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#1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Kailua Kona, Hawaii
Posts: 53
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Duramax in older truck
Since the search is down, I can't check if this has been covered before. Anybody ever put a Duramax and Allison in an older body style? I am thinking about this for my 86' Crewcab. What about any links for info on doing it? I see them selling on ebay for $5-8K. Any opinions on this swap?
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68' Camaro RS Protouring LT1/Minitub/4wdb/AC/17's 90' Crewcab Silverado 454/8"susp/38's |
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#2 |
california fill
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Sunny So-Cal
Posts: 694
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Ive been thinking about this setup for a long time. Not so much for myself- but waiting for someone to do it! I have not seen anything about it on this board before... I think its an awesome setup. the duramax and allison is an awesome, powerful combo..
good luck |
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#3 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Rosemount, MN
Posts: 341
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Geez...,, read my mind will ya!!!....
![]() If you guys find anything on a Duramax and Allison swap for an older truck,PLEASE post. I've thought about this exact swap for a couple of years, the prices of the Duramax and Allison are coming down. Check www.carpart.com 1999 3500 Truck, engine and trans. For the price of a brand new truck, (1 Ton CC dually, 2WD, loaded =$50.000+) you could really have a neat truck. If someone wants to foot the bill for parts I will do the swap and document the process with how too's and pictures on my truck!! ![]() ![]() ![]() I have an '86 1ton CC Dually that I just tow with. Just my .02 ![]() Last edited by GMC1tondually4dr; 03-13-2005 at 08:15 PM. |
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#4 |
Professional Grade
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Fort McMurray, Alberta
Posts: 7,915
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In all honesty, a Duramax is a good daily driver motor too. They get phenominal milage, and are extremely powerful, even in their stock form.
If a guy could simply pull the engine harness / computer and run it independantly from the truck, I'm sure it'd be a much more popular swap. I am fairly sure that all the different computers work together on these different types of things. It'd be fun setting up the shifter too, I do believe it is an electronic column switch, rather than a mechanical linkage like these olders trucks... Someday, after someone else does the trailblazing, and gas is so rediculously expensive that its worth it to put a diesel in, I'll put a higher performance diesel into my truck.
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1995 Chevrolet 2 Door Tahoe (6.6L LBZ Duramax / ZF6 / NP241 with 1 ton solid axle swap) |
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#5 |
Gentleman Jim Driver
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Poulsbo, WA
Posts: 1,550
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I'm really interested in this swap too. It would be work about 10k to me to be able to put a Duramax in my 83. So far the difficulties are all in the computer. I've only seen one successful swap and it was into a boat. The person used the instrument cluster and everything out of the donor vehicle to make the body control module and powertrain control module all work together.
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Joe '75 GMC Gentleman Jim '84 Chev C10 Short Wide - Super duper plain (manual steering, manual brakes, no dome light, no cig lighter) '85 Chev C10 Short Wide - Super plain Vortec 4.8 4L60E trans also: '81 K30, '83 C30 Crew Dually, '84 M1028 CUCV, '85 M1009 CUCV, another '85 C10 SWB, '89 R3500 Flatbed |
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#6 |
Ultimate Diesel Dude
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Southwest Missouri
Posts: 328
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Jim Bigley, administrator for www.thedieselpage.com , has swapped a Duramax/Allison combo into a 1990 K1500 pickup. He's building it as a hotrod. Most of the web articles about the truck are for members only, but I think ya'll should be able to read this one:
http://www.thedieselpage.com/features/project2-16.htm Jim worked on this rig for a couple of years. The engine and tranny are pretty much a straight-forward bolt in. It's the electronics that cause the headaches. The Duramax computer system works with every single aspect of the truck, from engine and tranny control, to a/c and door lock systems. To keep the truck as factory-like as possible, Jim swapped in the entire dash from a newer Duramax equipped truck. He also swapped in all the body control systems to make the computer think it was still in a later model truck. He was successful in fooling the computer, and the only CEL he ever got was one regarding the transfer case. He was able to have the dealership reprogram the computer, and all has been fine since. There's also an article on the Diesel Page about a guy who swapped a Duramax/Allison into a 1976 FMC motorhome. He used the original dash and swapped in the guages, like the guy with the boat EL Gracho mentioned did. I also know of a few Duramax-converted Suburbans running around. I've read of a guy swapping a Duramax into one of our older style trucks, but I don't know of any completed projects as yet. I'm a fan of mechanical engines myself, so a computer-controlled Duramax doesn't appeal to me much. However, the stock 300 HP of a Duramax does! It's also extremely easy to get over 450 HP and 800 lbs. torque with just a few simple plug-in boxes....now that's impressive! Casey
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Project truck: '81 C/20 converted to 6.2L TURBO DIESEL bored .040", gear drive, 6.5L injectors/pump, custom pistons, custom 4" exhaust, 700R4, 4.10's Daily Driver: '95 K1500 Tahoe, 6.5L TURBO DIESEL, NP241, 4L80E, 3.42's |
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#7 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Kailua Kona, Hawaii
Posts: 53
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My 67' Nova SS is having a LS1 and 6spd trans put in from a 99' Camaro. The shop doing the swap bought a computer for this swap, I wonder if any companies will put out a computer to make the swap easier? That would be the way to go. BTW a friend of mine just got an 04' Duramax 4X4, put in a full exhaust system with a chip and said you wouldn't believe how much more power it is putting out! He told me it's putting down about 450hp with just those upgrades!
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68' Camaro RS Protouring LT1/Minitub/4wdb/AC/17's 90' Crewcab Silverado 454/8"susp/38's |
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#8 |
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 34
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I'm contemplating putting the 6spd., Duramax, rear diff., dash and interior into my truck,.....just wondering what's involved/how hard it is to do.
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#9 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: El Lago, TX
Posts: 1,668
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Quote:
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#10 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The Rubber City
Posts: 5,498
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Quote:
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1969 GMC K2500 ![]() 1996 Honda Accord 2007 Kawasaki KLR 650 |
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#11 |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Llano,TX
Posts: 113
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I know chevy guys don't really wanna hear about putting a cummins in instead of a duramax, but the 5.9 cummins for the most part is all mechanical up to 1998.5. That alone should make a much easier swap. There's a article in the new 4wheel & offroad with a early 90's chevy truck with a cummins. It puts out 1000ft/lbs torque. Not too bad. A little better than the duramax i think.
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‘66 Chevy C-10, long bed fleetside, 350, 3 on the tree, 4-7 drop. '77 chevy C-10 Custom Deluxe, 350, SM465 4 speed, flatbed. '80 jeep CJ-5. ‘14 Chevy 1500 Z71… |
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