I love how heated this discussion gets every time.
Yes, we all know that Diesel fuel is $.80 a gallon more than gas. It wasn't when I bought my truck. Yes, new tech Gas engines run awful good. Yes, new tech diesels are not what they should be. Yes, If I were buying a truck today, the simple Initial cost would most likely keep me out of a diesel. It did 6 years ago when I bought a new K1500 Chevy, I bought a used K2500 with 6.5 for half the price of the Duramax engine a few years later when I actually started needing such a truck.
Torque is king, by the way. Without torque, there cannot be horsepower. Diesels, even v8's, make more low end torque. That's what moves a trailer. If they were to build a gas motor with the same torque characteristics, they also wouldn't tolerate the RPM's that are currently being required to get the ratings so high. Think Ford 300 I6. Was there anything it couldn't do? It gave good fuel economy, and moved a lot of cargo lots of miles. As long as you didn't want it to do it very fast. It couldn't make the RPM to make horsepower, and would probably self destruct if it did.
I think there will always be diesels in pickups. Not because a guy is overcompensating, but because diesels have good potential. The US EPA it the biggest problem we have with diesel tech. They are forcing manufacturers to use DEF and Particulate filters. European diesels don't have that crap, have better emissions, and much better fuel economy. And, with a little Bio diesel mixed in, even old school oil burners (like my old 6.5) have good emissions. But that would be like mandating ethanol in our gasoline. Oh Wait, they already do! Ethanol is a cheap octane booster, burns cleanly, and is renewable! Us Midwesterners have been using it for years.
Every other arguement I have has already been said. Some people don't like diesels, some do. I know if my 806 were gas, I'd hate that tractor. I know if my '97 K2500 were gas, I woudn't be able to put the fuel in it to drive back and forth the 16 miles I drive to work, and still have a HD truck when I need to pull my 14K 20' gooseneck.
By the way, I leave my trucks, gas or diesel, Idle if I know I'm only going to be away for a few minutes. It's just easier that way. Not this idle for 10 minutes BS after hauling air. That just proves those guys don't know diesels (or even HD engines in general) at all. They never grew up with them, they never farmed with diesel tractors to really know how to treat them. Turbocharged (or even NA engines) only really need a cooldown after running extended periods of high EGT's.
Sigh. Keep on arguing. My opinions are mine, yours are yours. -Andy
This post was edited by FC Andy at 12:15:44 12/14/12 2 times.
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