Why to NOT buy a duramax

Thee number one reason to buy a chevrolet diesel pickup is because of the IFS(independant front suspension). independant front suspension was origanally designed to give cruisers or cars a smoother ride. but someone at GM motor corporation decided to be an idiot and put IFS on a pickup with four wheel drive and power which is a bad combination because when a vehicle that is four wheel drive spins the tires in four wheel drive the IFS causes the front tires to wobble causing horrible damamge to cv joints and drive shafts. you see ford tried IFS for a few years in the 90s and decided it was a complete failure because they were a little smarter.

Number 2, The allison transimission that comes standard in the duramax diesel is an unbeatable transimission for factory horsepower, but who buys a diesel and doesnt put performance on it? the allison tranny needs upgrades for any power modification to the orsepower and torque of the motor. and also why the hell does GM make square wheel wells for a round tire and put tiny wheels on?

Here is an example of IFS failure and wheel wobble.

Week Day Workhorse Weekend Warrior

The 6.4 powerstroke diesel engine available in the 2008 to 2010 Ford is one of the most reliable vehicles with aftermarket upgrades. Many people love the 6.4 because they are so easy to get power out of the factory set up. All that is required to make 545rwhp and 800lb-ft of tourque is a hot tune from just about any diesel performance shop nation wide, EGR delete kit, exhaust, and a cold air intake brings massive power to the rear wheels for a fairly low cost compared to older diesels or different motors.

The 5R110 transmission that comes from the factory bolted behind the 6.4 powerstroke is reliable up to 600 horsepower. You could run the factory tranny with more power if you drive it decently but who the hell wants to drive something with that much power like a grandma? For anybody that reads this and isnt a powerstroke fan i am not saying that the cummins or duramax is worse they are just more expensive to get that much power out of.

TURBO

The best all around turbo for diesel vehicles was determined on a Diesel Power Magazine test this week. they tested many turbos and the best was a fairly small turbo for an aftermarket upgrade but it spooled faster and built just as much boost, power, and torque as the bigger turbos. here is some info on the best turbo for mild upgrades.

Aurora 3000 Turbo
The winning turbo was the 57mm-inducer Aurora 3000 offered by ATS. As it was advertised to support 350 to 450 hp. As it turned out, the Aurora 3000 actually spooled quicker than the stock version, especially during part-throttle conditions. It also made more boost, peaking at 49 psi (compared to 42 psi for the HX35). And although EGT still hit 1,550 degrees, that peak temperature came a lot later in the dyno run. The Aurora 3000 also made more power, peaking at 449 rwhp and 1,041 lb-ft of torque. There were no driveability issues (such as lag or surging), but high EGT levels revealed the limits of the 3000’s horsepower range.

Most effective first step to upgrading your 7.3

Anyone who drives a 94 to 97, 7.3 powestroke with gauges knows that your exhaust temperature is very high compared to the low horse power numbers. The second thing is that they run low boost pressure because of a fixed blade single turbo.

In the most recent issue of the Diesel Power Magazine, there was an article on the first generation 7.3 powerstrokes. the article listed cost of an intercooler, turbo, and downpipe for your 7.3. The intercooler, turbo, and downpipe upgrades cost a total of 1,400$. But in comparison to running high EGTs ( exhaust gas temperature), low HP and the risk of ruining your motor it is a very wise upgrade. EGTs drop below 1000 degrees at full throttle, boost pressure increases by 5 to 10 pounds and horsepower increases vary depending on what tune you have on the vehicle.

POWERSTROKE STRIKES BACK

Last week in Denver Colorado the annual Diesel Power Challenge was taking place between ten pickups that you would kill for. The challenge consists of seven tests on a point system to find a winner. The tests are the dyno, trailer obstacle course, 1/8 mile trailer tow drag race, 1/4 mile pickup only drag race, sled pull, fuel economy, and the driveability test. The winner of the 2012 challenge was Erik Clausen with a 2008, 6.4 POWERSTROKE.

The contestants of the diesel power challenge are Aaron Rudolf driving a 2008 ford 6.4 powerstroke, Erik Clausen driving a 2008 ford 6.4 powerstroke, John Weatherby driving a 2007 dodge 5.9 cummins, Rocky Horn (last years winner) driving a 1997 ford f350 with a 5.9 cummins, Justin Bibby driving a 2007 dodge 5.9 cummins, Chase Fleece in a 2006 dodge 6.7 cummins, John Kennedy in a 2002 duramax, Jeremy Pierce 2002 duramax, John garner driving a 1978 ford 5.9 cummins, and Tim Judd in a 2001 duramax.

Diesel vehicles

I am going to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of diesel engines and the power/fuel economy upgrades that you can do to your current vehicle.