# diesel/allison tranny question



## rmartini27 (Dec 15, 2007)

i have a question does anyone know the way to tell if the 6.6 liter 2500 hd has the allison tranny. im looking to buy a used 2500hd and online im not sure if the people are listing the allison tranny. the 2009 2500hd diesel only comes with the allison tranny (i think). i wish i could afford the 2009 but im looking between 2002/2006. i just wish i had a way to tell from the vin but i dont know if i can


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## GSORK (Dec 6, 2003)

Spin on filter. All duramax come with allison


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## JCI Trans (Oct 21, 2008)

agreed they only came with the allison, they would blow a 4L80E to bits!!


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## rmartini27 (Dec 15, 2007)

im looking online at these trucks sometimes they show pics of the engine sometimes not is there any way to tell throgh vin? what year was the duramax only offered with the allison if ever. sometimes they list it as a auto four speed tranny w/overdrive. would that be a allison. is the tranny that much better


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## rmartini27 (Dec 15, 2007)

also if the cluster has a trans temp gauge is that an allison?


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## JCI Trans (Oct 21, 2008)

as far as i know all hd's have the trans temp guage, my 6.0 does. all duramax engines have the allison!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## rmartini27 (Dec 15, 2007)

from what year? has the duramax always come only with the allison?


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## JCI Trans (Oct 21, 2008)

yes all years!!!!


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## CHEVYMAN2001 (Feb 7, 2009)

I have an 01 2500HD Duramax and it has an allison.


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## rmartini27 (Dec 15, 2007)

thats great news guys i thought it was an option i didnt know it was standard with the duramax. thanks alot for your help


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## CHEVYMAN2001 (Feb 7, 2009)

I would ask if the injector pump and or injectors have been replaced.They are a common problem on the early models.


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## CHEVYMAN2001 (Feb 7, 2009)

What's up? Just joined today.


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## aeronutt (Sep 24, 2008)

As already stated: Duramax engine = Allison transmission 100% of the time. Earlier diesels that were not Duramax (6.5L, 6.2L) did not get Allison transmissions, but for a while you could get an Allison behind the massive 8.1L gas motor. Manual transmission was never an option for pickups with a Duramax and none of GM's other automatic transmissions would survive the torque.

Check out www.dieselplace.com for more Chevy diesel motor tech than you could possibly handle.

As a "gee whiz", my D-Max pickup and my Subaru Legacy are the only vehicles I've owned that have spin-on transmission filters.


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## rmartini27 (Dec 15, 2007)

not much man i can replace the injectors is it any harder w/a diesel ive never worked on one. do they run more expensive?


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## CHEVYMAN2001 (Feb 7, 2009)

It can be a very expensive job if the truck is out of warrenty.


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## aeronutt (Sep 24, 2008)

Do a search on dieselplace for injectors. They were a known weak point in the early years. GM tacked on a whole lot of cool points by extending the warranty WAY beyond original to take care of their customers and upgrade the injectors to some new bombproof hardware. Once the earlier motors got the injector upgrade, they last forever and get better mileage than the later model motors. If you have to buy the injectors yourself rather than on warranty, it will cost as much as a house payment.


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## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

CHEVYMAN2001;745822 said:


> I would ask if the *injector pump *and or injectors have been replaced.They are a common problem on the early models.


No way. It runs on a cp3 which is a mechanical IP driven off of the flywheel. They don't just go bad.

Injectors, yes. Roughly every 100-150k on 01-early 04's and are warranted for 7 years 200k miles. $3k+ to fix if out of warranty.

And yes, from 01-current, all Duramaxes are backed by an Allison.....in trucks that is, not vans. 8.1's too.


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## rmartini27 (Dec 15, 2007)

aero nut how would i know if the injectors have been replaced and do you know the years that have the faulty hardware? is the problem in the injectors or the injector pump


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## rmartini27 (Dec 15, 2007)

h20 thanks for the info


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## aeronutt (Sep 24, 2008)

To find out if the injectors were replaced, take the VIN to a Chevy dealer and ask.


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## CHEVYMAN2001 (Feb 7, 2009)

I didn't say the injector pumps just go bad.The truck I have it had been replaced before I bought it (from the original owner) and have heard of other issues with them.


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## Mark13 (Dec 3, 2006)

aeronutt;745832 said:


> Manual transmission was never an option for pickups with a Duramax.


Ya it was, it's the ZF6 (6spd). They are rare but they are out there.


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

Mark13;745911 said:


> Ya it was, it's the ZF6 (6spd). They are rare but they are out there.


Mark is correct, a manual was an option untill about 06. They have a special section at DP for the zf6. All Dmax's have allisons or a zf6 period.


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## JDiepstra (Sep 15, 2008)

Can anyone tell me how I can figure out if the Duramax truck I am looking at has an Allison transmission? How do I know for sure? Is it just some years or all of them or just the even years or the odd years or something?


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## augerandblade (Jan 17, 2009)

The Allison tranny has got a external filter


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## B&B (Nov 4, 2006)

JDiepstra;746154 said:


> Can anyone tell me how I can figure out if the Duramax truck I am looking at has an Allison transmission? How do I know for sure? Is it just some years or all of them or just the even years or the odd years or something?


*All* auto equipped D-max's are Allison equipped..regardless of year.


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## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

B&B;746287 said:


> *All* auto equipped D-max's are Allison equipped..regardless of year.


He was kidding


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## lilweeds (Aug 3, 2007)

Never seen a manual. Don't think they ever made em, but I could be wrong.


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## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

rsvees;746682 said:


> Never seen a manual. Don't think they ever made em, but I could be wrong.


Lots of them out there......ZF6's as stated above.


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## te snow (Jan 16, 2009)

Kind of off subject but the 8.1L is no longer available in trucks by GM. They decided to put it in RV camper trailers.


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## B&B (Nov 4, 2006)

te snow;746783 said:


> Kind of off subject but the 8.1L is no longer available in trucks by GM. They decided to put it in RV camper trailers.


They're still available in the C4500's although in that application the D-max is a better choice in most instances.


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## te snow (Jan 16, 2009)

B&B;746789 said:


> They're still available in the C4500's although in that application the D-max is a better choice in most instances.


Sorry for the miss guided information.


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## m.williams (Jan 17, 2009)

rmartini27;745767 said:


> im looking online at these trucks sometimes they show pics of the engine sometimes not is there any way to tell throgh vin? what year was the duramax only offered with the allison if ever. sometimes they list it as a auto four speed tranny w/overdrive. would that be a allison. is the tranny that much better


Hey,
Any Chevy Silverado or GMC Sierra in the range of years you are looking through that has the Duramax in it has an Alisson Transmission, don't stress, the all have it and it is the strongest damn transmission ever put in a pickup truck, good choice with the chevy.
Good Luck
mines got 99245 miles with nothing but basic maintnence, and original breaks , need to change those pretty bad now but hey no problems so far knock on wood.


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## lilweeds (Aug 3, 2007)

got-h2o;746687 said:


> Lots of them out there......ZF6's as stated above.


Which years were they avalible? I know I couldn't get it on my 06.


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

rsvees;747167 said:


> which years were they avalible? I know i couldn't get it on my 06.


01-06..................


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## Mark13 (Dec 3, 2006)

aeronutt;745844 said:


> Once the earlier motors got the injector upgrade, they last forever and get better mileage than the later model motors. If you have to buy the injectors yourself rather than on warranty, it will cost as much as a house payment.


I wouldn't say that, I've heard of plenty of lb7's on their third, fourth, etc set of injectors. Some guys get 200k+ out of a set and some guys get 20k.


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## 3500DIESEL (Jan 29, 2009)

well let me clear you up right now the *ONLY* auto trans to go behind a Dmax is an allison and there was a ZF6 speed stick from 01-06

01-03 was the LB7 Dmax with 300hp/520lb ft of torque it had either a 5speed allison or ZF6 stick shift
04-05.5 was the LLY Dmax with 310hp/605lb ft of torque it had either a 5speed allison or ZF6 stick shift
05.5-06 was still the LLY Dmax but they had the 6speed allison or ZF6 stick shift these are sort of rare.
06-07 was the LBZ Dmax with 360hp/650lb ft of torque had the 6speed allison no ZF6 stick shift
07.5-09 is the LMM dmax with 365hp/660lb ft of torque has only the 6speed allison.
in 2010 from what ive seen theres going to be a 6.9Dmax with 400+hp and 700+lb feet or torque.

So this will answer your question about the allison is in every dmax year. injecters were a problem for the LB7 and early LLYs but they were fixed also if you get a lly and if you tow alot and i mean alot with a stock air box it might over hear thats due to the turbo mouth piece you can fix it with an after market intake or a LBZ or LMM mouth piece. By far my favorite is the LLY. say if your injectors did go bad dont buy factory ones get 40hp injecters there cheaper and more power.


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## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

3500DIESEL;747283 said:


> well let me clear you up right now the *ONLY* auto trans to go behind a Dmax is an allison and there was a ZF6 speed stick from 01-06
> 
> 01-03 was the LB7 Dmax with 300hp/520lb ft of torque it had either a 5speed allison or ZF6 stick shift
> 04-05.5 was the LLY Dmax with 310hp/605lb ft of torque it had either a 5speed allison or ZF6 stick shift
> ...


Not true, the rest is......just had to clear that up. The injector design was completely redesigned for the LLY's so they wouldn't fail. Early 04, yes...b/c they were LB7's.

Also true on the mouthpiece, although an aftermarket intake won't replace it, you still want to change it. That being said, I've never changed it on both LLY's, tow somewhat often with them (100* days, a/c on, etc...) and never had an overheat problem. If pushed to the limits, overweight, through the hills, etc, then yes it can happen.


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## ticki2 (Jan 10, 2006)

3500DIESEL;747283 said:


> well let me clear you up right now the *ONLY* auto trans to go behind a Dmax is an allison and there was a ZF6 speed stick from 01-06
> 
> 01-03 was the LB7 Dmax with 300hp/520lb ft of torque it had either a 5speed allison or ZF6 stick shift
> 04-05.5 was the LLY Dmax with 310hp/605lb ft of torque it had either a 5speed allison or ZF6 stick shift
> ...


Not to nitpick but the Dmax vans don't have an Allison


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## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

ticki2;747386 said:


> Not to nitpick but the Dmax vans don't have an Allison


Man, I beat you to that one way back in the thread! Just messin......although I did


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## 3500DIESEL (Jan 29, 2009)

last i knew we were talking the pickups not vans. yes the earlly LLYs did have a slight injector prob normally the number 2 injector went on them it was fixed rather fast. an aftermarket intake is a good band aid for the mouth piece but doesnt replace it like you said.


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## 3500DIESEL (Jan 29, 2009)

also dont quote me on this but i belive the torque converter in the allison for the LB7 motors didnt like mods very much, but on the LLY i belive the upgraded it. im not sure on that just heard it a few times.


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## THEGOLDPRO (Jun 18, 2006)

JDiepstra;746154 said:


> Can anyone tell me how I can figure out if the Duramax truck I am looking at has an Allison transmission? How do I know for sure? Is it just some years or all of them or just the even years or the odd years or something?


come on....... you know you would NEVER ever look at another engine thats not a cummins, why are you trying to fool us????


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## William B. (Jul 22, 2004)

3500DIESEL;747433 said:


> also dont quote me on this but i belive the torque converter in the allison for the LB7 motors didnt like mods very much, but on the LLY i belive the upgraded it. im not sure on that just heard it a few times.


The problem with the LLY injectors was the electrical connection to the injector would go bad and the wires would work loose. GM has a fix kit that you can buy for this. Also the wires for the passenger side are mounted on a bracket next to the alt. The wire harness would get rubbed through and cause some problems. Heater hose rapped around the harness fixes that.


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## 3500DIESEL (Jan 29, 2009)

There yea go i knew something went with the injectors. Other then a few stupid things all the Dmax motors are great the LMM would be the best if you took the EPA crap off it like EGR and DPF,but thats another story.


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## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

3500DIESEL;747424 said:


> last i knew we were talking the pickups not vans. yes the earlly LLYs did have a slight injector prob normally the number 2 injector went on them it was fixed rather fast. an aftermarket intake is a good band aid for the mouth piece but doesnt replace it like you said.





William B.;747629 said:


> The problem with the LLY injectors was the electrical connection to the injector would go bad and the wires would work loose. GM has a fix kit that you can buy for this. Also the wires for the passenger side are mounted on a bracket next to the alt. The wire harness would get rubbed through and cause some problems. Heater hose rapped around the harness fixes that.


It was #'s 5 and 7 

I haven't had that problem either though. I've been wanting to do the fix but never got around to it. My 05 has 190k and has never once been back to the dealer aside from a small coolant leak out of a water pump hose about 2 months ago at 185k. Not bad IMHO.


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## 3500DIESEL (Jan 29, 2009)

The Dmax is a great motor my uncle just upgraded to a LLY he sold his LB7 with 248,000miles with just injectors put in it.


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## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

3500DIESEL;748229 said:


> The Dmax is a great motor my uncle just upgraded to a LLY he sold his LB7 with 248,000miles with just injectors put in it.


May I also mention, my 01 has 253k and my 03 256k


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## William B. (Jul 22, 2004)

got-h2o;747907 said:


> It was #'s 5 and 7
> 
> I haven't had that problem either though. I've been wanting to do the fix but never got around to it. My 05 has 190k and has never once been back to the dealer aside from a small coolant leak out of a water pump hose about 2 months ago at 185k. Not bad IMHO.


I thought it was 2 and 7?

One thing to also mention is the pump rub problem in the transfer case. The internal pump in the transfer case has a clip that holds it in place. That clip will break and allow the pump to rub a small pin hole in the back half of the case and allow the fluid drain out and ruin the internals. Merchant Automotive has a fix for this to prevent it from rubbing through. I have the kit and will be having it installed in a couple weeks when we do my trans. I'd rather pay 250 bucks for the kit the shuck a transfer case and then have to buy a new back half of the case.This effect all years of the HDs. Doesn't seem to matter the year of the truck.


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## 3500DIESEL (Jan 29, 2009)

got-h2o;748402 said:


> May I also mention, my 01 has 253k and my 03 256k


just getting broken in. HAHA


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## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

William B.;748707 said:


> I thought it was 2 and 7?
> 
> One thing to also mention is the pump rub problem in the transfer case. The internal pump in the transfer case has a clip that holds it in place. That clip will break and allow the pump to rub a small pin hole in the back half of the case and allow the fluid drain out and ruin the internals. Merchant Automotive has a fix for this to prevent it from rubbing through. I have the kit and will be having it installed in a couple weeks when we do my trans. I'd rather pay 250 bucks for the kit the shuck a transfer case and then have to buy a new back half of the case.This effect all years of the HDs. Doesn't seem to matter the year of the truck.


You're right, I cought it too but couldn't edit it.

Good point on the pump rub, although knock on wood, 5 4wd Dmaxes totaling nearly 1 mil miles and no pump rub for me.


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