Newbie, with DUMB questions

[John3]

Hi,
Currently have an 03 8.1. Love the truck and performance. The fuel mileage is killing me. Currently in the process of trying to find a Dmax in our area and squeeze in under the great GM deal.

Several of my gearhead buddies are busting my chops big time for trading in my rat motor. Most say the diesel trucks come off the line like an old John Deere tractor. I don't expect the response of the big block, but are they really THAT slow out of the chute??

Dumb question no. 2-- How many qts. of oil does the DMax hold, and what are the recommended change intervals??

Thanks,
John

[William Lee Gingerich]

No they are not that slow. these duramaxes are very responsive. I would put a duramax up to a 8.1 any day. As to the oil ? they hold 10qts and I change ours every 6k with about 95% of those miles being towing miles so if you had a lot of unloaded miles you could go a lot further.

[ibelyea]

Tell your buddies that they would be very surprized running against a stock 6.6 and if it is chipped, it will smoke them. Check out some of the 1/4 mile times and speeds posted on this site and compare them with 8.1's.

[Dave]

Originally posted by John3:
Several of my gearhead buddies are busting my chops big time for trading in my rat motor. Most say the diesel trucks come off the line like an old John Deere tractor. I don't expect the response of the big block, but are they really THAT slow out of the chute??


Thanks,
John I had a 98 Crew Cab 3500 with the 7.4L, 4L80E auto, and a 4.56 rear gear. That was my fourth Rat powered truck. I traded it for a 01 Crew Cab 3500 with the Duramax, allison and 3.73 gears. Stock to stock acceleration empty was about the same. Loaded the diesel would out accelerate the big block. With a 700 dollar juice box on the diesel it would Spank the big block bad empty or loaded.

Add plus was the diesel got the same mpg pulling a 12,000 pound trailer that the big block got empty.

I'll never own another big block truck, a diesel in my truck only! Now a Rat powered vette is another story.

[Jim Brzozowski]

My last duly was a 7.4 and 480LE,crew cab. My LB7 is faster in all categories except fuel usage.

[William Lee Gingerich]

I just got an oil analysis done on our 02 duramax. It had about 6k miles on the oil with about all towing miles and the analysis came back very good. They said I could go another 4 to 5 thousand more miles on a change and still be okay. So I am probably throwing away good oil at 6k miles.

[SDakDmax]

what kind of oil are you using?

[Driveshaft]

I NEVER CHANGE MY OIL UNTIL 10,000 MILES. I USE MOBIL 1 TRK AND SUV OR DELVAC 1. HAVE BEEN USING MOBIL SYNTHETIC OIL FOR APPROX. 10 YEARS NOW. I USE TO USE ROTELLA T WITH GOOD RESULTS, ALSO. I HAVE BEEN USING A SCHEDULE OF CHANGING OIL FILTER ONLY (AND TRANS FILTER ON THE DURAMAX) AT 5000 MILES, THEN A FULL SERVICE AT 10,000 WITH SAMPLES AT 10,000. I DO THIS IN ALL VEHICLES, 3 GM CARS, & 1 PICKUP. LAWNMOWERS, 2 TRACTORS, TILLER AND ALL SMALL ENGINES GET CHANGED ONCE A YEAR USE MOBIL SYNTHETIC IN EVERYTHING. MY OIL SAMPLES ON THE DURAMAX HAVE BEEN TYPICAL OF THOSE SHONE HEAR. AT FIRST SILICONE WAS A LITTLE HIGH, BUT NOW IS IN RESPECTABLE NUMBERS. SO FAR, SO GOOD WITH EVERY THING ELSE.

[JD Diesel]

The last oil change on my sub 1999, 454, 2500, had 35,000 miles on the oil had it analized results came back contiue to resample 5,000 miles. Oil in truck amsoil 0w30 series 2000. With filter changes at 10,000 miles and make up oil as needeed about 1 qt every 6,000 miles. No bypass filter. :eek: :D JD

[ 07-24-2005, 07:50 PM: Message edited by: JD Diesel ]