Chevy 8.1L's- Who's got 'em and what do you think of them?

[T-Bone]

I'm in the market for a new (used) truck. Looking at a 2004 chevy crew cab 3/4 ton shortbox with the 8.1L and 69,000 miles. I'm wanting something that will pull decent but not have to deal with the typical diesel problems. Also what kind of mileage are you typically seeing out of these things?

 

[KSH]

Depends on your foot and what your pulling,
We pull 14000lbs no interstate and we are are between 6 and 8 mpg and 9 to 11 mpg with the diesel pulling.

Unloaded "1000 lbs in the box" the 8.1 gets 11 and the diesel is at 17.

The power feels the same for both.

 

[IDspud]

He said it. My wifes suburban with the 8.1 gets up in the 13 range, but we had two crew cab trucks that were as stated above. Our 2002 8.1's will always be the truck we wish we had never sold. Best sounding engine ever with header and straight pipe.

 

[AndrettiDog]

Strong motor. That motor would whoop on the Ford and Dodge v-10's. I don't understand what "typical diesel problems" you are referring to. The biggest drawbacks to a diesel are the pricey maintenance items, but you can typically go longer between service intervals. The diesels will get better MPG's than the 8.1 (everything does).

 

[slash]

there GREAT I work on them all the time mostly fuel related stuff t-bodys ect

 

[Highmarker]

I have an '02 with a 6 speed in it. Runs pretty good but I sure don't see how you guys are comparing these to a diesel? Most any Diesel i have drove would really embarass my 8.1. But it pulls every trailer I have just fine (better than any other gas motor out there) And yes...WAY less issues than a diesel in the cold weather. Roughly 12 MPG, great truck IMHO.

 

[Dogmeat]

I'm in the market for a new (used) truck. Looking at a 2004 chevy crew cab 3/4 ton shortbox with the 8.1L and 69,000 miles. I'm wanting something that will pull decent but not have to deal with the typical diesel problems. Also what kind of mileage are you typically seeing out of these things?

I have a 2005 2500HD, 8.1L, 3.73 gears, 285/75 tires ... I've run the 265's on it too.

With the 285s, I lost about 1 MPG, and yes I have my speedo programmed correctly.

I get about 13.5 unloaded on the highway with the 285's, I got about 14.5 with the 265s @ 70 mph.

It doesn't matter what trailer tack onto this thing, it gets 9 mpg towing. Same mileage with the 265's as 285's with either a 4,000-lb trailer or a 6,000-lb trailer.

Haven't had a lick of trouble with the motor at all or trans at all, and this truck pretty much doesn't even leave the driveway from december till june unless its got a trailer behind it.

Its not a fuel economy queen, but its a lot cheaper than a diesel overall, and they start when they're cold.

With that said, I think about an 8,000-lb trailer is the biggest I'd ever pull with the 8.1L .... bigger than that it'd be kinda slow in the mountains, but I really don't have any trouble at all with my dads 26' charmac enclosed with 3 sleds and fuel and gear, etc.

Contrary to popular belief, you don't need a 1-ton diesel to tow a lawmower.

 

[winter4ever]

We took my buddys to mccall this year. It was a stick shift. had a asled deck with 2 sleds and towed a two place with 2 sleds on it. It got the job done but not really comparable to a diesel. we got 7mpg on the way down and like 8.5 on the way back. He says he usually gets 10 to 12 as his daily driver. I think those had the forged pistons in them, his must have got hot at one point cuz it burns oil, we burned 2qts in 800 miles. It sounds really good though with a cold air intake.

 

[JuicedRMKryder]

we pull a 35' enclosed triple with our 3500 suburban and will pass anything but a gas pump with 6 sleds,people and gear @ about 5mpg

 

[AbnRangerM7]

we pull a 35' enclosed triple with our 3500 suburban and will pass anything but a gas pump with 6 sleds,people and gear @ about 5mpg

Ouch! 5mpg!

My D max gets 10 to 11 pulling 36' 9000 lbs trailer. Diesel truck costs more up front but I will never go back to a gas for towing.

 

[Dogmeat]

we pull a 35' enclosed triple with our 3500 suburban and will pass anything but a gas pump with 6 sleds,people and gear @ about 5mpg

They actually make a 3500 series Suburban? I knew about the 2500 series ...

 

[Dogmeat]

Ouch! 5mpg!

My D max gets 10 to 11 pulling 36' 9000 lbs trailer. Diesel truck costs more up front but I will never go back to a gas for towing.

If you plan on putting 250,000 miles on your truck, a Diesel will pay out in the long run.

If you put any less than that on it, the payout is the same or less. Obviously this is dependent on the price of fuel, oil, etc. But based on some cost projections I've run in recent years, the payout on a diesel is not as quick as you might think.

Its all a trade off.

The diesels do have more power to tow, but the maintenence is more expensive. The big blocks eat more fuel, but you never have to worry about them not starting and mill be a truck waintenence is cheap, etc.

We aren't even buying diesel motors in our F450 servic trucks @ work due to the high cost of maintence, I'll put it that way.

But, with all that said, given the fact that the Ford V10 isn't really an answer to a real big block, and even if GM re-introduced the 8.1L as an option (not buying a government motors vehicle), and the fact that I don't think a 6.0L cuts it for towing a 8,000-lb trailer @ 5,000+ feet ... my next truck will definatley be a diesel.

 

[Mafesto]

If you plan on putting 250,000 miles on your truck, a Diesel will pay out in the long run.

If you put any less than that on it, the payout is the same or less. Obviously this is dependent on the price of fuel, oil, etc. But based on some cost projections I've run in recent years, the payout on a diesel is not as quick as you might think.

Its all a trade off.

The diesels do have more power to tow, but the maintenence is more expensive. The big blocks eat more fuel, but you never have to worry about them not starting and mill be a truck waintenence is cheap, etc.

We aren't even buying diesel motors in our F450 servic trucks @ work due to the high cost of maintence, I'll put it that way.

But, with all that said, given the fact that the Ford V10 isn't really an answer to a real big block, and even if GM re-introduced the 8.1L as an option (not buying a government motors vehicle), and the fact that I don't think a 6.0L cuts it for towing a 8,000-lb trailer @ 5,000+ feet ... my next truck will definatley be a diesel.

This is a very thorough well thought out response.


I don't think the 5 mpg vs 10 mpg is accurate however.
We see 6-8 mpg w/gas (6.0 or V10) & 8-10 w/diesel (7.3 & 6.6)
I think we could back off a bit & add 2 mpg to either of those numbers, but this is what we have averaging for years now.
(We were getting 4-6 with the old 454, driving harder than necessary, but gas was cheap then!)

 

[JuicedRMKryder]

They actually make a 3500 series Suburban? I knew about the 2500 series ...

OOPS sorry ment to type 2500!

 

[fastmnstealth]

Love my 8.1 Yukon. Needed an SUV, not a Ford fan and the Yukon meets all my needs. Get ~7mpg pulling my 28' camper, ~10-11mpg pulling my Aluma 7x29' w/ 4 sleds/gear and ~12mpg unloaded. These are all flatland numbers (MN/SD). Got 7-10 in the Togwotee/Jackson area pulling the loaded Aluma.

Takes anything I can throw at it...and you can sleep in the back!. Trip to Tog last year, one of my friends got wrapped up in a tree and tore his ACL. Had surgery in Jackson. Got to ride in back on the way home to MN. He would have been miserable in a truck.

 

[mysledblows]

8.1 2500hd crew cab here. 3.73 gears/ 6 inch lift/ 35's. Running in the flatlands of MN I get about 9.5 to 10. Drove to Michigan and back to get a sled(no trailer) and averaged about 13.5. Pulled steel 4 place enclosed with 4 yamahas (heavy) to the bighorns and back and averaged about 7.5.

If time/money allow I'd like to put a set of 4.56's in it as I think it would match the weight of the truck/size of the tires better. Otherwise I am thoroughly enjoying the truck. Just don't pass many gas stations, but my last truck was a dodge with the 5.9 gasser and it got similar mileage and was half the truck.

 

[rmk01r1der]

8.1's are great motors but be ready to pay at the pump . Pulling just the 3 place trailer with one in the back of the truck we were getting average of 6 prolly. One fill up was 4.6 mpg . Wish it had the duramax though, diesels are more fun lol. Truck only has 40,000 miles on it, its a 2001 4 door long box. (driving with nothing behind it the best we've got, (even driving nice), was 13. And that was once lol

 

[Dogmeat]

8.1 2500hd crew cab here. 3.73 gears/ 6 inch lift/ 35's. Running in the flatlands of MN I get about 9.5 to 10. Drove to Michigan and back to get a sled(no trailer) and averaged about 13.5. Pulled steel 4 place enclosed with 4 yamahas (heavy) to the bighorns and back and averaged about 7.5.

If time/money allow I'd like to put a set of 4.56's in it as I think it would match the weight of the truck/size of the tires better. Otherwise I am thoroughly enjoying the truck. Just don't pass many gas stations, but my last truck was a dodge with the 5.9 gasser and it got similar mileage and was half the truck.

Yeah, you would actually get better fuel economy with that putting 4.56's in it ... it'd put it more in the powerband the motor was optimized to run in.

Does that thing ever even see 5th gear cruising down the highway @ more than 50 mph?

I think you'd definatley appreciate the investment in taller gears with that setup if you plan on keeping the truck for awhile.

That setup on 4.56 gears would be pretty sweet, but I'd also put a 44 gallon tank in it if I was running mine set up that way

 

[mysledblows]

Yeah, you would actually get better fuel economy with that putting 4.56's in it ... it'd put it more in the powerband the motor was optimized to run in.

Does that thing ever even see 5th gear cruising down the highway @ more than 50 mph?

I think you'd definatley appreciate the investment in taller gears with that setup if you plan on keeping the truck for awhile.

That setup on 4.56 gears would be pretty sweet, but I'd also put a 44 gallon tank in it if I was running mine set up that way

I see 5th all the time empty. Not so much when pulling the trailer which is why I'm thinking the 4.56's would be the ticket.

I've talked to the local speed shop about what it would cost to do, and it wasn't too bad. I'd have actually pulled the trigger on the 4.56 package, but the owner was out of the shop and the guy I was talking to couldn't give me a definite price on the install.

I've never looked at tanks. Probably should. A 44 gallon would be perfect. The 26 doesn't last long on a road trip.

 

[Dogmeat]

I see 5th all the time empty. Not so much when pulling the trailer which is why I'm thinking the 4.56's would be the ticket.

I've talked to the local speed shop about what it would cost to do, and it wasn't too bad. I'd have actually pulled the trigger on the 4.56 package, but the owner was out of the shop and the guy I was talking to couldn't give me a definite price on the install.

I've never looked at tanks. Probably should. A 44 gallon would be perfect. The 26 doesn't last long on a road trip.

I've been looking at in-bed toolbox/tank combos and replacement tanks, and the big disadvantage for the bed tank is losing bed space and the big disadvantage on the replacement tank is the bigger ones sit about 1" below the frame rails ..... but, on a lifted truck with 35's that wouldn't be an issue at all unless you were off-roading it an awful lot over trees and rocks and stuff....