I've owned a good pile of diesels to this point. So far all have had their positive points. But what is the best put together, most long lasting road size small diesel engine ever made?

Cummins 5.9?
the MB OM 617 N/A?
Something from one of the Asians (Mitsubishi, Toyota, Isuzu, etc)?

I met a guy this week who has 1,600,000 on an International Harvester 7.3 Powerstroke powered F-350 Ford truck. He told me that it has been through 27 clutches in that time period but get this................... ONLY ONE engine overhaul!

Just wondering what other people think on quality diesels made.

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-E300d '99 350k
-Suburban '93 220k
-TDI Jetta '03 350k
Sold
-F250 '96 7.3
-Dodge Ram 12V
-E320 '95 200k
-E320 Wagon 1994 155k
-300d Turbo '87 187k miles
-E320 1994 200k
-300d Turbo '84 245k (sold to Dan62)
-300d Turbo '84 180k
-300sd '80 300k
-7.3 Powerstroke Diesel 15P Van 500k+ miles
-190d '89 Non Turbo 2.5 5cyl 240k (my first MB)
Tom's Imports of Columbia MO Ruined the IP in changing leaky delivery valve O-Rings - Refused to stand behind his work. Mid-MO MB drivers-AVOID Tom's.

OM617 duh!

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'83 240D with 617.952 and 2.88
'01 VW Beetle TDI
'05 Jeep Liberty CRD
'89 Toyota 4x4, needs 2L-T
'78 280Z with L28ET - 12.86@110
Oil Burner Kartel #35

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1...oD/bioclip.jpg

OM616.... but I'm biased.

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'79 240D 4 speed manual 105k miles

Wow, it's nice to hear that something American made has run so well. The IH engine IS American made, isn't it?

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" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

Me-thinks that fellow is a wee bit rough on clutches...or he needs lower gears for the work he is doing.

Impressive miles though. Good for him!

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2009 VW TDI Jetta Sportwagon 172k miles (rear-ended harder than Elton John on 8/4/13. Total loss)

1991 Volvo 240 142k miles (T-boned by a stop sign runner. Total loss)

He told me the truck (Ford F-350) was his dads who was hauling something (I believe it was livestock) all over the country for several years. Maybe that's why the 27 clutches??? As far as US made, the ones I've worked on had all SAE nuts and bolts so I'm assuming they are US made. I can't imagine IH (an agricultural and over the road company-Navistar) as an import. I know the GM Duramax is an Isuzu. I've heard not so good things of the Duramax. I've also heard good things but of course the good things were out of the GM dealership's employees mouths. As far as word of mouth from truck owners I think the 12 Valve Cummins with bosch P pump (inline like our old MB's) seems to have a good track record (at least from an engine standpoint).

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-E300d '99 350k
-Suburban '93 220k
-TDI Jetta '03 350k
Sold
-F250 '96 7.3
-Dodge Ram 12V
-E320 '95 200k
-E320 Wagon 1994 155k
-300d Turbo '87 187k miles
-E320 1994 200k
-300d Turbo '84 245k (sold to Dan62)
-300d Turbo '84 180k
-300sd '80 300k
-7.3 Powerstroke Diesel 15P Van 500k+ miles
-190d '89 Non Turbo 2.5 5cyl 240k (my first MB)
Tom's Imports of Columbia MO Ruined the IP in changing leaky delivery valve O-Rings - Refused to stand behind his work. Mid-MO MB drivers-AVOID Tom's.

You have to take these things you hear, like a million six on an old hard working F350 with only one rebuild, with a grain of salt. Don't believe everything you hear! He says it, he probably believes it, let it go at that.

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Junqueyardjim
Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important. C.S. Lewis



1983 Mercedes W123 240D 4 Speed 285,000 on the road with a 617 turbo, beautiful butter yellow, license plate # 83 240D INDIANA

2003 Jaguar Type X, AWD. beautiful, good mileage,
Mom's car, but I won't let her drive it!

I agree, that 12 valve Cummins is a good engine, so is the old iron block MB. I would tend toward the 616, its kind of the Jimmy 671 of the "land". I do believe the Cummins is the best in the truck world.

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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"

Before my present truck i had a 1997 ram 2500 with 715,000 on it, when i got rid of it. still running today over 800,000 no rebuild yet. Like they said P4100 is a CHAMP. plenty of valve cover gaskets and maybe an oil pan gasket in there, to keep the diesel drip to a minimum, but original liners and head gaskets. 100,000 and counting on my 03, its just a babeh.

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2003 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins - Georend fully built trans, Banks Big Hoss Bundle, Smarty Tuner, 5" turbo back exhaust. 500 HP and 1100 ft/lbs to the ground.
1979 Mercedes-Benz 300CD - Lost to a four car pile up on 275, Thank You Michigan Drivers.
1986 Mercedes-Benz 300D - Sold, Euro non-turbo car.

I had a friend who managed part of an airport shuttle company. They now have sprinters, but before they used Ford Powerstroke vans and he reported many with 400-800k miles with good running engines.

I also knew a guy who did some part time expiditing for a company that used the same Ford vans with diesels and the one he got to use had 800k on it IIRC.

__________________
-E300d '99 350k
-Suburban '93 220k
-TDI Jetta '03 350k
Sold
-F250 '96 7.3
-Dodge Ram 12V
-E320 '95 200k
-E320 Wagon 1994 155k
-300d Turbo '87 187k miles
-E320 1994 200k
-300d Turbo '84 245k (sold to Dan62)
-300d Turbo '84 180k
-300sd '80 300k
-7.3 Powerstroke Diesel 15P Van 500k+ miles
-190d '89 Non Turbo 2.5 5cyl 240k (my first MB)
Tom's Imports of Columbia MO Ruined the IP in changing leaky delivery valve O-Rings - Refused to stand behind his work. Mid-MO MB drivers-AVOID Tom's.

OM617a

to answer this correctly, one would have to have all engines and have identical loads and maintenance done on them. most service fleets receive scheduled maintenance on a rigid schedule. if everybody did the same pretty much all engines would show amazing longevity.
heck, look at my sig... a POS chevy astro van with a v6 small block 4.3 gasser has exceeded 450Kmiles!!! and I did all maintenance on the motor. that motor has gone through 3 starters, 7 waterpumps, an amazing 5 power steering pumps, 6 transmissions, and 17 rear differentials, and nearly 20 door handles... but I can go outside and start it up right now.

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Any decent engine will run for a long time if you drive a lot.

I'm partial to Cummins, and as much as I hate them Volvo. I have seen some Volvo's in lobster boats with just insane time on them. One had 30,000 hours. But they run them every day at steady RPM's, its a duty cycle thats conducive to lasting. Same with cars, you put a 50k-100k highway miles on something a year and it lasts.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I'm thinking power vs reliability vs size vs fuel consumption... its gotta be a 617.95x - turbo 5cyl.

-Parts are cheap and available
-more power than the NA 5cyl
-potentially better economy than the NA 5cyl
-Will not consume and engine bay like any truck-duty 6cyl diesel.
-Runs on just about anything that burns.

no computers (my bias, this costs you power and fuel economy though)

Newer truck/TDI/CDI (ie - computer controlled) diesels are much better in fuel economy and power, but parts prices are through the roof and reliability is still a hit-or-miss issue.

Computer controlled diesels are all much cleaner in the emissions dept.


Feel free to argue, Id like to hear what I am missing. Does the latest Cummins get better than 20mpg ? How expensive are fuel injectors on a Duramax ?

-John

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2009 Kia Sedona
2009 Honda Odyssey EX-L
12006 Jetta Pumpe Duse
(insert Mercedes here)

Husband, Father, sometimes friend =)

The new 6.7 cummins will get over 20 once the DPF is removed and the regen is disabled.

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2003 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins - Georend fully built trans, Banks Big Hoss Bundle, Smarty Tuner, 5" turbo back exhaust. 500 HP and 1100 ft/lbs to the ground.
1979 Mercedes-Benz 300CD - Lost to a four car pile up on 275, Thank You Michigan Drivers.
1986 Mercedes-Benz 300D - Sold, Euro non-turbo car.