I have a 2005 Dmax with a 4" straightpipe (Magnaflow, already on it when I purchased it) and am planning on putting on a Airaid intake and the PPE standard here very soon. I don't want to smoke my trans right off the bat so I am hoping to run the 120 or 160 tune easy (with the occasional fun mode :-P ) but was wondering is there any good deals on a full transmission replacement that is decently priced for the Allision that is built? Or are they all kits that you still have the buy the torque converter for? I am starting a side fund for this projects now, but hope the trans makes it that far?

Also should i have any problems that will develop quickly or will it be a slow death? To my knowledge it hasn't ever had a chip on it (the exhasut was put on with the muffler and there is no sign of any other modifications ever been done to it) I put the stright pipe peice on when I bought it. Thanks

Dont go over 80hp if you want to keep tranny happy.

really? is the PPE standard 80hp tune pretty noticeable? I do not tow anything (or at least on a regular basis)? does it smoke much?

my buddy has the same truck but a predator tune on his (the 120hp tune) and he drives the crap out of it and it runs hard and strong and smokes pretty good! he has limped it a couple times but nothing major. Also the guy I am buying the PPE Standard from said he ran the 160 and 220 tune on his all the time with a stock trans and it never messed up for him? I will take it easy tho and def. go with a lower tune on the PPE

Just watch your higher gears (4,5,6). I run 450RWHP + for about 40K with no problems... Builder said my C3's were nothing out of the ordinary.

Hes limped it a couple times???!!! You better tell your buddy to start saving for a tranny! Once its been limped its done.

Hes limped it a couple times???!!! You better tell your buddy to start saving for a tranny! Once its been limped its done.

X2!! :(

really? is the PPE standard 80hp tune pretty noticeable? I do not tow anything (or at least on a regular basis)? does it smoke much?

my buddy has the same truck but a predator tune on his (the 120hp tune) and he drives the crap out of it and it runs hard and strong and smokes pretty good! he has limped it a couple times but nothing major. Also the guy I am buying the PPE Standard from said he ran the 160 and 220 tune on his all the time with a stock trans and it never messed up for him? I will take it easy tho and def. go with a lower tune on the PPE

I find this hard to believe. Sometimes the things I read on the internet make me wonder. :(

Really? just limping it once pretty much means death? dieselholic06 so if I run the 120hp tune or the one under that I should be pretty much ok as long as I stay out of the upper gears wide open? And does the PPE standard smoke very much on these settings? (I am looking for a little fun fog behind me too :-)

Also what about the trans upgrade question I had?

Suncoast is the prefered vendor of performance tranny on here I believe. Also check with Mike L.

Really? just limping it once pretty much means death? dieselholic06 so if I run the 120hp tune or the one under that I should be pretty much ok as long as I stay out of the upper gears wide open? And does the PPE standard smoke very much on these settings? (I am looking for a little fun fog behind me too :-)

Also what about the trans upgrade question I had?


Just posting my experience. Just like anything, it's how you treat it and how hard you abuse it. I was easy on mine most of the time but when I wanted to get on it I didn't mind. My stock Allison did well for me, maybe it was a freek.

ok, well whats a good kit and what kind of price from them am I looking at? I have been saving and have nearly $2000 for one but am new to the duramax trans (the alli) and needing some help/guide and have been trying to do some research and learn as much as possible too.

Once the glaze on the oem clutches is gone you are on borrowed time. There is no going back and no other modification that can truly "fix" the problem so you will have to pull the trans and the very least replace the burnt clutches. Basically, if you cut corners when rebuilding your trans you WILL be doing it again and again until you do it right.

Do a search for Suncoast trans on google.

Ya stay in the 80-90hp range. I limped mine on the 160 once and then 4 days later on the 90hp and then I could not keep it from limping it was done!!!!!! Put it back to stock and lasted about 2 months after that and then needed a tranny!!!

If you wanna get a full trans replacement...you are looking in the 4-6k range...ask me how I know (mine's in the mail) of course because I bought one I would suggest Suncoast as well but I know ATS also makes a replacement trans but I don't know anyone who runs them

Talk to Mike L at Inglewood Transmissions. Pm Mike L he is a supporting vendor on here if I remember right (best on the west coast) or Pm Big Dipper (best on the east) and I am not sure if big dipper is a supporting vendor or not. Either one of them well get you going in the right direction!!!

Talk to Mike L at Inglewood Transmissions. Pm Mike L he is a supporting vendor on here if I remember right (best on the west coast) or Pm Big Dipper (best on the east) and I am not sure if big dipper is a supporting vendor or not. Either one of them well get you going in the right direction!!!
X2

Saying a trans that has limped is done is a false statement . Lets say a wire backed out of the trans connector, that will cause a limp and the trans is fine (be careful)

ok, well whats a good kit and what kind of price from them am I looking at? I have been saving and have nearly $2000 for one but am new to the duramax trans (the alli) and needing some help/guide and have been trying to do some research and learn as much as possible too.

The question is how much power do you want to run in the future. You need to have a look at your goals to decide what kit and TC you will want to buy, then go off of that information to set your budget. If your never going to run anything more than the 160 hp tune thats approx 460 hp. If your going to want to run the 220 hp tune thats approx 520 with those numbers you could do a level 3 or stage 3 kit with a Mike L or 1056 equivilant converter and be good to go. If you think you are going to want to run more power or add more power than that and drag race the truck or do truck pulling then you may want to go to a stage 4 kit with the same TC choice and never look back.

Decide what your goals are and then you will know what your budget needs to be. Once you decide your goals then you can start pricing out different kits and converters to decide how much parts will cost. Then its finding the builder to build your trans for you.

One more item the PPE tuners are the cleanest tuners on the market. They do not smoke much which is good for us diesel owners. Regulations are coming down on us and they are in part due to people who think smoke is cool. Smoke is pollution and it only serves to hurt us in the eyes of the public that are trying to clean up the air we breath and leave a clean planet for our children. Not saying I am on one side or the other just putting out the truth to it.

i wouldnt say they dont smoke mine after level 3 will cho-cho train pretty dam good:Dthen clean up real fast.

I limped my 03 twice at about 60k miles. I backed the power down a little and drove it another 30k miles. When I traded it in the tranny shifted and held fine. Limping the tranny does damage I'm no idiot, but it's not instant death for the tranny.

I believe Mike L's stage 4 kits go for around $4,500.

I believe Mike L's stage 4 kits go for around $4,500.

That is an out the door price with everything I know built into the Alli. Fully blueprinted trans. It works well.:D

I limped my 03 twice at about 60k miles. I backed the power down a little and drove it another 30k miles. When I traded it in the tranny shifted and held fine. Limping the tranny does damage I'm no idiot, but it's not instant death for the tranny.


limping the tranny does not damage it? im not gonna argue but i believe the best trans guys on here will tell you, yes it does damage it.

limping the tranny does not damage it? im not gonna argue but i believe the best trans guys on here will tell you, yes it does damage it.


i think theres no doubt in anyones mind on here whether it damages it or not...but i think hes tryn to say that if its limped its not instantly toast! I Dnt kno to much about it but ive limped mine 2 times, and i turned my boost back down to stock like 22psi and left it on 135hp and i just really really watch my 3-4 and 4-5, 5-4 shifts and ive been driving it for 3 more months now with absolutely no problems...idk, i think its all how you drive it...

Any time you limp the trans you do some damage. To what extent we don't know. Is the Alli dead after a limp? No, but it is a little weaker and power must be cut down to survive. It will in fact limp easier next time. After a number of limps you start doing damage to other components in the trans that are not supplied in the upgrade kits so be carefull.

Any time you limp the trans you do some damage. To what extent we don't know. Is the Alli dead after a limp? No, but it is a little weaker and power must be cut down to survive. It will in fact limp easier next time.

In one trip, I went from oh crap it happened again, to come on hold onto the load with stock tuning and very light pedal to make it home.

The truck had never seen a 100 hp tune prior to the Suncoast tranny.

Most of the clutches were toast, the TC was toast, but I didnt break any hard parts.

I'm running EFILive and I've only limped mine once...last weekend but it seems to hold power okay and until my Suncoast gets here I definitely won't be cranking the DSP up. Mike just out of curiosity do you know how you go about breaking in/learning a SC V trans?

limping the tranny does not damage it? im not gonna argue but i believe the best trans guys on here will tell you, yes it does damage it.Read my post again, this time pay attention to what you are reading!

Read my post again, this time pay attention to what you are reading!


sorry read to fast

I'm running EFILive and I've only limped mine once...last weekend but it seems to hold power okay and until my Suncoast gets here I definitely won't be cranking the DSP up. Mike just out of curiosity do you know how you go about breaking in/learning a SC V trans?

Reset the TAPs with Tech 2. I would go into the fast learn proceedure in your case. Then do a lot of stop and go driving while being conservative with your power. Start getting more aggressive with power as the shifts clear up. Do the same thing in T/H as it is based on a different strategy.

That is an out the door price with everything I know built into the Alli. Fully blueprinted trans. It works well.:D

:agreed: I know I sure like mine! This thing is awesome! Thanks Mike! I do have one complaint though, I'm finding now that I want more power!!!!!:D

Mike , why is his efi live inferior to your / gm dealer's tech 2 ability to reset TAPS / fast relearn ?

Mike , why is his efi live inferior to your / gm dealer's tech 2 ability to reset TAPS / fast relearn ?

I have found that my Tech 2 will reset TAPs better than my EFI. Either one will miss certain TAPs and you will have to go back and redo them.
Best method is to reset them on an individual basis as it works best.
I have had better success with my Allison DOC program overall.

How adaptive is the lct's tcm ?

thanks mike . need your help .

thanks mike . need your help .

I'm a phone call away.:D

Mike is there some info on here about your Allison HD cooler?

Mike is there some info on here about your Allison HD cooler?

I know on my 06 3500 there was at least a 30 and probably closer to a 40 degree temp drop. It is an awesome difference for a plug and play cooler.

Mike do you sell or endorse any diy kit ?