1/2 Ton Chevy Diesel
Date: 07 Jan 2002
I am the guy that was wondering if I needed to spring for a Diesel or not because of mileage. I don't have to switch trucks often to stay happy, and I am going to be putting a lot of miles on this truck. I got a guy at a used dealership who has a '94 1/2 ton Z71 Ext. Cab Diesel that has 110,000 miles on it. He's asking $9,500 and I am just wondering what sort of deal this would be for me. I am not going to be pulling anything with this truck... except for the odd trailer here and there and possibly a RV trailer one of these days in the next couple of years if I can get one. I haven't seen many 1/2 ton diesels and someone told me that's because they had front-end problems because of the weight of the motor??? Is this so? Thanks for the info and advice... love the site!

Re: 1/2 Ton Chevy Diesel
Date: 07 Jan 2002
Hi thanks for visiting my website. I'm not found of the older GM diesels. Yes even the older GM diesels are heavier than a gas engine and will give you some expensive problems, suspension and engine. For fuel mileage, a GM Vortec gas 4.3L V-6 in the same truck your looking at will be close behind the GM diesel in fuel mileage and last a heck of a lot longer. Good Truck'n. MT

Chevy Transmission
Date: 13 Jan 2002
Hi. I have a 1993 6.5 liter K2500 Chevy pickup with a 5 speed manual transmission with Low,,1,2,3 and overdrive. Should I worry about pulling a 10,000 pound trailer in overdrive?

Re: Chevy Transmission
Date: 13 Jan 2002
Hi, a manual transmission overdrive is different from overdrive in an automatic. Pulling 10,000#'s won't hurt the manual tranny in overdrive. Watch the tach and engine temp gauge. If the engine lugs to much under a load the engine temp gauge should rise. On level ground you should be OK in overdrive. Good Truck'n. MT

PICKUP SADDLE TANKS
Date: 13 Jan 2002
Am looking for any information for adding an extra INTERNAL fuel tank to increase my PU's fuel capacity from 34 gal to at least double that. I've seen all kinds of in-bed tanks and the like, but want to see if there are any that will fit in open space under the skin of the truck that can be fed into the main tank. 2001 Chevy 3500 Crew Cab, LB Dually. Am trying to preserve the bed of the truck for other things. Thanks in advance, Dennis H Michigan

Re: PICKUP SADDLE TANKS
Date: 13 Jan 2002
Hi, since the class action lawsuits GM lost with the factory saddle tanks exploding in accidents, most shops and aftermarket can't take the liability to install what you describe. Check with Camping World too. They might have something. You could go to a flat bed or custom beds which have more room for fuel tanks. Good Truck'n. MT

Duramax Diesel
Date: 06 Jan 2002
I am in the process of ordering a 2500HD Duramax diesel. This truck will be used for my everyday driving as well as towing. I need to know who has had trouble and what the problems have been? Is the tranny ok or too much for the truck? If there are good things let me know that too. Yes I read your article and I hope the 2002 are improved. Let me know-thanks

Re: Duramax Diesel
Date: 07 Jan 2002
Hi, thanks for reading my web site. I was actually surprised by the problems of the Duramax. And most of the problems were from people pulling workloads. I’ve also heard good things from people pulling smaller RV fifth wheels. I expected head and head gasket problems with the aluminum head. But Duramax owners have told me about, broken crankshafts, blown head gaskets, broken front shocks, broken front stabilizer links, replacing front ball joints, starting problems, entire fuel systems replaced, etc. For some Duramax owners, the tow truck has become an accessory. I like the technology behind the Duramax and Allison 1000. GM has some great ideas in this new combination. As soon as dependability catches up with the technology, I’ll stop bitching about them. These are my opinions from my research, reviews and interviews; the softer stuff comes from magazines that get the big advertising from manufactures. I would love to hear more good stories from anyone out there about their Duramax or Allison 1000. Anyone out there have a 8.1L V-8 gas engine with the Allison 1000? The nice thing about any of the new diesels is the 5-year or 100,000 warranty. If you have the time, it shouldn’t cost anything to fix the Duramax for a while. Gosh, time for another cup of coffee. Please let me know how your new Duramax works for you. You should get a good price on an ordered truck; it doesn’t cost the dealer interest or floor plan. It should be like $1000 over invoice. Good Truck’n. MT

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