July Updates

[More Power]

USDP's 2009 Dyno Day (http://www.thedieselpage.com/features/USDPDyno2009.htm)
USDP's third annual Dyno Day was held this past June 6, 2009 here in Missoula Montana, and the crowd just keeps getting bigger each year. From morning till late afternoon, 42 of the Big Three's diesel pickups rolled across the Mustang dyno rollers and kept everyone entertained.

GM's 2010 2500HD/3500 Trucks (http://www.thedieselpage.com/features/2010Specs.htm)
2500HD/3500-Series Pickup Truck & Duramax Specifications
Pickup trucks and large sport utility vehicles have been GM's most profitable automotive segment. Pickup truck sales accounted for just 1% of the total automotive sales volume in 1959, while trucks (pickups & large SUV's) totaled 64% of GM sales in 2005. Due to their enormous popularity, pickups aren't going away anytime soon, and the Duramax Diesel will remain a big factor in driving pickup sales.

[jimbucks]

so James, are we getting a new DuraMax Suburban or not? What's your insider telling you?

[More Power]

Jim, good to hear from you!

The answer depends on whether you're an optimist or a pessimist.... ;)

The optimist will say the 4.5L program has been shelved, and will be pulled out again when GM finds its footing in the new auto industry environment.

The pessimist will say GM has done this too many times (developed a new light-duty diesel and then shut it down) to hold a lot of hope. It takes a compelling sales model to convince the bean counters to get behind a new engine program, and the people with real power at GM are (were) not diesel people.

Personally, I think the 4.5L is dead. Once past 1 or 2 model years, the EPA certification is long out of date, and the cost of recertification is enormously expensive (approx $1M per cert) and the increasing difficulty in meeting future emissions regs adds even more to the development cost.

Back in 2005, I met with a rep from Detroit Diesel, and discussed the V-6 diesel engine they designed back in 2000. Dubbed the “Delta”, this 600 pound, 24-valve, electronic common rail direct-injected 4.0L V-6 was advertised to produce 210 HP at 4000 rpm and 340 lb-ft of torque at 2000 rpm. It was slated for installation in a variety of Dodge and Jeep platforms. It didn't make it, and in late 2005, the DDC rep told me it was too far out from certification to even be considered for a future introduction. Technology (as well as time) marches on.

How about a Duramax 6600 in a custom Suburban? ;)

Jim

[More Power]

In the current issue of Diesel World magazine (November 2009), in their "News" section, they said:



New Regs Will Kill Light-Duty Diesel Pickups and SUVs

Now that the official word has been passed down from Washington, what will these changes mean to future light-truck and diesel buyers? For one, a definite increase in the number of direct-injection turbocharged gasoline engines, with the elimination of the traditional aspirated eight-cylinder units. Four and six cylinder engine configurations will definitely increase.

Saddest of all for diesel enthusiasts anxiously awaiting the release of half-ton diesel pickups and SUVs, the new [EPA emissions] standards will all but kill those programs altogether. According to several brand engineers, the new rules now determine a grams-per-mile limit on CO2 emissions falling near the mileage limits. These limits will be an average of 250 g/mile for both cars and trucks. Diesel engines currently produce CO2 emissions per gallon of fuel (22.4 pounds), which are higher than gasoline (19.4). Diesel trucks have to be 15-percent more efficient to meet both the new fuel economy and CO2 standards - further translated, a 25.3-mpg standard with the new rules. Heavy-duty pickups at this point appear to be excluded (8,500-10,000-pound range), at least for now.

[More Power]

Here's an SAE link sent to me earlier today by another member that helps to explain the 5.4L diesel's future.

http://www.sae.org/mags/aei/6672

Jim

[bl78ljb]

So, what about a diesel 3/4ton Suburban? My '98 has close to 200K on the odometer and I would like to at least think I could replace it with something comparable down the road. I know there are folks out there making them but the almost $70K price tag is too high.

[More Power]

So, what about a diesel 3/4ton Suburban? My '98 has close to 200K on the odometer and I would like to at least think I could replace it with something comparable down the road. I know there are folks out there making them but the almost $70K price tag is too high.

The 4.5L was planned for the 3/4 Sub.... The Duramax 6600/Allison can't be fit into the existing Suburban platform without a body lift. GM didn't want to raise the center of gravity in a passenger (read family) vehicle.

At one time, there was talk about repackaging the Duramax 6600 to reduce its overall height and couple the engine to a 4L85-E (or 4L90-E), to allow it to better fit the SUVs. But, it didn't happen - partly because at the time, GM could sell all of the SUVs it could build with gas engines, and they didn't want to complicate their production lines with another engine.

Ultimately.... At GM, there was never enough diesel passion among those execs who make these weighty decisions. Not since the 70's 5.7L diesel and the 1982 6.2L diesel has GM boldly taken the lead with a new light-duty diesel introduction. Ford's first diesel pickup engine arrived a year later in 1983 and the first Dodge Cummins didn't arrive till 1989. With regards to a new light-duty diesel these past 10 years, GM had a new competitive diesel engine developed for production, but would not release it unless/before/until Ford did. A lack of passion for diesel.....

Jim

[bl78ljb]

That is too bad, I don't mind the bit of a body lift (and neither does my wife provided it would have running boards) if it would get the d-max!