Duramax Power Recipes

Back in 2001, GM retired its 19-year-old indirect- injection (IDI) 6.5L diesel and replaced it with the all-new 6.6L Duramax diesel. At the time, the new Duramax represented a paradigm shift in diesel technology. It was the first diesel engine sold in an American pickup to offer common-rail injection, the first to be fitted with aluminum heads, and the first to be mated to a medium-duty truck transmission. Fast-forward to today, and the Duramax engine has become a powerful force in the diesel-performance world. A Duramax-powered truck has won Diesel Power Challenge three times, and a Duramax finished Second Place in last year's challenge. It is now common to see diesel Chevrolets and GMCs making 400 to 500 rear-wheel horsepower, while still giving their drivers 20-mpg daily driven capability.

The General's Pros and Cons GM trucks are lighter than their Ford and Dodge counterparts, and their independent front suspension tends to give them a superior ride. If you tow, a Duramax-powered rig can be your best friend, thanks to the Allison transmission that comes behind it. If you plan on drag racing or sled pulling, however, the Allison will need some serious work, as adding any more than 90 to 120 rear-wheel horsepower, and you'll be skating on thin ice. With all this in mind, let's take a look at some power combinations we've witnessed work on $1,500, $2,500, $5,000, and $10,000 budgets.

BUDGET: $1,500
MODIFICATION:	COMPANY:	REASON:	PRICE:	VENDOR:
Gauges	Auto Meter, Isspro	To keep an eye	$250-$300	Auto Anything
	DiPricol	on boost and EGT		Laguna Speed
Programmer	Banks Six-Gun	Adds fuel and	$500-$1,000	Banks, PPE
	PPE Hot+2, EFILive	timing		EFILive
Cold-air	Airaid, Banks	More airflow is needed	$250-$400	Auto Anything, Banks Power
intake	K&N, S&B	with more fuel		Laguna Speed
4-inch exhaust	Banks	More exhaust flow	$320-$700	Auto Anything
	Diamond Eye	is needed with intake		Banks Power
	MBRP, RBP	and fuel upgrades		Laguna Speed
Power: 350 to 400 hp
(Tuner must be limited to avoid long-term transmission damage)
Weak Links: Torque converter, stock transmission, and lift pump				TOTAL: $1,320 to $2,400

Chevrolet and GMC trucks powered by the 6.6L Duramax engine have become a force in diesel performance. Last year, Matt Gainer (opposite page) was tied for the lead in the Diesel Power Challenge before a unit bearing took him out during the 150-mile ride and drive competition. EFILive (above) allows customers to share and download custom performance tunes for their Duramax diesels. It can also be used as a diagnostic tool to troubleshoot rough-running engines.

Budget: $2,500
MODIFICATION:	COMPANY:	REASON:	PRICE:	VENDOR:
Gauges	Auto Meter, Isspro	To keep an eye	$250-$300	Auto Anything
	DiPricol	on boost and EGT		Laguna Speed
Programmer	Banks Six-Gun	Adds fuel and	$500-$1,000	Banks, PPE
	PPE Hot+2, EFILive	timing		EFILive
Cold-air	Airaid, Banks	More airflow is needed	$250-$400	Auto Anything, Banks Power
intake	K&N, S&B	with more fuel		Laguna Speed
4-inch exhaust	Banks	More exhaust flow	$320-$700	Auto Anything
	Diamond Eye	is needed with intake		Banks Power
	MBRP, RBP	and fuel upgrades		Laguna Speed
Lift pump	FASS	More fuel is needed	$500	FASS
	AirDog	to support programmer		AirDog
Power: 350 to 400 hp
(Tuner must be limited to avoid long-term transmission damage)
Weak Links: Torque converter and stock transmission				Total: $1,820 to $2,900

There's a massive amount of power potential in the 6.6L Duramax engine. The 1,300hp engine in Buck Spruill's race truck (pictured) shares the same block, heads, and crankshaft with the factory 365hp LBZ version.

Budget: $5,000
MODIFICATION:	COMPANY:	REASON:	PRICE:	VENDOR:
Gauges	Auto Meter, Isspro	To keep an eye	$250-$300	Auto Anything
	DiPricol	on boost and EGT		Laguna Speed
Programmer	Banks Six-Gun	Adds fuel and	$500-$1,000	Banks, PPE
	PPE Hot+2, EFILive	timing		EFILive
Cold-air intake	Airaid, Banks	More airflow is	$250-$400	Auto Anything
	K&N	needed with more		Banks Power
	S&B	fuel		Laguna Speed
4-inch exhaust	Banks	More exhaust flow	$320-$700	Auto Anything
	Diamond Eye	is needed with intake		Banks Power
	MBRP, RBP	and fuel upgrades		Laguna Speed
Lift pump	FASS	More fuel is needed to	$500	FASS
	AirDog	support the programmer		AirDog
Torque	Sun Coast Converters	Stock converter	$1,100-$1,300	Sun Coast Converters
converter (auto)	ATS, NADP	will slip		ATS, NADP
	Goerend Transmission			Goerend Transmission
Shift kit	TransGo	Increased line pressure will help	$215	TTS Power Systems
		keep the transmission from slipping
Clutch upgrade	South Bend Clutch	Stock clutch will slip-get an upgraded	$1,300	South Bend Clutch
(manual)		single- or dual-disc clutch
Power: 450 to 500 hp
Weak Links: Transmission and CP3 injection pump				TOTAL: $3,320 to $4,415

For the plug-and-play crowd, Banks Power offers a Six-Gun tuner that is clean and powerful and even carries an E.O. number for 50-state use on '01 to '03 Duramax-equipped trucks.

At power levels more than 550 hp, the stock CP3 injection pump may be insufficient at high rpm. To combat this, companies such as Industrial Injection offer modified CP3 injection pumps that can support up to 700 hp.

Budget: $10,000
MODIFICATION:	COMPANY:	REASON:	PRICE:	VENDOR:
Gauges	Auto Meter, Isspro	To keep an eye	$250-$300	Auto Anything
	DiPricol	on boost and EGT		Laguna Speed
Programmer	PPE Hot+2, EFILive	Adds fuel	$500-$1,000	PPE, EFILive
	TTS Power Systems	and timing		TTS Power Systems
Cold-air intake	Airaid, Banks	More airflow is	$250-$400	Auto Anything
	K&N	needed with more		Banks Power
	S&B	fuel		Laguna Speed
4-inch exhaust	Banks	More exhaust flow	$320-$700	Auto Anything
	Diamond Eye	is needed with intake		Banks Power
	MBRP, RBP	and fuel upgrades		Laguna Speed
Lift pump	FASS	More fuel is needed	$500	FASS
	AirDog	to support programmer		AirDog
Rebuilt transmission (auto)	Sun Coast Converters	Stock converter	$4,500-$5,000	Sun Coast Converters
with upgraded clutches	ATS, NADP	will slip		ATS, NADP
and torque converter	Goerend Transmission			Goerend Transmission
Clutch upgrade (manual)	South Bend Clutch	Stock clutch will slip-get an	$1,800	South Bend Clutch
		upgraded single- or dual-disc clutch
64mm-68mm turbocharger	ATS, PPE	More airflow is needed	$2,500-$4,000	ATS, PPE
	Industrial Injection	at this power level		Industrial Injection
	Fleece Performance			Fleece Performance
Dual injection pumps	ATS, PPE	A second CP3 pump is needed	$3,200	ATS, PPE
	Industrial Injection	to maintain rail pressure		Industrial Injection
Power: 600 to 650 hp
Weak Links: Price (automatic transmission)				Total: $9,520 to $15,100

If you plan on making some serious power, dual CP3 injection pump kits such as this one from ATS can support more than 1,000 hp without dropping rail pressure.

Duramax engines are also known for having a fuel economy advantage over Ford and Dodge offerings. This two-wheel-drive GMC got 29.52 mpg during a 181-mile test loop in our September '08 Fuel Economy Shootout.

Pacific Performance Engineering (PPE) offers complete running and wired engines starting at $15,000 that anyone can drop into their muscle car, street rod, or 4x4. If you have money burning a hole in your pocket, $48,000 will buy you this turnkey, twin-turbo'd, lowered-compression, dual-CP3-pump-equipped 1,200hp street engine.