looking to buy a new truck... im in love with the dodges and was wondering what motor is more reliable? easier to get power out of? etc (12v vs. 24v)...
i will be looking for a 97-2002 dodge cummins dually 4x4. i plan on putting a 5-6" suspension lift on the truck, w/ 35" all terrains. gearing to compensate for tires. and i plan on modding the motor a lil bit. but not sure in that dept. either? im used to powerstrokes, and know alot about them, but dont really know too much about them, other than ive heard they're more reliable, when modded than a powerstroke is modded.

all info, and feedback will be greatly appreciated...

 

its more of a matter of preference,i dont think one motor is better or more reliable than the other,with the 12v,all your mods will be mechanical stuff while the 24v is all electriacal stuff,plug a box in and boom huge diference,also with the 12v you wont get a quad cab with opening doors unless you find the rare 98.5 q-cab 12v,then theres the fuel problems associated with the 24v,finding a 12v with low miles may also be a chore,thier in high demand and most duallys were bought for work and have lots of miles on them.find somthing in your price range and with low miles,if its a 12 or a 24 youll still be happier than with a powerjoke.

 

could you elaborate on this?

thanks for your input.

trey

 

The lift pump is known to fail if not monitored (Fuel Pressure Gauge). If the lift pump fails, it will cause the injection pump to suck fuel all the way from the fuel tank. The lift pump will die and you will have to spend alot of money to get a new one. Some of the more powerful boxes can tax a weak injection pump to the point of failure.

These motors are not weak, just have a few known issues that if you watch yourself and don't get crazy you will be fine. Read through some old posts and you will learn all you need to know.

 

Buy an early 98 with 4.10s and your golden...

 

I think that its just a little engineering logic , for [ reliable] fewer parts 12v , less electronics 12v , fix with tools instead of black box's , 12v.
One of the set backs is the 12v's are getting older , less support from supplier's , example , fewer injectors opptoins - but isn't that simpler .
The market seems to focus on just after the warrentee about 5 yrs , and goes on to newer after about 3 yrs pastthat.
Try to find a factory manual for my 94 .
The 12v's stop in 98 1/2 and I've read a lot of posts about best yr's being 97-98 1/2.

 

i dont think ima be able to find a 12v that will qualify for a loan by my credit union.
i think ima go with a 24v.
are their any special precautions i need to look for in a 24 valve? are some builds better than others? do some years have more problematic failures than others?

im gonna do a search, see if theres an aftermarket lift pump, to hopefully minimize the lift pump failure.

 

94-98 are 12V's and 98.5-02 are 24V's Thank you

 

What you'll find out is when a lift pump dies it can cause the injector pump (VP44) to die and those suckers are expensive. So the 24v owners baby their VP44's with aftermarket lps, upgraded fuel lines, banjo bolts, fuel additive, and a fuel pressure guage to monitor the lp.

 

well ive been thinking about what to buy... im really impressed w/ the 12- valvers. seems they are cheaper to get more power out of them. i think its gonna be impossible to find one with a decent amount of miles. so even if i wanted one... i think the 24 valve is the only reasonable option

 

sounds like a pita to me...

 

some guys say the early 24v,like 98.5-2001. are more prone to lift pump problems,also check the #on the engine,there are some with a block called a #53 block and its got thinner castings and when modded lots can cause problems.also do the code check thing when you test drive it,get in turn the key on and off 3 times and on the third time leave it on and some codes will show up in the odometer.write them down and post them here,if you get a 0216{i think}its bad,injection pump time.if you do get a 24v,try to find a manual shift,there a lot cheaper to make withstand extra power you may want to get.and finally if you get any model,get gauges rite away,to see what your engine is doing.it can save you thousands to know before something major hapens. happy hunting,this site is the most informative dodge site ive seen,you cant go wrong here,lots of real knowledeable guys.

 

I looked for over 2 years to find a 98 12V 4x4 Auto Quad Cab shortbox that I could afford, got it home today 90000 miles all stock

 

i found a 97 12v with 39k miles in April of '05.

Best place to look is in the thrifty nickel, or local classifieds.

 

im looking into F.A.S.S.
maybe this will fix my lift pump worries