High mileage trucks?
 

Hello diesel monkeys. I'm new here this is my first thread. Never owned a pickup with a diesel in it but I'm looking. I have some experience as a former CDL instructor. My question is about the claims of these Diesel engines that run 500k+ miles. Where are they? In looking to buy a pickup in the Texas area where there are a lot of 3/4-1 ton trucks I've not seen one for sale over 350k and only a small handful over 300k. I've seen it in the petes and freightliner etc but not the pickups. I'm looking at trucks averaging 200-250kmiles 4x4 with asking price maybe low end $15k but that seems like a lot for a truck that may not run by the time it's paid for. Just wondering is the idea of these 7.3 or 5.9 or whatever you like going 500k+ miles a wives tale cause I don't see any for sale anywhere? Hope to get some input from you thanks.

My last pickup only went 320,000 before losing its third transmission. That's when I decided to get a new one. The engine was inspected at 280,000 when it got the new upgraded head gasket. It was pristine, and will easily make 500,000 without breaking a sweat. To do so, it is being donated into a 1965 Ford F-250 crew cab that has been maintained well, despite being a regular driver itself.

I'm guessing most stories might be like mine. If the truck has that many miles on it, there isn't much resale market for it. We will just continue to run them until the rest of the truck makes it not worth it to do so anymore. It won't be the engine's fault.

And thats my fear. $15-20k for trucks with 200k+ miles seems outrageous. The engine may run but i dont know about the rest of it. These are mostly dealer adds. Guess im just trying to feel out what to expect from the investment. I need a to pull a 14ft enclosed trailer daily and occasionally farm tractor and skid steer. Should i just stay with gas?

First off, lots of those 500K trucks are with owners that will never part with them. Second is there aren't that many, just a statistically larger segment than the gassers. Back a decade or so ago, there was the guy down south that celebrated his millionth mile in his 95 chevy gasser, Pennzoil bought him a new truck and tore his engine apart, perfect inside. That is hardly the norm though.

And yea, I take a deep breath when I see what they want for these things, then I stop by the local dealership and take a gander at the stickers.

Yea, they are now high 70's for a stinking 1/2 ton........................... So what is it, 15K for a decent maybe or 70K for a guarantee?

Honestly you never really know. My new to me truck is an 07 QCLB 4x4 auto and it has a lot of Suncoast parts in the tranny and drives wonderfully. I got VERY lucky.

It all really depends on the previous owner. If they were good to the truck like mine then you'll have less to worry about.

If not, you better plan on spending some cash getting it up to snuff. Always take it to a mechanic (not just any) to check it out and give you a rough idea of what needs to be addressed.

That will help with negotiations so can get a real price for the truck.

Where are the good running 12Vs with 500,000+ miles, you ask??
Right here in my driveway / garage are a couple, and I wouldn't trade them for any of the new garbage on the dealership lot.
The motor in my black crew cab has 500,000+ thousand on it with just a replacement lift pump and an alternator..The rest is good to go. Almost everything I drive is a 12V and has 250,000 or more miles on it. I don't hesitate to drive them anywhere in the country. You would have to give me a new truck for me to want to drive it.

My 99 Dually just turned 400k. Runs great. It's the lowest cost per mile vehicle I've ever had. I put a dash and heater in early this year, new PS hoses.
I replaced the left front fender and the lower door skins.

I've towed very little and light at that. I'd guess 85% of the miles are highway 55-65 mph. It's a daily driver. It's never been off roaded but I drive it year around.

The motor is untouched except for the Smarty. It only has been run on #1 for mpg. Has cold weather idle up.

I'd be open to an offer.

Byron

There's thousand of them running around, most with upper end mileages around 200-300K. Many have the truck falling apart around them and the owners either tap the aftermarket to keep them up or just run them.

Mine has been seeing about 8 miles a day to and from work so that is quite a reduction. It still looks new and I get occasional offers/interest in it, but I can't see selling it for the couple payments I make yearly on maintenance and nuisance parts, like the dash board or heater core I still have to do.

I just replaced the block heater and cord, I still have the 3 honk issue so the horn is unhooked and I need to do the drivers door hinges and it can probably use ball joints again.
Got a small rust spot on the driver fender where a pretty good chip of paint came off.

When you see a Cummins guy ask him how many miles he's got on it. We like talking about our trucks[roll]

I have a 1991 D-350 Dually LE and while I do not think of mine as a high mileage truck, because I just have over 450,000 miles on it.

I am in Southern California where we have the worst roads in the nation, Cal Trans found a way to pave our roads with potholes and washboards from the start so we don't have to wait for them to get bad.

My truck is my daily driver/ work truck, it is mechanically sound and I would and do take it everywhere without a second thought and it runs exceptionally well for its age.

I have friends with tucks both Chevy and Ford that have mileage well below 200,000 and the engines are already shot and the bodies were gone long ago.

The only preventive maintence I have done to the engine in 19 years has been:

Adjust the valves,

Change the oil and filter regularly,

Fuel Filter,

Chase down oil and fuel leaks, replace the tappet cover gasket 4 times,

VE pump o-rings twice,

I have install 110-555JHO 160-amp alternator, and add 4) additional batteries,

Installed a coolant filter, electric cooling fans, built my own 3" crossover.

On the truck itself, last year I rebuilt the entire front suspension and it got the FIRST front end alignment, every time it was checked, I was told it is right on, but all of the rubber bushings were shot and I figured it was time.

Years ago, I had a custom set of rear springs built in my quest to make it ride smoother,

In December of last year my truck started to smoke intermittently and I had a mysterious oil leak from the exhaust side of the head,

This is the very first time the engine has been taken apart below the valve covers.

Not knowing just what I was going to find, I surgically dismantled the engine and documented every part.

What I found was the smoking was only the turbocharger, it was passing lube oil into the hot side and fogging the neighborhood behind me.

The piston rings were gone on the turbine shaft, this was my only failure,

I could have stopped here but I decided to go ahead and replace the entire head because of the oil leak down the side of the head, only because I had already bought it from friend and DTR brother jimbo486.


Follow along and we can take a trip inside my engine and you can see what an engine that has 450,000 plus miles on it looks like inside.
It starts with post #68

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...-329169/page5/

Looking into cylinder #5 you can still see the crosshatch honing marks put in at the factory.

Attachment 77654

Sweet looking $100.00 Genuine Cummins Head Gasket.

Attachment 77655

While this might not be typical with all engines that have this many miles, this is what I have to show,

Routine maintence is very important for reliability.

My truck starts first time, every time within one revolution, idles smooth and now that I had my turbo rebuilt ill barely haze even under WOT.

My truck has only been on a rollback twice in its entire life.

I have blown (grenaded) 3 transmissions and ballooned 1 torque converter from all of the extra torque of the Cummins.

Here is what my old truck looks like except for now I have the OEM steel rims painted dark gray.

Attachment 77656

Attachment 77657
Attachment 77658

Oh and last thing,
Don't even think about buying an old 1st Generation Dodge Ram Turbo Diesel unless you are prepared to acknowledge nods, waves and thumbs up continuously from other drivers and pedestrians as you rattle down the street.

After all of these years, I still get them on almost a daily basis and even from Duramax and Powerstroke owners alike.

Almost every time I get fuel, someone will say something or come over for a look.

I paid $17,500.00 for mine back in 1999 and I always feel good and safe while driving my truck.

Jim

That is what I am talking about Jim!

I just love pictures of your truck...that thing is sweet.

I got my 09 megacab 4x4 3500 new with 9 miles on it. I have 219k miles on the odometer, it probably has closer to 240k miles(I have had 35" tires since 30k miles so it offsets by about 10%). I just had everything deleted on it last week and plan to go over 500k with it. I have looked at new trucks and just cant bring myself to spend that kind of money. I paid $39k for mine, I see them for sale in the low $30s for my same year truck still. ***....

The new trucks are nice for sure, I might buy a used low mileage '12 in a couple years. I live up in Oregon now and truck prices stay high on the used market in this region. I am from TX and still have family down there, the trucks are easily 10k cheaper.

Most of those million mile pickup trucks are known to have worked out of Elkhart, Indiana hauling trailers all over the country in the mid to late 90’s. They were most 12 valve Cummins Dodges.

We use to hear things like, (Cummins guy “When was the last problem you had, speaking to the trucks owner, who’s reply would be, pulling out his log book, at 750,000 miles I had to replace the water pump! )

Most of those comments were seen over on the PAY site, in the early 2000’s. That site handed out Million Mile Badges for display on the truck. Articles on the trucks appeared in their quarterly magazines.

I quit those guys in 2003 and came over here because they had a habit of wanting their yearly fee, 6 months early and I just got tired of the mail.

I had a 96 Dodge which is parked at my Sons house looking pretty shabby. He blew the rear out of it. It has 355,000 on it and will ride again. My Grand Daughter wants to have it, work on it, and repaint it.

So if your looking for that million mile truck you need to find something with a 12 valve Cummins in it. Might be hard to find, and it won’t be cheap. If you find one.

Jim, that’s a great looking truck.

Dave

Went to NW Chevrolet to pick up my Suburban the other day...3 salesman came over to ask what I'd take on a trade in for the Ram and I told them I didn't need the payment, low mileage or DEF headaches of a new truck.

They were impressed and one of them thought it was a grail. I explained the 24v made it not, but it's still my unicorn so I'll be hanging onto it...and only 165,000 miles after 17 years.

Oooh, ooh, and NICE dually Jim!!