The Longevity of Diesel Engines

Reader Contribution by Todd Kaho
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I’m thinking about buying a diesel truck and I’ve heard stories about how long the engines last. Can they really go several hundred thousand miles?

While no engine will last forever, diesel engines have a distinct advantage in longevity over their gasoline counterparts. Mechanical parts wear out over time due to the friction caused by parts rubbing together. Diesel engines, however, are engineered and built to be more robust due to the higher compression ratio in the combustion chamber and the high torque output they produce. Diesel engines also operate at lower speeds (rpm) than gasoline engines, which means the bearings, piston rings, cylinder walls, valve train, etc., don’t rub together as often. Engine speeds are often half that of a gasoline engine.

These durable diesels are more expensive to purchase than a gasoline vehicle. But much of that investment can be returned when you trade or sell the diesel because they hold their resale value much better than gasoline cars and trucks. The transition to a diesel is easy?–?the only real difference is you pump diesel fuel rather than gasoline.

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