Best years for reliability [Archive] - TheDieselPage.com Forums

jackster

04-06-2010, 17:28

I'm new to the forum and I am looking for my first diesel truck. We've had a gas suburban for 9 years ('01) that has and continues to run flawlessly. I hear different things about different years...thought someone could set me straight on what to look for and what to avoid....thanks!

pete m

04-06-2010, 19:09

`04 1/2 - `05 LLY motor is very good, all the injector problems with under the valvecover leaks ect. solved, plus you can shut off O/D and tow in 4th. If you can afford an `06 LBZ engine, you get 60HP and 65 lbs. torque more, plus a 6 spd. auto trans. These 2 models are good on fuel mileage, and have a lot of add-on perf. stuff available if needed, the `07 has good engine specs., but also comes with additional emmission items that hurt mileage, as is true on later than that trucks. I have owned (2) LLY and one LBZ, and was very pleased with all 3, just my .2 cents worth. I have towed 8000 to 10,000 lbs. with all 3, and they do it nearly effortlessly, almost never down shift out of O/D. Before that, I had (2) 8100 big block gas trucks, bought them so I could get the Allision trans, they too had good power to tow with, got about 7mpg towing, and were constantly downshifting out of O/D when you hit a hill, a few times I had it drop from 5th down to 3rd., which took the motor up to over 5000 rpm +, because of the mileage and the downshifting i went with the diesels, they get 14 to 15 towing the same load and do not act as "shifty".
I am sure there are good, early LB7 trucks, possibly with updated injectors, I just heard so much bad stuff about them that I went with the big block gas trucks until I felt comfortable with the diesel, which was after the LLY came out.