Duramax injectors....educate me

[MeanGreen]

Hi guys,
I have been thinking of getting a newer truck. The newer Ford 6.0's are out, and Dodge can't seem to understand crewcab AND longbed. Anyway, I know the 01-03 Duramax's have had injector issues. Are the 04 and newer better? I do plan to modify for a little more power, but nothing radical.
Would appreciate honest opinions about the engines and whole truck.
Thanks,
Jerry

 

[Agnem]

Hey Jerry, I don't know much about them but they seemed to surprise all of us with their durability and sucess. I'm pretty sure they are history now, as the IH plant in Indy is where the blocks were cast, and they are closing that plant down with the IH/Ford production. I also doubt Goverment Motors will be allowed to do pickup trucks after the Feds finish screwing them up.

 

[69oiler]

a lot of guys on the RV forums i visit, love their d-max. i think there were injector issues with the early ones, and overheating issues with some later ones. i think the '06 d-max is the one to get, it is pre-DPF but is also has the overheating problem solved.

don't quote me on that though, i'm only going on hearsay.

i test drove an '02 dmax before i got my SD. boy was it smooth and quiet and powerful and the allison trans was sweet. to rich for my blood though. plus i just don't like the GM seats

have you tried to find a 99-03 7.3 SD? i still haven't found a newer truck i like more than my '99 enough to upgrade.

 

[MeanGreen]

Thanks guys. Yeah, this has been tough for me. I really like my truck, but I think it's time for something else. Not sure if I will keep the 93 or not. The 97 will have to go.
I did look at Superduties BUT the only good ones are the 99-00's since the 01-03 use the PM rods.
I actually am looking at an 06 GMC. It has the 6 speed auto (I would prefer stick but good luck with that!) and has manual door locks, windows and factory rubber floor mat. My dream truck. I hate carpet.
Hopefully I can get to the dealership Monday or Tuesday for a drive. I'm a Ford guy, but I will never get my paint job right. It looks great to most people but it isn't right, and I'm tired of fighting the shop. Seems the GMC is the least problematic of all the newer trucks. The IFS axle is the biggest downfall for me, but a Dana axle swap might be in its future if I lift it!
If Chevy/GMC goes away because of the Feds, I figure there will still be plenty of parts available for a long while, plus the aftermarket.
I have no idea what I'm going to do. I have even considered a F150 Supercrew!
Jerry
Jerry

 

[MeanGreen]

Geez, I can't do it! I just can't part with my truck(s) I love the Ford OBS too much! Thanks for the injector info though!
Jerry

 

[rebel_horseman]

Personally, I'd just keep the OBS 'Stroke. They are good trucks, get reasonable fuel mileage, and they last forever. Parts are cheaper too.

To answer your question, the early Dmax trucks had fuel system issues. I had one, I should know. Usually somewhere around 70-80k miles the fuel system would be wore out. In my case, I had a complete set of 8 new injectors, 8 new fuel supply lines, and a new injection pump installed (under warranty thank God!). It has come to be determined that the factory fuel filter was not filtering out enough particulate matter (PM) and that was in turn eating up the seals in the fuel system. As a result, GM extended the fuel system warranty on their '01-'03 trucks to 200k or so.

With that said, my uncle had a '01 (one of the first handful off the line) and still has a early '02 with about 190k on it. Neither truck had the fuel system failure I had. One injector in the '02 did have to get swapped but it wasn't a catastrophic failure.

In '03 GM switched the valve covers to a new style with external fuel lines and externally mounted injectors (the '01 and '02 injectors and lines ran under the valve covers.) But they still had the issues somewhat but later in the year and by '04 the issues were primarily resolved.

Now, with all that said, if I could have my '01 Dmax back I'd take it now that I know what the problems are. The truck got 18+ running 75-80 unloaded in the hills and could easily smoke (literally) Mustang GTs. Towing I usually got somewhere around 16 and about 11 when I was hauling 250 bales of hay.

 

[TLBREWER]

I'd keep the OBS Stroke too.

That being said, the late LLY's and LBZ's are the way to go. Mine is an '06 so it has the LBZ. Injectors are not an issue, although Rebel brought up a very good point. Fuel filtration is very important. At 30,000+ psi, any dirt will cause injector wear. There are some good aux fuel filtration systems out there that remove dirt, water, and air. They filter so good they can even add power without any other mods. I plan to address this issue also.

Even though they don't have the dreaded DPF, the weak point on the late LLY's and LBZ's is the EGR valve. That can be overcome with a block off plate and some electronics tuning though. I haven't had a problem with mine, but I'm beginning to notice more smoke when I get on it.

The only complaint I have is turbo lag. I don't know if it's because of the variable geometry turbo or what. My Dmax has more lag than my old '92 with an ATS turbo had. But when it kicks in, hold on.

Tom