Best Generation Of Duramax
 

So just curious on what generations of Durmax are good or not

First off I just bought a 03 Duramax And have been reading they have injector probles.
How much is the reapir bill is something I could do myself or not?

Also Witch generation would you say is the best?

The injectors will run a couple grand, and the install will take about 14 to 16 hours.:argh:

07 LBZ classic definately the best choice, has the fewest problems:tu:

:rocking:

they are all pretty good. just stay away from the lb7's lol. do your injectors so that way you dont have an extra few quarts of diesel fuel in ur oil pan haha

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gm exteneded the warranty on them. so most ppl got them replaced with the new design ones. i work at a gm dealer. pm me the vin if you want and i can do a vis check and tel you if they were replaced

LLY's are the best

.......LB7's all the way........................:U::U:

My 08 I think was a bit faster then my 09. I should have kept the blue one as the white one gets hit by every rock on the highway lol.

LB7:tu:

imo they are all good. i just prefer the ones without all the smog crap :nope:

from a reliability stand point LBZ, no cracking injectors, no over heating problems, and most power/torque in stock trim, strongest block...... 6-speed Allison, need i say more?:tttt:

the LMM is the same as the LBZ, but it has a few more EPA required bits

Yeah but with the lmm you can just buy a new tuner and delete all the emisions bullshit:argh:

What years are which?

I'm in the starts of shopping for one. This one was to be more creature comfy according to my wife.:bat:

Your Gonna want the 07.5-10 LMM:rocking:

I have had an 03, 05 and 07.5, of them all my favorite is the 07.5, but when I bought each of them the newest was my favorite, if I bought a brand new one, it would probably be my favorite.


Chevy/GMC Duramax 2011 LML

Chevy/GMC Duramax 07.5 & UP LMM

Chevy/GMC Duramax 06-07 LBZ

Chevy/GMC Duramax 04.5-05 LLY

Chevy/GMC Duramax 01-04 LB7

Chevy/GMC 6.2L and 6.5L

I like my lb7. Don't get me wrong. If I could afford it I'd be rolling in an lmm :D

If i could afford it i would be rolling in an LML Denali.... i got wood the first time i saw one:pca1:

as of now im likein my 07 LBZ.im not a fan of the the 7.5 styling in or out.i also spend a lot of time off the road n you seem to get better ground clearance with the classic GMs.i also didnt want to have to go thru the BS of deleting the DPF.i still wanted a truck under warranty.just my 2 since :yeah:

LB7!!!! :jump::jump:

im happy with my lb7 plus it has no epa bullcrap on it they are easy to get power out of
but lbz's have a lot beter block and crank :tu:

Oh stop......:w2:

I think for several reasons i like the LBZ over any other Generation of DURAMAX. LBZ was the last model with out a DPF, it has the same compression as the LMM, it only runs 5 less HP than the LMM, tons of mods for it. All the bugs are worked out (even an eng as great as the duramax has bugs) the LML puts out 397 HP but its fuel system runs about 4000 more psi than the LBZ, but its all good cause a LBZ in perfect condition only costs 30k vs a LML with similar features costing 50k+. Over all, i think that as time goes on, yes my oppinion will change, but being the tight wad that i am, i think my next DMAX won't be a LMM or LML, but an LBZ.

Does not really matter to me there all the same when you take them apart and rebuild them :c: My play tow is the 06 LBZ but looking at a 03 CCSB LB7 tow tow it with for the wife.

Oh new, news, just found out the Latest mod LLY is identical to the LBZ minus the tune, which apparently is only a 20 HP difference. I like the look of that model (exterior and interior) and from the experience i have with the LLY i love it. i don't know if the Late model LLY has the 6 speed allison in it, but i do know for a fact the LBZ has the 6 speed, which is a great trans but, me i have a 04.5 LLY and i knwo i got stuck with the 5 speed alli.

I am a big fan of the 04.5-05 LLY
and the 06-07 LBZ
Last years Diesel Power Challenge winner was a 2001 LBZ

They all have their inherent faults, and the Dmax is not cheap. With the right tuning, and performance parts you could go along way on just the small changes.

Early 06 lly's are LBZ motors just detuned. You could only get the 6 spd allison in the 06 detuned lly/lbz. You gain better rods and blocks with the lbz and 6 SPd but also get the crappy pistons that come with them.

This man knows from experience with this one.... GM decided to cheap out with the pistons on the LBZ... why?? who knows!!!:argh:

I thought I did a rebuild thread over here with all my pics with pulling it and rebuilding and installing. But I see I have not so I will start once and add it all over here it might help others down the road.

Thanks for contributing! This Forum needs more Duramax information! It might keep the Cummins people in check! :c:

I like my 09 Silverado LTZ. In terms of comfort, it's the nicest truck I've ever had, and I've had a lot of them in all my years as a builder. It's pure stock and plenty fast enough for me.

Chevy/GMC Duramax 2011 LML one of the best engines out there but little tuning available and owners now have to deal with filling up on exhaust fluid/urea. almost 400 HP stock

Chevy/GMC Duramax 07.5 & UP LMM
essentially the same as the LBZ but with the new body stile and extra emission junk. last year for EFI Live

Chevy/GMC Duramax 06-07 LBZ
another modest bump in HP. new injector design with virtually no failures. some will argue about the bad piston design but this may be more from fact that the rods are now stronger and the piston has become the week link. only in issue on higher HP tunes. overall voted best truck before EPA interferes

Chevy/GMC Duramax 04.5-05 LLY
the 04-04.5 still have the 5 speed allison. after that they went to the 6 speed. same basic injector design but changed the valve covers so the injectors could more easily be changed. tuned with 320 hp stock. these trucks seem to have an overheating issue from the restrictive intake design but replacing it should resolve it

Chevy/GMC Duramax 01-04 LB7
good running engine, easy to tune, tuns if aftermarket available. injector issues. injectors can be done for about $2K if you do it yourself. comes with 300 hp stock. best MPG stock


I like my LB7 but if i could afford it i would get an LMM, on a tighter budget i would go with the LBZ:choochoo:

I like my lb7. but the injector issue, $2000 + is hard to swallow.

It's all been said before, but I'll repeat it anyway:
2001-2004.5 LB7's - non-variable vane turbo, sound a little meaner with exhaust, lower stock power, 5 spd trans, and of course the 4k+ injector bill every 100k miles.
2004.5-2006 LLY's - no injector issues, 5spd trans, vvt, rumored to get the best mileage, had some overheating issues when towing.
2006-2007 LBZ's - No injector issues, 6spd trans, vvt, no issues. No DPF garbage, EGR pretty simple to get around.
2008-2010 LMM's - Same as LBZ, but with DPF. More money.
2011- LML's - More power, stronger blocks, no real issues, DPF, less aftermarket(not by much) than the older ones. More money.