Duramax Diesel Engine
Diesel Power Magazine's "How It's Made: The Duramax Diesel Engine"
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The award-winning Duramax 6.6-liter V-8 is a four-valve high pressure common rail direct injection diesel currently equipped with a diesel particulate filter to meet the stringent 2010 emissions requirements. Available in GM's Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra heavy-duty pickups, the engine delivers a segment-leading 397 horsepower at 3,000 rpm and 765 lb.-ft. of torque at 1,600 rpm – an improvement of 32 horsepower and 105 lb.-ft. of torque over last year’s engine. The Duramax is also available in GM's full-size vans, Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana.
The new 2011 Silverado HD is tested on how strong it is without losing acceleration and fuel economy. Watch the testing behind the ALL NEW Silverado HD. Visit www.maxandal.com to learn more.
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The Duramax is constantly making headlines click below for the latest stories:
New 2011 Duramax Diesel Features:
• Main bearing profiles changed to enhance oil film thickness
• Oil pump flow increased for more pressure at low speeds
• A revised turbocharger oil circuit for increased pressure at the turbo and faster oil delivery
• Connecting rod pin ends modified to provide increased piston support
• New, higher-strength piston design
• A new fuel injection system – capable of operating on ASTM grade B20 biodiesel – ensures more precise fuel delivery, improving emission performance
• An EGR cooler bypass (LML only) reduces high-mileage soot deposits in the cooler and EGR circuit
• Covered by GM’s five-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty.
• The Duramax 6.6L’s diesel particulate regeneration system features a downstream injector that supplies fuel for the regeneration process. This greatly reduces potential oil dilution, important with using biodiesel. Downstream injection saves fuel and works better with B20 than in-cylinder post injection.
Biodiesel
Estimates by National Biodiesel Board indicate about 700 million gallons of the fuel were produced in 2008 – up from about 500,000 gallons in 1999. Market fluctuations caused production to decrease in 2009, but it expected to rise with more mandates and the availability of approved vehicles, such as the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra heavy-duty trucks.
Towing Capacity & Fuel Efficiency
The more powerful 6.6L Duramax is also more fuel-efficient – up to 11-percent greater highway fuel economy than the outgoing model – reduces NOx emissions by up to 63 percent and helps enable greater towing ratings. Silverado 3500HD equipped with a fifth wheel hitch can tow up to 20,000 pounds. The increased fuel efficiency, combined with a new, 36-gallon fuel tank, provides up to 680 miles of highway driving between fill-ups.
The Duramax History of Durability
With nearly 1.3 million Duramax diesel engines put into operation since its launch in 2000, no other automaker has as much diesel engine development experience for meeting the demands of the heavy-duty truck customer.
Duramax Excels in “HD to HD” Testing
Chevrolet takes the heavy-duty pickup battle to the test track – and the mountain roads – in “HD to HD,” a video series that pits 2011 Silverado HD pickups against the competition in real-world tests of capabilities that matter to real-world truck buyers.
"We wanted to get away from spec-sheet comparisons and show how these trucks perform in the real world," said Rick Spina, global vehicle line executive for full size trucks. "To do so, we engaged an independent company to test the Silverado HD with the Duramax diesel and Allison transmission head-to-head with the competition, and record those tests for everyone to see."
The tests include acceleration, passing, and braking tests, all conducted with a loaded bed, or in some cases, a loaded trailer. Other tests measure the effectiveness of the exhaust brakes on long downgrades and the stiffness of the frames during twist-ditch simulations. Competitors were diesel-powered 2011 Ford Super Duties, and in some tests, 2011 Dodge Ram HDs.
For example, in a zero-to-60 test of three-quarter ton models with a 1,500-pound load, designed to simulate merging onto a busy freeway, the Silverado 2500HD outpaced the F-250 Super Duty, 7.66 seconds to 8.36 seconds, despite the slight advantage in published horsepower and torque ratings for the Ford.
“We worked hard on the Duramax-Allison combination to deliver torque smoothly throughout the entire power band,” said Spina. “That is what gives us class-leading acceleration.” Silverado HD pickups showed a similar advantage in acceleration tests on a 7-percent grade, and in passing tests at both sea level and at 6,000 feet while towing loaded trailers.
