Allison makes a good transmission, there's no argument about that. Chevy loses way more power in the drivetrain than Ford does, too, that makes a big difference in the power that actually gets to the rear wheels, and that's where it counts, not at the flywheel where manufacturers rate their performance.

 

So since I don't get to the computer very often time for me to put my two cents in here again, I was really hoping that someone could tell me why the people that run the Duramax need to put the radiator blocker on their trucks in cold weather. I don't know anyone that has one so I can't ask them. #2 Yes, Allison auto has been around for right next to forever but look at the transmission model, the one behind the Duramax was made just for the Duramax alone so they do build good transmissons, but every company puts out a lemon model every now and again. And for my 3rd and final point. Sure aluminum heads may work, they may last. But they dissipate heat faster than cast iron as MEPR pointed out, this means that true you get your cooler intake charge but they will also transfer heat from the combustion chamber to the coolent faster leaving you with less heat for expansion of the air to make POWER! Thats why Hemi's suck and new superbike motorcycles have almost flat combustion chambers, so in the end aluminum heads belong on performance gas motors, go-carts and other lawn equipment. Maybe GM should talk to Briggs and Stratton about their next Diesel? Why not make it two stroke while were at it OOPS too late.

 

Two-Stroke Diesels are capable of making twice the power out of the same displacement of the 4 stroke diesels. Look at locomotives, they are all 2 stroke diesels and put out tons of power and torque.

 

I wish I had a locomotive engine in my truck!

 

Posted by Superdutyjoe;

#2 Yes, Allison auto has been around for right next to forever but look at the transmission model, the one behind the Duramax was made just for the Duramax alone so they do build good transmissons, but every company puts out a lemon model every now and again.
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The Allison 1000 series, found behind BOTH the Dmax diesel and 8.1L gasoline engines is also used with the same engines in GM 4500 / 5500 medium duty trucks. It uses the very same case as the 2000 / 2400 series found behind the larger Dmax and Caterpillar diesels in larger GM medium duties, and Cummins / Caterpillar engines in Ford F650 / 750's - it is also used in International truck engines (including the VT365 aka trouble free 6.0 PSD)

Being a GM product, Allison transmissions share many interchangeable parts- just like most GM products do.
Just changing the bell housing and tailshaft assembly, along with different gear ratio sets, turns the Allison 1000 series used with the Duramax, into the Allison 2000/2400 series used in F-650 /
F-750's.

Say what you want.....if inspite of all this, the Allison is still garbage, then what is the 5 speed 4R100 - aka -
" TorqueShift "?....lol (the only transmission I'm aware of with a name instead of a model designation) .

 

Can you give numbers on this and sources please?

Ron

00 Excursion Limited 4x4 V-10

 

The Torqueshift has nothing in common with the 4R100. Look at the input shaft and the ratios. If the 4R100 was the Torqueshift you'd already be seeing 6.0's with crapped out transmissions. The Torqueshift was designed specifically for the new diesel and shares nothing with its predecessor.

 

Two stroke diesels can not produce twice the horsepower and torque of four strokes, yes they can produce more power per cubic inch than a four stroke but they can also create twice the emissions, and twice the noise. If you hadn't noticed not to many new road tractors come with the screaming two strokes of yesteryear. Not only that they were named road oilers for a reason. Next they are not the only type of engine used in locomotives, caterpillar has a wonderful line of four stroke engines that you can buy for your locomotive and I'm sure you can do it at a reasonable price too. Next:
Posted by Sinister73 " TorqueShift "?....lol (the only transmission I'm aware of with a name instead of a model designation) .
Boy how fast we seem to forget about the good old GM powerglide (slush-o-matic) How about the Chrysler Powerflite? Thats a good one. AMC also had a wonderful "Torque Command Automatic" woo hoo..... The torqueshift does have a model designation, it escapes me at the moment, but it is something like 5R110W or something like that. My memory fails me at my young age, too young to remember anything good. So anyway I am amazed nobody had anything to say why the Hemi sucks or my reference to the duramax being made by briggs and stratton... maybe thats because it really is? I wonder if cub cadet is going to come out with a push mower with that on there, ya never know.........

 

Well while I was on the subject of transmissions I forgot two other cool names the GM (our friend the general) came up with how about the "Roto Hydra-matic" I personally like that one, or maybe the "Jetway Hydra-matic" up up and away. So yeah, GM transmission question #2 You can not get a manual transmission behind the duramax engine. That sucks for them. The local chevy children say it's because the duramax has too much torque and would tear them up... well I find this hard to believe because well Semis with a whole world more power than the duramax (Not to mention the PSD or the Cummins ISB... way to make yourself runner up GM) have more power. So why is it that you can't get a manual behind the Duramax? Now Dodge on the other hand, they know what's going on, they offer a manual tranny, too bad they are going to charge you $600 to get it if you have a diesel.. In fact no matter what tranny you get they charge you for it. I wonder if this means you can get a transmissin free Dodge? I would like one of those. Well hopefully someone has something to say about this because it is really boring writing to myself. I just like to argue. Later

 

I'm not 100 percent sure but I believe with the Duramax you can't get the new motor with an automatic only a stick. You can still get an auto with the regular durajunk.

 

Well you were right, for 2004 and up you can get a Duramax with a stick (my brother and I looked in 2003 and the pencil necked nerd behind the desk told us in secret chevy lingo the ML6 option was not currently available) but here is is straight off the GM website to you. You can get the new I guess it would be H.O duramax with the Allison auto only.. with a stick.. well still sucks to be you I guess
• Engine, Duramax 6600 Turbo Diesel V8, (with Manual Transmissions 300 HP [223.8 kW] @ 3000 rpm, 520 lb.-ft. [702.0 N-m] @ 1600 rpm) (with Automatic Transmissions 310 HP [231.2 KW] @ 3000 rpm, 590 lb.-ft. [796.5 N-m] @ 1600 rpm)
I am also glad to see they still are 3rd when it comes to horsepower even if they did make themselves runner up on torque.

 

Torque is where it's at for pulling, though. I'd guess most folks are buying them for their for their pulling prowess so it sounds like a good change to me.

 

GM, Towing Prowess?? HAHHAHAHAHAHHA

 

My stock 3/4 ton GM's (99 burb, 01 HD2500) have both pulled a lot better stability-wise than my stock 03 Excursion does. Same trailer/load, same roads, same speeds. Motor-wise, they all got the job done. The 03 Ford 5 spd tranny is a little better towing since it doesn't down shift as much but the power doesn't feel any better than my dmax did.

 

What I don't understand is why you can only get the higher output motor with the auto and not a stick. I know for a while in the Dodge you could get the HO cummins with a stick and not an auto but that made sense because the stick was built heavier than the auto, but with the duramax it is complete opposite, and GM has done it like this since back in the days of the 6.5 Turbo pile. (What I mean by pile is horrible bosch injection system that burned up solenoid drivers, only ran 7-8 pounds of boost out of the turbo,no intercooler, and a low end killing 22.5 to 1 compression ratio I do believe... maybe 21.5 to 1 but either way too high) Around the farm here we kill automatics, so we always buy manual tranny trucks, but why would I buy a truck with a manual tranny thats 80lbs/ft of torque behind the rest? That and that allison auto is expensive. To get the duramax and the allison together is a $7900 option, ouch.