[DirtyWilly]

So I wanted to get some input from others who own these LLY Duramax’s. Ir any older duramax. I’ve got one with 323,400, still runs and drives but have plenty of problems. Too much to list. Name a problem and it probably has it. That’s a Duramax.

The costs for just parts on these trucks are a small fortune, let alone paying someone else to rebuild it professionally. Working on these things are such a headache and take so long. I can work on vehicles, but I’m not pro mechanic and I know I shouldn’t try to rebuild the thing on my own.

Unfortunately I’m left with only a few options: sell, rebuild, part out, or swap. I’d like to sell but no one wants to buy these things with high miles, they just really aren’t worth much when they’re old. I’d love to Cummins swap and make it worth something but it’s again not worth the time or money. Rebuilding is just as expensive sadly.

Should I drive it off a cliff? Redline it then junk it? What are other people’s thoughts!

 

[ALLY Cat]

A well maintained rust free non-lifted LLY is still worth $15K-$20K, but if it's been abused and lived in the rust belt, probably not worth much, even for parts. Mine has performed flawlessly for 10 years now pulling a 5th wheel for over 40K miles and I do all my own maintenance and minor repairs/upgrades. Not a single bit of rust living here in the PNW. Granted, it has less than half the mileage your does, but I expect it will make it well over 300K. Just be glad you didn't get a Furd 6.4 or 6.0 PS...... I expect some day I will have to do head gaskets, but that's usually the worst problem with 2nd gen Duramaxes.

 

[DirtyWilly]

No rust and only the second owner. Towed a good bit during its life and commuted highway most the time. Would assume that maintenance was done on time and I know it was brought to a local shop for repairs. The thing lived in the Nevada desert most it’s life, now in the Sierra Nevada. About the best place to buy trucks it’s just so dry out here.

Doesn’t mean it’s worth 10k, 8k, really even 5k. These Duramax’s age so poorly compared to the Cummins or a 7.3L. They need so much work after 250k from what I see on average.

 

[RealHousewifeofIdaho]

No rust and only the second owner. Towed a good bit during its life and commuted highway most the time. Would assume that maintenance was done on time and I know it was brought to a local shop for repairs. The thing lived in the Nevada desert most it’s life, now in the Sierra Nevada. About the best place to buy trucks it’s just so dry out here.

Doesn’t mean it’s worth 10k, 8k, really even 5k. These Duramax’s age so poorly compared to the Cummins or a 7.3L. They need so much work after 250k from what I see on average.

There is an LBZ with 330K going for $9500 on CL in Boise right now. I would have to imagine yours would still bring 5K.
Seems like a no brainer to me, save up 15K, sell yours for 5K, move up into a 20K truck. Done deal.

 

[DaveLLY]

I'm the original owner of my LLY which now has north of 370k on it. Burns no oil in between changes, chassis/body have zero rust (see my location - highway depts love salt), and basically runs better than the day I picked her up. Son drives her now and has plans to see how long she'll keep going. Cars and trucks are like women - they require maintenance, but if taken care of, they'll treat you well. Treat em like crap, and well hopefully you get the idea (Google Wayne Bobbit.) You mention Cummins - agree they're a good engine, but the tranny and chassis are crap. I can't find anything positive to say about a Powerstroke. But I'm a GM guy - AND YOU'RE ON A DURAMAX FORUM! Sell your your truck if you're so unhappy and move along.

 

[Hook'em_Horns!]

Name a problem and it probably has it. That’s a Duramax.

:rofl
Tryin' out for the new Cummings troll position?

What's the sayin'?
"Buy a Cummins, and they throw in the truck for free"?

 

[Sovtlml]

😂😂

 

[DirtyWilly]

Name a problem and it probably has it. That’s a Duramax.

<img src="http://www.duramaxforum.com/forum/images/smilies/rofl[1].gif" border="0" alt="" title="Rofl" class="inlineimg" />
Tryin' out for the new Cummings troll position.

What's the sayin'?
"Buy a Cummins, and they throw in the truck for free"?

lol pretty much

 

[DirtyWilly]

You mention Cummins - agree they're a good engine, but the tranny and chassis are crap. I can't find anything positive to say about a Powerstroke. But I'm a GM guy - AND YOU'RE ON A DURAMAX FORUM! Sell your your truck if you're so unhappy and move along.

I would have sold my GM months ago when I first but it on the marketplace if anyone were actually interested in these. Only low ballers, or trades. I’d rather be doing donuts during the winter in it then sell it for too cheap. But it’s not wirth it for me to put money into it so it never drives anyway.

 

[long-time-dmax]

I don't get it. I've got more miles on an older truck and it's worth plenty. Especially to me since I haven't paid a truck note in almost 14 years. Of course mine is a 1 owner truck that has been meticulously maintained and is very likely to be still going strong with another 400k-500k miles on it. So what really makes yours so worthless? Most of the stuff I've had to do to my truck was worn out front-end parts and such and those are not expensive. Nor do they take a rocket scientist to install. Surely it can't be as bad as you seem to think?

 

[DirtyWilly]

For your entertainment. I figured out how to put pictures on these forums 👌🏻. I give it oil changes every 5k, but have only owned for just over 10k. I’d imagine that the original owner took bad care of when reading the list but was told otherwise.

 

[long-time-dmax]

That looks more like a list of stupid or poorly performed mods than anything else. Some guy wrenching on his truck that has no clue what he's doing and also someone who has no problem doing stuff half-assed. "fabricated injector clamp"? WTF? Something you can buy for a few bucks? Bet just about every one of those codes is a result of him in too deep.

It's not a basket case because it's a duramax. It's a basket case because a moron opened the hood.

 

[04DmaxSaralandAL]

That looks more like a list of stupid or poorly performed mods than anything else. Some guy wrenching on his truck that has no clue what he's doing and also someone who has no problem doing stuff half-assed. "fabricated injector clamp"? WTF? Something you can buy for a few bucks? Bet just about every one of those codes is a result of him in too deep.

It's not a basket case because it's a duramax. It's a basket case because a moron opened the hood.

I didn't see a button too like this twice!:grin2:


Andy

 

[ALLY Cat]

Too bad you didn't have that report run BEFORE you bought the truck. Some of those things could be easy fixes but I'm guessing there's more cobbled up stuff lurking that they didn't have time to find. Did you even open the hood before you bought it? Soot all over and a piece of paper towel crammed in the filter monitor should have raised some flags!! Don't blame GM for a previous caveman owner. I hope you didn't buy this truck from a "friend"......

 

[oak1971]

If it is 2wd, that itself will impact resale.

 

[oak1971]

If nobody wants it, perhaps others are prudent and knowledgable enough to run from poor investment when they see it.

No offense intended as many things are a matter of perspective, however I would wager that many folks shopping for used diesel trucks in that class and weight category are looking to put it to work. As a result they have to make a calculation determining wether or not that investment will not only pay for itself, but make money. With this purpose in mind, buying and then repairing a vehicle that looks to have been abused for hundreds of thousands of miles-just to see if there is any usable life left-is bad business strategy.

To address the issue of low ballers as you call them, these are folks who are for whatever reason less risk adverse than above. However, much the same equation applies. They need to calculate if the investment both in purchase and repair is going to yield a general net positive. Perhaps they are car flippers, or part time haulers, farmers, construction etc....

 

[oak1971]

"Gm is is junk because I bought a truck someone bagged on and now I want Minty price for it". Hey, I have gotten bit before on vehicles, but 99% were not the fault of the manufacturer.

 

[DirtyWilly]

I do wish I took it in before I bought it. Would save me the time and effort down the road. A lot of that soot is no gaskets on the up pipe block off plate I put on, which I’ll probably have to revert at this rate. And the paper towel was me not wanting to go out and buy a cold air temp sensor or whatever it is cause it broke at some point. Not getting a new one for it if it doesn’t affect it.

As for fabricated injector mount and half the injectors don’t work the way that should, that was news too me XD.
Hell my biggest mistake was never listening to a duramax run in person before I bought it, but I was brought up by people with Cummins so I never had a reference.

It’s 4x4, if you don’t have AWD or 4x4 in the snow your not driving anywhere up here. It’s also factory 4:10 geared which is mint.

 

[DirtyWilly]

I am taking no grains of salt. I’m laughing to myself more than anything right now. This truck has been a bigger life lesson then most other things. I’m more or less lost cause I now have it sitting and want it gone. I originally asked what it’s really worth, then was attacked by GM guys who’ve had these single owner Duramax’s who value them as much as the GM name. Did I mention I daily drive a Ford also.

I’ll state it once more, what do you think a duramax is really worth? Create your own example or use mine.
Just cool it with the “you clearly didn’t take care of it” or “BAD OWNER!” Style comments. They’re funny but its not what I was asking for.

 

[Hook'em_Horns!]

factory 4:10 geared

Never happened.
Any reference to 4:10 gears, is a default text from the base model gasser.

Also....the soot could also be a blown bellows, along with no plate gasket.