My friend's Chevy Silverado SS got stolen last week. The cops found it the next day a couple towns over. It was completely gutted. Engine, transmission, interior, etc... all gone. Good thing he had full coverage on it though. So now he's getting a brand new '07 Duramax LMM. After hearing me talk about diesels so much he decided to give it a test drive and loved it! He said it was surprisingly fast! Maybe even fast enough to smoke his previous SS if he could keep the tires from spinning. So anyone got any opinions/suggestions for the new Duramax? Weak points, what to do as far as performance mods, etc...

Guess I can't rag on Duramax's anymore now that he's got one. But dangit! Now I gotta beef up my truck and smoke him with a Cummins...

 

Don't know of any performance mods for the new DM. Do know they have a funky looking DPF exhaust system.

MikeyB

 

Yea check out the tailpipe...its downright goofy looking, but I guess its better to look goofy than to burn everything you touch with it.

 

WCB, check out www.dieselplace.com for you Duramax questions, its a great site like this one, just geared toward GM. You're buddy will love his new truck. I made the switch about a year ago, and couldn't be happier.

 

Not to bash his new Dura, but I've heard they are not to dependable.

 

EFILive and PPE have been out for the LMM (new dmax) since the LMM came out. The new LMM's and older LBZ's are no joke stock...crew cab short bed's run 15.1-15.2 bone stock. Regular cabs can run 14's bone stock with a good launch technique...

weak points. front end; he will need tie rod sleeves and cognito pitman/idler braces

also a transgo jr. shift kit is a great idea. It can be had for 70 bucks on ebay and will help out the trans a lot.

if he wants to run 12's, this is all that he will need:
cognito braces
tie rod sleeves
built trans (expect to pay 3,500-4,000 to have someone install it for him)
exhaust
EFILive/PPE tune
guages
lift pump

its very easy to make them fast

good luck...

I have 65,000 miles on mine, built trans, 45psi boost, 12 second passes, 500+ rwhp, towing horse trailers, street abuse. I have NO mods on my engine other than turbo (NO head studs, no nothing). At 12,000 miles the ECM failed on me, and at 63,000 miles the injector wiring harness failed (I was able to fix it on the side of the road tho). Nothing else has ever been touched on the engine, and it runs like new.

ben

 

Mods for the LMM seem to be readily available. As mentioned, most mfrs have programmers out, or will soon.
There are also several people that have defeated the whole DPF and new emissions stuff (not that I would condone anything of the sort!) without any issues; other than the dash idiot light for the dpf stays on.
Very encouraging for the new trucks.

 

Where did you hear that? I've got a teacher at school who has one, and he loves it. He went from a Ford to it (didn't want to get a 6.0, and he doesn't trust first year tech like the 6.4, he'd perfer to wait a year or two). He uses it to pull his cattle trailer, and his "chuck wagon" that he takes to rodeo's. He's only complaint, is that his 96 7.3 Ford got 18mpg, and the Dura gets 16mpg. But the dura is also a auto, versus his Ford was a 5spd.

 

Ok...That is absolutly incorrect. THe dmax has proven to be a great engine, and people can say what they want, but it is starting to get the recognition that the cummins has.

 

I would also say that.. Ford has set the bar on being the most unreliable and with recent reports on the 6.4, they figured it was good enough.

I have been just listening around to see what the new LMM was doing and its pretty positive. I just can't get used to the new front end on the GM's, they really need to get over using only 16" rubber and step up to some serious tread. IMHO of course...

 

Also, then new LMM handles a straight pipe really well. Just the CEL appears but other than that guys are reporting favorably about it. Check the site that drafalske said. Great site.

Jon

 

Thanks for the input. I'll check out "the other side." Hate to be a newby there.

 

WHY, OH WHY, OH WHY?????? Poor lost sole!!!!!






Oh I'm just kinding. I've ALWAYS been a die-hard Chevy guy. Heck the only reason I bought a Dodge is because of the might Cummins under the hood. And of course that solid front axle.

 

Other than the DPF, the LMM's are turning out well. It is early in the production run tho.

PPE makes a really nice tuner for them (or EFILive if you want to play with tuning it yourself} and no one has reported any problems with straight piping them. Same exhaust as the 01-06 dmax, so finding aftermarket stuff isnt hard.

WIth big power, watch the trans tho...they are so easy to make power with right out of the box that the trans needs to be looked after. I personally saw the first LMM trans blow-up a few days ago...3500 miles on the truck, constant abuse and a huge tune since new.......then a standing burnout....2-3 shift, ZING! Only thing left was reverse.

ben

 

I have a co-worker with an '03 2wd 3500 Duramax which has been excellent. He has pulled his fifth wheeler all over the U.S. The only problem in 88,000 miles has been the alternator. I think it ran him $900.00 at the dealer due to mucho labor. It's very quiet and the interior is super comfortable. Gotta love that Chevy pewter color too!