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Noob tow rig questions

L

LT.

Well-Known Member
Location
Los Alamos, New Mexico
L

LT.

Well-Known Member
Location
Los Alamos, New Mexico
sixstringsteve said:
what does lly mean? It sounds like an engine model. Are LLYs bad or good?
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LLY is the engine model. The LB7 was produced from 2001 until 2004. The LLY was from 2004 until the end of 2005. The 2006 LLY (engine code "2") debuted in the beginning of 2006 and ended production with the start of the 2007 calendar year. Mechanically it is identical to the LBZ and is mated to the new 6 speed Allison transmission however it retained the LLY designation. The LBZ (engine code "D") debuted in late 2006 and continued into 2007 sold only in the "classic" body style. It has a more powerful tune loaded into the computer that allows it produce more power and torque.


The LLY was noted to have some over heating problems along with some injector problems and head gasket problems. None of the D-Max motors are bad in my opinion. Any motor from any company can have problems. So don't fear the motor or anything like that.


LT.
 
ricsrx

ricsrx

Well-Known Member
Tow

Honestly no mater how i upgraded the GMC it never would have compared to my Ford, and the Ford cant hold a candle to my 04 Dodge and paid $15K with 185K miles, I am not worried a bit about the milage.
but it would have been sweet to put a cummins in that old Ford!!!!
 

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L

LT.

Well-Known Member
Location
Los Alamos, New Mexico
On my 2006 I had 52,000 when I sold it a few months ago. My new 2010 has about 3,000 miles on it. I have seen well over 1,000,000 miles on the stock long blocks. A friend of mine had over 250,000 on his tow rig and thought about rebuilding the motor. When he started asking around everyone he asked said, why bother?

Here is a video clip of a Cummins over a million miles. Watch out for the language. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x64Ay8EnOhU

LT.
 
sixstringsteve

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
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SmokinCamel

SmokinCamel

Went from 80" to 125" :)
Location
Salt Lake City
ricsrx said:
Honestly no mater how i upgraded the GMC it never would have compared to my Ford, and the Ford cant hold a candle to my 04 Dodge and paid $15K with 185K miles, I am not worried a bit about the milage.
but it would have been sweet to put a cummins in that old Ford!!!!
Click to expand...

My friend had a late 90's king cab long bed. He wanted to do a 12v Cummins swap. But traded it for a single cab power stroke.
 
sixstringsteve

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
I finally understand why this decision is so hard for me. In the past, I could always get a honda or a toyota for dirt cheap and know it's going to last me forever. Well, honda and toyota don't play the big game, so I'm really struggling with spending so much money on a vehicle that's not going to be nearly as reliable or trouble-free as a toyota or honda (especially honda). I feel like a $2k honda will be more reliable than a $15k truck. Maybe it's just me, but it kinda drives me crazy that there isn't a truck that'll just keep running and running like the little honda or toyota. It sounds like parts of each truck will keep running and running, but not any one entire truck. It's a tough realization for me. Or maybe I'm just blowing it out of proportion. But when I'm looking at used diesels, it seems like most of the higher mileage ones have had to replace a lot of expensive parts. I just want a truck that is stockish that will keep running, that I won't have to keep replacing parts. Does such a truck exist? Forgive my frustration, it must seem pretty foolish to hear me rant like this, but it totally changes my perspective when buying vehicles.

That being said, it sounds like the closest I'll get is a 99-03 dodge with a cummins and a 6-speed manual. Or possibly a Ford 7.3 PS.
 
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Cherokeester

Cherokeester

Registered User
Location
Wellsville Utah
No free lunch as it has been said. Put the honda in front of a 26 foot flatbed with two jeeps and tow it up and down highway 6 and see how long it lasts. Big rigs can be spendy. Tires, oil changes, diesel fuel additives, injectors, turbos. Heck my powerstroke takes 15 qts of oil! And it has to be Rotella which costs the money. Steve, you are now caught in the loop where you are looking to buy the next thing because you "need" it. Not such a bad thing, but keep in mind it can grow to be a monster sometimes.
 
Corban_White

Corban_White

Well-Known Member
Location
Payson, AZ
Diesels are nice for towing but for your towing requirements a gas will do just fine. And if you are concerned about maintenance the parts on a gas motor are MUCH cheaper. I really like the 99-03 dodges with the six speed but I am going to have to recommend a gas motor for your use. The '72 is ideal IMO. It is a good looking truck and it looks like it is ready to go. Emissions is easy with the age and there are not so many sensors and other high dollar parts that can go bad. Sure a diesel may last 1,000,000 miles but what is the maint cost to get it there? The 454 will pull what you need it to and should go at least 200,000. When it does die it can be rebuilt for hardly more than a lift pump! The gas mileage will suck unloaded but it won't be a ton worse than a diesel loaded. How many miles are you going to put on it a year? Gas mileage keeps getting thrown around but how much will 5-7 mpg save you in a year? And how much will the diesel cost you in maint and higher fuel cost in addition to the higher initial cost and the POS truck that it is mounted in? Honestly, most people buy a diesel because they would rather be towing up the hills in the passing lane rather than in the slow lane. For some a diesel makes sense and I am in no way bad mouthing diesels. I have been a trucker for many years and I definitely understand and appreciate their strengths. But you have to consider YOUR needs and not just get caught up in the hype.
 
sixstringsteve

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
Cherokeester said:
No free lunch as it has been said. Put the honda in front of a 26 foot flatbed with two jeeps and tow it up and down highway 6 and see how long it lasts. Big rigs can be spendy. Tires, oil changes, diesel fuel additives, injectors, turbos. Heck my powerstroke takes 15 qts of oil! And it has to be Rotella which costs the money. Steve, you are now caught in the loop where you are looking to buy the next thing because you "need" it. Not such a bad thing, but keep in mind it can grow to be a monster sometimes.
Click to expand...

That's the scary realization that I"m coming to... And I thought this sport was expensive BEFORE the tow rig :)
 
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