Tag: duramax

Avatar

InjectorsDirect.com Sales Department

October 18th, 2016

duramax-2017 New information is starting to trickle in on the redesigned Duramax 6.6L L5P V-8 turbo-diesel for the 2017 GMC Sierra and Chevy Silverado HDs.

As we wrote on our blog this past summer, we’ve been watching the 2017 models closely, waiting to see just who will unveil the biggest and baddest diesel in 2017.

GMC/Chevy had kept details about the 2017 Duramax close to the chest, until recently when it was officially announced the next-gen engine more horsepower and torque than ever, with SAE-certified 445 horsepower (332 kW) and 910 lb.-ft. (1,234 Nm).

The new Duramax should allow for easier and more confident hauling and trailering, the companies point out, along with a 19% increase in max torque over the current Duramax 6.6L. Officials said the new model will also be quieter, by as much as 38% at idle when compared to the previous model.

How is there such a difference?

Well, General Motors points to an overhauled Duramax that only shares the bore and stroke dimensions of the current engine, bringing on a completely new GM-developed control system. The engine also brings on new cylinder block and heads, reciprocating assembly, EGR system and solenoid fuel system.

Even the damped steel oil pan is new, and will help contribute to a quieter ride.

“Nearly everything about the Duramax is new, designed to produce more torque at lower rpm and more confidence when trailering or hauling,” Chief Engineer Gary Arvan said in a statement.  “You’ll also notice the refinement improvements the moment you start the engine, and appreciate them as you cruise quietly down the highway — with or without a trailer.”

duramax-engine-2017So what else is new?

Well, the patent-pending air intake system will add a bold new hood scoop to the Silverado and Sierra HDs.

The system will allow for cooler engine temperatures when towing or in harsh road conditions, helping it maintain speed and power in tough conditions.

What about the injectors?

Well, we are an injector shop, so we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention its lightweight cylinder heads and solenoid injectors.

While the engine will be redesigned, it will still keep the standard Duramax aluminum cylinder head design – six head bolts/cylinder, and four valves/cylinder.

The common-rail direct injection fuel system, however, will have new high-capability, solenoid-type injectors.

GM reports they’ll have a fuel pressure of 29,000 psi (2,000 bar), which should promote solid fuel atomization for a cleaner burn and reduced particulate emissions.

The new injectors are also said to “support up to seven fuel delivery events per combustion event, contributing to lower noise, greater efficiency and lower emissions. Technology advancements enable less-complex solenoid injectors to deliver comparable performance to piezo-type injectors.”

Should be interesting to see how it all plays out with the overhauled Duramax 6.6L V-8 turbo-diesel.

We ran into our own issues with last year’s model on one of our shop trucks, so we’re looking forward to seeing just how different this new engine is, and, more importantly, how it stacks up against the other diesels in its class.

Over the next couple months, we’ll be bringing you more details about the 2017 line of diesels.

In the meantime, share your thoughts with us on Facebook and let us know what engines you’re looking forward to driving next year.

Photos courtesy General Motors.

 

 

Avatar

InjectorsDirect.com Sales Department

July 14th, 2016

Summer’s here, which means we’ve reached the midpoint of the year and can start looking ahead to the 2017 diesel truck models.

And while it’s tough to sort fact from rumor at this stage, it looks like the 2017 line of diesel trucks will pack more power than ever.

TheTopSpeed.com is even going as far as to suggest that the new 2017 Ford Super Duty 6.7L V8 PowerStroke Turbo Diesel will have more than 500 horsepower and, get this, 1,000 pound-feet of torque. The 1,000 pound-feet of torque, at least coming from the factory, would have been unfathomable a few years ago, but apparently that’s what we could expect from this next line.

2017 Ford Super Duty Diesel

Courtesy Ford

According to Ford, the 6.7L PowerStroke Turbo Diesel will see an upgraded powertrain and feature a TorqShift 6-speed SelectShift automatic transmission and is the “smartest, most capable tow rig ever in a Super Duty.”

As it stands today, the Dodge Ram HD is the current frontrunner in the torque race with 900 pound-feet of torque. For 2017, it doesn’t sound like there will be massive changes to the Ram 3500 HD 6.7L Cummins I6 Turbo Diesel engine, then again there haven’t been a ton of updates from the Ram camp so that remains to be seen. If anyone has updates on the 2017 model, please send them our way.

2017 Ram 3500

Courtesy Dodge

In any case, expect the same power or even more from the Ram 3500 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel, which currently touts best-in-class max towing, according to Ram, with 900 pound-feet of maximum diesel torque and maximum towing capacity of over 31,000 pounds.

Not to be outdone, GM is set to roll out an upgraded 6.6L Duramax V8 diesel for the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra HDs.

2017 GMC Sierra Denali 2500 HD

Courtesy GMC

The 2017 Silverado HD will feature a new patented air intake system, according to Chevy, which will allow for cooler air to help “the engine run better under load, especially in conditions where engine and transmission temperatures can rise quickly. Running cooler allows the Duramax diesel to maintain full power and vehicle speed for capable trailering in even the toughest conditions.”

According to Truck Trend, they’re “expecting the new 6.6L Duramax to easily top 400 hp and 800 lb-ft of torque” and “confident it will be the most powerful, most refined and most capable Duramax to date.”

2017 Chevy Silverado

Courtesy Chevy

All in all, it looks like the entire diesel truck line for 2017 should bring plenty of power to the table.

We’ll be bringing you more details about the 2017 line of diesel trucks when launched later this year. In the meantime, share your thoughts with us on Facebook about next year’s models and the features that are announced as we get these trucks hitting the road.

Avatar

InjectorsDirect.com Sales Department

November 25th, 2015

[vimeo id=”Enter video ID (eg. 10145153)” width=”600″ height=”350″]

duramax balance ratesThe Duramax has proven to be a reliable engine since its introduction back in 2001.

Generally, most owners and service techs are well aware of the importance of keeping a clean fuel system by running clean, high quality fuel, lubricity additives, and routine fuel filter changes along with all other required maintenance.

When problems do arise from the fuel system, the first method of diagnosis is often a balance rate test. There are a lot of questions we get about balance rates and we would like to help clarify what they do and don’t do in terms of diagnosing the fuel system, specifically the fuel injectors.

Balance rates are measurements that the engine control module uses to keep the injectors firing smoothly, making a more efficient and quiet running engine. Injector balance rates are only measured while the truck is in neutral, or in drive with the foot on the brake.

Unfortunately, balance rates are not measured when the engine is being fueled beyond idle pressures. No balance rate measurements are taken from the ECM under any other conditions therefore leaving a large spectrum of potential data off the table for analysis. In addition, the balance rate does not measure:

  • Back leakage/return flow
  • Solenoid response time
  • Reveal external leakage issues (common on LB7 engines)

These are all critical factors to the performance of the injectors and overall engine.

For the ECM to measure a balance rate, it takes in account the fuel rate from the fuel pump and is used to factor how far off each injector is from the average flow of fuel.

Essentially, this is all the balance rate is measuring. When viewing the rates, a cylinder with (+) means that its injector is using more fuel than the average fuel rate and a (-) translates to less fuel. GM states that balance rates should be no more than plus or minus 4 (+4/-4) in park at operating temperature. Unfortunately balance rates do not always provide a 100% accurate diagnosis of the injector’s performance due to numerous variables present in the engine. Cylinder compression, friction, fuel rail pressure, and the fuel pressure regulator are variables that can greatly manipulate the balance rate test.

Checking balance rates is the best place to start when diagnosing a troublesome fuel system, but it is definitely not the absolute answer. With a balance rate test, you are not getting the complete injector analysis. A balance rate shows a small fraction of available diagnostics compared to a common rail injector bench test.

The only way to eliminate the variables present in the vehicle and identify if an injector is running at factory specifications, is to remove the injector from the engine, clean, flush and test it on a properly programmed test stand.  This process allows every component of the injector to be tested under simulated engine conditions.

It is important that injectors are tested at normal operating temperature, from low idle pressures all the way up to full load pressures (as much as 29,000 psi). These tests measure injector delivery, return flow and response time, as well as leakage and spray pattern.

At InjectorsDirect.com, we test all of our injectors using the highest standards, and we back them up with an unbeatable warranty.

To learn more about balance rates, and the types of injectors we offer, please feel free to email us or call us directly at the shop (1-800-500-0980), and we’d be happy to discuss in more detail or help you identify what injectors you need to get your truck back on the road again.

 

Avatar

InjectorsDirect.com Sales Department

November 2nd, 2015

White smoke from an LB7 Duramax engine often indicates faulty injectors.

We’ve heard of rollin’ coal, but rollin’ snow? Not a good sign.

Blowing white smoke is a red flag for your diesel engine, yet we see this happen all the time to our customers.

In many cases, white smoke emanating from the tailpipe (often at idle once the engine reached operating temperature) typically means a worn out injector.

Now this isn’t always the case, but after some trouble shooting we’re usually the go-to shop when diesel drivers need refurbished, rebuilt, or new injectors.

WHITE SMOKE

White smoke often occurs when there is either too much fuel being injected into the combustion chamber, or not enough heat to burn the fuel.  Un-burned fuel travels through the exhaust system & exits out the tailpipe which will produce a scent of rich, un-burnt diesel. Other causes of white smoke include lack of compression, or water/coolant entering the combustion chamber.

BLACK SMOKE

Black smoke indicates excess fuel is being injected into the combustion chamber and/or not enough air is present.   This can be caused by worn/leaking injectors or restrictions in the air intake system.

BLUE SMOKE

Blue smoke is normally the result of engine oil entering & burning inside the combustion chamber.  This is most often caused by low compression, or worn piston rings.

But what we see more often than not are issues related to worn injectors.

Once the problem injector(s) are confirmed (by checking the balance rates and/or capping the feed line to injectors one by one, or bench testing), it’s time to get it fixed.

As we’ve written previously, we test the heck out of injectors with state-of-the-art equipment you won’t find anywhere else. We also stand behind all of our injectors with the best expanded warranty in the business.

When you are shopping for replacement injectors, it’s best to go with a shop that has experience & utilizes the latest testing equipment.

Rest assured, InjectorsDirect.com has all the equipment necessary to clean and accurately test common rail (Duramax and Cummins 2001-present, including piezo) and H.E.U.I. (Ford 7.3 & 6.0) injectors.

You can learn more on our injector testing equipment page, and we’re always happy to provide an accurate assessment of your injector performance, and honest advice on your best repair or replacement options for your budget.

We’ve been doing this since 2009, and have seen just about everything when it comes to failing fuel injectors.

So the last thing we’re going to do is blow smoke.

Contact us for more information, and we’ll get you back on the road again in no time.

Avatar

InjectorsDirect.com Sales Department

July 30th, 2015

In a previous post, we wrote about how InjectorsDirect.com has spent more than $250,000 on state-of-the-art tools and equipment to ensure we’re providing the best diesel injectors for your budget.

What we failed to mention is that we’ve spent thousands more on tools that help make our customers’ lives easier, too.

injector removal tool

For example, see the image at right?

Yeah, that’s a Duramax LBZ fuel injector removal gone horribly wrong (somebody literally has a screw loose on that one).

Want your LBZ injectors installed right?

Fortunately for you, we provide the correct removal tools for the job as FREE LOANERS are offered with the purchase of new injectors. This helps make the job easier, and helps insure that your old injectors are removed without damage.

These tools can all be used & returned with your cores for a full refund, which means it doesn’t cost you anything to use them!

For more information on our removal tools, check out the details on our LB7 Injector Removal Tool, LB7 Injector Sleeve Removal Tool, LLY/LBZ/LMM Injector Removal Tool & 6.0 Injector Harness Connector Removal Tool pages.

Along with providing all of the tools you need to get the job done right, we also back up our injectors with the best warranty in the business.

Each injector comes with all necessary O-rings and copper crush washers necessary for installation. To help you get the most out of your new injectors, we also sell standard, advanced and ultimate install kits for the LB7 engine, and Universal return line kits for LLY, LBZ & LMM engines.

At InjectorsDirect.com, we know what a pain it is when your injectors fail.

That’s why we’re passionate about providing the best quality injectors for your budget, with fast, free shipping, and all the tools necessary to help you get your truck back on the road as soon as possible.

Avatar

InjectorsDirect.com Sales Department

June 25th, 2014

Actual effects of rust and sediment contamination on the valve seat.
Where water and rust can collect.

Following up on a previous blog post about keeping your diesel engine running clean, another way you can keep dirt, rust and debris out of your engine is to make sure your fuel lines are nice and clean.

Over the years, we’ve learned a thing or two about fuel systems, and we have found that when you reuse old, rusted and pitted fuel lines, the chances of premature injector failure skyrockets.

And if you’ve already suffered injector failure and are spending the money to replace a full set, it is smart to replace the high-pressure fuel lines at the same time to prevent corrosion from affecting your new injectors.

LB7 Fuel LineBall Seat ErosionWith a Duramax LB7, for example, an extended length nut on the injector line is actually open to the atmosphere outside of the valve cover.

That means the nut/line interface is exposed to debris and water, which almost always leads to rust.

When the line is removed, the rust is broken loose & can contaminate the fuel system if not replaced.

Fortunately, Duramax LB7 fuel lines are pretty easy to replace,
and we now offer a couple different options to keep your new injectors happy.

Lb7 Fuel Line Cut Apart To Illustrate Rust Buildup
LB7 Fuel Line cut apart to show rust buildup.

As with most of our injectors, we offer LB7 fuel lines as brand new sets, we also have more economical refurbished sets.

Our new sets are just that, eight new OEM fuel lines from GM.

Our Injectors Direct refurbished sets are a clean yet economical alternative, and are thoroughly cleaned and guaranteed to be rust and corrosion free.

Just one more way Injectors Direct is looking out for your injectors, and doing our best to keep your engine running clean.

Extreme example of rust contamination in an LB7 injector's high pressure inlet
Extreme example of rust contamination in an LB7 injector’s high pressure inlet.
Sealing Surface of a Typical rusted LB7 Fuel Line
Sealing surface of a typical rusted LB7 Fuel Line.
Sealing Surface of a Refurbished LB7 Fuel Line
Sealing surface of a refurbished LB7 Fuel Line.

Want to learn more about keeping your engine clean? Read our previous posts on: