Lookig to buy either a 01 2500 club cab 24v ctd automatic 270,000 miles, very clean and body in good shape nice paint it was used by a couple for towing and traveling with a camping trailer,
2nd option for the same price is a 3500 dulley 1996 379,000 miles 12v ctd 5 speed man tranny body andpaint are in ok condition interior needs cleaning and headliner and prolly seat recovered, it was used as a work truck, i havent driven either truck both motors sound great, to be honest the 01 is nicer and makes more sense to buy BUT from what im hearing is the 96 is a better engine and tranny and not have to worry about the fuel pump and electronics from the 01 which could be costly and could quit without warning. i will be driving it daily and rarely pulling a trailer. i need opinions and help to decide. the price is 5,000 for either both are the club cab slt

 

Not a bad price for oil burners......

The 96 seems to be a more dependable motor, perhaps cheaper to maintain..... but, I think lift pumps are potential issues there.

We have a couple members here that are MUCH more familiar with der diesels, and their quirks, let them chime in here as well.

 

man those 24v's with electronics are so unreliable! *rolls eyes*

good lift pump and good lubricity in the fuel and the 24v is a great motor.

long as you take care of the injection pump it will last a long time...

as for engine longevity: there are tons of 24v's in the million mile club, and there is one in the 2 million mile club!!!

downside to the one you pointed out is the automatic trans...built auto will solve that issue.

the 12v p7100 motor is a great reliable motor though long as the killer dowel pin is addressed.

also if you want the newer 24v truck but the "mechanical dependability" of the 12v (for those who are afraid of electronics) you can convert the 24v to the P7100 injection pump and ditch the computer...just sayin..

 

Iv always added Marvel myst oil to any ctd in the past so is that the downfall of the pump lack of oil or running dry ? if so i can maintaine that ?

 

marvel mystery oil is NOT a good additive for diesel fuel.

let me educate you here with an independent study done on the very issue of fuel lubricity



and here is how fuel lubricity effects pump life as a test done by the OEM manufacturer of the injection pumps:



the lower the HFRR score, the better.

personally I run wally world 2-cycle oil in a 128:1 mix ratio (the chart tested it at a 200:1 ratio, so a 128:1 ratio or 1oz per gallon would be a big improvement on the score it got on the chart)

 

I try to run B5 soypower whenever I can, but its not as available or convenient as I would like, so I buy wally world supertech 2-stroke oil by the gallon ($12/gallon) and that is good for 4x 32 gallon fill ups.

I also have 2 stroke yard tools and a 2-stroke dirtbike (kx250) so 2-cycle oil is convenient.

 

Just out of curiosity, would running synthetic 2 stroke oil be any more of an improvement?

 

The VP44 usually fails either from a bad computer or lift pump failure, which results in low fuel psi to the VP...then the diaphragm ruptures and you'll need a new lift pump and injection pump. Upgrading the lift pump to an airdog, fass, etc, will solve that second problem. Having a fuel psi gauge in the cab will also help you to monitor fuel pressure to the injection pump.

 

just spoke to the mech who repaired the 5thgear jam nut deal he said the 96 runs real good and he sorta explained the 01 pump situation, he has 7 ram ctds so I should feel comfortable from what he tells me,

 

the computers fail on the vp44 due to lack of cooling which is caused by poor fuel pressure. the pump can also fail from high wear. the diaphragms aren't an issue on 90% of reman pumps. diaphragms used to rupture from too much fuel pressure. but the pumps would wear like crazy from lack of lubrication. its like running an engine without oil. VP44 uses fuel as oil and coolant.

so with both good lubrication, and enough fuel pressure to keep the overflow valve open in the injection pump, the constant flow of fuel through it will keep it cooled down and lubricated

ideally you want 14-20psi at all times, but bosch spec says you can get away with 10-20psi at all times

(14psi is the pressure the overflow valve opens at)

I run 17-20psi at all times (this includes wide open throttle on a 500+hp truck)

I have been running an airdog 150 on my truck the last 4 years for a lift pump, and haven't had a single issue with the injection pump and I push it pretty hard.