Man, Sure do like those F-250 super dutys with the Diesel motor

[84projectFORD]

Tell ya what, I'd take a Ford E40D or the 4R100 any day of the week before I'd touch a GM or Dodge auto trans. behind any of their diesels. And yes, I include the Allison in that as well.

My best friend of about 5 years has a 97 7.3 PSD with the E4OD. Trans went out at 210,000 miles.

My old man's diesel is creepin up on 200K and his 4R100 shifts fantastic still

Guy on my fire department has 360K on a 96 7.3 PSD with the original E4OD.

And all of these trucks are routinely waaay overloaded, and have managed to survive. Not that I reccommend it, but maybe we've just been lucky.

I don't see how anybody can complain about an auto trans. only lasting 100K miles if they routinely use it for waaaay overloaded towing. It's like bitching about bein out of breath when yur fuckin if ya weigh in at 300+ Lbs.....

under stock power a staock tranny will last a loooong time in any truck (chevy, dodge or ford) if taken care of as well. i have seen allisons last 500,000 miles on hot shot truck and they run at the trucks max tow rating just about all the time. Its all about what you personally have seen and trust that makes each persons decision. I would try to change anyones mind about what they believe is better but i wouldnt bad mouth another truck because believe me, every truck has its problems here and there no matter what the make.

 

[Will]

I think '81 was the last year of the 400 and '79 was the last year of the 351M. Could be an early '82 truck I guess.

A gas truck does the job. But I like rocketing down the highway at 75mph and I don't like to slow down for hills and gas stops. The difference in fuel price would have to be pretty big for a gas truck to be as efficient as a diesel. I've done direct compares between an EFI 351W F250 2wd, a TBI 350 2500GM and a turbo diesel 2500 GM. The gassers are absolutely no match on hills and use twice the fuel.

If I were to do an 800-mile round trip to Wellsville today the diesel would cost $225 and the gasser would cost $390. I always felt stressed in the gasser watching the needle drop and buzzing the motor to make it up a hill. My diesel pays no attention to hills and I can make it all the way to Wellsville without stopping. Last October I drove 80mph pulling my loader and hoe back from helping Sparkz fix his road and we went up and down those hills on the Mountain Parkway across kentucky without downshifting and I still managed to get 12mpg.

 

[Shran]

I think '81 was the last year of the 400 and '79 was the last year of the 351M. Could be an early '82 truck I guess.

Hmm, good to know. I just looked at the engine page in LMC truck and they have both listed... 400 in 80, 81, 82, and the 351M in 80 and 81. They must have been fairly rare, never seen one before and that's my favorite body style, so I try to know these things

 

[rusty ol ranger]

The 400 was the top of the line engine in 80,81,and 82. The 460 went out of production for those 3 years and returned for 83, i dont know why.

My 400 doesnt work that hard on hills either, I got that T18 4sp and i have never had to shift it into 3rd up any hill, Its hard to mantain a constant speed up the hill, cause it loses speed untill i get the secondaries open, then it starts acclerating faster.

My 78 Ford will pull anything i want it to pull, i pulled two Blazer mud trucks on a pintle hook trailer and it pulled it down the road at 60MPH just fine, im sure it would have went faster but i seen no point in it. Trailer sway, even with a 1 ton dually, will kill you.

....and my truck barely does 75 empty, just because of the 4.30 gearing and lack of O/D.

Will you talk about being safe all the time....is it really safe to be running 75mph pulling a backhoe with a SRW (or even a DRW) truck? Even with trailer brakes....i hate sway.

And to answer schrans question...

The 400 is an awesome engine, they behave alot like a 300 6 cylinder, they have the same bore and stroke only with 2 extra pistons working, they come on low in the RPM's with a stout smooth torque band.

Durabitly wise, keep them cool and keep the oil changed.

later,
Dustin

 

[Danger-Ranger96]

I love them too, over the last few months my truck has went from this:

to this (note the BFG MT KM2, and the toolbox)

And now here's what its at now, gotta love oilsands work trucks:

 

[Danger-Ranger96]

He must have the only 6.4 that gets 19 mpg. Most of those trucks average about 12 mpg from what I've gathered.

true, my 08 won't get past 12.1 mpg LOL

 

[Jspafford]

That Super Duty is sweet.

 

[Kona]

How do you like those KM2's???

 

[Danger-Ranger96]

awesome mud tire thats for damn sure! and the ford f-250 cabs have that extra noise reduction foam so i can't hear them on the highway.

 

[Will]

Will you talk about being safe all the time....is it really safe to be running 75mph pulling a backhoe with a SRW (or even a DRW) truck? Even with trailer brakes....i hate sway.

Sway? I don't tow a FEMA trailer.

 

[zachis4wheeling]

believe me, every truck has its problems here and there no matter what the make.

True, true.....Superduties have a horrible front lockout hub desgin and so do the Dodges, but the Dodge and Ford both have really great engines, but the dodge has a P.O.S. automatic

The GM trucks have a nice diesel engine, along with an alright trans., but there still is the whole IFS on a HD truck thing up front........Give me a 4x4 kodiak or C5500 if I have to have a diesel GM and now we're talkin.....

 

[Maverick]

True, true.....Superduties have a horrible front lockout hub desgin and so do the Dodges, but the Dodge and Ford both have really great engines, but the dodge has a P.O.S. automatic

Whats wrong with the superduty lock outs?

 

[84projectFORD]

True, true.....Superduties have a horrible front lockout hub desgin and so do the Dodges, but the Dodge and Ford both have really great engines, but the dodge has a P.O.S. automatic

The GM trucks have a nice diesel engine, along with an alright trans., but there still is the whole IFS on a HD truck thing up front........Give me a 4x4 kodiak or C5500 if I have to have a diesel GM and now we're talkin.....

Yup i completely agree, the steering is the weakest point in the front of these chevys but upgrading it bigger tie rods or just adding sleeves and putting some braces on the idler/pitman arm and they are pretty stout. This goes for al the trucks though too, fixing the problem areas and they are all really strong trucks.

Whats wrong with the superduty lock outs?

on the older trucks they only used a snap ring to hold the front hub in place and under high torque or load shock situation the sanp ring would either break and the hub break with it or the snap ring would flex and cause the splines inside to strip out. the newer ones have gone to a 3 bolt system instead of the snap ring but the internal i still think are pretty weak, dunno though cause i have yet to see one break.

 

[Loanranger]

On the way back I had a an old 59 Datsun in tow and sqeezed out 16.7 mpg.

A 59 Datsun? Now you've got my attention. Must have been an S211? You got any pics?

 

[Maverick]

Here you go: