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duramax conversion??

canadiansuperman

Full Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Messages
149
Location
Okotoks/ Ft. McMurray alberta CANADA
ok so I did a search on this and found a bunch of posts of people hoping Chevy would release a duramax version for 2004 and 2005...a little out of date now.

so I was wondering if anyone here NOW has attempted this swap or know of anyone who has. way more power combined with way better milage is kinda appealing to me, even if it costs me 10 or 15 G's lol. I did find a website of a company that converts burbans to a duramax so I e-mailed them with no response as of yet. I also looked at a avy that was converted to a cummings but i kinda like the duramax.
 
Yes sir it has been done search the site for "diesel avalanche: in the title.

Last time I saw the AV it was on eBay and I was surprise he was from Michigan.

Never mind here it is.

http://www.chevyavalanchefanclub.com/cafcna/index.php/topic,75042.0.html
 
Don't think so but that was a good idea, I just don't think that AV frame is strong enough for a diesel. However I am thinking about a 2 inch lift for the Allison 5 speed, but the diesel ain't going to happen.
 
Check out "Duraburb" on youtube...they do conversions from Gas to Diesel. If a Tahoe can be converted to a Duramax so can a 1500 Avalanche. They even have Escalades that have been converted.
 
They sure can, but at that expense you may as well just buy a silverado.
 
I wanted to do this conversion, finding a cheap wrecked donor vehicle is probably gonna take the most time, i work in denver and went to the facility in Arvada that does the conversion, I have a 1500 and was told they would do a 2 inch body lift cut the front of the frame off and weld the 2500 one in place, and the body lift is for fitting the allison tranny, the dash holds most of the computer so they just unplug the fuse box remove the dash and replace entirely.  You have a 2500 already so you might save a few bucks. I heard GM was building a 4.5l duramax that will fit in a 1500 so i quit looking for a donor, a duramax would be quite a sleeper, hehe, cummins and fords are far too loud even at idle they sound like a broken sewing machine.  It would be a sweet sight to see an Avalanche take off all turbo whine and black smokin the haters, hehe.
 
hey guys i saw diesel in the title and had to poke my head in  :wave: i would definitely suggest starting out with a 2500 platform from the beginning, of course im not that up to date on avalanches so im not sure what parts it would take to convert to the 2500

but like you were saying, it can be done, theres dozens of suburbans/caddys/tahoes running around the country with them but theres a lot of extra weight especially in that allison, ever see one up close? theyre HUGE as far as a light duty truck is concerned.


as for the 4.5L its been big talk off and on in the duramax forums and the current status is that its been shelved until further notice. GM would rather build new concept cars than become a market leader in 1/2T trucks and SUVs but there is hope that it comes around someday


if you can get the money and time to do the conversion i suggest it, diesel is a fun place to fiddle with but it gets expensive real fast
 
Duraburb puts the Allison and Duramax in without a body lift, not sure how they do it but they do. I asked about having it done but they have almost a year backlog in work. The Duramax Escalade on youtube if fre king killer! Ultimate redneck Cadillac!
 
From what I heard you have to have the 2 inch body lift or the Allison will hit the body, thats why HD 2500 Silvy has them. But I guess anything can happen with a big enough hammer 
 
id think the biggest reason for the 2 inch body lift is to keep the same trans mounts and stay at the same clearance levels

however since a custom install would involve custom mounts you could probably just change the mounting location and have the trans sit a little lower than factory so that the body lift isnt necessary 
 
Let us know what you folks find, but a Allison is way bigger than a 4L85e it is huge.
 
I know where your coming from CanSuperman diesels are sweet, the power the make is awesome and the black smoke is addictive.  I've spend countless hours researching everything that might be needed to do a diesel swap and I keep coming back to the fact that the diesel is so much larger that to go from a Dmax or a 6btCummins into the Av would be so labour intensive that costs would totally outweigh benefits.

I love my truck, have put more money into it then it's worth anymore.  Unless you have the shop tools and time it's gonna get too costly a project.  Besides have you taken a stroll at the wreckers lately, ohh yes you can find all kinds of 6L vortecs and 4L80e transmissions, but you go to the diesel section and all that's there is the picked through corpse of what used to be a truck, no motor, no trans.  I don't know why that is, it's just something I've noticed on my junkyard visits...
 
Another detail to note is our "cold" climate is alot harder on diesels then the gassers were accustomed to.  My cousin had a new dodge and when it gets to the -35 we can get here in winter it don't work... period.  AMA has their diesel fleet running 24/7 when it gets cold.  Even if that's at the yard not working instead of in service because of not enough drivers.  All things to be considered also.   
 
Mash Motors does a great job, everything completely taken care of full conversions!

http://www.mashmotorsinc.com/

Check them out.
 
highflyinbean said:
Mash Motors does a great job, everything completely taken care of full conversions!

http://www.mashmotorsinc.com/

Check them out.

2003-2007 Hummer H2 & Large SUV
Starting at $30,500.

Ouch for that coin I could buy a dmax truck.  Nice find though and if you really really want a dmax in the Av then it'll cost ya a wee pretty penny.

I've wondered a couple times if it'd be worth it to try taking a dmax truck with a totalled body, and bob the frame down, and then put a Avalanche body/cab ect on.  I don't even know if that would be possible was just curious.

 
Okotoks, my home town.

My mom's boss had someone local (Calgary area) put a Dmax in an H2, probably a similar task.  I will try to find out who.
 
Here is an Avy I seen this weekend.  Only problem is it was a Cummins and not Duramax
 

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