Duramax Diesel Engine Production Halted for the Rest of 2021

Photo courtesy GM Authority

It's been a rough year for automakers, but especially for GM. Semiconductor shortages have hit all of the Big 3 automakers, causing production disruptions. GM seems to had more than its share of woes. 

In August we wrote about how strong the demand has been for diesel trucks, though at the end of this article we referenced a temporary halt to production that was announced. That ominous warning evolved quickly to a more serious concern, as GM was forced to change its tune. The temporary parts shortage will impact the engine more than initially expected. The temporary parts shortage would have a bigger impact on the engine than initially expected.

Last week news broke that production had been halted for the rest of the year on its 3.0L LM2 GM Duramax diesel engine. The article does not explain where the derailment took place. Rather it takes advantage of the bad news to remind us of its features and applications.

The LM2 Duramax diesel is assembled in Flint, Michigan. It has been one of the options for their full-size half-ton pickups and full-size SUVs. These would include the Chevy Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, Chevy Tahoe, Chevy Suburban, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade.

If you ever attend the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, you'll find that GM is not only proud of its cars but also of its engines. The engines are set on pedestals in the massive booth  that historically sprawls in the center of the main hall. They're impressive.

According to the story in GM Authority, "The LM2 engine features a straight six configuration with a DOHC valvetrain, 84mm bore, and 90mm stroke, with a 15.0:1 compression ratio. The block and heads are made of aluminum, with a forged steel crankshaft and forged rods. The pistons are made from hypereutectic cast aluminum alloy, while the cylinder liners are made from iron."

The halting of Duramax diesel engine production wasn't GM's first black eye this year. In July GM announced a recall for 410,019 trucks due to faulty roof rail airbags. The problem was related to moisture issues that might cause the inflator end cap to detach from the inflator, or cause the inflator to rupture. The 2015-2016 Chevy Silverado 1500 and Chevy Silverado HD, as well as the 2015-2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and GMC Sierra HD were the model years impacted. 

All this safety equipment can be a blessing when you need it. For manufacturers dependent on suppliers, it's just one more thing that can go wrong. In addition to an army of laborers, they are required to have a battalion of lawyers as well.

You will find the full story here.

Enjoy the holiday. We'll be back tomorrow.

The New GM 2.8-liter 4-Cylinder Diesel Engine Is at the Heart of This Mad Max ISV

Tell me this doesn't look like something out of Mad Max. (GM Defense)

Sometimes art inspires life. That was my first thought when I saw this October story in Car and Driver about GM's new Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV), which looks like it would have been right at home in the storied Mad Max series. (How fun it must have been for the folks who were assigned to create all these bizarre rat rod-like contraptions for that post-apocalypse thrill-ride.)

Three companies had been given a million dollars each to develop a light-weight off-road troop carrier. Every aspect of the design had functionality as its criteria. It had to be light enough for easy dispatch from a C-130 or C-17 transport plane, as well as for sling lift by UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. The nine-seat ISV also had to be strong, durable, and off-road nimble. GM Defense got the assignment.

In developing the concept, GM Defense began with a Chevy Colorado ZRT as a foundation. From there it gets exciting as they clamped a new GM 2.8 liter, 4-cylinder diesel power plant in place under the hood. Ezra Dyer reminds readers that the specs are classified, but experienced journalists have no problem sharing their hunches as regards the possibilities. Dyer knows well the Colorado this machine is based on.

Dyer also shares a little GM history as well, noting that the automaker "started building trucks for the military in 1914, sending 90 percent of its trucks to the front in World War I. More recently, in the the 1980s, they built more than 70,000 lightly militarized Blazers and Silverados: the Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle (CUCV). Plenty of those are now in private hands, their naturally aspirated 6.2-liter diesels still grumbling away. So the ISV continues a long tradition of modifying GM trucks for military duty."

The contract GM Defense signed was worth $214 million for 649 vehicles. Ultimately the army is looking to acquire 2700 of these light-weight beasts. The occasion for this article in October was that the company had just deliver the first of the lot. To get the full story, plus some cool video showing off what the ISV can do, follow the link below. Looks fun.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a34518940/gm-4x4-colorado-based-military/

 

The New Diesel Engine in the Ram 1500 Limited Has Better MPG and Big Torque

This Mike Parris article was forwarded to me a couple weeks ago when it appeared in the WTOP News.  WTOP is an FM radio station out of Washington D.C. with Parris in the enviable position of writing car reviews. Two weeks ago he wrote about a RAM 1500 Limited, highlighting its fuel efficiency and "a big dose of torque." 

Diesel pickups are America's workhorses and Parris begins by reminding us that they are as popular as ever and the RAM 1500 especially so since its redesign. Motor Trend magazine, in fact, named the 2019 and 2020 fifth generation RAM 1500s their Truck of the Year.

This truck is a six-cylinder turbo diesel with a couple of big payoffs. Parris was able to test drive this machine for 700 miles on one tank of gas. For a large four-door luxury pickup, he saw impressive MPG. His overall assessment? "From comfortable leather-covered, heated and ventilated-power seats to tons of space and nifty storage areas, this is a well-planned and executed design." 

The first generation RAM trucks were introduced in October 1980. They featured the Ram hood ornament that was used on Dodge cars from 1932-1954. A lot of automakers utilize nostalgia in their creative efforts to build a cool factor into their vehicles. I find hood ornaments to be one of the coolest parts of going to classic car shows. 

When Parris outlines his pros and cons on the 2020 his positives include the engine options, the luxury interior and its tough "work ready" look. The cons, for Parris, were price related and the fact that it felt "big and heavy in the corners."

Well, to that latter remark, maybe certain decisions were made because it's not a race car. 

There's a batch of photos that accompany this article and if you want to see what a luxury pickup looks like, inside and out, you can find the article here:
Ram 1500 Limited mixes luxury and brawn, adds better MPG with new diesel engine

Meantime, have a great rest of your week and enjoy the ride.

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