life span

Sometime this year I will be buying a newer used full size truck to replace my old 3/4 ton 460. I haven't decided yet what engine to get. The P.S. is generally the choice of the guys I've talked to but the prices are always several thousand more than a gas engine truck with comparable miles. Just how many good miles can one hope to get of of a P.S. before a major rebuild is needed? I saw one with 170k. Any guesses on how much life may be left? I realize that this is dependant on many things, but assuming its been taken care of, how long will they run on average? Also what kind of money does it take to rebuild a diesel? I've been a gas engine guy forever and generally speaking, a stock rebuild can be done for under $2,000. Truck will eventually be used to pull a car trailer, if I ever get the car done.

diesel parts are extremely expensive i'm not too sure what it costs to rebuild a powerstroke but a duramax crate engine costs close to $20 grand canadian installed. the fuel savings are very significant with a diesel especially if you're doing lots of heavy towing. i assume you could get at least 250 - 300K out of a powerstroke with proper servicing. diesels suck in very cold weather if you don't add fuel conditioner they will gell up.

Whatever you do, avoid ANY 6.0L PSD built before Dec. '03.

A 5.4L gas is a very good choice, they last a longtime, get decent (but not good) economy, and are both inexpensive to buy, own, and repair. The PSD (7.3L and 6.0L) offer better economy in heavy use (the 7.3L is beter then the 6.0), but you pay a HUGE premium in price and for service. Any repiars will be in the hundreds of dollars, but they are not common either. The older 7.3Ls before '94 were worse for repair expense.