[4wd-burban]

Guys/Gals you really should look into a diesel.

Recently picked up an older diesel burban and will be designing a veggie oil pre-heat myself. After that I'm going to be looking for a supplier of WVO however there is a place in Austin where I can fill up on filtered WVO for US$1.50/gallon. I'll be selling my older gas powered soon and using the proceeds to fix a few little issues on the diesel and add some ranch hand style bumpers.

84 K20
6.2L Diesel
Banks Aftermarket Turbo (yea!)

 

[NHSilverado]

Guys/Gals you really should look into a diesel.

Recently picked up an older diesel burban and will be designing a veggie oil pre-heat myself. After that I'm going to be looking for a supplier of WVO however there is a place in Austin where I can fill up on filtered WVO for US$1.50/gallon. I'll be selling my older gas powered soon and using the proceeds to fix a few little issues on the diesel and add some ranch hand style bumpers.

84 K20
6.2L Diesel
Banks Aftermarket Turbo (yea!)

Well, there are financial implications in what you suggest...

#1 - the initial cost of a diesel powered truck is thousands and thousands more than a gas powered truck( new anyway ). You can spend $10,000+ more for a diesel rig compared to a gas rig. That is a lot of gas even at $4 a gallon.

#2 - at least here in my state the cost of registering a diesel is significantly higher. I mean SIGNIFICANTLY! The tax on diesel powered vehicles here is very steep.

#3 - maintenance. The cost of maintaining a diesel is quite a bit more as well.

#4 - the cost of diesel fuel is no longer a lot cheaper than gas and many times it is significantly higher. The MPG you get with a diesel is not really all that superior to a gas powered rig either.

#5 - buying the kit/still thing to make your own veggie diesel out of old french fry oil is not cheap either so the cost of that has to be figured in.

Unless you buy a truck and keep it for 300,000 a diesel is not always cheaper. At least speaking about new rigs anyway. I do not buy used vehicles. I have no desire to pay for other people's troubles and problems. Also, not everyone wants a diesel either.

No offense meant by any of this. Just pointing out that it may be cheaper when you look at MPG to own a diesel but there are a lot of other financial factors figured in that make it a lot more expensive( again - NEW ).

 

[TrailLeadr]

Diesels do have their trade offs, just like many things. I don't know that I'd want to go with an older diesel. I think I'd rather get a newer one, but then again like it was said before, the costs are much higher. So maybe you save a little at the pump (very little) but it averages out in other places instead.

I just got gas on Friday night for 2.89. Cheapest around here at the time. Most places near me are around $3.00

 

[tbplus10]

I've had my 2000 Diesel Dually a few weeks and so far I'm getting decent mileage out of it, 17 city 21 hwy. Diesel prices aren't to bad at $3.00 a gal.
I dont buy Diesel at the pumps very often though, a few years ago I started processing Bio-Diesel for my old truck, when I sold the truck I kept the processor. Bio-Diesel averages me $1.21 a Gal to process.
Texas passed a law at the first of the year stopping the sale/production (comercial) of Bio-Diesel and there was talk of doing the same to WVO. I looked at WVO when I bought my Bio-Diesel processor but at the time it was a new concept and not many were using it. A big disadvantage for WVO at that time was the Cetane level, I understand newer methods have increased the Cetane level and made it an extremely viable fuel now. I may look into it in the future, at this time tho I get all my cooking oil free from a friend in the restaruant business so as long as I can keep costs down I'll stick with this method.

 

[Davandy]

Ok I have to warn you guys :neutral:
Here in Belgium a couple of years ago the government promoted Diesel.
Now eight out of ten cars are Diesel.
Now they say Diesel is worse for the environment (fine dust) so they raised the road tax 100% and Diesel is almost as expensive as Gasoline.

 

[TrailLeadr]

Ok I have to warn you guys :neutral:
Here in Belgium a couple of years ago the government promoted Diesel.
Now eight out of ten cars are Diesel.
Now they say Diesel is worse for the environment (fine dust) so they raised the road tax 100% and Diesel is almost as expensive as Gasoline.

I think I'm seeing why you want to move.

 

[RatRod]

Diesel today in the Pacific Northwest $4.13 a gallon

 

[crane3447]

For all you desiel downers out there, listen to this. I drive a '93 ck3500 6.5 about 900 - 1000 kms a week. On one tank! Most of this is spent city(75%) and with a heavy load on!(2000 - 2500 lbs is normal) I'm a mason so everything I move is heavy. The truck is well maintained, but I push the thing everyday. It is a stick with low gearing and it isn't a dually. We have an almost identical truck with a 350 on gas and its only a 2wd. The best it ever does is about 550. You can get 650 if you run all highway. I've known this truck for years and it may look like the work truck that it is but, it runs as good as any truck that has been pounded on for 8 years straight. Thats just the milage they get. By the way, did I mention that both trucks are over 300,000kms. Desiel and gas here are about the same price right now, about $1.12 - $1.16 a liter.

And yes both tanks are the same size!

 

[95CTburb19]

I like my benz 363,000 miles still gets 30 mpg. can't beat that.

 

[crane3447]

I like my benz 363,000 miles still gets 30 mpg. can't beat that.

yea and you get to say " Honey, I think we'll take the benz out tonight" and you haven't got to remorgatge your house or sell a kid.

 

[ChevyFan]

Diesel today in the Pacific Northwest $4.13 a gallon

No way! That's insane.

I heard a discussion about this, it was essentially from the argument that becuase most cars in the US are gasoline, the refineries are producing gasoline, not diesel. That has made diesel costs go up.

 

[GM_Guy]

diesel around here is 3.89
gas has dropped an astonishing 5 cents, to 3.14

 

[Pete95Sierra]

My bro paid 4.29/gal in williamsport PA today for diesel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.... I paid 3.05 in south jersey for regular gas

 

[WhosDatGuy]

Diesel here is as, or sometimes more than gas. If my 1500 could handle the oil burner I would love to run one.

 

[95CTburb19]

4.19 a gallon for diesel here in CT. :grrrrrr:

 

[Gmcsuvguy]

Diesel has been more expensive than gasoline up here for over a year, the only way you can afford to drive a diesel is if you work on the rigs and can fill up off the rig tank, then it's dyed diesel...

 

[dwill3015]

I love my diesel. YES diesel is now $4 a gallon where I live but I feel the good out-weighs the bad. Besides an occasional oil change every 3-5K miles, and a fuel filter change (only once in the 18K miles I have driven) it's been the best truck I have ever owned. I just bought my first programmer (Quadzilla Stealth2) a couple of days ago and was playing around with some performance tunes today 70, 90, and 110HP and all I can say is WOW! I have not yet tried the 135HP/300fp tune yet though. I have already noticed a gain in MPG so i'll keep you posted. I plan to take it to the dyno soon but with figuring stock 365HP/650fp torque+gains from intake and exhaust + programmer tunes I think I am in the ballpark of 450-500HP/ 800-900fp torque. Not bad.

 

[Gmcsuvguy]

The only things that scare me with getting those kind of numbers out of your truck is that eventual "snap" when you find out what is the weakest link on your truck!

 

[tbplus10]

Darcy:
You might want to look into adding propane to you truck. It can improve the MPG as much as 20% unloaded and gives a nice performance boost. Propane helps the engine to more efficiently burn the Diesel.

 

[dwill3015]

The only things that scare me with getting those kind of numbers out of your truck is that eventual "snap" when you find out what is the weakest link on your truck!

You got that right!
I do baby my truck (except for passing or playing) and it will never see the drag strip as I will never have the money to make the necessary upgrades for an 11 second truck. Doing my homework about tuning and what the stock components are rated for, I'm still in a safe zone with the programmer I have but eventually I am going to go with EFI Live and install my own tunes. The stock Allison tranny is rated for around 500HP So I will be installing a Transgo Jr. kit to prolong the live if it as well as a few performance bolt-ons for my Duramax (EGR Blocker plate, finger-stick, BD exhaust manifold, AFE stage 2 intake, etc.)

Besides, I would have to answer to my wife if I broke my truck :lol: