Gas vs diesel SMB? - Page 2

PatO · 02-16-2012, 09:43 PM

Go GAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The stock 6.0 is an abomination. I saw a pump at $4.50/gal the other night here in San Diego. My corner pump is still $4.20 but I;m sure it will follow up. My 58K average is less that 13.5 mpg. Long highway trips are never more than 14.5 mpg. I've had 4 turbo services and multiple recalls and re-flashes all of which made it noisier and more pig like. Acceleration is pitiful and I refrain from getting to far off the road because I just don't trust it anymore. I do plan to take cares of the many issues in the next 6 months ($$$'s) and hope to have it be the vehicle it should have been out of the Ford factory. My 3 cents.

yondermountain · 02-16-2012, 11:11 PM

Tapatio that was hilarious !
I think overall the v10 turns out to be a great choice. Very good longterm track record and the maintenance is less expensive for sure. Mileage is not so hot but fuel costs are high for both gas/diesel on a yearly basis relatively speaking. My 2000 4x4 v10 gets at very best 13-14 going 55-60 sometimes, but real world driving I'm getting more like 12. I must say it's very quiet considering the motor is next to your ankles/knees. All this being said if money were no object maybe I would have a 6.0 that I spent the 5-10 k to "bulletproof",I don't know?
Bottom line for me, although i was a cummins diesel guy, when it came to the ford van smb, I went v10 and I'm really glad I did even though budget had a lot to do with it at the time.
Jas

akfiredude · 02-16-2012, 11:24 PM

Mike- Ultrasport12- PatO- Jas,

Thanks for taking the time to answer an obviously tired old question, your feedback has been very helpful. I was fairly sure I was going to go diesel but now the option of looking at a gas rig is viable in my mind. This just opens up more possibilities for me. I know there are pros & cons either way and people will have positive and negative opinions but it really does help having both gas & diesel owners share their experience both good & bad. A gasser is very appealing (we do not plan on towing on a regular basis & possible maint issues) except for the mileage issue as we will be traveling great distances. I know this has been the dilemma/decision for many before me.
Thanks again, Paul

scatter · 02-17-2012, 08:35 AM

Depends on how you plan on using it, but the low end torque of the diesel was a deal breaker for me. I have a friend with a gasser and he has trouble going places I breeze thru.
Just something else to consider....

saline · 02-17-2012, 08:51 AM

I love my diesel by the way.

yvrr · 02-17-2012, 09:27 AM

We have about 100K on our 2001 SMB. A few years after getting it, we heard about the spark plug issue and were concerned that replacing the spark plugs might precipitate engine block issues but they were replaced last summer without any problems. We have had some problems with the drive train which resulted in the need to replace the transmission (overheating) and differential limited slip components (twice) but those items are unrelated to the type of engine. The only problems on the engine were the need to replace the AC compressor and some AC hoses last summer, but again, those are independent of the engine type. I thought I was getting into an engine issue a couple of years ago coming home from Colorado when the engine suddenly started shutting down after restarting it when it was at operating temperature. But I talked to the Ford service manager when we got home and he said that it sounded like bad gas (water in the tank). It stopped so it sounds like he was correct.

One issue that had me concerned about getting off the paved roads was the serpentine belt. I carry a spare but wasn't sure that I could replace it if necessary. (I worked on my cars as a kid but those were Chevy inline 6s.) But, if the serpentine belt on a V10 breaks, it will keep going as a V8. (I thought the folks at SMB Fresno were pulling my leg when they told me but it is in the Owner's manual.)

I'd like the better mileage of a diesel but the price of diesel is higher than gasoline (and that doesn't look like it is going to change) and diesels are fairly noisy. I'm very satisfied with our V10...

86Scotty · 02-17-2012, 06:53 PM

Now if you could find a 7.3 diesel on the other hand.................................

akfiredude · 02-18-2012, 01:36 AM

yvrr (or anyone else with a V10), do you do much technical off road 4x4ing with your V10 (low gear creeping over technical terrain for long periods of time)? After reading other peoples posts I'm curious as to how the V10 does in this type of situation since it does not have the low end torque like a diesel. I know I will be doing mostly hwy/dirt/back road driving for 80-90% of the time but we really like to get out away from it all with our 4x4 and that involves some fairly technical terrain at times. I know there are always compromises no matter what type of rig/engine I may get.

carringb · 02-18-2012, 04:17 AM

The V10 only make 15 ft-lbs less torque than the diesel, but is usually combined with lower gearing to compensate.

This is a comparison with the F-series 7.3 PSD, which made more torques than the E-series version due to the intercooler issue.

deserteagle56 · 02-18-2012, 09:09 AM

Please note in the above graphs the RPM range for these engines. Pretty hard to measure any low RPM information on the V-10! Like most newer gas engines, it thrives on RPM!

That being said, you will never notice a problem in low gear or low gear low range with the V-10. There is more than enough power to get through anything you could encounter. I have many, many miles of rough terrain (not many paved roads where I live) on my rig and in fact, I would say in the rough stuff the V-10 has an advantage because it is significantly lighter than the diesel. The only time I wish I had the diesel is at freeway speeds because the V-10 shifts down (to get into its power band) on any significant grade even with the 4.56 gears I run. The diesel makes max torque by ~ 1600 rpm and so doesn't have to shift. And you may have to carry extra fuel with the gasser if you spend much time in the outback - mulitply 30 gallons of fuel by 12 mpg and then 30 gallons times 16 or 18 mpg and that's a significant difference. As far as dependability, everything I've seen or heard, the V-10 is bulletproof. Mine has never had a problem in 35,000 miles. I've not owned a 6.0 diesel but the reputation for reliability is dismal.