The Biggest Reason We Love Diesels: More Torque

This week our editors are on vacation, so we're posting our favorite stories worth repeating from the previous year.

Why do we see diesel pickups competing in sled pulls and we don't see Mustangs or Ferraris doing the tug of war? Well, it has to do with torque. Hot cars can master the horsepower game, but when it comes to raw power in a pulling competition, you need to bring in the big dogs for that.

A 2016 article in Car & Driver helps explain what torque is: "Torque is a rotating force produced by an engine's crankshaft. The more torque an engine produces, the greater its ability to perform work." 

You don't need to understand the science to recognize the difference. If you've ever been to a tractor pull, you can see it is a very different experience.

I mention all this because even though diesel engines are far cleaner and quieter than they were thirty years ago, they still get a lot of bad press. Diesel owners have a target on their backs. That's why it is important to remind folks once in a while why half the vehicles in Wyoming are pickup trucks and why diesels still have a function. 

The article that caught my eye is titled, 5 Reasons Why Diesel Engines Make More Torque Than Gasoline Engines. The 2018 Motor Authority story by Jeff Glucker begins, Horsepower is fun in its own way, but torque can be just as entertaining. If you want to rip stumps out of the ground, you'll want a whole lot of torque. That also means you'll likely prefer a diesel engine. Compared to their gasoline-swilling counterparts, diesel engines are the torque kings. Why is that?

Glucker then turns to Jason Fenske from Engineering Explained to get the answer.

According to Fenske these are five of the reasons diesels are Torque Monsters. 

1. The compression ratio

2. The speed of combustion

3. Bore and stroke size

4. Turbocharging

5. Diesel fuel packs more energy density

Fenske explains each of these five points in language that is relatively easy to grasp. For those unfamiliar with these things it is quite eye-opening. I strongly encourage following this link. It's a relatively short article and you will learn a lot.
https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1116200_5-reasons-why-diesel-engines-make-more-torque-than-gasoline-engines

For more, check out the article Torque vs. Horsepower: What's the Difference? (Car & Driver)

Shopping for a Used Diesel Truck? Here's the Best and the Worst

Dodge W250 (1991½-1993) --This is a Winner, if you can find one.

In April, Autowise.com published their recommendations as regards the best and worst diesel trucks to consider when buying used. These kinds of lists are always fun to review, just to see if the author's views are in alignment with your own.

Personally, I think choosing the best is a more difficult task than identifying the worst. We may have built in biases regarding which features are of greater value to us personally. As we've written about before, it depends a lot on what you're using your truck for.

On the other hand, picking the worst is much easier. Why? Because the bad trucks, like those selected by Riley, the author of this piece, have a reputation. We're not talking about "Friday trucks" or "Monday trucks" where assembly workers are distracted or foggy. We're talking about bad engineering. 

The one positive about some problems is that it gives aftermarket engineers an opportunity to create fixes for some of these mistakes. Not all design flaws are that easy to resolve however. Which leads to our story.

The title of the piece is 8 Best Diesel Trucks You Can Buy & 4 of the Worst. 

The article begins with the basic reasons why people buy diesel trucks. First, they're workhorses. If you're towing a boat, ATVs, a camper trailer or hauling bricks, you know the importance of having equipment that's up for the task. 

Riley's concise description of the benefits of diesel is worth memorizing. Diesel engines "get better fuel economy, are often easy to modify with aftermarket parts, and, when properly maintained, will basically run forever. This makes them a great deal if you are looking for a used truck." 

All this is a plus for diesels, but there's a minus, too. A well maintained, low-mileage vehicle can cost a pretty penny. That's OK with some of the best trucks, and totally not OK if you select a clunker.

That is why this article was written, to help us avoid purchasing a truck that has little more value than a lawn ornament. 

The Autowise article begins with the 8 champion selections, then flashes warning signs regarding the losers. I will discuss the worst first, and list the 8 trucks they have labelled "the best." 

THE WORST

Here are the four diesel trucks that this article recommends you avoid. Sadly, these  trucks that have helped give diesel a bad name in some circles. 

Chevy & GMC C/K 5.7L (1978-1981)

Older folk are familiar with the Oldsmobile debacle in which GM dropped a 5.7L diesel engine into an Olds. It went down in history as one very bad decision. Ironically, GM took this same engine and decided maybe it would work in a pickup. Two wrongs don't make a right. One problem was that this particular engine was a gas 5.7L converted into a diesel. There were other problems as well, Riley writes. Ultimately, the only thing going for this truck is the vintage look. Buyer beware.

Chevy & GMC C/K 6.2L (1982-1993)

GM learned some lessons by this point in time and decided to exit the diesel engine building business. They turned to a neighbor, Detroit Diesel, to undertake this task. Unfortunately, what they delivered was a 6.2L engine that looked like it should have power because of its size. Such was not the case. The 130 horsepower it delivered is only 40 hp more than today's Smart Car. The other problem this engine had was a tendency to leak oil from the rear main seal. Not good. To fix this issue required removing the tranny, and you can be sure that was neither easy nor cheap.

Chevy & GMC C/K 6.5L (1994-2001)

You'd think by '94 GM would have this diesel business figured out, but no. The turbocharged Detroit-built 6.5L had a new set of problems. It was also behind the curve with regards to its indirect injection and couldn't compete with the Cummins and Powerstroke engines of the same time period, engines with 50% more power. Add to this the mechanical issues and your best best is to avoid them altogether. Riley says, "Get a Duramax."

Ford Super Duty 6.0L Turbo(2003-2007)

The article tags this engine as "by far the worst modern diesel engine." The engine was so bad that there were legal battles between Ford and Navistar (the parent company of the Powerstroke.) The list of problems this engine had includes head gasket issues and catastrophic fuel system failures. To make matter worse, to do some of these repairs required removing the cab in order to access the parts. Yikes. Riley recommends avoiding this one as well and find a 7.3L Powerstroke. You will be much happier.

THE 8 BEST DIESEL TRUCKS YOU CAN BUY 

If you're brand loyal, there's something for everyone here. You can read about each of these at Autowise. If you have different opinions here, feel free to leave a comment. 

Chevy/GMC 2500 & 3500 (2006-2007)

Dodge Ram HD (2003-2004)

Ford F-250/F-350 (2008-2010)

Dodge Ram 1500 (2014)

Chevy Silverado HD (2012)

Dodge W250 (1991½-1993)

Ford Super Duty (1999½-2000)

Dodge Ram 2500HD (2010)

Source: https://autowise.com/best-diesel-truck/