I have to disagree. I've seen a few posts on problems but very few leaving someone stranded. Your assurance to the original poster that there was no testing done, obviously because there were problems is simply misinformed. Testing is done on every vehicle, but sometimes it takes different climates, more mileage or just more abuse for problems to show themselves and it happens to all brands world wide. Mercedes has had batches of complete engine failures when the crank pulleys were coming off and machining their way through the block. The ford 6.0's....well that's a dead horse I'm not going to kick again. The ford 6.4's were starting fires until their reflash. The GM's old overheating problems, injector issues, Nissan's brakes, Toyota's electrical gremlins...I could go on all day. EVERY SINGLE manufacturer has experienced the occasional problem after the release of vehicles. Hell, my porsche had fuel lines that would rupture and burn the car to the ground..there was a recall and they fixxed it. If you are looking for a car that never has a problem then you better buy a bicycle. New cars come with a warranty and the warranty is in place as your protection when things go a wrong. MORE OFTEN THAN NOT...a problem is assembly oriented. Meaning you are screwed by the UAW, not the engineers....but once in a while......excrement happens.

My favorite story of my time at DC. We got a call that alarms were going off on the assembly line...so off I ran to the plant. There, on the board over that station was the directions to hook up the battery and then plug in the alarm...but the guy was plugging in the alarm and then hooking up the battery....alarm thought it was being tampered with as the 12v showed up and then went away and then showed up again while he jiggled the cable onto the battery while it was doing its initial boot up...and the alarm would go off. I explained to the nice man that he wasn't following assembly directions printed on that 20 foot board 8 feet away from him. He promptly told me to do things to myself that would not be natural which i can not type in here, and he continued to do it wrong. We had to redesign the alarms...to take the UAW incompetance into account. One story of many...

 

I just returned from a trip to Northern Montana in which I put 3,000 miles on my new 6.7. I've had no trouble with the new truck, it pulls very strong and it is a pleasure to drive. I pull a 27ft 5th wheel that I guess goes 10,000 lb's loaded. The new 6.7 combined with the manual transmission and the new exhaust brake makes the towing easy. No doubt some are having trouble with the emissions system and I hope it gets worked out but I have pulled 10,000 miles with no trouble. I will say I would like to see better fuel mileage than I do, averaged 9.8 according to the overhead, that's at 70mph with the AC .

 

I just traded my '05 5.9 for a 6.7....so far i'm not sorry...the new engine makes more power and the 6 speed auto transmission is far superior to the old 4-speed.

 

A++++

 

Well I'm in the same boat as you, I am looking to purchase a new dodge an also can not decide which one to get.

6.7l
PROs
New 6 speed tranny
Exhaust brake std

CONs
New engine
New Emissions stuff.. Very scary.



5.9l
PROs
Great reliable engine

CONs
Old 4 speed tranny.

I still have a little time before I buy, but **** it is a tough choice. My wife just laughs at me, I find my self waking up at night thinking about it.