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

A lot harder than it used to be since the EPA sued all the tuner companies. Bullydog and a few others were almost put out of buisness. You can still delete but you can't get rid of the CEL (check engine lights) with commercially bought tuners. There are programers out there who you can install tunes in your controller that will clear the CEL codes, using them will void any warranty or guarantees you get from company selling the ontroller.

I have an 06 Duramax the LBZ motor is what you're looking for in a Chevy for the most reliable least emmissioned motor pre DPF & DEF. EGR cooler and a catalytic converter is pretty much it. The VIN codes eighth digit of an 06 will either be a "2 or D" on an 07 it's just the "D". If you find a VIN code 2 it's technically an LLY tune on an LBZ motor. So it's lacking about 50 hp at the flywheel, most GM dealerships will retune to the LBZ if you ask. It'll be the cheapest 50 hp you'll ever make. Another way to tell if you have a LBZ motor in 06 is to check the transmission it was the first year of the 6 speed Allison, you should have a +/- button on the shifter and if you put it in manual mode you'll have 1-6 on the digital readout where the odometer is.

The biggest problems with these pickups are the variable vane turbocharger and the EGR cooler. Bulletproof Diesel makes a great EGR cooler replacement since deleting is harder to do now, and is 50 state legal and won't throw a CEL. The turbo gets coked up and the vanes will stop adjusting, making sure you're actually working the truck helps with this. Alot of people also like to add a FAST fuel delivery system, I haven't yet and haven't had any issues.

This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I don't have a Duramax, mine is a Mercedes Sprinter RV, but DEF in & of itself is not an issue for me......................so far.

MM

Only issues with DEF is it has shelf life of about a year, more or less depending on the temperatures.You have to learn how to read the manufactured date code as some of that stuff at Walmart is on the shelf 6 months or more. I buy mine at Tractor Supply. It is about a $1 more than Walmart and I only add 2.5 gallons at a time. It freezes at 14 degrees F and my 2019 does not have a heater in the DEF tank and no drain valve. So if it goes bad, it is a $300 bill to get it drained and flushed out.

The 2019 has the DEF filler tube back against the firewall under the hood on the passenger side. Heck of a time getting a box up there and pouring it in.The 2020's have that filler back at the fuel door.

I have no problems running up 10,000 ft passes here in Colorado with a 17,000+ pound total load in 4th gear

I have an '06 LBZ with 145K miles. I bought it new as I was originally driving 76 miles round trip to work and needed a truck. I've never towed anything heaviert han a single-axe utility trailer and the heaviest hauled loads was a few loads of oak firewood. It's been an excellent truck. The age of it has small things starting to occur such as headliner coming apart, paint chip, etc. I've looked at new trucks and it pains me to look at sticker prices. I paid $42K out the door for my 4x4 LT3/LBZ Crew Cab Duramax. You can't even find a crew cab 4x4 half-ton today for that price. This is my first and last diesel truck. Too much BS on the newer trucks and I'm not paying small home prices for a truck.

I’ve got an 08. No DEF and had it deleted and running a tuner with 3 settings. Has 352k on it and just started to see bubbles on the bedside. It has been a beast of a truck. Hard on front end though.

well I found a 2006 on the west coast, 2000 miles from my location, for $30,000 only has 90,000 miles on it. I guess I better look at gas trucks.

My buddy actually has a 2004.5 that I am thinking about buying. It has 240,000 miles thought and that makes me a bit nervous. The body is also pretty rusty being from Michigan. Anything to worry about?

Ford is going to sell a lot of 7.3 gasser's I think.

I have read anything on it yet, how does it compare to their v10? Couple companies around here run the 6.8 V10 in crew trucks with low maintenance and high miles

Built for durability. Cast iron block. Four bolt main's plus crossbolts. Pushrod engine. Naturally aspirated . Performance is good for a gas engine. Getting good reviews so far as I've seen.
Expect a lot of aftermarket performance upgrades if you like that sort of stuff. Does not have the torque the diesel does, but the ten speed transmission matches up well with it.

I drove a 2020 F350 crew cab with the 7.3 gas engine for a few miles. I was returning to the dealer when I looked down at the speedometer. I was doing 70 in a 55. - never realized I was going that fast. From the online reviews I've read, the 7.3 gas engine gets between 14-15mpg highway empty. That's not what you'd get with the diesel engine, so when you're at the pump just remember you're not paying for gallons of oil at each oil change, constant fuel filter changes, and DEF fluid.

Prices this morning:

$2.04/gallon for diesel and $2.32/gallon for low grade unleaded.

I get 20mpg in my 2019 Duramax. That equates to $510.00 of fuel per 5,000 mile per oil change. DEF is about $25 for 5 gallons where I live which will also carry me about 5,000 miles, so figure $25 in DEF per oil change. Running full synthetic, and even if you paid for the service, you’d maybe be around $150 for the oil change. I change my fuel filter at 15,000 miles for about $70 ($23.33 per oil change). That said, a 5,000 mile interval with the concerns you’ve listed costs me about $708.33 in my diesel.

At 15mpg and $2.32/gallon, 5,000 miles is $773. I’m assuming oil changes in gassers aren’t free, but I’m already money ahead so I’ll let you do the rest of the math...

Maybe in AK but here diesel is anywhere from 15-20 cents higher per gallon than unleaded. Not sure on GM's but on a Ford the Powerstroke is a $10,800 option vs $1700 for the 7.3 gas. But I'll let you do the rest of the math.....

The rest of the math is that a diesel engine in a pickup is about a $10k option.

Now who's ahead?

The Ford 7.3 had not thought of a Ford but maybe I better rethink this.

I'd trade my 6.7 diesel for one.

It wasn't an option in 2017 when I bought my pickup though.

I have a 2011 Duramax LML and I’ve never seen 20 mpg ever. Best I ever got was 19 something on a long, flat, low altitude unloaded interstate run with no stops. I average around 14.5 to 15.5 unloaded in mixed driving. Same truck with the GM 6.0 liter is around 11-12 mpg. I think a lot of guys are wrapped up in reporting the single best mpg they have ever seen as an average. Kind of like guys post their single best group their rifle has ever shot as an average.

Had diesel fuel here for $1.77/gallon at the Maverick station this week

About the same here. Regular unleaded is within a cent or two.

I have enjoyed the low fuel prices while feeding thirsty tractors and equipment this year. But I'd rather have a strong economy.

I bought one of the new 7.3's this spring, first gas pickup I've owned in 27 yrs. So far I'm completely happy with it, lots of low end torque. Heaviest I've weighed is a little over 20K pulling one of my tractors.
Average running around everyday is 13.5 mpg, the 2013 Powerstroke it replaced only averaged 16 mpg.