Most of my gas engines go 300,000 so I find that very little to brag about and comparing a locomotive engine , which by the way is a heavy duty diesel engine to a Duramax or 6.0 light duty engine is way out there . I have a 4.9 in a jeep that has over 300.000 and never been apart but that is a inline six so you kind of expect it . The way I look at it if a diesel in a pickup can not hold up a least twice as long as a gas why pay the extra bucks . Like I said before if the V8's are so great show me some farm tractor , industrial equipment , generators , ect. using them . I do remember IH tractor using some V8's for a few years but most were pulled out and switched over to inline's because they just did not hold up . The room reason doesn't hold much water either when it comes to this kind of application room is not much of a problem . Ford can get a 6.0 in a van , talk about a engineering marvel , after that I think anything else would be cake .

 

Well John,
If the design is flawed then its flawed. Obviously if you have V8 gas motors going 300,000 then a diesel of that design should go further. Oh yea someone had a million mile Cummins so it must be a better design. D'maxes haven't been in production long enough to hit the million mile mark, but a guy named Broker stated he had one in the 4-500,000 mile mark. Not to shabby for a light duty poor desined motor. I guess if it's in a locomotive or a cruise ship it's a special designed v8. If you want to believe that an inline is a better design be my guest. Hey if ignorance is bliss I'm sure your very happy.

 

I don't think anyone is saying the V-8 in your shiny new truck is a "light duty poor desined motor", but it's a non sequitur to advance the notion that a standard-duty V-8 design is the same as a medium-duty I-6 design, especially when you're discussing diesel engines. They both were designed and engineered for different purposes, hence they each have different advantages and disadvantages.

The Cummins I-6 design IS better for the application it was intended for, as is the DuraMax for it's purpose.

 

I couldn't agree more , they both have there place and in a hard work situation a inline is better were if you want a engine that drives and feels more like a gas engine the V8's have it all over a inline . Take a little time and check the weight of the crank , rods , pistons of all three and you will see why they have ratings of light , medium and heavy duty diesels . Since the V8's have two more cylinders you would think the crank would weigh a lot more then half as much as one in a Cummins . I wish you good luck with your Duramax and I hope it will live up to your expatiations . I give Chevy one thing , after all the years of putting garbage diesels in , this Japanese one is the best yet . Can you tell me why they do not seem very proud of it like Dodge and put the name of it on the side of the truck . Chevy and Ford both try and take your mind off who made the engine for them , I wonder why . Funny they took a Allison transmission and have it built to there specks and still call it a Allison .

 

I don't really cosider it a light duty design being it is in plenty of Medium duty 4500 and 5500 series trucks. It's not like the 6.5l that was a modified gas motor. The Duramax was designed as a diesel engine by Isuzu, who have been building diesel engines for a very long time. Also you know as well as I do or anyone else who builds engines, your crank needs to be heavier and stronger because its longer with the inline 6 design. Also rods will be thicker to pick up the addition load that is present because of two absent cylinders. When you spread 325hp across, 6cylinders instead of 8 you will need heavier components. This is why the rod in a Detriot diesel making 500/1550 is bigger then the rod in your cummins. Also if the truck hauls and tows for a living and turns 4-500,000 whats the difference if you say it's light duty or medium duty it has still fullfilled it's obligation. As far as the name, GM has a partnership with Isuzu the designer of the diesel. Engines are assembled in Ohio at the D'max ltd plant,hence the name Duramax is on the truck. Similar to the Dodge 4.7l engine being in the Mitsubichi Raider pickup, the companies deal with each other. Your Dodge say Cummins on the side if they decide not to make mention of the Aisin tranny on the side does this mean Dodge is embarrassed by it???

 

Up here at work pretty much all of our generators are v-8 cat's. Our compressors however are all inline's. Some 8 cyl's (cat 3608) some 16's (3616). Thousands of horsepower!!

 

You seem to think I gave it the light duty stamp , it was give by engineers . Most products have ratings like tires , carpet , chainsaws , roofs , buildings and they earn that rating . The Duramac and the 6.0 earned a light duty rating , not my fault , Chevy and Ford both had many of the medium duty diesels engines to pick from and yes some are even in a V configuration . You would need to ask them why they picked a engine with the light stamp , because both international and Isuzu make some nice medium duty engines and put them in the bigger trucks .
Dodge is not using the Asian Transmission until the 07's comes out but they are already bragging about it . Maybe in 07 Chevy and Ford will be so proud of there Isuzu and international they will put their name on the side of the truck but I doubt it very much . Chevy does not stick to any diesel very long and they are probably already looking for the next one over in China or Taiwan that you can brag about . They have left a long line of boat anchors over the years in their wake and their last greatest may end up there to , time will tell and like you said it is just to new to tell yet .
I personally find it embarrassing that they went to Japan to get a diesel with all the great ones here in the US looking for business . A nice medium duty Cat or Detroit and I would be looking at driving a Chevy maybe .

 

That's ok, you aren't required to consider it light duty-like has been pointed out, the engineers have removed your (and my) opinion from the equation by SPECIFYING what it is. Not a lot of room for ambiguity and interpretation there. The 5.9 cummins is a medium duty engine. The powerstroke and duramax are light duty engines. There, pretty simple, isn't it?

I happen to like and respect the duramax. They are starting to really turn in some good numbers power-wise, with stock turbos at that. And another thing, you're right about them not having the time yet to hit the really high total miles that the cummins has. I personally doubt that as many of them will hit those mileages simply because they are light duty engines and as such can be expected to not last as long. However, I believe some duramaxes will indeed hit those mileages eventually.

My point here is that I understand your desire to defend the duramax against some of the comments directed at it here. I would react the same way myself. But, let's not get facts and opinions confused. Medium duty vs light duty in this case is based in fact, not opinion. To try mixing opinion in there is false logic. By contrast, if you were to say "I believe that the duramax is more than up to the task at hand in a pickup truck" then that would be an opinion based on your interpretation of how the engine has performed so far in that application. It so happens that I would agree with that opinion, but that's kind of irrelevant here anyway...

 

The 6.2 and subsequent 6.5 diesel V8 was designed from the ground up as a diesel motor by Detroit Diesel. Prior to the 6.2, GM used a 350/5.7 V8 gas motor modified for diesel with very poor results.

 

I have read most posts on here for 4 years now, and I would not be worried about owning a duramax. They have proven themselves over the last 5 or 6 years. Lots of happy owners. They are making ALL diesels respond like V8 gas motors in pickups. Doesnt say much but Gale Banks said they are trying to get more HP and less torque out of the next diesel generation. That to me is the wrong answer. I like the arm wrenching tq. The original question on this post. Drive a duramax and get a real honest opinion. If you want an auto, I wouldnt think twice about owning one. I prefer manual. I had my blinders on when I went to the GM dealer and they wouldnt work as much on the price. Sales manager said take it for a ride and then give us your opinion. They ride frickin sweet. A real nice truck. If the price would have been better, who knows, all I know is that my blinders have been lowered. I did drive a ford dually, but I couldnt let myself own the 6oh no. It did have alot of power over 3000 rpms though. And that is NOT where I want my power. Look at the isuzu diesel, it makes it tq at the same rpms as the cummins.

 

I not defending the Duramax,what I am defending is the V8 designed diesel. It is just as good a Design as an inline though it may not be as popular in it's usage. Examples were the cruiseships, locomotives and as another memeber here stated in generators. Obviously if it were a poor design it wouldn't be used at all, and surely not in locomotives that move cargo and supplies all over the world. I have no problems with the D'Max and don't need to defend it. That was not my point. My point was on engine design, the Ford and Duramax were examples of another V8 design. You guys went the route of comparing the two and their deignated purpose, and the difference in their label of light vs medium duty titles. I would think that if they're both in pick-ups their designated purpose would be very similar. Also if the V8 is labeled light duty and still goes 400,000 miles what does that mean??or the opposite the medium duty only makes 300,000. Besides a one ton truck is a light duty application, so what is the benefit of a Medium duty engine in a less stout package. Technically based on the labeling the truck engine will out last the truck, so where would the gain be.

 

LBZ Power; You are wrong about the 6.5L Diesel being a gas convert. GM Used the 350 (5.7L) gas convert in the 70's to early 80's, then went to the DIESEL 6.2L, then it was upgraded later to the 6.5L DIESEL, neither the 6.2L, nor the 6.5L Diesel was ever a gas engine.

 

You say that like it's a bad thing. Unless you live a wet or salty environment, truck chassis' usually still have a LOT of life left in them when the original light duty drivetrain gives up the ghost. Then you are left with the option of expensive repairs or selling it for pennies on the dollar and buying a new one.

 

Scramblin My point exactly. Bruce the guy I worked with had a Mazda diesel pick up. At 200,000 miles the truck broke in half, it snapped from rust on the frame between the cab and bed. Motor ran fine though. Hdmax realised that after I said it with the 6.2/6.5l

 

Hehehe...this is fun.