95 SUBURBAN to a 01 DURAMAX/ALLISON

[THEFERMANATOR]

I used a hole saw and drilled into the bottom of the radiator support for the IC lower mounting studs and used the stock DMAX rubber grommets in there. Like I said, it takes ALOT of work to get it gutted down to where you can get the IC to sit far enough into the support to do this. As for the washer bottle, I have a 95 which uses a bottle mounted up on the drivers side fender behind the battery. In 96 GM went to the bottle mounted down low by the radiator support.

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

The ole BURB don't run to bad. Still need to go through my injection system and get it to hold rail pressure better so I can up my pulsewidth some more(400HP to the wheels isn't enough, want to get up close to 450-475). The 3.42 gears and my added defuel for frame protection makes it a bit slow off the line, but it keeps on pulling all the way up to 120 if I stay in it(scary actually how hard it pulls over 100). About 90 degrees outside, and had just left the scales at the dump where she weighed in at 7300 pounds.

Roll in start view of the guages.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVir3SKRF_0

Slightly boosted launch, but to hot out to get it to really light the turbo. Tried to do a shot of the smoke as well in the mirror. Really clears up well considering it was 90+ outside.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QozQVaE7HDo

 

[3500GMC]

Gets with the program. :thumbsup:

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

Need to yank the 3rd row seat and all of my toosl and crap out to drop 400 pounds or so, run it down to a 1/2 tank, and do another video when it's about 75 degrees outside. It gets with it when the air cools off and gets denser. If it wasn't for the frame I would turn the bottem end fueling back up some more, but can't afford to replace a frame right now.

 

[malibu795]

looking good! how many miles you got on it so far?

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

About 35K miles since I did the swap. I drove the wheels off it the first year racking up 22K miles, but since business has slowed way down so I haven't been driving it much.

 

[dangerousdave]

Have you looked at reinforcing the frame to take the increased torque you want?

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

Have you looked at reinforcing the frame to take the increased torque you want?

It's doable, but right now I just can't be without it for that long. I would have to take the body off or at least lift it up to get everything out of the frame so I could box it in. Then remount everything outside the frame rails instead of inside. Then I still have the front steering that doesn't take kindly to the added torque either. For now I have decided that keeping it detuned off the line and bringing the power in once it's out a ways is the safest way to go.

 

[Husker6.5]

Can you enlarge the photos you took of your radiator support mods and repost? Magnifying on here doesn't enlarge them enough to show much detail. Chance of you making a butcher paper template of what you removed and what you fabbed and mailing it if I sent you some money for the time, trouble and mailing? Since I'm looking at using the 6.5 radiator, I shouldn't have to cut away as much of the top, should I? Also, you left the radiator in its original location, along with the A/C condenser and the oil and power steering coolers, and basically hacked out the center of the Radiator support to slide the I/C in between them as a sandwich, right? So what order did you reassemble it in? Bolt in rad support, install I/C, install hood latch support, install radiator, install fluid coolers?

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

I just sort of did it by eye when I cut it for the intercooler to fit. The radiator is moved back a tad over an inch to make it all fit. My A/C condenser is an aftermarket one, and it diodn't fit into my stock mounts so I made my own mounting system for it. Since it is an aftermarket condenser, I didn't have to make any mods to the hood latch support as it is only about half as thick as the origanal condenser. I didn't put the power steering cooler back on because teh DURAMAX didn't have one, but there is room for it. I still have a trans cooler out front, but not the engine cooler as teh DURAMAX's is built onto the block. The pics I have up are all that I have of it. And the 6.5 and DURAMAX radiators are almost identical in size, so using teh 6.5 radiator won't save you any work.

 

[Husker6.5]

I just sort of did it by eye when I cut it for the intercooler to fit. The radiator is moved back a tad over an inch to make it all fit. My A/C condenser is an aftermarket one, and it diodn't fit into my stock mounts so I made my own mounting system for it. Since it is an aftermarket condenser, I didn't have to make any mods to the hood latch support as it is only about half as thick as the origanal condenser. I didn't put the power steering cooler back on because teh DURAMAX didn't have one, but there is room for it. I still have a trans cooler out front, but not the engine cooler as teh DURAMAX's is built onto the block. The pics I have up are all that I have of it. And the 6.5 and DURAMAX radiators are almost identical in size, so using teh 6.5 radiator won't save you any work.

OK. The only thing I was the stock 6.5 rad would be still using the upper rubber vibration mounts where they fit over the top of the end tanks. Did you move the mounting bolt holes for the upper radiator mount forward an inch to accommodate the inch set back of the radiator? What about spacers for moving the headlight base plates forward to make up for the setback of what's left of the radiator support? BTW, I'm running the same projector headlights as you, but with the black background and with the black LED turn signals below with a black grille on my white '98 K2500 Burb. I'm not afraid of doing the sheet metal work, I have the tools, cut off wheels, snips, hammers, dollies and wire feed MIG to do it here at home, I used to do industrial maintenance and had to do a lot of fabricating of parts/repairs everytime some moron in production or packaging broke something. I assume 1" square .125" wall tubing would work fine for the new vertical end pieces to hold the top and bottom radiator supports together.

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

The headlights didn't need any work to make fit, but the turn signals do require cutting the inner bulb base off(this is why I went with LED's so I could use just one hookup instead of needing 2). The DURAMAX radiator mounts to the intercooler, and the intercooler is what mounts to the truck. So the 6.5 radiator will require custom mounts to sit inside the DURAMAX IC.

 

[Husker6.5]

Sounds fun, looks like I may have a Spring Project to work on when the weather warms up and I can work out on the driveway (wouldn't you know, I have a two stall garage and so much stuff in there for the house remodel that I can't get a vehicle in!) and see if I can stuff a DMax I/C in between my radiator and stock A/C condenser and still maintain the stock oil and power steering coolers. I may just go down to the bone yard and snag a radiator support to experiment on BEFORE I make a fatal F-up on the 'Burb.

What's the deal with using a 1st Gen Dodge I/C? It's nearly twice as thick as the DMax I/C, how can that be done and still retain the A/C and fluid coolers? Is it turned upside down and "hung" behind the bumper/lower air dam?

 

[Nick 6.5]

So i know the begining of the thread is really old and took me a good while to read EVERYTHING haha. so in the end result are u 100% happy with the swap and would u do it again? im asking because i am thinking about the swap as well. i know there is more support now for these swaps but im more concerned about fitment issues. I have a 1996 K2500HD 6.5TD with a 6" lift that i want to be the project. ive read ALOT about it in the last couple weeks and it seems its split down the middle. some people say it dropped right in (with the new aftermarket engine mounts) and some say they had the same problems as u. can u shed some light on this for me?

 

[tanman_2006]

IIRC I dont think Ferm felt the time into rig met up with the gains considering the advances 6.5's had made in recent years. I'm sure he will chime in soon enough.

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

So i know the begining of the thread is really old and took me a good while to read EVERYTHING haha. so in the end result are u 100% happy with the swap and would u do it again? im asking because i am thinking about the swap as well. i know there is more support now for these swaps but im more concerned about fitment issues. I have a 1996 K2500HD 6.5TD with a 6" lift that i want to be the project. ive read ALOT about it in the last couple weeks and it seems its split down the middle. some people say it dropped right in (with the new aftermarket engine mounts) and some say they had the same problems as u. can u shed some light on this for me?

What aftermarket engine mounts? You have to build the plates to re-use the stock mounts, or make your own the last I checked. As for fitment, the engine and trans go right in with just a bit of trans tunnel massaging, but fitting the intercooler in is a chore and a half. Am I happy with it, yes. Would I do one again, HE!! NO! I actually turned down an offer of $5,000 to do one here just a few months ago. No way would I do this again as it was a nightmare tracking down all of the little odds and ends. In the end I honestly wish I would have stuck with a 6.5 as I would have spent a fraction as much as I did on the swap, and still had enough power. Never thought I would say it, but the DURAMAX is actually a bit of overkill for what these old chassis can handle. I do like all the power and being able to break the tires loose at anytime is nice, but it is really overkill for my SUBURBAN as a bumper pull just can't handle the kind of weight this setup can pull. And even a pickup will be pushed in the frame department as the DURAMAX can make the kind of torque that most with these trucks can only dream of having.

 

[Nick 6.5]

they are selling new mounts on ebay they look pretty slick. i was planning on saving money by keeping my 4l80e tranny and just building that to the nuts(race spec 600hp) and trying to wire the engine as a stand alone system. there's a shop out here in cali that will convert both your harneses to work with wutever combo you choose to use so i guess i just have to decide on that. The core support and intercooler i could handle no problem. like i said mainly just fitment of the axle/crossmember/firewall is what i was concered about, and u pretty much answered that for me. Thanks for all the detailed info and pics u showed on this thread and swap i know it helped me and probly alot of other guys as well!

 

[ak diesel driver]

must be these http://www.ebay.com/itm/DURAMAX-DIE...Parts_Accessories&hash=item3f280f418c&vxp=mtr

 

[Nick 6.5]

yup those are them! they look just like the LS engine mounts. just get those bothe them to the block and mount them with the 350 or 454 engine mount and your all set. at least in theory.

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

must be these http://www.ebay.com/itm/DURAMAX-DIE...Parts_Accessories&hash=item3f280f418c&vxp=mtr

Those mounts will NOT work to reuse your stock mounts and put in a DURAMAX. See the difference. Those mounts are for thee early style mounts that bolt to the block, the GMT-400's bolt to the frame.