Cummins 6.7L

[BroncoFan]

We're considering getting a 6.7L Cummins and are hoping to get some good insight from people here that own or have owned one. We have a 5.9L Cummins and we really like that motor but it us tough finding one with low miles anymore. We just know many of you all are probably using your trucks for hauling livestock, hay, etc like we do.

Our questions are for a single rear wheel or dually. MPG empty vs loaded? Any complaints? Work that has had to be done? Ways you all were able to increase the fuel mileage, torque or power? Are you generally happy with the truck? How the automatic transmission is holding up? Do you tow through mountains, hills, or flat land? We'd like a manual but they're hard to come by. How many tons are you towing when you tow? Any insight is greatly appreciated.

 

[blackdirt cowboy]

I have 2 6.7L with manual transmissions. The engines suck unless you do the deletes. Overall, they lack power and torque. After the deletes, they run like a top.

 

[buckeye]

I have had no problem pulling the hills with a 20ft trailer loaded. Mpg interstate empty 23 loaded 15

 

[Part Timer]

I like mine. 07 megacab 6spd. I haven't done the deletes yet. I average 16 mpg(speedo is off do to oversized tires). They say that the stock tranny is good on stock power but anything over it's a matter of time before it starts to go. I have been told a stock 6.7 is like a modded 5.9.  I would definitely buy another one.

 

[BroncoFan]

Blackdirt Cowboy, did you do the deletions yourself?
Buckeye, did you some deletions to get the fuel mileage like Blackdirt Cowboy did?
Parttimer, is the 16mpg loaded or empty?

 

[Davidsonranch]

Restrictions have the diesels so "chocked" up now a days, it's not like pre-2006.  Thats why there are people getting $30K plus on 2004-2006 Dodge Cummins with over 100K miles or more in my area.  They are highly wanted. My cousin (who is a bachelor and has more toys than anyone I know) has a 2005 Ram 2500, 5.9 and 6 speed.  It has 40K original miles.  He was offered $35K for it the other day, almost exactly what he paid for it 10 years ago.  Crazy!  I have been debating what we will get next.  I need to read up on the delete modifications, etc.

My dad bought a 2012 Ford F-250 (and we are not Ford guys).  It seems to have a ton of power, but pulling a fairly light 18 foot stock trailer empty we only get 11-12 MPG.  Empty its more like 18 as long as you drive reasonable. 

 

[skeeter20]

I'm a Chevy guy, bought a Dodge Megacab for the extra room alone. 6.7, love it! Will buy another before the Duramax. Both automatic. No probs at all, only 110,000 mi tho. No delete kit. None stock

 

[Shebet21]

2011 Crew Cab Dually automatic, totally stock with just shy of 100,000 on it. Love the truck, pulls my 30 foot cattle trailer loaded with no issues. Haven't had any tranny issues yet. One thing I don't like is the fuel mileage. Just driving with no trailer I struggle to get 16. Pulling the trailer it's generally just over 10 and I've had it as low as 8.6. I am planning on making some "changes" just as soon as the warranty is off.

 

[buckeye]

Mine is completely stock as I got it from the show room floor

 

[oakview]

I've had my Ram diesel about 18 months, bought it new.  I had two 7.3 Fords and, unfortunately, one 6.0 Ford.  The 6.0 fiasco sent me to Ram.  There is no comparison in the power between the 6.7 and the Ford 6.0.  The 6.0 was a dog.  I get 22-24 MPG empty at about 60 MPH, about 18-19 at about 70 MPH.  Pulling my 24 foot Exiss, I get anywhere from 12-15 MPG depending mostly on the wind.  Both empty and full MPGs are better than the Ford 6.0.  I have purchased 5 new pickups since 1990 (the first was a Dodge 3/4 ton gasser, then 3 Fords, now back to Dodge).  The ride has improved in each.  The kids and grandkids say the new Dodge is much quieter than the last Ford, but I guess I'm used to old International tractors and don't notice the noise so much  The only problem I've had so far with the Dodge is a factory issue with a rear fuel filter heater.  The dealer fixed it after I had some slight gelling issues last winter.  They said they neglected to turn it on at the factory.  It was 15 below this morning and it started right up as it has ever since the problem was fixed.  This is the first automatic I've had, so I got the extended warranty.  If they'd only put that Allison transmission with the Cummins.  I notice many more Ram pickups on the road now than I did a few years ago, perhaps due to the Ford 6.0 diesel.   

 

[LLBUX]

I actually had better mileage and power with my 2004 Ford F350 dually 6.0 with 6 speed than with my current 2011 Ram 3500 dually with automatic.

The Ford got me about 15-16 empty and 12-13 pulling a trailer/camper.
The Dodge gets 13-14 empty and 11-12 pulling.

(Based upon conservative driving style)    I am too cheap to run it hard and fast.

Ford had a chip and egr bypassed.
Dodge is stock.

 

[DSC]

I have a 2013 Dodge Mega Cab single axle and I absolutely love it. Pulls great loaded down with cattle or show cattle, and tack. It gets around 22-24 empty and 15-18 pulling a trailer loaded. I have taken it through the mountains with a trailer and cattle with no problems as well as through the flat lands (where we are located). I had a 07 duramax before this one and it was a total piece of junk. The only good thing about it was the transmission. On the dodge the only problem I had was the Def pump went out and it had to be replaced. It was covered under the warranty though. They must have had a ton of issues with the Def pumps as when mine went out the pumps were on back order. Other than that it was been a great truck. 

 

[Tallcool1]

Blackdirt Cowboy, did you do the deletions yourself?
Buckeye, did you some deletions to get the fuel mileage like Blackdirt Cowboy did?
Parttimer, is the 16mpg loaded or empty?

I am a dealer and sell some 6.7L Cummins.

You can do the delete yourself if you're fairly mechanically inclined and have some tools.  There is a company called Sinister that manufactures the kits.  If I remember correctly, they cost about $600 for the EGR/Particulate filter delete kit.

The particulate filter isn't really that big of a deal if you pull with your truck.  A particulate filter recharges itself with heat.  The only way to really get the exhaust temperature to regeneration range is to be pulling something with it, or driving the hell out of it.  What we see is when people use these trucks as a daily driver and never pull anything with them, the filter gets plugged up.

I can't really say one way or another in terms of doing the EGR Delete.  My concern always comes down to the check engine light and the warranty.  Anytime you mess with emissions, you run the risk of the check engine light doing some strange stuff.  I realize that the delete kits come with a programmer that is supposed to fool the ECM into thinking all is well, but I don't know how much trust I would put in that programmer.  There is a reason why electronics modifications void the warranty.

If the truck was mine, I wouldn't hesitate to do the EGR deletes, but I would not do the particulate filter delete.  The reason I would do it that way is for warranty purposes.  If something goes haywire with the truck, you can easily put the EGR back before you take the truck in for warranty work.  It is a little tougher to put the filter back in!

 

[diamonddls]

It will never be a 5.9 or 7.3. But probably one of the better new "enviro" diesel motors. In our area the hotshot and cattle haulers all run dodge or ford. Tells me something when those are the truck people making their living in. I'm a ford guy myself but quite like the newer dodge trucks the really improved the ride itself. If the 5.9 came in a new dodge package they would have the winning combo hands down. Can't beat Cummins reliability but 6.7 won't hold a flame to 5.9 in performance.

 

[RyanChandler]

It will never be a 5.9 or 7.3. But probably one of the better new "enviro" diesel motors. In our area the hotshot and cattle haulers all run dodge or ford. Tells me something when those are the truck people making their living in. I'm a ford guy myself but quite like the newer dodge trucks the really improved the ride itself. If the 5.9 came in a new dodge package they would have the winning combo hands down. Can't beat Cummins reliability but 6.7 won't hold a flame to 5.9 in performance.

How do you figure? 

The 2015 6.7 has over 30% more torque than the stoutest 5.9 ever made.  About 60 more hp too.

 

[Tallcool1]

It will never be a 5.9 or 7.3. But probably one of the better new "enviro" diesel motors. In our area the hotshot and cattle haulers all run dodge or ford. Tells me something when those are the truck people making their living in. I'm a ford guy myself but quite like the newer dodge trucks the really improved the ride itself. If the 5.9 came in a new dodge package they would have the winning combo hands down. Can't beat Cummins reliability but 6.7 won't hold a flame to 5.9 in performance.

How do you figure? 

The 2015 6.7 has over 30% more torque than the stoutest 5.9 ever made.  About 60 more hp too.

True Story! 

Some of my customers were under the impression that all of the emissions on the 6.7 would in essence "rob" all of the added torque and horsepower.  In reality, all of the dyno testing is done in full emissions, so the numbers are in fact what you will put to the ground when you get in it and go.

 

[RyanChandler]

Exactly.

You hear the same thing w/ Fords coming from the 7.3 diehards.  My uncle still has a 7.3 and was foaming about how it was 'still the stoutest truck ever made' blah blah blah. 


The 7.3 has about 50% less torque than Fords new 6.7.

 

[cowpoke]

Currently I have a 2015 F-350 and a 2014 Ram 2500 and had a new Duramax in 2006 .Our Ford has the most power and gets around 10MPG pulling a 24ft gooseneck.Our Dodge is much less cluttered under the hood and gets 10MPG pulling same gooseneck.Our 06 Duramax got 10MPG gallon pulling 24ft gooseneck.We had no issues with any of these trucks.Turn back the clock a ways and I had a 7.3 PowerStrokeTurbo  with manual transmission not as much acceleration but would get 15MPG.Also had a 2005 Dodge w/manual would get 15+MPG.Seems like all the pollution gadgets have had an effect.It gets down to service and what you like there is very little difference We have never chipped any of our trucks as warranty is important .

 

[blackdirt cowboy]

I did the deletes myself at 20,000 miles. Now have 90,000 and have had no issues. I deleted everything, DPF, EGR, and DEF.  Hell, I even deleted the muffler.