thoughts on 8.1L Vortec vs. 6.6L Duramax

[SSmurdered]

BROTHERS!!! i am still alive, i know you were all concerned.

i am looking at getting a silverado or sierra. its gonna be a crewcab for sure and a HD but im torn between what power plant to choose. gasoline 8.1L or 6.6L diesel???? need some input, pros and cons, any personal experience....whatever!!!

 

[solored]

8.1L is not good unless your going to tow, very little aftermarket mod support

 

[AquinoSteven]

Duramax all the way. Awesome power and youll pull great MPG out of it

 

[jomulk56]

Duramax all the way. Awesome power and youll pull great MPG out of it

+1 can't beat a diesel

 

[Cartwright]

+1 can't beat a diesel

Yeah you can lol.


IT all depends on what you will be doing with the truck.

 

[SSmurdered]

I want a power house! Something to get a programmer, exhaust and intake on.

 

[baron]

I want a power house! Something to get a programmer, exhaust and intake on.

Then you want the Duramax. A programmer isn't going to have nearly as much impact on a naturally aspirated engine as it would where there is a turbo involved. Generally speaking, the same is true on the exhaust and intake. Both will realize more performance gains when you are looking at forced air engines. For instance, for under 600 bucks, with a ATS programmer, on a 2007 Duramax 6.6, you are looking at these increases over stock power with each level you turn it up:
1. +50hp - +97 lb.ft.
2. +90hp - +160 lb.ft.
3. +120hp - +200 lb.ft.
4. +180hp - +265 lb.ft.
5. +221hp - +332 lb.ft.
6. +270hp - + 349 lb.ft

 

[SSmurdered]

That stage 6 is ridiculous! Now im swingin duramax but im gonna get a used truck. I see some with 250000 miles.... should i be turned away from high miles on the diesel? Wats there to look for like notorious problems with duramax with allision tranny??

 

[baron]

I'd be a little weary of turning the power up to the top stages on a truck with that many miles, but I must say I'm not an expert on the HD line or the Allison's. From anecdotal evidence, I'd say that as long as they have been maintained well, they should still be pretty solid (from the engine perspective) with that many miles. I'd do a bit of research on it though. Just from a general wear and tear thing though, diesels usually outlast their gas counterparts. Part of the reason is you get a some extra lubrication on engine components through the diesel itself. Not as much as you used to with the ultra low sulfur stuff they use now, but still, not as bad as gas.

 

[AquinoSteven]

Dont settle for the first one you see. Have someone go with you that know diesels a little better or even bring one home for the day to check it out. Here a link to the duramax wiki page. It explains each motor year and the pros/cons of each one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duramax_V8_engine

Now that i see your area, me and a friend run a high performance diesel shop out here in NJ about 20 min from easton. We are looking to start purchasing trucks to fix up and sell. Im sure one of us could head out to an auction one day to find a good truck for you. We would have no problem getting all your additional parts lined up for your too. Send me a PM if you want more info