XDP Story Features Upgrades for the Diesel-Powered 2001-2004 GM 6.6L LB7 Duramax

It's well known that General Motors had a few stumbles with regards to early efforts to produce diesel vehicles. Fortunately they found their footing and for many, the Silverado is golden. 

In June XDP published an informative story on the 2001-2004 GM 6.6L LB7 Duramax. The article begins by noting how the heavy-duty truck scene was altered when Dodge teamed up with Cummins. A dozen years later, GM introduced a diesel engine that would make them a contender in the diesel market. Introduced in 2001, the superior Duramax replaced the Detroit Diesel 6.5L, incorporating state-of-the-art technology.

According to the XDP story, the design of this new engine was initiated four years earlier when GM and Isuzu linked arms to create a partnership called DMAX Ltd. Production of the LB7 commenced three years later. The 6.6L V8 had four valves per cylinder and delivered 300 hp along with 520 lb-ft of torque.

This was a revolutionary engine, with turbocharger, intercooler and direct injection (features that are commonplace today but were not at that time.) Its most significant feature was the use of common rail technology developed by Bosch, a first amongst the big three, two years before Dodge and seven before Ford. The engine was also lighter, with aluminum cylinder heads. Ford adopted lightweight aluminum cylinder heads a dozen years later in its 2011 Powerstroke.

The author places a spotlight on the real "star of the show" for many enthusiasts. The Allison 1000 was "arguably the first automatic transmission in its class worthy of being mated to a diesel." In short, it was a marriage made in heaven. 

If you preferred a manual, instead of the 5-speed Allison tranny, you could choose a ZF 6-speed manual. The Allison 1000, however, became the more popular choice.

The new LB7 Duramax was available in some of the other GM brands including the GMC Sierra 2500HD and 300HD, and the medium duty Chev Kodiak and GMC TopKick. In addition to the engine and drivetrain upgrades there were also some new body styles introduced. The author goes into detail on many of these features as well.

The article is actually a Buyer's Guide with XDP noting out the pros and cons of this iteration of the Silverado. The biggest problem had to do with the LB7 fuel injectors. The fuel injector problems were so common that they had a recall to replace them with an updated design. Warranties helped keep GM owners from bailing out completely. 

XDP cited the primary pros and cons as follows:

Pros
Allison Automatic Transmission
IFS For a Smooth/Comfortable Ride
Common Rail Fuel System with CP3 Pump
Different Exterior Styling Choices (’01-’02 Silverado, ’03-’04 Silverado, or GMC Sierra)

Cons
Body/Frame Rust
Weak Tie Rod Ends
Brake/Fuel Lines Prone to Rust
Factory Dowel Pin that Holds the Harmonic Balancer in place can Shear.

* * * 
The latter part of the article--Popular Aftermarket Upgrades--is really the meat of the story. Everything else is setup, laying the foundation for readers to make informed decisions.

If you have a 2001-2004 GM 6.6L LB7 Duramax, this is a highly informative Buyer's Guide piece that you may wish to read and bookmark. Check it out here: https://tinyurl.com/hz7k6ktc

Related Links
Duramax Diesel Vehicles
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Blue Flame Diesel Oils & other Champion Products at XDP

Going for Gold: Looking for the Perfect Diesel Engine for This Audi R8

Decisions, decisions. 

What happens when you take a supercar with a gasoline engine and attempt to swap it out for a diesel? This is what Darkside Developments, a shop in England, is attempting to do with an Audi R8.

The story by Brad Anderson appeared on Carscoops this week, accompanied by a video in which builder states, "This is a cry for help." The help he was seeking was not money to finish the build, but rather help in making some important decisions.

Creating a video like that is intriguing because the shop is utilizing a technique called "crowdsourcing." Crowdsourcing is a method for obtaining information by enlisting the services of a large number of people in order to get input regarding a project. 

The primary decision Darkside had been grappling with was whether to drop in a diesel V6 with a massive turbocharger, or to drop in a V8 diesel with two turbos hanging out from the back.

The current engine they intend to swap out.

The compounding issue on the V8 selection would be finding a suitable manual transmission that would mate well with an engine that powerful.

Anderson says that he doesn't believe Audi fans would be all that thrilled by this kind of build. Nevertheless, we think diesel enthusiasts may be paying attention.

"While it would certainly be cool to see a diesel-powered Audi R8 on the road," Anderson writes, "such a vehicle wouldn't be entirely without precedent. In fact, Audi famously unveiled the R8 Le Mans Concept back in 2008 with a 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V12 engine producing 4923 hp at 4,000 rpm and a monstrous 738 lb-ft (1000 Nm) of torque between 1,750 and 3,000 rpm."

Audi purportedly gave serious consideration to putting it into production, but finally took a pass. 

UK-based Darkside Developments specializes in performance diesel tuning. They do fabrication, tuning, mods, off road, project cars, and racing. They ship all over the world and have a loyal following for their workmanship and high standards. According to Carscoops, their objective, with regard to this diesel swap, was to use the diesel R8 as a top speed car rather than one focused on track times, "something that the R8 is probably more suited for."

Related Links

Diesel Powered Car of the Week: Audi R15 TDI

The Original Story at Carscoops

Darkside Developments

Featured Diesel Vehicle of the Week: The Kamaz Master Team Rally Raid Truck

Support for sponsors is a global enterprise. 
Kamaz captain Edouard Kikolaev, Red Bull in hand.

For those familiar with it, the Dakar Rally is one of the most exhilarating events in motor sports. It's essentially an off-road endurance test. Because of the ruggedness of the terrain, the vehicles that compete are generally off-road vehicles of various types (four-wheelers, Quads, UTVs, cars, trucks and motorcycles.

The annual event used to be called the Paris-Dakar Rally, running from Paris to Dakar Senegal. Because of security issues (chiefly in Mauritania) the 2008 rally was cancelled and the following ten years the event took place in South America. The two most recent events were held in Saudi Arabia. The race maintains its name because of its symbolic stature which is equated with pushing the limits of endurance. 

Winters are a good reason to go south & race each year

It is within this context that we get to talk about the diesel-powered Kamaz Master Rally Team truck, which was cited in Ian Wright's CarBuzz story, Crazy Diesel-Powered Cars. The Team is a Russian based racing team that has entered the Dakar Rally 27 times, winning an impressive 15 Dakar events. 

Over the years they've used increasingly powerful diesel engines to with this year's turbodiesel entries producing over 1000 horsepower. The engineering is remarkable throughout. Wright points out how their 2019 "Kapotnik" has a 12.5-liter diesel engine that is "happy to do 100 mph across any surface while handling like Colin McRae's Impreza despite looking like it has the maneuverability of a mobile home." 

To a certain extent it looks like a cross between a motorhome, dump truck (in terms of ribbed ruggedness) and a military transport. The row of lights across the front provide max visibility. If you're racing after sundown you really must bring your own lights.

The Kamaz team won its first Dakar in 1996, five years after the fall of the Soviet Union. With this year's win in January, the Kamaz Master Rally Team has racked up its fifth win in a row. Who will step up next to challenge them in 2022?

Key Links
Russian Team Kamaz-Master’s driver Sotnikov wins Dakar-2021 rally raid in truck category
This Red Bull story also has some smokin' video.
Crazy Diesel-Powered Cars (Car Buzz)