The GM (Chevrolet) 3/4 ton pickup with the Duramax Diesel and Allison
transmission is an excellent vehicle, and should be relatively trouble free.
It is very peppy, so I see little need for an aftermarket reprogramming
chip. Also, as the manufacturers learn more about their engines, they
sometimes come up with a free (under warranty) computer program upgrade.
Today's diesels [Ford (International - Navistar), Dodge (Cummins),
Caterpillar, Freightliner (Mercedes Benz), and GM (Duramax)] are a far cry
from the diesel engines of a dozen years ago. They are clean burning, fuel
efficient, and fast.
A weak link on the medium duty trucks is the transmission (especially Ford -
from my discussions with 5th wheel rig owners at campgrounds). So far as
transmissions are concerned, the GM Allison is likely, the best. (It is a
lighter duty version of the Allison transmission used in 18 wheeler
tractors.)
If this is your first diesel, there are several IMPORTANT things you must
know, which is different from gasoline engine maintenance.
1. The diesel engines we are talking about here are all made by companies
with extensive diesel engine know how and experience, and should not require
a lot of maintenance.
2. Clean fuel is ESSENTIAL. So get your fuel where the truckers buy
theirs, if possible.
3. Check your fuel filter regularly. Water is the villain. The fuel
pump(s) on a diesel engine include a very high pressure precision pump and
injector system. These parts are EXPENSIVE to replace. But the diesel fuel
lubricates them, so you are fine as long as the fuel is clean, and does not
contain water (moisture). Of necessity, some of these injector and pump
parts are close tolerance, precision machined steel, which cannot tolerate
water or rust. Hence the "repair" is an expensive replacement. Water in
gasoline causes the engine to stammer or stop, but usually not massive
damage to the fuel system.
4. Oil is cheaper than metal. You MUST use engine oil specifically
formulated for TURBOCHARGED DIESEL use. The higher compression of a diesel
(19 or 20 to 1 vs.. 7.5 to 8.5 to 1 for gas engines) results in more "blow
by" (products of combustion which form acids getting into the crankcase oil
and then circulating this through the engine. Diesel oil has the additives
to neutralize these acids. Also, turbochargers are mounted on the exhaust
manifold -the hottest part of the engine. The engine oil circulates through
the turbocharger bearings (which effectively are a flash oil cooker).
Consequently, turbo diesel engine oils are formulated to "take the heat."
That's all there is to it.
Note that mechanics who are primarily trained on gasoline engines may not be
as savvy when it comes to diesels. Consequently, you might want to have your
diesel engine serviced a truck or diesel engine dealership/service facility.
This support structure exists because truck manufacturers often offer a
variety of engines on their vehicles understand that filters are cheaper at
a Navistar dealer vs.. a Ford dealership (since the parts go through less
layers of handling.
Oliver Filippi
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
This site is not sponsored by or affiliated in any way with Airstream Inc, Thor Inc, or the WBCCI.
0 comments:
Post a Comment