Hello, I want to put a duramax in my mid 70s 3/4 ton 4WD and I want to run it with a manual trans. I have located what looks like a good donor truck, its an 06 with LLY/ZF6. My question is would it be best to start with a donor truck to start my build or would it be easier and cheaper to just buy a pulled motor and trans? Also I have heard that you can use a NV4500 behind a duramax as long as you don't go crazy power or tow a lot? The NV4500 would be much cheaper if I didn't go donor truck route. I would delete and tune the motor looking for maybe 450-500hp, nothing crazy and I would hardly ever tow with it and anything I did tow would be light. One reason I would lean toward a donor truck would be to use the intercooler and radiator in the swap but I have heard that you don't necessarily have to use an intercooler, is this true? It'll have 37s and 4.10 gears.
Duramax Swap Help
- Thread starter Sneeder
- Start date
i would do the donor truck route. that way if you need any of the extra parts, BCM, instrument cluster, wiring harness, etc. you don't have to hunt anything down
the intercooler is not "needed" but helps with EGT, engine temps, denser air charge, etc.
the intercooler is not "needed" but helps with EGT, engine temps, denser air charge, etc.
The BCM, instrument cluster, underdash harness is not needed for a standalone engine. But you can run all that stuff to modernize your truck........ keep it simple.
I am planning to go with a stand alone harness for the truck. I want to keep the stock gauges in the truck. I plan to run the speedo off my transfer case, I've read how to set up an oil pressure sending unit, temp gauge and battery shouldn't be a problem, I was thinking I would get a tach wired in to the stand alone harness and possibly a boost gauge. It all sounds pretty simple to me but then again I've never done it, please correct me if I am wrong!
To get a nv4500 to hold up, you would need a DODGE HD version from behind a CUMMINS as your starting point, then swap in the GM bellhousing, get a clutch to work with the DODGE input(GM used a pretty small input shaft on theres), and end up with a mild hybrid. The GM NV4500 was a light duty version used primarily behind lower torque gassers, and I believe only had a 450 lb ft input torque rating. For a speedo, don't forget the DURAMAX ECM will be happiest with a speed sensor input. You can always go with a speed sensor that installs in your speedo cable to provide it a speed input. Gauges aren't a problem really. As to a tach, all you need is a 4 cylinder tach and a 4700 ohm pull up resistor I believe it is. A donor truck will make your swap ALOT easier, even doing it stand alone. There will be so many small odds and ends you will end up needing, that they will nickle and dime you to death in the end.
I always guessed a donor truck would be better and I don't even need to worry about the NV4500 in that case, could just find a ZF6 truck. Would the speed sensor just be to make the ECM happy? Then run the original mechanical speedo cable for my gauge? Why a 4 cylinder tach?
The duramax ecm outputs the same tach signal as the LS engines, and for some reason GM chose to use a 4 cylinder tach output(2 pulses per crankshaft revolution). Late model ECM's will work best with a speed sensor input, but they can be run without one if needed. Most all the tables are torque based(either fuel by a torque value in 06+, or have torque limiters for 05-), and it uses rpm, mph, and current gear to come up with a torque value. Theres really no need to not run one with all the speed sensor options out there now. You can easily run a cable speedo, and put a speed sensor inline with the cable to provide a speed value to the ecm.
You are like an encyclopedia! I will keep all that in mind for my build. What do you know in regards to the cruise control? I want to run all my old trucks original steering column so I am curious to how I could work up controls for cruise control. I was thinking maybe something like a high idle switch that could maybe just hold the motor at a desired rpm? I wouldn't be surprised if that isn't possible but idk. Any thoughts or ideas?