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Tahoe Duramax swap

Why? Seriously Why? Diesel costs more per gal, maintenance cost is higher, the swap itself will be expensive with custom made parts... Do you have emissions tests where you are at? Transmission: how are you controlling it and are you swapping it as well?

Maybe look at putting a supercharger on the gas engine or buying a rig that already has a diesel engine in it.
 
If using a donor vehicle, how much of the tahoe wiring are you planning on keeping? There was a local guy that did a pickup and used the entire donanr harness. He gutted the dash and used the dmax trucks cluster, then had a stereo shop in hat normally builds fiberglass speaker enclosures build him a dash to fit around the new cluster. He made it look all space age but I figure a more normal design could be done too.
 
1st off, you will NOT get 24mpg unless you keep it under 60 and drive with an egg under your foot. The best I've seen was 23, and I had to work for that. Also keep in mind I run 3.42 gears and pizza cutter tires for mpg's. Unless there is some special reason you're dead set on keeping this vehicle and making it diesel, it just doesn't add up in reality. A supercharged lq4 can put 550+HP to the wheels with a supercharger, cam swap, headers, injectors, tuning, and live a long life getting almost as the same mpg's as a duramax will. If you're dead set on it, go for it, but don't kid yourself about doing it as it will be morefor novelty than anything else with how far gas engine technology has come and fuel costs.
 
I think the point here is to share information with Shawn if you have done it and the obstacles encountered, not to talk him down. I would love to do on mine even though it might do 23 mpg or even 15. And by the way, I think maintenance being more expensive is a myth
 
Please let me know how are you doing with the project. I am on the same on path on a 2003 looking for a donor vehicle
 
I think the biggest issues will be installing 3/4 ton running gear on the Tahoe. Can't just slap that torque monster in with life ton running gear and expect to tow. Anything is doable, just takes money and persistence.

The aftermarket for the LS engine is crazy. There is easy HP and efficiency out there as it is for much less coin.

But if you have the wallet and the ability I would love to see the progress.
 
btfarm said:
After 450,000 miles owning Duramax trucks, I'm here to tell you...It's no myth.
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It depends what you call maintenance and how much you pay in parts/labor to get it done.

I know 2 people (brothers) that run expensive synthetic oil and then do oil/filter changes at 3,000 mile intervals. Runs transynd fluid and does a flush and fill on that every 10,000 miles &at the same time transfer case and differentials are done. One of those two guys does all brakes every 30,000 miles, while the other waits until the indicators makes noise. Both of them do all 4 new loaded calipers, rotors, and a flush. They both do new master cylinders at 100,000 miles, you know the 100,000 mile mark, where every hose innthe truck gets replaced? Every hose. No, they don’t do any of their own work trucks- everything is done at the dealership.
I am pretty good friends with one of the brothers, and he was bragging the other day about his truck breaking the 300,000 mile mark and he is waiting till his brother decides which new truck they both will buy (always matching trucks- idk why) and will replace his. I think his brother was just waiting till he hit the 250K mark, a few months away still. They never used to keep logs until they met me, but They have with these trucks. I got him to total up the cost of all the work done. Now his brother hates me more than before because he realized the amount of money spent and is starting to think about eliminating a bunch of the pm stuff on the next truck.

Granted those two are over the top. But certain things are there for average guys who don’t get carried away but dothe recommend stuff thats not really needed on modern cars. Remember our standards were from 1940’s cars- remember tune ups of file and adjust points and clean and adjust spark plugs every 3,000 miles when you are doing an oil change at same time?


In the fuel/oil company fleet I was wrenching at for years- all out pickups before the dmax trucks cane out had 4l80e or 4l60e depending on engine, except 3 were manual trans by special manager request. We completely understand quit doing transmission oil/ filter changes. Except for a couple trucks that managers and owners owned and our parts truck, every truck broke 100,000 miles a year. We had many trucks that were ran till it died on the route and brought in on a hook and the driver moved his stuff to a new one prepped and ready to go. All those were over the 300 mark. The ones we didn’t want down time of the tow truck and driver moving his junk over mid shift, got replaced around the 250 mark. Of hundreds of these trucks, only one broke down and got towed back over trans failure. Out of interest, another mechanic bought it for the $200 and sent it into his uncle’s transmission shop. $200 with no discount and it was on the road. He still has it last I heard as a beater rig and when his tesla is in the shop. Over 300,000 as of this February when I saw him last and the trans is still happy. His uncle did a new filter, and added a couple quarts in the repair.

My wifes 01 suburban was one we sold with just over 210,000 miles. I did get nervous towing a tiny camp trailer up to big bear when I met Big T the first time and he brought out his scanner to use because trans temps got hot first time ever but not over 210 iirc. It had 202,000 on that trip. We dumped the rig because the a/c was messing up (compressor) and I knew from experience we wer looking at a couple grand to do it all again- I couldn’t do the labor myself at the time, and a few trinkets in the truck needed help like front seats recovered etc. btw, never a spark plug pulled on that engine.

I am 100% convinced if you are going to dump the truck at 350,000 miles- just leave the transmission alone. Really heavy frequent use, ok that’s different. But most use it like a car or haul things that are bulky, maybe tow a small boat or snow machine.

ok, new post popped up and woke me out of my old man ramblings. Gotta re-read that and respond
 
jrsavoie said:
Just curious. Is it possible to keep the truck, as is, to tge back of the cab and add a Suburban/ Tahoe or other back end? Seems like an easier route to go
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not back of it, but doing a body swap can be done. Keep front clip and change cab back. Problem is center to center of axles- Ive done my share of frame shortening and stretching. It isn’t hard just costs cash. Idk if the axle distance is the same on certain pickups to tahoe/suburban. If so then it would be just some body mounts. But then the title doesn’t match the rig- and that creates problems with cops, dmv, resell, etc in some places. B.i.l. did a 2 door to 4door pickup cab swap and has almost we t to jail with cops thinking stolen vehicle involved because registration shows 2 door pickup...
 
LumaT said:
I think the point here is to share information with Shawn if you have done it and the obstacles encountered, not to talk him down. I would love to do on mine even though it might do 23 mpg or even 15. And by the way, I think maintenance being more expensive is a myth
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Don't let anyone stand in the way of your dreams. Go build it, but, don't try and justify it for any other reason than unique.

Gas engines have come a long way in MPG and power. 18MPG is pretty easy to reach with a modern pickup/Tahoe gas engine and is better than I got with the 6.5TD or 2005 Duramax. Only the 2008 Duramax would match the 18 MPG as well as the 2018 1 Ton Cummins. A MT is the only way I got better MPG breaking 20+ MPG on a 2003 Cummins with the AC off.

Like it or not some people need to get their head out of the clouds over what a diesel can do. There are serious problems doing stuff like this and I will double down on the emissions angle with the EPA cracking down. That can be solved in some cases by same year or newer diesel engine or a 2.8L Cummins crate engine with all the modern emissions equipment. Forget about it in Commiefornia. https://www.cummins.com/engines/repower

Bluntly you will have nothing more than what I can go and buy new today in a diesel crew cab pickup in 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton, 1 ton... Even a Jeep SUV offers a diesel. The pickup back seats are roomier than the afterthought small kids only seats in the Tahoe. And unless you have a need for a diesel the TCO is higher than a gas engine anymore. Injector sets that cost more than a used gas engine, fuel cost, filters, more expensive filters, a tanker truck of engine oil... And still having your doors sucked clean off by a newer gas engine rig unloaded. (esp. if it has Hellcat in the name.)

IMO your money and energy would get better results by replacing the mediocre 5.3L or the 4.X with a 6.0L gas engine. Than put a supercharger on it, feed it the expensive gas, burn the tires off leaving the light often, and still be money ahead.
 
Shawn McOmbet said:
Hello
I am interested in putting a Duramax in my 04 Tahoe. I am gathering information on wiring before I start. Any help is greatly appreciated.
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Very intrested in your progress on this project. Wife wants to take over my 2008 4dr Duramax Z71 but said she would rather a Tahoe with a Duramax. So I too am hunting a donor and a recipient for that of said donor! Compound turbo setup with RDS 9 blade units all deleted and 5" from the down pipe out. Anyway keep me in your loop on this bad ass project of yours! Cheers!
 
Duramax Poor! said:
Very intrested in your progress on this project. Wife wants to take over my 2008 4dr Duramax Z71 but said she would rather a Tahoe with a Duramax. So I too am hunting a donor and a recipient for that of said donor! Compound turbo setup with RDS 9 blade units all deleted and 5" from the down pipe out. Anyway keep me in your loop on this bad ass project of yours! Cheers!
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Hello DP.
Welcome to the forum.
I’m not sure how many responses You will get on this post as this thread is from the year of 2020.
There could be a lot more responses if You were to start a new thread all of Your own under the appropriate heading.
Your wife must be a mighty cool lady to want to drive a vehicle thats mix and match from various other units.
 
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