timbeaux38

None that I am aware of. It is all in the tuning. Most folks just go bolting parts on to motors blindly to take care of problems when the problem can be fixed with tuning. I hate seeing threads where guys go out and buy the newest gizmo for their truck and then beyotch that it didn't make xxx HP like advertised. The problem most of the time is in the setup. There are a handfull of guys that can make power on nothing, and most of the time, they make more power than the full-billet, wild compressor map, super-flowed, nutzo tuned, bolt-oners out there.

signature600

Yep, that's the mojor downfall of the 12v...you have to be able to tune it! Hopefully I can find someone to give me an education, and a demonstraion, on tuning my 98 when the time comes

Chris

mtomac

you guys seem to think you know alot about the Duramax but where are you getting your information?

A Duramax engine will stay together just fine at 1000+ hp (800+ rwhp) with just head studs, main studs and beefier rods (aftermarket or stock LBZ) with a stock crank and stock pistons, no girdle.

signature600

mtomac,

I know you do have some knowledge on Duramaxes...anyone who has built a truck like yours would

Have you never heard of a broken Duramax block at those power levels?? I find that interesting!

Chris

mtomac

Yes the stock LB7 & LLY rods can bend and or break with the wrong combo of tuning, propane, nitrous, water/meth, ect. and cause the rod and/or piston to hit the crank and even punch a hole in the block. That's why you need LBZ rods or aftermarket rods at those power levels which I mentioned above.

I remember a Cummins last year at Indy dragracing in the pro street class that scattered the motor all over the track. Darren Morrison has had problems bending rods in his pro street truck. Van Haisley broke the block in rock hard ram last week. I could go on and on about broke Cummins motors but I think you get my point that the Cummins isn't bulletproof either.

signature600

Never said it was bulletproof, with enough punishment, anything will break! I do think, and I think I do have a some examples to back me up, that the Cummins can handle more punishment!

I think people give the Duramax a bad wrap...and maybe you guys are ignoring where I've said it has impressed me many times. It has proven to be a tough competitor, but I'm still not sure how far you can take one, and for how long. Would we even be having this discussion if the 6.5L was still GM's diesel of choice?? I'm glad the Duramax has been here to make me take notice of it, and it's potential! Wanna know how many Duramaxs I raced in the 95 when it had 400hp?? ZERO, I knew that that heavy old pig could barely out run a stock LLY, let alone a BOMBed one!!

That being said, both camps have people who have no idea what their doing, and spray anything they can into their engines and scatter the sucker, giving me and you something to brag about what went wrong, and how "mine" is better on the internet.

Can we at least agree that the Fords can't hang with either one??
Chris

Hdmax

The Pane (Pain!) and nitrous is the no. 1 culpret for failures with these engines. (Both the Cummins, and Duramax) If we stick to tuning, and engine mods only,they will live to see another day more times then not.
I know of one Duramax that was being pushed to see where the limits were, it made almost 800 rwhp on #2 only, then the drugs were forced in, and it made almost 1,000 rwhp before they blew it up. With time and money we will see 1,000 rwhp on #2 only. It may never hold up to the power levels the little 5.9L Cummins, but we will have to wait and see. Only time will tell.

gunracer1

i have a friend with a dmax, he has cracked 2 heads, and cracked one piston. i don't remember anyone doing that at 800 or so rwhp in a cummins. i don't give me the hatin speach, i have a dmax also

MadGoat

I'd venture to say that Rock Hard Ram was well above the 1000hp mark? Wouldn't you say? And the Cummins that blew apart in Indy lasy year was essentialy the 1st run on a really motor new with a NG block which has hopefully been corrected now. I think, from what I see is that the ones you are mentioning are in a whole different league of engines than the Dmaxes that are being mentioned as "blowing apart" or "losing their bottom end".

Any motor combination will have its limitations if they're pushed far enough, but as mentioned before, a Cummins can definately reach a higher power level with stock components than a Dmax can. However, it has been proven that a Dmax can be built to take the punishment and produce some really impressive numbers/results as well. Your truck, RyanU & Kyles all have really impressed me.

Me personally, well I don't think any of the motors we all run are bullet proof when it comes to running continuosly at 600+ hp. We run 'em, abuse 'em, fix 'em stronger, then start the cycle all over again. That's just motorsports for you I guess?