Ok, let me begin with my train of thought here. There is a lot to it so hopefully you feel like reding. i promise that when its all said and done (a couple years from now) it will be worth the read! I had been driving a new ('06) Cadillac Escalade for a few weeks and man I tell ya, that thing is awesome! The creature comforts are just great! ONSTAR, DVD, Navigation, steering wheel controls and a super plush interior. I just LOVED it! The ride was killer too. Then, I drove my dad's '05 Chevy duramax with a 6" Fabtech lift and 35's. It was soooo much more comfy than my Dodge. I really liked driving it but I'm not a big fan of the Chevy. I don't like that you have to lift it to the moon to fit 38's under it. What I did like was that it rode super nice, the steering was VERY tight, the suspension felt good, the handling was great and it was really comfortable inside. I also watched him (my dad) bring his '03 GMC in to the dealer for tranny warranty work a couple times. He had an Edge box in it and they never cared. I know from experience that the Dodge dealers that I have delt with HATE seeing anything aftermarket on our trucks. I know that mine is a bit extreme but still...they wanted to bend me over for any little thing they could.
Soooo, I am driving the Caddy around and I see a black Hummer with a 4" lift and some 37" tires and think to myself, "man, I like the way that looks!" So let's see, its nice looking, SUPER roomy inside, and different. Then I think "could I possibly sell my truck for one of those?" Hmmm, nope, no way. Then I figure, I'll go drive one. I drove one the next week and it was pretty slow. Granted I am used to a FAST CTD so I expected to be disappointed. So I flush the whole idea. Can't do it. A few days later, my A/C goes out in my DOdge...again...after 12 months and 5 days from the last time it went out. Its only about 105* outside so I am thrilled! I spend a lot of time in the truck so thats an issue. I take it in and a couple days later I get it back. Works great. Then, a week later, I lose the lower turbo oil return line towing up to the Rubicon. My truck and Jeep and trailer gets HOSED in black oil. Sweet right?!?! My truck has always been immaculate so this is a bummer. I get everything towed, fix it and spend 100 bucks degreasing my truck. Cool. So then a week later I am driving along and I run out of fuel. Again. My gauge hasn't worked right since the truck was about a year old. I keep track with miles but sometimes it fluctuates. It is pretty frustrating. So I get it going again and decide to get the **** gauge fixed since my warranty is up in about 600 more miles. Well, I take it to the dealer and they fix the gauge. Cool right? Nope, I pay a 50 dollar deductible (through cummins!) and drive it to my moms house. A couple days later (I hadn't been driving it) I hop in it and head down the road. I look at my FP gauge and see it sitting on "0"! I was like "WHAT THE?!?!?!" So I am looking at it and it comes up to 11ish then back down to 0. Slowly. As I am thinking if it was at zero fuel pressure, the truck wouldn't run, it dies! ****, now I am broken down again! I tow it back to the dealer only to be told that they did the intank pump retrofit and now the FASS is trying to pull fuel through the pump and it's not working out. Sorry, can't help ya. Nice.
I start thinnking about all the driving I have to do and how far I have to go and how reliable my truck needs to be. The whole "300k motor in a 100k truck" thing rings loud in my head. Now I Love my truck and all but the bad can't help but push its way to the surface. I think about Dodge's customer service vs. GM, the issues I might have and if I had lost the oil line halfway across the country on my way to work, that I really don't tow much weight and not very often, how I can can use my dads truck if I need to tow the Jeep a long ways away, I like the room of the 4 door truck, I don't know if I wanna give Dodge any more money due to how I have been treated by them when I needed them (not very well) and how I LIKE that Hummer!
Then I weight it all out....
1) I can get Employee discount pricing on a new Hummer (about 8k off)
2) They have 0% financing for 60 months
3) Its got a nice new warranty
4) Its so plush inside
5) Its different
6) I can get all the Caddy options in it
7) It still has a 6.0 so it's not so bad
8) Its 3/4 ton axles
9) I can get one with a small bed
10) I WANT ONE!!!

So screw it... I buy it. I buy a fully loaded H2 SUT. So far, yes it is slow compared to the CTD, especially towing. I put 6" Fabtech and my 38" tires on it and it looks good. It is a great snow vehicle and is everything I was expecting. I do miss the CTD in my Dodge though...to be honest. I know I can superchrarge the 6.0 but it is still nothing compared to the CTD in torque! Then I lose the tranny as well. Missing my DTT? Yup, I would be. Then it occurs to me.
I ain't scared! When the factory warranty is up, I will drop in a 24 valve CTD into this thing. I know I can do it and I'm sure there is someone that can build a harness for it! Sweet, the best of both worlds and one of a kind!
Sooo, the quest begins. I am going to track down a 24 valve CTD and begin working on it here and there and collecting parts as I can. Also doing the research to find someone to build a harness for it. By the time I am done, it will be a twin'd, built, DTT'd, ONE OF A KIND fire breathing monster!!!!
YAY, I am sooo pumped. Oo.

So if anyone knows of a place that might be up to the task of the wiring, that is my main concern. The engine bay is pretty large in the Hummer and I don't see it as too much of an issue but I will take a bunch of measurements. I want to build the perfect rig and I think that this will be it IMHO.

Thoughts?

Here's a pic of the new rig. Its a month old. It had 300 miles on it when I picked it up and its got about 4800 now.

 

There was an H2 at IRP that had a Cummins in it but I think it was probably a 12 valve...

 

DUDE!!!! That is a sweet lookin H2!! I was contimplating getting one about a year ago and decided with the gas prices not to.........they are pretty lousy on gas. But they sure do look SWEET!!

I'm tossing around the idea of getting rid of my truck also.......I love the thing but it seems everytime I turn around I find something else I need to fix and it only has 95K miles on it. Like last night I come home and see a huge puddle of oil sitting under it So who knows, maybe it's time for it to find a new home.



~Nick

 

Nice looking truck! Looks to me like you've already voided at least the drive train warranty with the lift & tires so my advice would be to bite the bullet and just do the swap NOW!!

MIke

 

Agreed!! No sense waiting around for a voided warranty to expire!

Better get to that CTD swap ASAP! Besides, it's only money!

 

Well the drivetrain warranty isn't an issue yet actually. Thats one of the beautiful differences between Dodge and GM...they actually still warranty stuff!

Yeah, it gets pretty bad mileage. Its hard to go from a truck that does 90-100mph everywhere I go and gets 15-17mph to one that I drive at 75 everywhere and gets 10. The thing that really kills me is the power loss. When I put the 38's on (keep in mind it comes stock with 35"s) it lost some decent power. It won't even stay in OD on the freeway if I hit the SLIGHTEST incline! Its hard to get used to that considering the Dodge would stay in OD no problem towing my Jeep!

 

so did you trade your truck in?? i dunno, i loved that dodge. i wish mine had about that much lift on it with those tires!

 

you should do a 12 valve instead of 24 valve, less wiring to mess with.

 

EH...my hat for a 1st gen 24 valve (98.5-02)......I think they are easier to come by, and short of the VP-44 issues.....would be a great engine....very tunable, and Stupid easy to work on (How hard would be be to set the timing on the 6BTA with it stuck in the under the hood of the H2??)....wont be the fastest...but you can get a pretty reliable 500-600 RWHP out of it if you try.......how would twins fit in there? I dont think the wiring would be that much of an issue....just have a doner truck that you could yank the harnesses out of.....My 2 at least.....

 

No, I still have my truck. I got a good enough deal on the Hummer that I knew that if I didn't like it and felt I made a mistake, I could sell it for enough to get out from under it. I figured I better hold onto the Dodge in case that happened. I do Love my truck, just time for a change I guess.

I am also going to look into doing a 12 valve motor actually. I do like the computer controlling of the 24 valve but it might not be worth it to try to make it work when a 12v motor would be so much simpler. If I do the 24v, it will have a pump conversion or a FASS and HRVP44 so we'll see. I need to start researching the 12v stuff. I have always had a 24v so I know nothing about 12v motors.

I don't know how I'm going to fit the twins in but I will find a way. I would be happy with a solid 500-600 rwhp for sure.

 

You reckon you may have to a soild axle conversion on it for Oil pan cleanance? These engines do sit pretty low in the frame......

 

I bet it is slow (compared to anything)...with 38" tires on a stock engine! What's the empty wt on that H2?
Sure looks nice when it's parked

RJ

 

I don't think so. I may have to do some mods but not a solid axle. The lift helps get stuff out of the way.

Keep in mind that it came with 35's so the step up to 38's isn't THAT big. The empty weight is 6400lbs (lees than my Dodge) so it should do pretty well with a built CTD under the hood.

 

I really want to see the reults of this. Sounds way cool.

While you are waiting, you may want to look at a custom tune for that H2. I also drive a '02 'Burb, so I have looked into them.

www.westercustomtuning.com
wait4meperormance.com
www.nelsonperformance.com

All are good options. They can program out the TQ management so that thing has some go from the lights, and program in different fuel maps to give it a lot more top end.

 

Doesn't Hummer use the Duramax option yet? I saw a build-up on Extreme 4X4ing on spike channel. Banks used a ton of stuff to get that truck to make 700hp on a dyno. It was at least 20k build plus the cost of a stock duramax engine. What would the tranny set you back? To much money for me to even think about. You could save money and just put in a Kore suspension and forget Hummer, IMO