Duramax head failure @ 500 miles

[CUMAPART]

A good friend of mine told me his buddy had to put a new Duramax on his rollback today #ad
. I asked him what the problem was and he said that one of the heads let go with only 500 miles on it. The guy said he wasn't hammering it b/c it's brand new, just normal driving. Maybe those new Isuzu motors are more like the ol' 6. 2's.

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2001. 5 2500 DARK GARNET QC LB 4X4 6SPD HO 3. 54 EVERYTHING BUT THE COWHIDE

 

[fj40charles]

I heard the duramaxi pad motors have
aluminum heads on them. Can someone confirm?

Charles

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2000 QC 2500 4x4 LWB ETC 6 Speed Anti-Spin 3. 54 Trailer Tow, DD1's, Practical Solutions boost module
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1969 Toyota FJ40
350 TBI, Turbo 400, ARB lockers front/rear, 4 wheel power disk brakes, 4. 88 ring/pinion, 3 speed transfer case, full roll cage, Warn 8274, MRT 36 bolt beadlocks with Super Swamper Boggers (16x35x15), Saginaw Power steering, custom bumpers/fenders/nerf bars. Conquered Tellico and going to Moab this May. Loves to be pulled behind the Dodge and pass the powerjokes going up hills.

 

[Mopar-muscle]

charles , thats old news , but yes you heard correctly #ad

 

[work2muchplay2little]

Browsing through Diesel Dynamic site a couple of days ago and came across this; http://www.dieseldynamics.com/duramax.htm Looks like they're getting some very impressive results, just doesn't say what the mods were nor how much $$$. Wonder how they'll hold up to that level of power?

 

[Barry]

Last time I was in Az. (6 weeks ago). I was at one of the RV dealers I do biz with picking up one of the coaches I had bought. There was a nice gentleman driving a new 4dr. gas/Allison. Turned out to be one of the GM guys that works at the GM proving grounds. During the course of our conversation, the Dmax came up. He pointed at my truck and said something to the effect, "it'll outrun your truck". And my reply was to bring it on. He quickly replied,"Oh, you must have done something to yours!". He then began to extol the virtues of the Dmax. His praises were falling on deaf ears. ONE THING I DID REMEMBER, was he said that the engine is a variable timed engine and that all you needed to do was change the timing just a little and the engine had 80 to 100 HP more. It could be that DD is working that angle.

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2001 2500 QC, ETH/DEE,4:10s,LSD,EZ with elbow(28psi)Stage 1 injectors from Carl,Boost/Pyro Guages,4" Turbo back,BD Brake,Mag-Hytec Cover,Kleen Wheels,Energy Release,70 gal. fuel,20K Reese. 31,000 Miles on 03/01/01(Auto/Truck/RV Dealer)

 

[BLACKRAM]

#ad
I wonder if the Duramax is really two Vega engines bolted together and converted to diesel? Wouldn't that make it a giesel? #ad


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1999 2500 4x4, auto, 3. 54 LSD, HD241, Quad cab SLT, Blk Sport Pkg, 16x8 Eagles, 285 Bridgestone AT, 100% Amsoil, 80/100w lights, Valentine One, DTT TC/vb, Mag-Hytek trans pan, DD2's, DD TTPM, Isspro gauges.
1992 SC400
1978 Mooney 201 IFR

 

[Archive]

It makes me wonder why Cat, Detroit, Cummins, or Navistar never build an aluminum head prototype test engine to see how it would hold up... ... . Hmmmm... ... maybe they Did and it DIDN'T !! 2000ney, Wow, that was a rotten thing to say. #ad
LOL You should apologize to all Vega owners everywhere for maligning their fine vehicles with the Duramax. If memory serves me correctly, the average Vega ran 40,000 miles before it imploded. Hey!!! Thats 35,500 miles MORE than the last Dukiemax I read just about. #ad


[This message has been edited by TopFuel (edited 04-01-2001). ]

 

[mike r]

I'll tell you what, it never ceases to amaze me that a company the size of gm consistently comes up with these loser engine combinations. I've even talked to guys that have new gas ones and they brag about the power the new engines have but you can't go by a gas station without the thing pulling off to the entrance of it. If they're blowing gaskets stock how they gonna hold up after some miles are put on them? Oh well, I don't have to ever worry about that problem. Mike

 

[GGades]

Two confirmed cases here in MN. One with a cracked head, the other with leaky gaskets. Don't they test these things!

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[HEMI®Dart]

Is anyone really surprised to see these problems with the Duromax?

I saw it coming a year ago.

It had 2 major problems before it got off the drawing board.

1. ) Its a V-8
2. ) GM had a hand in its design


Its a rehashed 6. 2L boat anchor

 

[Snyder-00]

If the heads on a duracrap are aluminum, what are the pistons, recycled beer or soda cans? Instead of the emblem saying HD for heavy duty it should say recyclable P. O. S!

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1999 Cummins powered quad cab Ram, black sport,4x4,4. 10. s,5-speed,everything but leather,stock and staying that way!

 

[CannonBall]

I think it is to early to tell if the Isuzu is going to suffer head problems but the odds are in its favor according to history.

In a discussion with an engineer concerning the use of aluminum heads on a diesel, his conclusion along with fellow engineers was that aluminum heads had no advantage other than weight.

Furthermore, they concluded that as much aluminum as possible should be removed from the combustion area.

I find it interesting that a moderator on another diesel page made the comment " There are no head problems... . certainly no more than there are on the Cummins".

Now that is a bold statement considering the 5. 9 has been in service since 1983 in every application you can think of.

 

[Alan Reagan]

In talking to our senior mechanical engineer, who by the way worked for Jacobs and Cummins for years and has tested almost every conceivable diesel engine ever built that can use a "Jake" brake, he just rolls his eyes on the aluminum heads. When this guy tells me about different expansion rates for dissemilar metals, I listen. He is one of the best mechanical engineers I've ever worked with and is a knowledgeable mechanic as well. I like the big iron heads on the big iron block. I won't bash the DM buyers but they do need to find something else to compare their engine to.

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2001 HO 6 spd 2500, 4. 10 LSD, Towing Package, Electric Brakes, SPA EGT/Boost Gauges, Fog Lights, Real Backup Lights, Molded Running Boards

 

[Doc Tinker]

GM is notoriuos for rushing to production on their products. But, for some reason, they make money doing it that way and they don't lose loyal customers.

I'll bet Isuzu will be the one that takes the heat for the follies in this adventure.

Doc

 

[B. Gill]

i used to have peugeot turbo diesel that had an aluminum head and that was the weakest point in that engine,it had a habit of blowing head gaskets and then the head cracked. aluminum head in a diesel, BAD idea.

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1968 Mercedes 200d, 1983-Mercedes 300sd, 1986-Mercedes 300sdl, 2000-ram2500 Patriot Blue with 32000 miles.

 

[Deezal Man]

Not surprised,

If mixing metals was a good idea... Cummins would have done it a long time ago. Aluminum heads belong on aluminum blocks.

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98. 5' Emerald Green 24v 2500 Auto/3. 54 4x4 SB QC 285-75-16's on Alcoa's. Everything but leather. PIAA 1200's, AMSOIL dual filter relocation system, Smittybuilt Stainless Steel Nerfs, Rhino Liner(Junk), AMSOIL air filter.

 

[Todd T]

My wifes junkburban has 1/8" thick plastic gaskets between the intake and heads #ad

and it is torqued to a wapping 13lbs.

now my question is with the craze of superchargers still going strong how is a guy to put one on his Impala,Camaro,firechicken,Vette, or Truck?

answer: you have to spend $150 for aluminum spacers to replace the GM engineers inadequacies. #ad




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Todd,
2001 Q-cab SB 4x4 5spd 3. 55's, A pillar Boost/EGT,Jardines 4" turboback kit,custom built aluminum airbox W/K&N-RE0860 through the cowl, and more to come...

 

[Max340]

What gets me about the Duramax is this:

To make power you need to make heat. If you put a head with better conductivity of heat (like say, aluminum??) you immediately raise the engine's ability to deal with heat, but you ALSO make it so the the next firing stroke has to reheat the cooled surfaces. (want a great example? How well does the Cummins run in the first 5 minutes, compared to after say... and hour at 60mph?)

Ok, so we now have to heat the cylinder again, since the heat went out with the head, so what do ya do? Put more fuel in. Can anyone say, "goodbye efficiency"?? Of course, ya could say that simply by looking at the config... L6 beats V8 in efficiency.

More observations:

In a Corvette engine, the aluminum/iron mating surface created a chemical reaction that caused a slime in the cooling system. This would collect on the low coolent sensor and cause it to come on. One can only guess what it was doing to the cooling system. Whats it doing to a Duramax, and how well will it last?

I saw that GM had an estimated life of less than 200K for the DM, can anyone confirm or deny?

Any guesses what the higher RPM is doing for the DM life expectancy? Perhaps see above?

Also heard the common rail injection was not perfected yet.



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Y2K 2500 QC Sport 4x4 LWB
72 Dart 340
89 LeBaron GTC 2. 2 TI

 

[Amianthus]

I got to see one the other day. I will say this. They are QUIET! But, I didn't buy a diesel because I was worried about noise. I can see that GM is playing to a niche market. You know the type, the ones who buy the SUV with the off-road package and never use it because it would get dirty. Or complain that the ride is rough. I hope they sell tons of them to people who don't know any better. That way, I can feel even more redeemed in my choice.

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'99 2500 ISB QC SLT (No Leather!), 4x4, 5sp w/McLeod, 4:10, BD-II, PE, PE-EZ, 4"exh. , Pac-Brake, A-Pillar gauge pod w/boost and pyro, Line-X, V-1, lights, siren, lic. plt. frame says "Diesel Fumes Make Me Horny!", and much more goofy stuff.

 

[Jetson]

My problems with aluminum heads has been with the steel valve seat inserts. High heat will expand the aluminum and the seat drops out. But maybe they think diesels are low heat engines. Buuuttt, if someone tunes it up, raising EGT's, what's gonna happen?