I'm wondering if some of you would please give me your overall feeling on the Cummings. I'm considering purchasing a 2500 01-03' 4X4Cummings and do not know that much about the vehicles. There will not be any heavy towing done, just normal driving and occasional 4X4 driving in the snow. Would you purchase one today knowing what you know? Also considering Chevy and Ford. I know this is a question based on opion but I'll ask it anyway. I checked out the post that compared the newer models but I'm looking at an older one.Thank you for your time.

 

I love mine, Ive had no problems with it and theres nothing it wont pull!

 

Screw the POWERCHOKES and DURA*** engines.... Go with the cummins. Just my opinion

 

The cummins is a better engine, but in my opinion ford has a nicer truck.

 

The thing that sold me on the Cummins is that's it's a whole lot easier to service and work on with all the room you have under the hood.

I looked at the Chevy's and the Ford and both were packed to the gills under the hood, I did the same on my gas cars and trucks, I lifted the hood first and moved on if it looked like a nightmare to work on.

 

The 01-03 CTD trucks have some issues, but they are managable. Look for threads on the 53 Series block, and everything you can find on the Lift Pump and Injection Pump. The auto transmissions on the 94-04 Dodges are a bit weak.

That said, if you find a good truck at the right price, I have noticed a lot of people on this and other forums are getting VERY GOOD service out of them.

There are a lot of people on this forum that know a LOT more about these trucks than I do, but from my research, before I bought my truck, I can suggest the following.

1.) Avoid the series #53 Block. This block cracks often, due to a casting defect.
2.) Change out the lift pump system to one of the recommended aftermarket systems.
3.) Upgrade the Torque Converter to a "Billit" system, such as ATS, etc.
4.) Have a GOOD transmission shop experienced in the Dodge truck transmissions rebuild your transmission with heavy duty parts or go to an after market transmission.
5.) Add fuel pres., exhaust gas temp., trans. temp., and Turbo Boost Pressure guages
6.) Drive the He** out of it for the next 250,000 + Miles, and enjoy.

Ralph

 

What he said

 

So the 53 block is on all of the 01-03' CTD? Thanks for the info and advice. I'm gonna try to check out the treads on the 53 blocks.

 

The inline 6 cyl Cummins is a much better engine imo. It has a broad flat torque band which means from low rpms up to higher rpms its still got the same pulling power. The engine well in my 5.9L equipped '07 looks like a shade tree'ers dream come true. It's almost like a blast from the past of something from 30 years ago, almost. I can't emphasize enough about how much room there is in there to do the routine maintinence.

Duramax and Powerstrokes are V8s and don't have the broad torque band of Cummins. Their torque band is much narrower and up there on the higher end of the rpms. Also, if you ever look in the engine wells of GMs and Fords all you'll see is about a million hoses, wires and sensors jumbled up everywhere with some misc plastic covers here and there. If you look really hard with a flash light you can see pieces of the actual engine down there underneath all that mess. GM's and especially the Fords have slightly better creature comforts but the Dodge, or at least mine anyways, is a good tight truck without any rattles or creaks and that is good enough for me. My last truck was a gasser Ford Lariat and it was nice but it was a gasser and the more I think about it the more I think all that Lariat pomp and circumstance was a bunch of wussified crap. A truck is for work not beauty pageants

 

What years had the "53" block in it?