Results 1 to 20 of 46

Thread: 97 3500hd DURAMAX CONVERSION

Hybrid View

Previous Post Previous Post   Next Post Next Post
  1. #1

    Default 97 3500hd DURAMAX CONVERSION

    Alright guys im finally goin to do a conversion to my truck. My truck is a 97 3500hd 4x4 with a 6.5 diesel in it. I bought the truck about 3 months ago from a eletric company in az. where it had a bucket body on it. I replaced it with 9ft hillsboro bed on it. Well the 6.5 finally crapped out so im goin to try to throw this lb7 in it.
    here a pic of the truck
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #2

    Default

    heres sum more pics
    Attached Images Attached Images

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    ZEPHYRHILLS, FL
    Posts
    193

    Default

    That should be a nice swap when your done. You can refer back to my post for my swap as I did my 95 and tried to get some good pictures up. And if you have any specific questions feel free to ask. There are several ways to go about this swap, I highly reccomend planning out your swap as best as possible before you begin to set the DURAMAX in there. Many of the aspects of the swap are much easier with the engine out like wiring and such.
    1995 GMC 2500 SUBURBAN powered by 01 DURAMAX/ALLISON, 3.42 gears, 261 T-case
    Trans has a mild build with ALOT of help from MIKE L. which included ALTO's for C1-C4 and a PI ML converter
    DIAMONDEYE 4" exhaust with a CORSA muffler, AFE stage 1 dry filter, EFILIVE, KENNEDY single pump and pump rub kit.

  4. #4

    Default

    Well i bought the conversion guide on here and it helped a bunch. I already got the motor mounts done. Im using my 4l80e tranny becasue the truck as a speacial t-case and i couldn't apapt it to my allison. I hope i can build it enought to handle the duramax. Im goin to use a stand alone controller for the transmisson. I don't know how to you used the duramax intercooler bc i put it agianst the core support and it looks like it wont work.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    ZEPHYRHILLS, FL
    Posts
    193

    Default

    I would strongly reccomend using the ALLISON, the 4L80E doesn't stand a chance against the DURAMAX. Even the 4L85E with the hardened planetarys and such isn't holding up very well behind the van's at 250HP and 460 torque. If you must use it then I suggest getting ahold of MIKE L of INGLEWOOD TRANSMISSIONS and never using 4th gear for any towing of ANY kind. 4th gear is the downfall of the 4L80/85E series of transmissions. There are several options out there for transfer cases as well that you can mate up to the ALLISON, or you could get SUNCOAST to make you one of there billet rear housings that will mate up to whatever transfer case you want them to make it for. Also for a trans controller I would consider going with the T42 style they used in the vans as you will need a TCM that can transmit the J1939 messages over the can bus from the ECM,TCM and FICM if you want to go that route. Some have tried running the manual trans calibration with the stand-alone but have had problems with the idle in gear not behaving right as the ECM will raise the RPM's at idle when it senses a load. An auto calibration in the ECM will be looking for the TCM signal or else it won't let the engine go over 2000 RPM's. I think you can run an early 01 ECM operating system, cannot verify if this won't be plagued with power problems due to all of the safeties built in.

    I did ALOT of homework on mine before I ever even considered getting my donor, and there is ALOT to consider if you want it all to interact properly.
    1995 GMC 2500 SUBURBAN powered by 01 DURAMAX/ALLISON, 3.42 gears, 261 T-case
    Trans has a mild build with ALOT of help from MIKE L. which included ALTO's for C1-C4 and a PI ML converter
    DIAMONDEYE 4" exhaust with a CORSA muffler, AFE stage 1 dry filter, EFILIVE, KENNEDY single pump and pump rub kit.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2000
    Location
    Montana
    Posts
    11,382

    Arrow

    Quote Originally Posted by 85chevyk30 View Post
    Well i bought the conversion guide on here and it helped a bunch. I already got the motor mounts done. Im using my 4l80e tranny becasue the truck as a speacial t-case and i couldn't apapt it to my allison. I hope i can build it enought to handle the duramax. Im goin to use a stand alone controller for the transmisson. I don't know how to you used the duramax intercooler bc i put it agianst the core support and it looks like it wont work.
    Like what was suggested earlier, I would also recommend using the Allison if you have access to one. Then you can use the newer NV261/263 transfer case and you could use all of the aftermarket power mods available for the engine.

    The intercooler installation can be and has been done successfully, as shown in the Conversion Guide. No problems in the 5+ years since I did mine. I know of a couple C/K conversion projects that didn't use an intercooler at all. The engine will work without one, but it limits power, which might not be a problem if you use the 4L80 and keep the power moderate.

    Jim

  7. #7

    Default

    The duramax motor is a 01. I have talked to these guys at www.transmissoncenter.net and they swear they can build a 4l80e to handle 1200 horsepower. My duramax is goin to have 20 over injectors and 2.6 bd turbo.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •