High mileage for a duramax?

S

sean1833

New member
Jul 12, 2014
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I am looking for something to tow my toy to drift events around texas (ls1 swapped rx7), and be a reliable daily. I want to keep it chevy so I have been looking at duramax's. I found an 04 2500 duramax with 180,000 miles, no idea about carfax service history because I havn't contacted the seller yet. I wanted to get a good idea of what I should be looking for when purchasing these trucks to get an idea of what will give me the least problems in the long run. New to duramaxs and new to diesels. I am trying to keep it under 10k for the truck, kinda a deal with the wife so I can continue dumping money on the toy and she can get her damn liberal mobile prius.

PS: sorry I did not know where this thread should be posted so I tried here. And before telling me to search the forums, I have. Didnt quite answer my question.
 
ikeG

ikeG

Oughta Know Better
Apr 19, 2011
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A higher mileage duramax may be a better bet than a lower one, because it has more than likely been maintained well to make it thus far. Instead of sitting around letting everything rust/corrode and collect moisture, it has been on the road putting in laps. I wouldn't consider anything high miles unless its absurdly high. More important than the carfax bull crap is the condition of the truck. Look hard at what you are buying instead of a piece of paper.
 
paint94979

paint94979

Beer Nazi
Sep 18, 2006
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See if its an LB7 or LLY if its an LLY 180,000 is no problem for its injectors typically. If its an LB7 then you may or may not have to change out the injectors now or soon
 
BIGTERRY75

BIGTERRY75

BIG T
Jul 15, 2014
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ROCKWALL TX
I wouldnt be afraid of it.
One of my customers has an lb7 that had 785k on before it lost a head gasket. He replace it with a rebuilt unit.
What ever you get do a lift pump and 2 micron fuel filter and your injector issues will be gone. Unless it already has problems of course.
 
paint94979

paint94979

Beer Nazi
Sep 18, 2006
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BIGTERRY75 said:
I wouldnt be afraid of it.
One of my customers has an lb7 that had 785k on before it lost a head gasket. He replace it with a rebuilt unit.
What ever you get do a lift pump and 2 micron fuel filter and your injector issues will be gone. Unless it already has problems of course.
Click to expand...

The factory filter is 2 micron btw
 
Mike L.

Mike L.

Got Sheep?
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Aug 12, 2006
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BIGTERRY75 said:
I wouldnt be afraid of it.
One of my customers has an lb7 that had 785k on before it lost a head gasket. He replace it with a rebuilt unit.
What ever you get do a lift pump and 2 micron fuel filter and your injector issues will be gone. Unless it already has problems of course.
Click to expand...

That didn't work in '03 and it doesn't work now. The injectors will go when they feel like it no matter what you do.
 
1pieceatatime

1pieceatatime

Member
Mar 30, 2014
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Schuyler NY
Its all relative. Was the truck a highway queen, or did someone plow snow with it all winter and haul "small" equipment with it all summer. You'd probably rather buy a 200k mile truck from an accountant that used the truck to tow his boat to the lake rather than a 100k mile truck from a logger. Really gotta feel the seller out to see what kind of a life the truck has had.


IMHO 180k is nothing for a Dmax that has had reasonable maintenance, with an LB7 you want to be on the look out for head gaskets and injectors. If the truck has had a programmer, 180k is knocking on headgasket territory if its not already there.
 
BIGTERRY75

BIGTERRY75

BIG T
Jul 15, 2014
35
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ROCKWALL TX
In my experience....This does fix it. You still have to change the filters for it to work but don't get any complaints from my customers that have performed this modification.

We have had great luck with the add on filters and lift pumps. Had a few pump failures out of the early air dog deals, but all were resolved and everyone was happy. That is the kit we use most if any one is wondering.

Have a few lb7s out there that are worked; not rode that have not had a hiccup ever since we replaced the factory fuel filters with the after market setups. One is at 215k on the injectors and fuel system. Changed it over bout 3 years ago had 190k on it then, and was on its 3rd set of injectors. Have a few others that have 100k or more on them and customers are happy. Most just change filters at 15k and separators at 30k. A few monitor and change by fuel pressure leaving the pump. When it drops to a certain # they change. All seem to be around 15k + or - a few thousand.

Sounds like you guys that are having problems need to swap your filters out more often.

Pretty sure the factory filter is a 7 micron. Found this in some program we use here at the shop.
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Product Specs</td></tr> <tr> <td class="contenttbl" width="130">Part Number</td> <td> 33960</td></tr> <tr> <td class="contenttbl">Micron</td> <td> 7.00</td></tr> <tr> <td class="contenttbl">Height</td> <td> 6.300</td></tr> <tr> <td class="contenttbl">Outer Diameter Top</td> <td> 3.958</td></tr> <tr> <td class="contenttbl">Outer Diameter Bottom</td> <td> 3.472</td></tr> <tr> <td class="contenttbl">Inner Diameter Top</td> <td> Closed</td></tr> <tr> <td class="contenttbl">Duty Type</td> <td> HD</td></tr> <tr> <td class="contenttbl">Class</td> <td> HA</td></tr> <tr> <td class="contenttbl">ThreadSize</td> <td> 3 3/8-8</td></tr> <tr> <td class="contenttbl">MediaType</td> <td> Paper</td></tr></tbody></table> <table class="contentText" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="230"> <tbody> <tr> <td class="contentH" colspan="2" valign="top">
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Just my .02 and experience
 
LWATSON

LWATSON

future trans limpers
Jul 30, 2008
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Scotland Neck NC
Bigterry, you mentioned swapping filters out move often. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but an old filter will filter just as good as a new one it just doesn't flow as good?
 
duratothemax

duratothemax

<--- slippery roads
Aug 28, 2006
7,139
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BIGTERRY75 said:
ok

I will be nice

It Works in Texas, Guess our kits are different.
Click to expand...

I guess they are??

You should start selling them, because you will make a ton of money!

Congratulations, you figured out the solution to the LB7 injector problem! Even the smart engineers at Bosch and GM couldnt figure it out!!! And they've been trying to figure it out/find a solution for the past 12 years!! Hats off to you!!!!! :cool: :beerchug:

I vote we make this post about better filters being the fix to LB7 injector failure a sticky.

Ben
 
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