Who has swapped 6.0L/4L0e into 01 Duramax/Allison silverado?
01-14-2009, 05:05 PM
#1
Who has swapped 6.0L/4L0e into 01 Duramax/Allison silverado? I've been driving my 2001 Silverado 2500, 4 door, 4 wheel drive Duramax Allison truck for 24,000 miles now since the dealer told me it had blown a head gasket. It works fine coolant tank just presurizes so i drilled a hole in the top of it to releive pressure and keep it from forcing out of the coolant tank siphon tube.
Anyway i know this engine is going to eventually go and i dont know that i want to put a Duramax back in it. I get 17mpg withe the blown head gasket and all and it runs perfect but its going to go. These engines are prone to injectors (about $2500 just for the new injectors themselves), lifter pumps fail, and cup seals leak, head gasket blow, cylinder heads warp. Anyway its 38 shop hours to replace head gaskets. $4500 from the dealer. New cylinder heads are $1500 which they may be warped You can only have the heads milled about .005 or so because of the ptvc so even if i do this job myself its going to cost around $2200.
So i want to put a built 6.0L and 4l60E engine in there. Thats a great setup to me because i know these engines pretty well and even if something breaks they are extremely easy to work on and not very expensice (used 100k Durmax take out is $6000) and that no guaranteeing the headgasket wont go or the injectors. I'm sure i wont get the fuel mileage i get, or the towing power i have but i rarely use it for towing anymore. I have a 28 foot enclosed trailer that probably only weighs 8,500lbs with my car in it and it should pull that no problem.
Has anyone done this? Would i be able to use the transfercase mated to the Allison? I know i could sell the Allison my trans operates beautifully. Does anyone know if the Engine harnesses are stand alone? I know there is atleast one body control module on my truck. I dont really want to sell the truck as i wont get much money for it with a blown head gasket. I really like it as it has a nice utility bed, i have drilled slotted rotors/cermaic pads, towing controller. some hefy helper springs, brand new tires etc and i just really like the truck.
So what do you all think i would need?
Anyway i know this engine is going to eventually go and i dont know that i want to put a Duramax back in it. I get 17mpg withe the blown head gasket and all and it runs perfect but its going to go. These engines are prone to injectors (about $2500 just for the new injectors themselves), lifter pumps fail, and cup seals leak, head gasket blow, cylinder heads warp. Anyway its 38 shop hours to replace head gaskets. $4500 from the dealer. New cylinder heads are $1500 which they may be warped You can only have the heads milled about .005 or so because of the ptvc so even if i do this job myself its going to cost around $2200.
So i want to put a built 6.0L and 4l60E engine in there. Thats a great setup to me because i know these engines pretty well and even if something breaks they are extremely easy to work on and not very expensice (used 100k Durmax take out is $6000) and that no guaranteeing the headgasket wont go or the injectors. I'm sure i wont get the fuel mileage i get, or the towing power i have but i rarely use it for towing anymore. I have a 28 foot enclosed trailer that probably only weighs 8,500lbs with my car in it and it should pull that no problem.
Has anyone done this? Would i be able to use the transfercase mated to the Allison? I know i could sell the Allison my trans operates beautifully. Does anyone know if the Engine harnesses are stand alone? I know there is atleast one body control module on my truck. I dont really want to sell the truck as i wont get much money for it with a blown head gasket. I really like it as it has a nice utility bed, i have drilled slotted rotors/cermaic pads, towing controller. some hefy helper springs, brand new tires etc and i just really like the truck.
So what do you all think i would need?
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Toan72184 (12-20-2019)
01-15-2009, 12:32 AM
#3
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That would be my choice as well. The swap would be straight forward, you would just need an entire take-out eng/trans package, as well as both drive shafts. Fuel tanks and fuel line would also be different, as well as the gauge package, front springs, exhaust, etc.
You said it runs fine, I'd sell it.
Re'
You said it runs fine, I'd sell it.
Re'
01-15-2009, 05:09 AM
#4
If you pull a heavy trailer, like I do, you'll hate the 6 liter. They are good engines for trucks until it comes time to hook onto a trailer that weighs 10K. Either trade the truck off or get a used engine and do the swap yourself. There are several engines on ebay, with decent prices.
01-15-2009, 09:53 AM
#6
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Yeah, DON'T downgrade your Dmax just start saving for the replacement, you could also try to upgrade the replacement motor to be stronger than the one in the truck now.
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01-15-2009, 12:59 PM
#9
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Really, 38 hours ? 
I would go on truck forums and poke around. I'll bet some clever bastiges have figured this out already. Pull the engine to change gaskets ? At least use an 8.1-you're gonna want those extra 130 cubes for towing.
I would go on truck forums and poke around. I'll bet some clever bastiges have figured this out already. Pull the engine to change gaskets ? At least use an 8.1-you're gonna want those extra 130 cubes for towing.
01-15-2009, 01:16 PM
#10
Yup 38 shop hours is what it says. Its easier just remove the engine and put a new one in. Too many possible problems with replacing the head gasket. At minimun for bolts and gaskets it would be 1200 with water pump replacement which is a must.
You get me a 6.0L and 4l80E that runs with the harness and you can have my blown headgasket Duramax with PCM and harness with the Allison. I want a good 6.0L though, you can come test drive this engine and even tow with it. It runs fine just pressurizes the coolant tank which overflows.
You get me a 6.0L and 4l80E that runs with the harness and you can have my blown headgasket Duramax with PCM and harness with the Allison. I want a good 6.0L though, you can come test drive this engine and even tow with it. It runs fine just pressurizes the coolant tank which overflows.
01-15-2009, 08:45 PM
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I wonder if raising the cab off the truck will help. I do alot of 6.0 powerstrokes and raise the cab off to do heads. It started when all the Ferd tritons were coming in w/ the spark plugs blown out. 45 minutes later I'm looking at a naked motor. Now the powerstrokes take an hour to raise the cab and Viola! Just a thought...
01-15-2009, 08:54 PM
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I work at a GM dealer and am a diesel tech. No need to pull the motor or raise the cab to do heads. You definatly want to check for flatness though if you drove as long as you did. You ever think that you might have just pushed an injector sleeve loose? Just a thought but it sounds like you are bailing out anyways. 
01-15-2009, 09:32 PM
#14
I dont know anything about deisel engines to be honest. How involved is it to check an injector cup seal? How expensive are the cup seals? When i took it to the dealer to have it tested i mentioned it being an injector cup and they laughed at me and said theres no way that would cause my tank to pressurize although on the forums i read it seems common. They were confident it was a headgasket though. Charged me $200 to look it over.
01-16-2009, 12:42 AM
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well I have a good 6.0l but I would have to find a 4l80 I know were on is but its two wheel drive and that won't do you any good but I figured I'd tell you I'm close to having what you want if your really wanting to do this swap I would be willing to hunt down a 4l80 I just don't know if I can fit a duramax into my trans am
01-16-2009, 08:46 PM
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ok how do you want to go about this and how soon do you want to do it, I'm in california working right now but the motor is at my shop in missouri and I wont be home for at least a month maybe a month and a half so if your not in a huge hurry lets do this
01-17-2009, 08:05 AM
#18
Well i've been convinced to swap the head gasktes. I found a dealer in Michigan called Merchant Automotive who is sending me the headgaskets, all swap gaskets, injector cups head bolts and all for $434 and im buying the water pump here for $90 and im going to do the swap in my friends garage hes letting me borrow. I have a guy who can check and machine the heads the same day whos only 45 min away. I can get them machiened up to .008" because GM now makes a type C gasket which is .008" thicker than stock. If it still leaks after my attempt you can be damn well assured i am taking the engine out.
01-17-2009, 08:17 AM
#19
I dont know anything about deisel engines to be honest. How involved is it to check an injector cup seal? How expensive are the cup seals? When i took it to the dealer to have it tested i mentioned it being an injector cup and they laughed at me and said theres no way that would cause my tank to pressurize although on the forums i read it seems common. They were confident it was a headgasket though. Charged me $200 to look it over.
Techs are kinda like doctors, its all luck if you get a good one or not...unlerss you know someone....sounds like you got a fog...
If you have a bad headgasket on a Dmax you know about it....overheating....lack of heat...and try and take the cap off the surge tank after a short drive and it blasts off like the 4th of july.
Otherwise, if your loosing coolant slowly, I would be suspect one of the injector sleeves....I think there is a GM bulletin on it too...
how bad does your surge tank pressurize? Your injectors also hold your sleeves in place. ever have injectors done?
on a side note, why not trade it now at a dealer and keep your mouth shut about possible head gaskets....that way you get more for it now then when it blows..
Last edited by ForcedInduction; 01-17-2009 at 08:24 AM.
01-17-2009, 08:30 AM
#20
I thought the injectors were done under warranty by the previous owner but i guess they werent just the lift pump. Searching with the VIN it doesnt bring back any service records of the injectors being done.
Here's what i did. I can see the coolant tank bubbling. It would pressurize coolant out of the overflow. So i drilled a small hole outside of the overfill siphon, no more overflowing coolant. Until the other day it started overflowing out of the little hole while crusiing on the highway haha. Not a whole lot but it it did make it out of the hole. My truck takes forever to heat up. When it does the heat comes and goes (most likely hair in the heater lines). I have done a very through coolant flush on it before. The truck has never over heated but once when it was low on coolant but i shut the truck off before it his 230 so i dont count that as an overheating.
Here's what i did. I can see the coolant tank bubbling. It would pressurize coolant out of the overflow. So i drilled a small hole outside of the overfill siphon, no more overflowing coolant. Until the other day it started overflowing out of the little hole while crusiing on the highway haha. Not a whole lot but it it did make it out of the hole. My truck takes forever to heat up. When it does the heat comes and goes (most likely hair in the heater lines). I have done a very through coolant flush on it before. The truck has never over heated but once when it was low on coolant but i shut the truck off before it his 230 so i dont count that as an overheating.