Wasn't it that troublemaker - Hoss?

 

Yap Hoss , he started this mess and left only comes back when it cools off to throw a little gas on the fire . Hoss belongs in a 6.0 with a cement bed liner .

 

Wait.. I thought they developed the V design due to LACK of space under the hood. When competition demanded more hp, an inline engine would take too much space, so engineers came up with the V, a more compact design.

Anyway, in 1994 when Dodge fit a full size intercooled Cummins in their light duty pickup, it blew the competition away. Ford and GM simply could not compete. The Cummins was way more advanced than any previous diesel engine in a pickup truck. Now, Ford and GM have caught up-to-date and they've put competing diesel engines in their pickups.

Now to the topic. I'd get a GM for the ride, compfort, etc. and know that I'm driving an engine that's overall not bad. But if I were driving a Dodge, I'd know that I'm driving an engine that's the best!

But the point is, I don't really even need to drive a diesel truck, or any truck for that matter. I just drive one cause I like it. The only reason I got the Dodge Ram is because it came with a Cummins. I like to roll with the big dogs.

It's funny, this same conversation came up between me and my buddy tonight. He was saying how he drove a new Chevy Duramax at work and really liked it. Of course I defended Dodge. When he asked me why NOT to get a Duramax, I didn't really have anything to say. It's hard to argue the two with just specs on paper. But it's all about what you believe in. Many others and I believe in the Cummins, with the inline-6 design, it's still hands down the best diesel engine in a light duty pickup.

 

What? Did someone say Hoss belongs in size 6 cement overshoes with a liner?

 

Some facts to stop some of the misinformation I've just been reading.

1. The actual nature of the relationships of GM, Isuzu and Allison, all taken from GM's Duramax page.

Q: Does GM have part ownership in Isuzu and Allison, and was that part of the reason in selecting them as a vendor?
A: Yes, General Motors owns a piece of Isuzu. However, GM looked at every diesel manufacturer individually to develop a new diesel engine. Isuzu offered the best product. GM owns all of Allison, but it is an independent business. In the medium-duty truck market, Allison is the sole supplier of transmissions.
http://www.duramaxdiesel.com/11_faq/index.htm#18

2. Is the Duramax a GM design or an Isuzu design?
The Duramax is the product of a joint venture between Isuzu and GM. That joint venture is called DMAX, their facility is currently housed where GM previously produced 6.2/6.5 L Detroit diesels. DMAX is a collaborative effort between GM and Isuzu engineers with the majority of the design work being done by Isuzu, which has been building diesel powerplants since 1936.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMAX
http://www.thedieselpage.com/news5.htm


3. Is the Duramax a "light-duty," or "medium duty," engine?
It's hard to nail down the "sources," that have been claimed (without reference, I might add, which is hearsay and really pisses me off) but the nearest thing I could find is the CARB website and the EPA website, both identifying the Duramax-equipped C/K 20 and C/K 30 series trucks as Medium Duty Vehicles (MDVs). It would appear, then, that if the Duramax must meet MDV emissions standards, just like the Cummins ISB, then it must, indeed, be a medium duty engine. IF you can cite a different source stating that the Duramax is, in fact, a "light duty," engine, I will stand corrected.
http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/onroad/..._u1_diesel.pdf

I have no real reason to defend or denigrate the Duramax. I've no real personal experience with it; I own a Cummins. I just hate misinformation. My cousin and my uncle both own and enjoy the heck out of their Duramax work trucks and I enjoy the heck out of my Cummins. If you're looking at ride quality and comfort since the application is a wife's-car-replacement, you can't go wrong picking the Duramax. If you want a solid, reliable powertrain (i.e. TWO solid axles, unbeatable 6-speed manual, 400,000-mile + engine, MANUALLY selectable t-case, etc.) then the Cummins is the obvious choice. I just wanted to clear the air a little with some facts.

 

utvaquero,

Is it all right if IMHO I think it’s a Maxi Pad? I never could drink GM cool aid.

 

DBLR

Your opinion is just that: it's yours and its an opinion. I've got mine, everybody has one--especially on this topic. I just like to draw my conclusions and form my opinions based on understanding the facts. Like I say, I'm a Cummins owner. That's after 10 years and 3 GM trucks. I started with a hand-me-down 2wd '73 Chevy with a tired old 350 (a real POS I cracked a head on because of the cheap head casting), upgraded to a '72 3/4 ton 2wd Cheyenne package w/402 big block (very nice, I'd still own it if it had been a 4x4), and then an '81 1/2 ton 4x4 I spent an inordinate amount of money converting to a rockcrawler with 3/4 ton axles, Edelbrock fuel injection conversion, TH-350 to 700-R4 conversion, 4.56:1 axle re-gear and a bunch of other parts.

I finally realized I could have come a lot closer to the truck I REALLY wanted, even though I thought I was a die-hard Chevy fan, by getting the Cummins equipped Dodge. The facts were that it just had the solid and reliable powertrain I wanted out of a truck so my opinion is that the ISB-powered Dodge is the best choice--for me. But, does that mean the Duramax is crap? No, there's no way a reasonable person could honestly draw that conclusion. Sure, there're benefits to the I6 vs. the V8 design and I chose the I6 for those reasons but, to each his own. You may not prefer the D-max but it's a solid engine and holds its own, without much drama, unlike the Ferd 6-point-oh no. So, opine that the Cummins is the best engine on the planet for reasons x,y, and z; just remember that the D-max is far from crap.

 

I said some (I have no idea how many!) of the LLY's had overheating problems. (But those are not the first Duramax', The LB7's are, and they did NOT have OH'ing problems.)

If you have a problem with GMC, and Chevy discussion here in the general diesel section, you could just go on by. It really shows your immaturity when you make up names for the Duramax.

 

We're just playin'. I'm sure the Dmax'ers make up names for Cummers and Powerjokers over there on their forums. What are you doing here though?

 

I might get roasted for saying this but this is what I witnessed today. There was an 18 wheeler with a flatbed that tried to do a U-turn in the middle of the hwy and got jack-knifed in the ditch. A guy in a Duramax single wheel (didn't see if it was a 3/4 or 1 ton) hooked a chain on it and got him out of the road. I was impressed. I'm afraid if I did that with my truck I would be looking for a new transmission right now.

 

He's probably out lookin' for a new tranny too... Not saying a Chevy can't pull as much weight as a Dodge or vice versa. We're comparing apples to apples here. Just debating which one is shinier.

 

I am here to learn, and to teach

 

utvaquero - thanks for the DMax fact post.

CARB & EPA websites notwithstanding, the best definition of what is, or isn't anything is normally found in it's behavior or usage. You know, if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck... it's probably a duck.
In due time, perhaps the DuraMax will find it's way into medium trucks, like the Cummins already has, instead of pick-up trucks - where the Cummins is also common; but in the meantime, it's not going to be generally regarded as a medium-duty diesel.

The application warrants the classification.

 

Even DBLR wouldn't claim to have come up with that - he's just parroting.

 

No doubt!

Actually, I'm going to start a thread to find all of the funny/derogative names that exist for Dodge/Ram/Cummins...