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Lil Red - Duramax Diesel Power Project
Rocket science is a whole lot more entertaining when you actually get to drive one! Yes, you can swap a Duramax 6600 and Allison 1000 into a 1988-98 GM 2/4 wheel drive pickup truck, whether 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton or 1 ton. And yes, you can also install the D/A into a 1988-98 2-door/4-door full size SUV (Tahoe, Yukon or Suburban). And yes, you can also install a Duramax 6600 and Allison 1000 into a 1973-1987 GM Square-body pickup truck/SUV. We'll show you how...
Duramax swaps - How well do they run and perform after 20 years? What is it like to drive? How long does it take when swapping a Chevy K1500's stock gas V8 for a 6.6L Duramax diesel and an Allison transmission? Many questions... You'll find the answers to many of these questions here in this forum blog, but I recommend first watching the video linked above, then continue reading. We put you in the driver's seat and then under the hood to get a better picture of what a Duramax swap is really like.
This topic thread also includes a discussion about a new body style (NBS) 1999-2007 full-size GM truck dash swap for the old body style (OBS) 1988-1998 full-size trucks and SUVs. The new dash is not required to produce a running and driving Duramax Conversion/Swap, though I do recommend modifying your existing dash to accept the instrument panel gauge cluster that matches the model year of your Duramax engine. It's not all that difficult, and having the instrument panel gauges will enhance your overall Duramax swap. I cover portions of the dash installation here in this topic thread, but more information is included in the helpful Guide book we offer concerning Duramax/Allison swaps (see my signature here).
Lil Red - the Duramax/Allison conversion project truck shown here was first driven in April 2004 - and it became the very first privately owned Duramax/Allison conversion in a GM vehicle. The Diesel Page literally wrote the book on Duramax 6600/Allison conversions, and we designed the Duramax Conversion Motor Mounts that allow for a bolt-in engine swap.
The primary mission for this Duramax Diesel Power Project was to determine the feasibility of using the Duramax 6600 and Allison 1000 automatic transmission in a range of conversion projects, including the GM full-size trucks and SUV's from 1967 onward (with slight modifications - depending on model year). This Lil Red project shown here was the beginning of all that. The above photo was taken in 2002 just after receiving the brand new Duramax 6600 crate engine directly from GM Powertrain, along with the Allison 1000 transmission and NV-263 transfer case. Updating the exterior of the truck began soon after.
In addition to the K1500 truck featured here, we also completed a 1987 Chevy C30 Square Body Duramax here in TheDieselPage.com. That 1987 Chevy C30 diesel swap is another of many conversion projects we've been a part of.
A 4" exhaust system, 4" polished stainless exhaust tip and Bilstein HD shocks were installed after the body work and paint had been completed. A custom exhaust system was chosen because we needed a 4" tailpipe without pre-welded hangers to work for this rather unique application. There is no muffler or catalytic converter installed, which means the truck sounds a little more like a hot-rod. The 2001 LB7 48-state emissions regulations did not require EGR, a catalytic converter or any other exhaust after-treatment - one huge plus for the 2001 LB7. The addition of a set of CalTracs traction bars help control axle-wrap during a launch. Kennedydiesel.com was helpful in working with me on some of these items.
Shown here is a set of silver-finished factory Chevy SS 6-lug 20" x 9" aluminum wheels. The matching Goodyear Eagle tires in 275/55R20 were an excellent choice, being almost 32" in diameter and more than 11" wide.
The original 10-bolt ½-ton rear axle was replaced with a GM six-lug 9-1/2" 14-bolt semi-floating rear axle that had been removed from a low mileage 1997 GM 1500. This rear axle was rebuilt by Randy's Ring & Pinion in Everett Washington with a new Eaton Posi-traction differential, new 3.42 ring & pinion and all new bearings and seals. An all new rear driveshaft was manufactured incorporating a 1350 series rear U-joint to match the rear differential pinion yoke and a new 1410 series U-joint & yoke/slip-joint at the front to match the Allison/NVG-263 output shaft. There has not been any detectable vibration or any other unusual behavior while using two different U-joints in this rear driveshaft. The 4WD front driveshaft was similarly manufactured using the appropriate yoke/U-joint at each end. This combination has been run at the 1/4-mile track at up to a 130-mph (in 4WD) without any sort of problem, even with more than 600 horsepower and 1200 lb-ft of torque.
I urge all those who embark on their own swap/conversion to work toward producing a factory "look". This will increase the value of a converted vehicle by as much as $20,000. For years now, late model 2500 series Suburbans that have a factory looking and performing Duramax/Allison conversion were being sold for at least $20,000 above the Kelly Blue Book vehicle pricing guide, simply because of the clean install of a D/A and the rarity of that combo. There was a time when people would follow D/A Suburban owners into parking lots, rest areas and fuel stations wanting to learn more about the owner's Duramax 6600 powered Suburban and their wish to buy it on the spot. And... you'd be surprised at how many individuals began businesses converting Suburbans as a result of what we've done and documented here in The Diesel Page.
This truck has appeared in a number of magazine, including the January 2007 issue of Diesel World magazine, the May 2006 issue of Diesel Power magazine and in three separate issues of Truck Trend magazine. More info about magazine coverage can be found below.
TDP - Jim Bigley
The Duramax Conversion Guide - This new second edition includes glossy full-color photo-quality front and back covers, a completely updated and revised interior that includes 62 glossy pages (17 B/W + 45 full color pages) filled with updated photos and graphics, along with even more information that will not only help you succeed, but will inspire you to complete your project.This professionally written and bound volume illustrates what you'll need to know when installing a Duramax 6600 diesel engine and Allison automatic transmission into a 1988-98 classic OBS (Old Body Style, like that shown here) C/K GM pickup truck or Suburban, plus boats and even a Duramax/Allison conversion in the 1980s Square Body trucks.
3/14/2023 - Keep reading! This forum thread includes videos and blog entries over time about Lil Red and its Duramax conversion. If nothing else, this shows how well the truck continues to run and perform since its completion, and it shows just how much fun Lil Red is to drive and how people we meet along the way respond to it. Check back now and then to catch up, or subscribe to this thread so you'll be notified via email when a new post has been added (using the "Thread Tools" link above the first post in this thread). In the meantime, if you have a diesel event scheduled for this year somewhere in the northwest, let me know. Lil Red and I might just come to see you!
Jim
Did this forum tread or YouTube video help you with your conversion/swap? Want to share this thread with others or help us get the word out about Duramax swaps? It's easy! Simply link to us in your own YouTube video, or post the link(s) shown here in a forum post, email message or social media site. Thank you!
thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/showthread.php?35210
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--9bY1T3XoQ