Ok so i have a 03 1500HD and it currently has the stock 6.0 with straight pipes 4" lift and 35" tires. I hate the mileage and would like to improve it somehow. I have heard of the duraburb man and that is a very appealing thing to me since i love my dads duramax's. Also i just posted a thread on a turbo for the 6.0. So which is better the diesel or the turbo? I know the diesel gets great mileage and can outdo my truck anyday. So woud a turbo give it enough power to pull a tractor like the duramax and give it better mileage.
I know turbos help with mileage but just how much would it help on a 6.0 with 35's that gets 10-12 mpg?

So turbo or diesel swap. and how much would they cost to do?

diesel swap.
to me. turbos on gas engines kill mileage in my experiance.

but i really have no clue how much a diesel swap is. the cost of the engine, then instalation. if u do it yourself, might be worth it. but it you pay someone to do it, just get a used duramax

I put a turbo on my 5.3 gas motor and it was still a dog until it finally spooled up. I would go with a magnacharger if you want to tow better with your 6.0, or do a Texas Speed 408 or one of their motors, that would really wake it up!

Ok so i have a 03 1500HD and it currently has the stock 6.0 with straight pipes 4" lift and 35" tires. I hate the mileage and would like to improve it somehow. I have heard of the duraburb man and that is a very appealing thing to me since i love my dads duramax's. Also i just posted a thread on a turbo for the 6.0. So which is better the diesel or the turbo? I know the diesel gets great mileage and can outdo my truck anyday. So woud a turbo give it enough power to pull a tractor like the duramax and give it better mileage.
I know turbos help with mileage but just how much would it help on a 6.0 with 35's that gets 10-12 mpg?

So turbo or diesel swap. and how much would they cost to do?

Putting a turbo on your 6.0 will see mileage drop to single figures. If you really want pull I'd be tempted to pick up a Duramax

well i guess i'll just wait for my graduation present of 8,000 for a new vehicle. sell my truck and buy a dmax. it sounds a lil more cost efficient so far

12v cummins!!

ahahahahah. def no on the cummins. i like to have mpg's not gpm's.

ahahahahah. def no on the cummins. i like to have mpg's not gpm's.

HUH? the cummins will get 20mpgs in a truck like that with the right tuning and close to stock.

HUH? the cummins will get 20mpgs in a truck like that with the right tuning and close to stock.


the 12v cummins is honestly one of the most reliable engines ive seen. im gonna buy me one of those when i get the cash

well the older cummins get horrible mileage.
i guess the v12 is new???

how bout gear reductionc. i think that would be a good idea too. so what ratio should i go to??

well the older cummins get horrible mileage.
i guess the v12 is new???

nah dude, its pre 1998. u could also look into a 4BT cummins, that would get great mpgs

well the older cummins get horrible mileage.
i guess the v12 is new???
Who told you that and what reason do you think they had for lying to you? I know you are not making that statement from a personal experience.

nah dude, its pre 1998. u could also look into a 4BT cummins, that would get great mpgs


yea the 4BTs get amazing mileage. but i can never find one in a truck. very rare to see

usually find them in bread delivery trucks.

thats what i was going to sugest was a 4bt can get a little on the price side but would be a cool swap if done right and well worth it, do twin turbos:D, i was going to do a twin turbo in my jeep i had just for shits and giggles it was going to run around 6k to do every thing i wanted that was the engine a gm nv4500 and the turbos, a 12v would be to heavy at least i think so

ahahahahah. def no on the cummins. i like to have mpg's not gpm's.


you sir must have bumped your head.....



Personally I would go with a 4bt, you can make tons of power great mileage and they are stout as crap.

If you felt like doing something crazy you could cram a 6bt in there but they are a beat of an engine and weigh (dont quote me) like 1200+ pounds. You would need some serious fab skills to make it not twist your truck apart.

Some people just don't have a clue............
Go back to the cave..............

well the older cummins get horrible mileage.
i guess the v12 is new???

dang ya'll mean as hell lol
i just wanna keep it gm d###.
idc bout cummins and im sorry idk what they are or how good of mileage they get.

dang ya'll mean as hell lol
i just wanna keep it gm d###.
idc bout cummins and im sorry idk what they are or how good of mileage they get.

i guess the big factor is how much money u wanna spend

Some people just don't have a clue............
Go back to the cave..............


that was a little harsh

that was a little harsh


I agree....guys back off a little eh? he's a new member, lets make him feel welcome here and not pound his head from all angles....

Everyone is here for one reason, GM Diesel enthusiasts...if ya'll wanna talk dodge smack, go to cumminsforum.

Some people just don't have a clue............
Go back to the cave..............
Hey - we were all virgins at some point. It's better to educate the guy before declaring him an idiot. Not knowing isn't the same as not understanding...

My 12v '96 pulls ~ 24 mpg if I keep my speed down and it is an automatic. Cruising at 75 mph drops me down a little, but it's still slightly over 20 mpg. DieselPower did a test with a 3500 dually and pulled almost 31 mpg under extremely cautious driving and a prepped truck. The cost of prepping the truck was a little time and a roll of duct tape - it wasn't like they did that much. My wife had a 1st gen ('93) D350 (dually again) that pulled 18 mpg - not bad for a very heavy truck equipped with an automatic and dual rear tires. We beefed up the IP and had Lucas injectors in it - that thing would spin all 4 back tires when you wanted it to.

Duramax guys don't like this fact, but the Cummins is a medium duty engine. I don't think the Duramax gets the same classification. Mean time before overhaul on a Cummins is almost double that of the Duramax. The catch is that it is a very large, very heavy engine - and retrofitting it into other vehicles often involves great cost and a lot of labor. Forget the handling - you'll have a very heavy front end with a Cummins swap. Dodge trucks seem to need frequent maintenance on their front ends - ball joints seem to wear out faster than on most vehicles. The Duramax is lighter and although wider, it is not as long and not as tall. It's still better than a gas motor - and judging from the number of people that have transplanted them into various cars, it can be made to fit. Power-wise, the Duramax is pretty remarkable. It's still an expensive swap, but it will fit much easier. The 4BT is in the same weight class as the Duramax - and while it should last longer, it won't put out the same level of power.

With all of this said, the easier swap would be a 6.2 or 6.5. Preferably with a turbo. You won't make the big power, but it should do ok and get pretty decent mileage. I'm wrapping up a 6.2 turbo in a '91 - it's been a fun project and very inexpensive. For your '03, I think you'd be best off selling it as it is and picking up a diesel truck. The cost of a conversion is much higher than what the truck will be worth when it is finished.

how bout keeping it isuzu, thats related to gm lol

heres my little project, 3.9L isuzu 4bd1t twin turbos built by me along with the aluminum valve cover and equal length header, makes close to 500hp and still gets 25mpg, was getting 32 with a single turbo and yes those mpg's were verified over 3000 miles very meticulously. Makes for a fun ride in a 3800 pound truck.

Thats my head mechanic by the way

http://inlinethumb08.webshots.com/43207/2526734590101688096S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2526734590101688096kgyKZo)

35 inch tires and lift

and your worried about milage git rid of that bs and it will get 16 mpg

Hey - we were all virgins at some point. It's better to educate the guy before declaring him an idiot. Not knowing isn't the same as not understanding...

My 12v '96 pulls ~ 24 mpg if I keep my speed down and it is an automatic. Cruising at 75 mph drops me down a little, but it's still slightly over 20 mpg. DieselPower did a test with a 3500 dually and pulled almost 31 mpg under extremely cautious driving and a prepped truck. The cost of prepping the truck was a little time and a roll of duct tape - it wasn't like they did that much. My wife had a 1st gen ('93) D350 (dually again) that pulled 18 mpg - not bad for a very heavy truck equipped with an automatic and dual rear tires. We beefed up the IP and had Lucas injectors in it - that thing would spin all 4 back tires when you wanted it to.

Duramax guys don't like this fact, but the Cummins is a medium duty engine. I don't think the Duramax gets the same classification. Mean time before overhaul on a Cummins is almost double that of the Duramax. The catch is that it is a very large, very heavy engine - and retrofitting it into other vehicles often involves great cost and a lot of labor. Forget the handling - you'll have a very heavy front end with a Cummins swap. Dodge trucks seem to need frequent maintenance on their front ends - ball joints seem to wear out faster than on most vehicles. The Duramax is lighter and although wider, it is not as long and not as tall. It's still better than a gas motor - and judging from the number of people that have transplanted them into various cars, it can be made to fit. Power-wise, the Duramax is pretty remarkable. It's still an expensive swap, but it will fit much easier. The 4BT is in the same weight class as the Duramax - and while it should last longer, it won't put out the same level of power.

With all of this said, the easier swap would be a 6.2 or 6.5. Preferably with a turbo. You won't make the big power, but it should do ok and get pretty decent mileage. I'm wrapping up a 6.2 turbo in a '91 - it's been a fun project and very inexpensive. For your '03, I think you'd be best off selling it as it is and picking up a diesel truck. The cost of a conversion is much higher than what the truck will be worth when it is finished.

i dont get that there in medium duty trucks how are they not medium duty

The guy makes a post about something he has no idea about. Than he is corrected, but he still talks like he was right. "Must have been the older cummins."

i dont get that there in medium duty trucks how are they not medium duty

It has nothing to do with what their put in and all to do with their expected life cycle between rebuilds. The cummins has a longer life expectancy between rebuild. My little 3.9L isuzu has a much much longer life expectancy between rebuilds than the Dmax, the dmax is light duty rated oddly my isuzu is medium rated LOL.

ok personally with the engine swap, i would not turbo the system. if you ever did, i would fit the biggest turbo you can fit in your truck.

if you would do the engine swap, id do the 4bt cummins. or even a 6bt if it can fit. but if you really wanna duramax, just get a different truck with a duramax. cause when it comes to money, doin a engine swap might cost the same amount as a used lb7. (if your hire someone)

just like one other dude said, its all about how much money you wanna spend

I hate to just barge in, but has anyone heard of or put a duramax into a 1500 chevy gasser? I have a 96 z71 with a bad engine... and I love the idea of putting one in! any suggestions?
thanks :)

It has nothing to do with what their put in and all to do with their expected life cycle between rebuilds. The cummins has a longer life expectancy between rebuild. My little 3.9L isuzu has a much much longer life expectancy between rebuilds than the Dmax, the dmax is light duty rated oddly my isuzu is medium rated LOL.


and they where designed by the same people:rolleyes:

I hate to just barge in, but has anyone heard of or put a duramax into a 1500 chevy gasser? I have a 96 z71 with a bad engine... and I love the idea of putting one in! any suggestions?
thanks :)


yes

$8000 for graduation? Go to school with that!! Unless you aren't going to school.....

Buy a used dmax. The older cummins seem to be all noise and no power. ):h

]yes[/quote]

Ok. and you know where I can get info on what I will need?

$8000 for graduation? Go to school with that!! Unless you aren't going to school.....

Buy a used dmax. The older cummins seem to be all noise and no power. ):h



hell. i dont care :D

i want noise. i dont want nothin quiet. plus ill get a mod or something. lol

i would look for a boxtruck and checkout engine, pretty much the kind of engine that carcrafter22 used. the cumminns fetch lot of $$$, most of the HP increasers will work on any diesel, just got to locate component on injection pump. checkout carcrafter22's build up if you haven't yet, pretty neat. SAE duty ratings for engines is little different than listing on truck frames, SAE will list continuos and intermediate ratings, this ain't a snaprail HP dyno test. these dyno runs are done at full rack, or atleast the HP rating going for and ran for hours to days. look for something out of the ordinary and go for it. 20 years ago had 54 chevy PU and was looking for DUETZ(aircooled diesel) i was intending to put intercooler inplace of radiator(not required due to aircooling). marriage killed that project. find something to learn and have some fun.

The oldest 12 valve Cummins Dodge pickups get crappy mileage because they have a non lockup converter automatic with a 1:1 third gear. The newer autos with OD and lockup are much better. It's all in the transmission and gearing. High RPMs and diesels do not equal good mileage.

Mechanical 6BTs are cheap, and as economical and reliable as pickup engines come. 4BTs are more economical, just as reliable, but more expensive. The cool factor about the bread van 4BTs is that they BOLT IN to a GM small block/big block truck. Motor mounts, tranny, torque converter, everything.

thats why u dont get the auto.

ok. so how about the first gen of the 24 valve.

ok. so how about the first gen of the 24 valve.

i think those are known to have shitty injection pumps. the 12 valve is a mechanical engine which makes it easier to swap.

A 1500HD has a halfton frame it wont hold up to the cummins to well due to weight

for this cash id just trade it in for a used dmax truck

i could see if its a 80s truck but no way id hack up this new of truck not unless you plan to keep it for 30 years