Herr Diesel

1) Hem vs CTD... CTD more material in motor, less volume of parts & less manufacuring efficency would be a real good shot at the answer

2) Hidden cost? Too many variables or "what ifs" to compare the 2...My guess is a wash or CTD cost less in the long run & how you use it. You would have to do your own math here with your variables

3) after you swallow the $$ cost for the CTD a wash or CTD is better again depending on how you use it ie... lots of heavy towing?

4) Something to consider in the mix: I never heard of someone who had a Diesel ever going back to a gasser. Also why doesnt Dodge still make the V-10 gasser
avail in the 3/4 ton? Obviously they couldnt make the math/ numbers work for them to do so based on thier sales mix. I am sure they could get the parts cheap! One interesting thought is too why doesnt anyone offer a diesel in a 1/2 ton? I think its because 3/4 qualify as "heavy" work vehicles there fore dont have the same emmison standards or CAFE regulations...Anyway lots of variables

tog

well I certainly don't need a 3/4 ton

and I surely wish i could get a 1/2 ton truck with a diesel in it though
good power and mpg

96_12V

Didn't mean to be hard on you in the last post - just wanted some clarification.... Thanks.

The idea of an 1/2 ton with a diesel is a good one, and I have put this out here more than once. I would even like a Toyota truck with a 4-cyl diesel, the trouble is the EPA and more stringent emission reguations for "light duty" vechiles (under 7600 gross lbs.) Once fuel changes to 15 ppm sulfer by '07 the reguations will essentially be the same light duty vs. medium duty, so there amy again be lighter duty diesel market penetration. Chevy used to offer the 6.2 and 6.5 in 1/2 ton models, they are rare, but out there up till '97 or so.

It will be a good thing, but all that fuel that could have been saved all those years would have been much better, I agree! To see an example of what we're missing, check this link...

http://www.outbackimports.ca/landcruiser.php

tog

those would be cool
but I don't fit in them

ctd seems like the choice for me

Begle1

Another thing that makes Diesels more expensive is the injection pumps; injection pumps have parts in them that are built to such precision that machining costs are immense.

If a new engine costs about $3,500 from Cummins, what does an injection pump cost from Bosch? $800?

It took engineers about 80 years to figure out how to make the injection pumps in our trucks function properly. They are very finely tuned devices, and gassers get away with the much less expensive fueling systems.

grantx5

Maybe a dumb question, but have diesels always cost more than gassers? These trucks have been around awhile and, quite frankly, I think the car manufacturers try to squeeze every penny they can out of us. Not complaining, just wondering if the cost differential has always been there.

timcasbolt

Well, let's try to figure this out. 500 extra pounds of metal at 20 cents per pound. There's a hundred bucks. High zoot injectors. Probably a couple hundred bucks. One bad azz fuel pump. Another couple hundred bucks. Subtract out the 6 coils you won't be needing and it's maybe $500 more for a diesel over a gasser. Guess the rest must be manufacturer's profit. I'd like to think that the Cummins people get a piece of that action for building such a good engine.

blord

They sell them by the pound and they weight 1045 lbs. A chevy big block gasser weighs 400 lbs so it costs only 40% of the CTD.

Herr Diesel

I am fairly sure because of the material & volume of the parts Diesels are $ higher. I also wonder about the manufacturing efficeinies "labor" to manufacture & assemble parts. Labor makes up big % of the manufacturing process...Cummins is big but I would imagine has no where near the Global Sourcing power of DC.

Ph4tty

Then the epa stepped in,...

TAS05CTD610

I was actually lucky enought to see where our engines are made (ok it wasn't ours, it was the bigger ISM motor for boats or what ever series) The plant was sweet. You also have to add up the cost of stuff a gasser dosen't. The turbo, that's about 1 grand, you have the fuel system which is about 1 grand, then you have the block, rods, crank, everything is machined very precies. How many car's now adays have plastic intakes??? Very cheep material cost, and you can pound them out very fast. Like many have said the cummins parts are heavy duty, the injecters go into the cylinder, most gas vehicles have plastic ones, they cost 50 bucks each to replace, ours, are around 500 each to replace (you can upgrade, but you pay a core anyway) The machining is very good on these motors, they all get tested before you buy it on an engine dyno, that's very good, most other companies the first time they get run is in the truck, not cummins, run before, then drained and shipped. There's a ton of stuff to the cummins that cost money. Gas motors have been around forever, and are cheep to manufacture. There are so many details as to why there more expensive. yes they are very economical for those than can drive around under 1/2 throttle all day long , but you do have to change fuel filters more often, worry about gelling, cold starts (yes they start much better now adays). There's pro's and cons to anything. If I wouldn't ever tow, I would have bought a gaser, much cheaper. but I do tow, work the truck and need it, so I got the ctd. Trust me, only diesel I'd own.

Ddge6spdRam

Herr Diesel, I am going back to gasser.
At this point I see no reason to keep the CTD and pay $1220 for registration a year & $3.20gal for diesel,unless I am going to be getting in it every morning and using it for work to make back the moeny to pay for the fual and reg. So till 2009 I will be driving a gasser(When i would finish college) and then getting another CTD since I hoping to do roadside Diesel mechanic and welding.

I am even looking at buying a 90-93 Cavalier 3.1 5spd coupe along with the 88 Chevy so iI can have the 88 for plowing in the winter and drive the Cav. in the summer and whenever I don't need the truck.

Jeff

Begle1

A Cavalier?

Now, out of EVERY car on the planet you could be looking at, you're looking at a early 90's Cavalier...

WHY a Cavalier? I can't think of even a single redeeming quality...

wannadiesel

Did you know that you can re-arrange the letters in "Cavalier" to spell "A vile car"?

Pop-Pop

While I've not checked lately, Mercedes has traditionally sold their diesels for about two grand below the gasoline engine. They must know something we don't know - maybe a volume thing for them.

As for CTD prices, I originally considered the hemi in a 2500 but it turned out that I got a Cummins for the same price as the hemi ($31,000 after all the discounts). I've had my share of puny powered trucks that struggle up hills. I'll never be ashamed of my CTD going up a mountain while pulling a trailer.