Our Duramax category is dedicated to all things Duramax diesel. We have tons of upgrade guides, engine problems, DPF deletes, and everything between for the Duramax 3.0L, L5P, LB7, LBZ, LLY, LML, and LMM diesel engines. Check out some of our content like the best Duramax L5P performance mods and the most common 3.0 Duramax problems. Scroll down for more content or check out our individual Duramax categories for a specific engine.
The 3.0 Duramax seems like a great engine on paper – it can tow a lot, it produces good power, and gets great fuel economy all while being available in half-ton trucks, competing with the poor fuel economy V8’s. The engine has actually proven a lot more reliable than RAM’s disastrous EcoDiesel and Ford’s already…
A few simple performance upgrades can take the Duramax LMM to over 500whp. We’re going to cover the five best mods to get it there: tuning, a cold air intake, exhaust, downpipe, and intercooler. These upgrades alone can easily add over 100whp and 200wtq, pushing the LMM up against some of its performance roadblocks. So…
The L5P is loaded with emissions equipment: selective cat reduction, diesel exhaust fluid, diesel particulate filter, diesel oxidation cat, and exhaust gas recirculation. The L5P doesn’t have a whole lot of common problems with its emissions systems, but they are very expensive to replace when they do break and they are restrictive to performance. Deleting…
The Duramax LML got a few new emissions systems that the LMM didn’t have, most namely being the SCR system in conjunction with DEF fluid. Of course, many early model LML’s experienced SCR and DEF problems, resulting in expensive repair bills. While the Duramax emissions systems are good for what they are meant to do…
A handful of simple bolt-on performance upgrades can take the L5P past the 550whp and 1,200wtq territory. We’re going to discuss how a few upgrades like tuning, an intake, exhaust, downpipe, and intake horn can add impressive power to the Duramax L5P. We’re going to discuss power limits of the engine along with supporting mods…
Five simple bolt-on mods can take the Duramax LML past 500whp and 1000wtq. However, the engine does have some weak points from a tuning perspective that must be addressed if you plan on adding more than just an intake and tune. We are going to cover: ECM and TCM tuning, cold air intakes, exhaust systems,…
A cold air intake is the second best performance modification for a Duramax LML, with the first being tuning. An intake will provide horsepower and torque gains through airflow increases, but will also increase throttle response and turbo spool, and add about 1-2mpg of fuel economy improvements. We’ve been installing intakes on Duramax trucks for…
The Duramax LB7 was the first engine released under the new 6.6L Duramax platform. The LB7 was considered a strong and stout engine for the time, producing 235hp and 500lb-ft. of torque which was upgraded to 300hp and 520lb-ft. of torque in 2004. Fortunately, this is a pre-emissions engine and therefore can be easily modified…
The Duramax L5P was introduced in 2017 as a replacement for the LML. While the engine uses the same 6.6L design, many major engine components were completely refreshed in order to increase power as well as engine reliability. The L5P has made great reliability improvements and is, in my opinion, the most reliable diesel engine…
The LML was the biggest overhaul Duramax had done to the 6.6L diesel, using 60% new parts. It received major changes to the block, rod, pistons, emissions equipment and fueling system. The big engine changes to the block and internal components led to a stronger and more durable engine, but the new fueling system and…
When your Duramax begins throwing a P2563 code, a scan tool will read ‘Turbocharger Vane Control Position Sensor Performance‘. The vane position sensor controls the unison ring and turbo vanes located within the Duramax’s Garrett turbocharger. P2563 and P003A are common engine codes amongst 2004.5 to 2016 Duramax turbo engines which us variable geometry Garrett…
When starting out with power modifications on an LBZ, a cold air intake is one of the best upgrades especially when used in conjunction with a tuner. An intake upgrade will help supply the turbocharger with more air, improving turbo efficiency resulting in power gains up to 20whp and 50wtq. Additionally, it is a great…
