Inquiring minds want to know;
Does anyone out there have any clout or insite as to the possabillity of whether GM/Isusu would or could, ever build an all aluminum (block and heads) Duramax. Primarily for performance applacations, off shore racing, I don't know, sled pulls,... in the foot steps of the LS6, or 7, which ever it was? Might be kinda neat ta see 1/2 ton SS reg. cab pick-ups slipping out the back door with 600+HP aluminum Duramax's in them!!! Instead of Super Gas, it might be "Super Diesel" runnin 9:90 indexes! Cruising the blvd. could be fun again.

It would have to have steel liners for the cylinders. Expansion might be problem keeping the liners in place. Years ago Chevy had a car named Vega with an all aluminum engine. It was a disaster. The main bearing might also be a concern.

Jim

It would have to have steel liners for the cylinders. Expansion might be problem keeping the liners in place. Years ago Chevy had a car named Vega with an all aluminum engine. It was a disaster. The main bearing might also be a concern.

Jim I had a Pontiac Astre ( Vega with Pontiac badge), drove it four years and then passed it to my daughter for a college car. She drove it three years and drove it under (rear ended) a pick up one aftnoon and no more litlle car. Had 160K on it with no major propblems. After passing the Astre to my daughter I got hold of a uses Vega Cosworth, fantastic little car. About a year later someone decideds they wanted (stole) it and we haven't seen or heard of it since. No theft or collision insurance either.

The man who came up with the idea of the Vega was Delorean, I believe. The only good Vega's were the Cosworths or the ones with a small block stuffed in there.

I would think a cast iron block is stronger, and better for high boost applications.

I used to have a link - lost it - of a guy who was drag racing a twin turbo pickup that used worked-up U.S. Navy all aluminum v-8 diesel engines. Apparently he was very successful with them, only engine problems were stretched head bolts that only lasted three or four runs (I think he was running something like 80 pounds of boost). Didn't see any reports of lower end problems. He got out of racing when his garage was looted and they took his tools, the truck and all his spares. Wish I still had that information.

My guess is that there would be about a 200lb weight savings. You could easily make that up by running 20 more HP.

Hopefully some enterprising individual will stuff one of these into an El Camino or other light truck with a large engine bay and really make it fly.

Done right, an Aluminum block can be VERY strong... A Teksid Aluminum 4.6L (Ford) block (used in the Mark VIII's), made in Italy by Ferrari, I think, is capable of holding 1500HP no problem.

Aluminum engines would be doable. Look at the current HP stuff, Nascar, Top Fuel, etc INM are all Aluminum.

I really dont see much benifit going to aluminum for these applications as doing so would be mega bucks for the casting etc, and the demand really isnt there.

The weight savings can be made up elseware much cheaper.

I think anything is possible, but the difference in compression ratios between the NASCAR gas engines (12.5 CR) and the DMax (17.5 CR) is considerable. Would the aluminum block be able to withstand the twisting and would the head bolt threads hold for 17.5 CR? Remember the old Oldsmobile V8 converted to a diesel? The engine destroyed itself because the block was too flexible for such a high compression ratio.

It would be a nice thing if they could do it. Someday they may even be able to build a carbon fiber diesel.

Kind of exciting to think about, isn't it?

Lynn

FYI Nascar runs cast iron blocks but the heads are aluminum. Mercedes Benz has aluminum blocks with no liners. They cast them with a special process that draws more silicon to the bores. they are then honed to size and acid washed to removea fine amount of aluminum from the bores. This lets the rings ride on the silicon( wich is very durable and leaves microscopic voids to retain oil. I have inspected blocks with over 200,000 miles with little to no cylinder wear.

Mike

nikasil

With the new Z06 vette, all aluminum dry sump engine, GM advocates don't recommend high boost supercharging it. They recommend using a cast iron siamese LS1 block, over the counter race block, for high boost, high HP applications. My Shelby all aluminum 427 block is supposidly good for 1500 HP, but iron is stronger than aluminum per unit thickness, obviously not by the pound, but when weight matters, go aluminum.

I think Nascar may mandate iron blocks, I know they mandate alot of things.

...It would be a nice thing if they could do it. Someday they may even be able to build a carbon fiber diesel.

Kind of exciting to think about, isn't it?

Lynn
It will probably be ceramic before carbon fiber. Cost is the only obstacle right now, otherwise the technology is certainly in place.

Remember the old Oldsmobile V8 converted to a diesel? The engine destroyed itself because the block was too flexible for such a high compression ratio.


Lynn
Those first "D" blocks were junk. Basically a 350 block made into a diesel. The 2nd gen "DX" blocks were tough as heck. They had extra webbing, and thicker cyl walls. But then, the injector pumps would go out, and those were not cheap. Occasionally, I still see a 98 or 88 with one on the road.

Tom

i wanna see a duramax rockcrawler jeep or an old ss or mustage or 57 chevy or