I have been looking at upgrading my truck and have seen some pretty good deals on the turbo diesel 3500, one has 270,000! is that a lot of miles for a turbo diesel truck? I know that's a lot of miles for a normal car. Turbo's wear out over time and I didn't know what kind of mileage these engines could take so hopefully if someone can enlighten me on the subject I would appreciate it. As always thanks for the help

I would say the engine is about halfway to its major rebuild. If it hasn't been run hard so far, it might go longer. The OEM turbo housing could be a concern, but Garrett has the answer with its dual ball bearing turbo which is $1100-1200. The big question is the transmission. Dodge transmissions are notoriously weak, barely able to deal with stock power, especially the automatics.

Is this the 5.9 or 6.7? Find a reputable diesel shop to run diagnostics before you sign the papers.

also I have found a v10 3500 for a good price, my question is what's the towing difference between the v10 3500 dually and turbo diesel 3500 diesel? I'm sure the diesel tows better but for the price of the v10 3500 its REALLY tempting.

V10 duallys are rare. They get terrible fuel mileage towing, down time is much greater and the resale/trade-in value is far less than the Cummins.

Properly maintained 270,000 miles is ok for a cummins. I have 362,000 90% towing 20000lbs+. I still use the truck and trust it everyday to make a living.
If your worried about the turbo, which should be the least of your worries, pull the air intake off and feel the wheel for play. a little up and down is ok, oil will take that up when running, a lot is worn out. But any play moving in and out is bad.
What are you towing again?

V10 is good for what it is, nothing compared to a diesel. Stick to a cummins and enjoy!

Another negative with gas engines is they make peak torque much higher in the powerband, not what you want in a tow motor. Do yourself a favor and pass on the gas.

I'd have to second what others have said- stick with the Cummins. I've owned two of them now and I use them for towing on a regular basis. The issues with Dodge/Cummins are rarely with the motor itself, but more commonly with peripherals. It really depends heavily on what year the truck is. If it's an older 12V motor, it will be down on power compared to anything newer, but those things are bombproof. Mechanical, oil-cooled injection pump, etc. Not much to go wrong. Ideal situation if you are only going to use it for towing is to find something with a manual trans as Dodge automatics are notoriously crappy- even the newer ones (like mine). If it's a 24V you'll want to know the last time the injection pump has been replaced- as they are only good for about 120-180K, and when they go it'll leave you dead in your tracks- about an $1800 fix minimum. 24V is easier to get power out of than the 12V. If you're looking newer, the 5.9 CR is probably the best option at this point. Proven motor without all the emissions crap to bypass. The 6.7 is starting to look like a solid unit, and the tranny they put behind it is probably the best effort Dodge has made to date in that department. Bottom line- the motor itself isn't what I would worry about- it's everything else. That being said- I drive one and probably wouldn't drive anything else.

Well said doc.

The 68RFE auto in the 2010 2500-3500 is doing quite well but I don't know how much hp it can take over stock before a rebuild. However, there are several transmission shops offering 68s good for up to 800hp.

The Aisin in the 4500-5500 is a solid unit too, but I've heard it's very similar to the Allisons...

The 6.7 is down on power vs the new PS and Dmax, but the aftermarket boyz have been making mods ever since it came out in late 2007. Cummins is also working on reducing emissions inside the motor so the DPF/EGR/DEF systems will not be needed. They say 2016 for this new motor but hopefully before then.

I'm surprised a Dodge ran that long