Info on Chevy with 8.1 engine

ValleyViewFarm · Jan 7, 2011

I am looking at a 2003 Chevy 1 ton regular cab dual rear wheel with an 8.1 gas engine and auto trans.. The truck has a 4.10 rear. The truck will get used about 15,000 miles a year as a farm truck. Mostly just driving and doing some towing of approx 14,000lbs. What is everyones opinion on the 8.1 engine? Anything I should look for on it? Any major problems they were known for? The truck has less than 30,000 orignal miles on it. What kind of gas mileage should I expect out of it just driving around and mileage towing? Thanks in advance Chris

Anonymous-0 · Jan 7, 2011

I have one in a 1 ton dually (construction business, tows 14000 lbs easy) It is or was (as they are no longer avaible) very cheap and good HP. 4.10 gear also, gets 5 to 7 miles in town, alwayes loaded with aprox 2 or 3 ton of tooling.
Also have a 2009 1 ton dually, disesl, 8 or 9 miles per gal at best. Sure its a smoother motor, holds RPMs easy, but will never pay for it self in fuel.
Also have a 6 liter gas in a 2010 1 ton, OK for grocerys, no good for work. This motor can not lug at all. Constant shifting up and down.

rustred · Jan 7, 2011

no such thing as mileage when you got a 4:10 diff. thats set up for pulling, rule is you cant have torque AND speed. its one or the other.

Jon Hagen · Jan 8, 2011

Actually you can have both with modern overdrive transmissions.
You have the third gear direct drive with 4.10's for heavy pulling,
And 4th gear with lockup converter which is about a 20% overdrive, giving you around a 3.30 final drive ratio for light load cruising.

Expect that 8 liter engine and 6000 pound truck to make about 10-12 mpg empty and 6-8 mpg pulling a medium load (15-20,000 pound load.)

The 8.1 is a heavy built big block Chevy, tough engines.
I hear some had a thirst for oil which was caused by leaky intake gaskets sucking engine oil from the lifter valley. Replace the gasket and oil consumption went away.

unclemerle · Jan 8, 2011

Had one in a C7500 propane delivery truck with a 6 speed behind it. Very nice truck and never ran out of power. It did use some oil but blamed that on the previous driver as he would always run it with about a half qt. of oil over full. This one ran on propane and would get about 6 miles to the gallon.

fixerupper · Jan 8, 2011

The one I've been involved with has in the area of 200,000 miles on it and still pulls strong. Jim

greygoat · Jan 8, 2011

My brother has one ! It will pull a tandem axle
trailer with a tractor on it at 70 MPH on the
Interstate, and lots of power in reserve to pass
anything else on the road. The only thing that it
can"t pass is a gas station !

OliverGuy · Jan 8, 2011

I have three in one ton 4x4 dumps, 2001, 2003, and 2005. I would buy more if they still made the engine. When loaded down and pulling a trailer, they get the same mileage as my other 350 vortec's, 6.0's, etc., but with much more ease and less downshifting. Plus you'll get a bulletproof Alison AT. We've overloaded ours plenty of times (scaled at 18,000+) and the engine just pulls and pulls without missing a beat. When worked hard, they do use a little oil. I really like them and wish they still made them. I have had zero problems so far. Plus they plow snow.

Mike in Mn. · Jan 8, 2011

I have an 03 GMC 1 ton, reg cab,dual rear wheels, 8.1/alison/4.10,bought it new. Didn"t really buy it, I stole it. Bought it off the lot, with the gas engine they couldn"t sell it and I bought it for 12k off sticker. I bought it to pull trailer and mostly deliver hay, but also haul tractors and equipment. Grossed at 26,000 loaded and return empty with trailer weighting at 7,500 it will get around 7 1/2 mpg. Never use it without a trailer on the back. One time when it was new hauled two atv"s about 250 miles to the cabin and back and it did about 11 1/2 mpg. Salesman told me that it would do about 2 mpg better than the 454 all the way around, and he was right. It"s got all the power you will ever need, I just love it. I pull right in overdrive and it seldom will downshift. I have never spent a penny on it. I will be down to the add mark on oil when due for a change. And I like the seat.

RoyIA · Jan 10, 2011

Used the biggest U-haul with one in it. Plenty of power. The dealer said they switched to them from diesels as total operating cost for the life of the truck was less.
Of course they don't buy the fuel.

Info on Chevy with 8.1 engine

ValleyViewFarm

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Anonymous-0

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rustred

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Jon Hagen

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unclemerle

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fixerupper

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greygoat

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OliverGuy

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Mike in Mn.

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RoyIA

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