Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Chevy Duramax diesel

DPF is the diesel particulate filter. This is the "catch-can" for all the black stuff you no longer see coming out of the tailpipe. There are sensors in that catch-can that measure pressure, when there's enough soot build up the system will inject fuel to raise the exhaust gas temp (EGT) up enough to incinerate the soot in the filter thus "regenerating" the filter to be ready to continue to catch soot.

The DEF/SCR system uses DEF to reduce the frequency of regen cycles that are needed by injecting DEF into the system and catalyzing some of the soot.

My truck uses less DEF when I tow heavy because the EGT's get high enough to keep the DPF clear.

I have a 5Gal DEF tank and very rarely have had to fill it myself between oil changes where the dealer fills it for me. 5K Mi oil changes, mostly highway driving, most of it not towing anymore. My truck has 174K on it. '11 6.7L Ford.

Keeping up with DEF is a non-issue IMO, or at least it has been for me. I live in ND, no issue so far with my DEF system at all. No tank heater troubles. My truck sits outside some or is parked in my attached non-heated garage FWIW.

Just to be safe i know for sure that a 2001 does not have all of that crap on it.

Look 4 a 2004 and a half thu early 06 ...thank me latter.

2006, when the 07's came out my buddy had to scramble to find an new 06 non def.

5gal tank on my duramax, fill it every fourth tank of fuel. Never verified, but I was told trucks shipped as a chassis cab use more?
Mines a 3500 DRW utility bed. I’ve put 20,000ish on it so far.

I am no mechanic, but I was just in the market for a new diesel, and my mechanic neighbors talked me out of it. Both drive Dodge Ram 2500's or at least did. One had nothing but issues and the other did the delete this summer on his. Each of them told me they are seeing the DPF going bad and that they can be costly to fix. I went back with a gas burner, and both neighbors said until DEF/DPF are replaced with something better they have owned their last diesels.

The SCR system is a pain when it malfunctions, but you are barking up the wrong tree if you are worried about DEF costs. $14 gets you 5 gallons of DEF at Walmart or a truck stop, which takes you thousands of miles. DEF as a cost is a pittance compared to the cost of fuel, oil, etc.

Don’t avoid a SCR/DEF equipped truck because of the cost of DEF. If you want a reason to avoid a SCR truck, avoid it because of the maze of sensors and the fact that a SCR truck will also have a DPF and all that stuff lowers mileage and decreases reliability. That being said, they pull more weight better than the older trucks ever did. So..if you need a diesel, get a diesel.

Very good advice.

Very good explanation. Thx.

I have a 2007 LBZ. The 2007.5 is basically the same but they started putting the dpf on them. All my truck had was a metal substrate cat and a egr. Both are easily deleted, for off road use only of course...

I have been running a lot of new trucks lately with the Duramax that are mostly tan and some camo..
They are exempt from emissions restrictions and have a surprising amount of horsepower for a 20,000 lb truck with armor and go through a lot of abuse.
Not sure if the civilian version would be as strong running but I am very impressed by the Duramax.

Before I took my current job I hauled milk. My old boss had a half dozen Marine Cummins ISX 2's hidden in the corner of his barn. Brand new. In the crate. Where all the emissions crap goes on a Cummins ISX cast into the block was "NOT FOR HIGHWAY USE INSIDE THE USA". Damn those things pulled good haha. Terrible fuel mileage but we were pulling ludicrous weight. He would buy Peterbilt glider kits slap the marine engine in them and have the diesel Dr. come and tune it up throw an 18 speed behind it and they went like hell.

The DEF fluid is used to chemically reduce the amount of NOx emissions (NO, NO2, NO3) to N2 gas and H2O.

It Really has nothi g to do with the diesel particulate (soot) filter.

The DEF is Injected downstream of the DPF.

I have an 05 with 315k on the clock. Backed with an Allison its hard to beat. I'd spend good money to replace it with an 06 but you couldn't give me one after 2009.

A buddy has a deleted and chipped 1 ton duramax, I am not sure of the year. That thing is crazy.

http://www.trucktrend.com/how-to/transmission-drivetrain/1301dp-gm-transfer-case-averting-disaster/
Transfer case and injectors were the only internal problems we had with our one and only bought new 2006 lbz Chevrolet Duramax 3500 4x4. The engine and transmission was the best parts of that truck. IMO We farm and tow heavy and the whole truck was wore out around 200k miles and some of the steering components twice. The local dealer put in 9 u joints under warranty for us, but that just might be because it's the exact u joint that a 1982 Blazer uses. I still miss the ride of our Duramax but that's the only thing.
EPA AND EXHAUST EMISSIONS SUCK.

I know our 03 was Pre-EPA BS. It still runs strong. Power train has been flawless except for a crank position sensor at 1500 miles. FWIW, our 2016 has also been trouble free. I keep a couple of gallons of DEF in the bed. It hasn’t been particularly aggravating. The extra power and increased economy is nice. The ride of of the 03 is a Cadillac compared to the newer models.

I do think that knowing what I know now, even though I heavy haul quite a bit, I think I would prefer to own my pickup with the new 7.3 gas engine than the 6.7 diesel it has in it. Although it's not given me any trouble since I bought it, I firmly believe they are more prone to trouble than the gas engines.

Plus, you pay $10k extra for the diesel. That $10k doesn't buy reliability...

The reason I am interested in diesel is more torque at lower RPM, when your pulling up a good hill with a gas truck and the thing drops down into second gear and 4500 RPM you begin to wonder how long this engine is going to last. OTOH all the BS with diesel now makes it somewhat of a toss up. Do you pull over hills at 4500 and 35MPH or do you pay $10K more and endure the BS. As a truck I would drive on a daily basis to the grocery store and then once a month drive multiple days pulling an RV it’s a damn conundrum.