Hey guys,

First i want to say that its great to be part of this forum. So im in the market to get a Duramax, 2001-04 and my dad is going to be buying it for me :). Now this has its good and bad sides. Of course i know why i want a diesel and why its so much better than gas but he keeps throwing questions at me that i keep trying to prove him wrong on but he just wont listen. Well since i only have around 17k to spend im looking at Ext cab short beds 4x4 with over 110k miles on them. I found one that i really like and i just have to convince him to dish out the money to get it. I know that the motor will last alot longer than a gas motor as long as i take care of it, which i will. But what about the trans with 110k or more miles? what about the transfer case, the rear end, the gears and all that good stuff. He knows that the motor will run for over 300k easy but he isnt to convinced with the rest of the mechanical things. I know that the ball joints usually go out, and i know that if i throw mad power at the trans it could give way, but i dont have the money to do more than a chip, exhaust, fuel sys. and intake at this time. I know that this isnt that much extra power but i dont want things to give out on me seeing that im a college student. I guess what im asking is how can i prove to him that as long as the truck was taken care of before that he has nothign to worry about, especially if im not towing or mudding it. Im just going to using it around town and road trips mainly. He hasnt has expiernence with diesels, he has never had one, he has only had chevys and he has only had gas. I just want to show him that im not making this stuff up. i want him to buy this truck with confidence. I just want u guys to let me know what alot of the perks are to having a diesel. What are the chances or the things that i listed above to go out? I heard that this is a very reputable site and i look forward to all your responses. Thanks for everything guys, and i look forward to getting my truck and sharing my information that could be useful with you all..

Mike..:cool:

welcome to the forum! if i was trying you and trying to convince my dad to buy me a duramax i would hit him with all the info i can. read through the posts here in the lb7 area, and the allison oem area.

now as far as what to watch out for....

the lb7 motor is a great motor but has its quarks. it is known for its injectors going out. some engines go through them like crazy others go over a hundred thousand b4 their first set. gm warrenties them up to 200k or 7 year. i would have a carfax done up on the truck as well as a warrenty inquary at a dealership. those will give you a good aspect of what the trucks life has been.

as far as the allison tranny it will last a long time, as long as the motor. the allison is the best tranny out on the market and it can handle a lot of abuse. if you chip it i would stay under 100hp till you can get an upgrade.

some people have been having a problem with the pump rubbing a hole in the side of their t case. that is about the only problem i have seen with them

as far as the front and rear end i really have not heard many bad things about them.

when shopping around for a truck look under the hood and see if the exhaust was ever tapped for a pyro probe. its usually on the passenger side. look through the wheel well at the exhaust manifold and see if you can spot a place where the probe was mounted. that will tell you if they possibly had a chip in there at one point.

also just check out for the basic stuff leaks, worn parts etc.

like i said just poke around on here and do your research. i know you will be able to convince your dad if its something you really want. good luck!

You could always mention the improved re-sale on the truck. Your dad should be aware that it could end up costing more than 17000. Once he has a chance to spend some time in your truck he is going to have to buy himself a new diesel.

Hey guys,

First i want to say that its great to be part of this forum. So im in the market to get a Duramax, 2001-04 and my dad is going to be buying it for me :). Now this has its good and bad sides. Of course i know why i want a diesel and why its so much better than gas but he keeps throwing questions at me that i keep trying to prove him wrong on but he just wont listen. Well since i only have around 17k to spend im looking at Ext cab short beds 4x4 with over 110k miles on them. I found one that i really like and i just have to convince him to dish out the money to get it. I know that the motor will last alot longer than a gas motor as long as i take care of it, which i will. But what about the trans with 110k or more miles? what about the transfer case, the rear end, the gears and all that good stuff. He knows that the motor will run for over 300k easy but he isnt to convinced with the rest of the mechanical things. I know that the ball joints usually go out, and i know that if i throw mad power at the trans it could give way, but i dont have the money to do more than a chip, exhaust, fuel sys. and intake at this time. I know that this isnt that much extra power but i dont want things to give out on me seeing that im a college student. I guess what im asking is how can i prove to him that as long as the truck was taken care of before that he has nothign to worry about, especially if im not towing or mudding it. Im just going to using it around town and road trips mainly. He hasnt has expiernence with diesels, he has never had one, he has only had chevys and he has only had gas. I just want to show him that im not making this stuff up. i want him to buy this truck with confidence. I just want u guys to let me know what alot of the perks are to having a diesel. What are the chances or the things that i listed above to go out? I heard that this is a very reputable site and i look forward to all your responses. Thanks for everything guys, and i look forward to getting my truck and sharing my information that could be useful with you all..

Mike..:cool:
The chances of those things going out on a diesel are the same as a gasser when your talking used. Alot depends on how the previous owner took care of it. I myself would never own another gas motor truck. You can't beat the fuel milage and longevity of a diesel. Not to mention the power it has or can have. Resale of a diesel is better also and hold value longer. Have everything serviced...tranny, rear end, front end and fuel filter changed on it if you get it that way you know for certain it's done. As far as ball joints, some trucks last longer than others but if you put bigger tires like I have or bigger then crank your t-bars up for more lift then the front end gets worked harder and parts most likely will wear out sooner but the same holds true for a gasser. If your looking at getting one with more than 100,000 miles on it I personaly would get an 02-03 being the injectors have the 200,000 mile/7 year warranty on them. The lb7 04's are not covered in this warranty as of yet and may not be but none knows for certain if and when they will be. The 01's some of them anways have developed head gasket issues which can be fixed. Do some research on here and it will help you on your decision. Hope I've helped.

hey guys thanks alot, im just going to show my dad this thread and be like see i told u its a good idea. ahahah thanks for all the help so soon guys, keep the posts comming, i want to get as much on this as i possibly can..

I have never heard of Allison going out on a stock truck. So if you don't modify you have nothing to worry about. You can add more power but the more you add the shorter time the trans will last

I have never heard of Allison going out on a stock truck. So if you don't modify you have nothing to worry about. You can add more power but the more you add the shorter time the trans will last
same here look at the 505,000 rebuild thread

here is the thread on it
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=140434&highlight=505%2C000
see if you dad is impressed or not

Way to go choosing a Duramax. And if you found a LB7 Ext. Cab Short Bed 4x4 in GC for 17000, BUY IT NOW! That's a LOT less than it's worth. Mine's lists for 23000+ @ 137K MI.

and i know that if i throw mad power at the trans it could give way, but i dont have the money to do more than a chip, exhaust, fuel sys. and intake at this time. I know that this isnt that much extra power but i dont want things to give out on me
BTW, these simple mods, if done right, could be a TON of extra power and could WASTE a stock Ally. Hell, just a hot programmer alone will do it. Not to ruin your fun, but just keep that in mind when you're whoopin up on Power Strokes.:cool:

Definatley check the truck out! If it's been taken care of and not abused, you should be fine. But just like anything mechanical it's made to break!!!If you know anyone that's owned a Duramax for a while, they'll be able to point out some things that the novice eye wont see. Who knows maybe there is someone on here that you could hook up with. There are allot of great users on here that are alwyas willing to help.

And definatley do the following before buying.
Run a VIN check on here (under vin check section)
Car fax (kinda expensive, but it's worth it!!!! It saved my pocket book)
And check with a local dealer.
Good luck! :)

I have never heard of Allison going out on a stock truck. So if you don't modify you have nothing to worry about. You can add more power but the more you add the shorter time the trans will last

My 01 had a trans at 140,000. Bone stock.

03 GMC.......Injectors went out at 83K miles, covered under warranty. Front transmission seal started leaking at 90K miles. Not covered under warranty, cost me $1,400.00 out of pocket. Not a happy camper ! Also, with the price of diesel fuel costing way more than gas in my area not sure that it is worth keeping.

L8R~
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