A Cummins is faster then a Hemi!

GlennRMK · June 24, 2004

My buddy is shopping for a new truck, so I went with him today and we checked out some trucks.

I personally have driven a Hemi Quad Cab short box 4x4 auto before and bought a 5.3 because I didn't feel the Hemi had any more power.

So, we drove a Hemi Quad Cab short box 4x4 1/2 ton, 3.92s auto. I thought my 5.3 pulled harder.

Drove a new 2500 Quad Cab short box 4x4 Cummins auto, 3.73s, HO 600. Definitely faster then the Hemi. Was very impressed.

Drove a new 2500 Duramax extended cab short box extended cab 4x4 and the Cummins pulled harder.

The guy currently has a 98 24 valve Cummins short box auto 4x4. Which is faster then all of them, thanks to an EDGE EZ and 80 hp injectors.

But he went in thinking he was going to get a Hemi and came out saying hes gonna get another Cummins.

Just my experience today.

Yes, I know the 6.0 Powerstroke is ok, but my buddy will not even set foot in a Ford, and I don't blame him:)

QUIKAG · June 25, 2004

There's no doubt the Cummins is a great engine. I just don't like or trust the rest of the truck. The Duramax/Allison combo is still superior overall as the Dodge automatic is suspect as far as durability is concerned.

LikeaRock14 · June 25, 2004

There's no doubt the Cummins is a great engine. I just don't like or trust the rest of the truck. The Duramax/Allison combo is still superior overall as the Dodge automatic is suspect as far as durability is concerned.

I totally agree. My dad constantly is looking for trucks in the paper, sees the q.c cummins for $25k sometimes, but he knows he can't trust the rest of the truck. I don't understand where he gets the idea the Dmax has a million things wrong with it...

KyleBst264 · June 25, 2004

The Cummins will last forever, but the truck it is in will fall apart around 50,000 miles (and I'm being forgiving)

GlennRMK · June 26, 2004

Heres an idea!

How about Cummins engine in a GMC truck with a solid front end. Don't really like IFS.

And for you automatic people, the Allison behind it. But personally I like the NV5600 behind the Cummins better then the ZF 6 speed.

Now that would be a sweet truck!

snoman · June 26, 2004

The Cummins will last forever, but the truck it is in will fall apart around 50,000 miles (and I'm being forgiving)

The old Cummins maybe but not the new high tech ones. They will bleed you dry with repairs when you get some serious age on them and long before body rots away. Diesel and electronically controled pump do not play well together over longer periods of time as GM has learned long ago. Also the "Hemi" is overrated anyway, not a bad engine but not a great one either. You would need a lot more than 3.92 gears with it to go up against a Cummins with 3.73 gears and 200 ftlbs more torque. When you gear a gasser basically the same as a diesel, the gasser will lose contest because it needs to rev higher to make its power.

Chevyfreek · June 28, 2004

The Hemi is overated for sure. There are a lot of ex-hemi owners out there that are driving GM trucks now. The Cummins is a awesome diesel for sure, but I would stick with the Dmax(LLY)/Ally combo though. GM builds a better truck in my opinion than Dodge. It is sad that a engine as good as the Cummins is has to be stuck in a Dodge. The Dmax can be a monster with the right aftermarket goodies. From what I have heard they can run down Cummins and Powerstrokes all day if properly configured...

snoman · June 28, 2004

Yes, dodge builds a poor truck in my opinion too. If it were not for offering the cummins years ago they would be in sad shape today for sales. There is a rumor that GM is going to replace the Duramax with a Cat engine in 08. Starting that year cats will be required on diesels and Catapillar already has working solutions on the board and under test now from what I have read.

GlennRMK · June 28, 2004

That would be awesome if GM went to Caterpillar. Not that the Duramax is a bad engine, but Caterpillar would be that much better.

Back in 99, when we were all wondering who was going to build the new diesel for GM, I remember Caterpillar and John Deere coming up.

Chevyfreek · June 28, 2004

A Catepilar Diesel would be a power house for sure. I guess we will see if it comes to be or not. Although you would think GM would stick with Isuzu and the Dmax sense they own them, right?

snoman · June 29, 2004

A Catepilar Diesel would be a power house for sure. I guess we will see if it comes to be or not. Although you would think GM would stick with Isuzu and the Dmax sense they own them, right?

Not sure about that because there have been some duramax horror stories and a engine that requires 23 to 25 pounds of boost to make full power can have long term issues. I would like to see GM increase displacement and lower the boost to get same power levels or higher as this would play better long term I think. Also, long ago a friend of mine that worked at GM as a engineer told me the JD did the engineering design work on the the 6.2 for GM and the 6.5 is just a tweaked and improved 6.2. Power by Catapillar would look very impressive on a fender emblem wouldn't it? That would really give Dodge and Ford knock down the diesel food chain. Another friend of mine used to work at IH truck plant years ago anf he told me that when trucks were ordered with Cat engines that line workes were not allowed to start of test run the engines and that Cat had their own people their to do it.

Chevyfreek · June 29, 2004

Well the Duramax is a better motor than the previous GM diesels for sure, but change is always good. I think that GM may make some more changes here and there to the Dmax over the next couple of model years, but they may limit what they do depending on if they are in fact going to change to a different supplier for their diesels.

My brothers wife actually works for CAT and they are a good company. I will have to ask her to keep an ear open for any news that may relate to CAT and GM. Maybe she would hear something. They are a big name brand. So I would think if they did build diesels for GM applications they would be very stringently designed and be of the highest quality. The only question in my mind would be the cost associated with these diesels.

It would be a major change for GM and CAT doing a custom diesel design for GM would not come cheap. Then again it would be a good way for CAT and GM to expand their business so it may be beneficial to both parties to try and keep costs low. I guess we will see in the coming years what happens...

snoman · June 29, 2004

Well the Duramax is a better motor than the previous GM diesels for sure, but change is always good. I think that GM may make some more changes here and there to the Dmax over the next couple of model years, but they may limit what they do depending on if they are in fact going to change to a different supplier for their diesels.

My brothers wife actually works for CAT and they are a good company. I will have to ask her to keep an ear open for any news that may relate to CAT and GM. Maybe she would hear something. They are a big name brand. So I would think if they did build diesels for GM applications they would be very stringently designed and be of the highest quality. The only question in my mind would be the cost associated with these diesels.

It would be a major change for GM and CAT doing a custom diesel design for GM would not come cheap. Then again it would be a good way for CAT and GM to expand their business so it may be beneficial to both parties to try and keep costs low. I guess we will see in the coming years what happens...

I quest that it is a "better engine" as I have seen and heard of more dead or hurting Duramaxs in the few years they have been made than the 6.5 made before it. There was nothing wrong with the 6.5, they just could not get much more power out of the design.

Yes it would cost GM to get a Cat engine in a truck but that name stands for something still and people would pay 8,000 or more for that diesel option and a Cat in a GM P/U would have Ford and Dodge shaking in their boots.

Chevyfreek · June 30, 2004

It does have more power like you said, but it has had it's fair share of porblems as well. The new LLy's are nice IMO. I had driven one a while back in a 3500SRW. Very nice rig! A new diesel should be a great thing though and a CAT would be sweet...

snoman · June 30, 2004

I have driven a few too ans the Duramax has some impressve power in it RPM range for sure but I personally do no like that Allison tranny that they pair with it nor the way is shifts. The nice thing about the old 6.5 was that it had a wider usable RPM range and was more transparent with a automatic. Never found a Dmax with a stick to test drive.