REPORT: GM halting Duramax production for 10 weeks
The revamped 6.6-liter Duramax V8 engine will go into production in April 2010 and the current Duramax, which doesn't meet emissions requirements that go into effect January 1, 2010, will cease production the day before the new year begins. In the interim, GM will be retooling the factory and won't be producing any of the engines to go in the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra.
This has some dealers and outside observers wondering if GM will run out of 2009 Duramax engines before the new ones are built and installed in engine bays. One dealer says GM will take orders for extended cab models with the big diesel, but no longer accepts orders for Duramax regular cabs. Analysts believe that with the car and work truck market showing some recovery, that demand will grow just as GM is trying to play the inventory game.
While the General prepares it's urea-infused powerplants, any engines that GM builds through the end of 2009 can be installed in vehicles even if those vehicles are ordered and built next year. For now, GM says it is padding its stocks of Duramax engines and is confident about being able to meet the need.
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
T3hD0gg 6:36PM (9/30/2009)
That engine looks like a mess... Those things actually run with everything everywhere like that?
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Tourian 6:48PM (9/30/2009)
I'm guessing you think the foreign cars are pretty and neat. I bet if you pulled the plastic cover off a typical Lexus like the new IS-F, you be surprised at how much of cluster you'd find, or a great many other luxury branded cars.
Cmicasa the GREAT 7:18PM (9/30/2009)
OH GOD... tell me that this guy didn't just say that.
U can always tell a person who knows absolutely NOTHING about car's mechanics when U hear/see a statement like that.
Hey Bud... Engines are UGLY... try opening your hood every so often and taking the cover off.
OH FORGODSAKE... U said U don't know where the hood release is either???
Pathetic
Pokey 7:48PM (9/30/2009)
Hey, T3hD0gg, you better go check your blinker fluid, I think it might be low!
Seriously, have you ever even looked under a hood?
Tyler 9:49PM (9/30/2009)
All great V8's look like this. See Ford's 6.7L turbo-diesel V8, or Dodge's 5.7L Hemi, 2011 Mustang's and F-150's 5.0L Coyote V8, the Camaro SS and the Dodge Challenger SRT-8's V8, the Corvette ZR1's V8, and the 2010 GT500's 5.4L V8, and pretty much every heavy-duty V8 out there. The messier the better.
alex 11:33PM (9/30/2009)
have you seen a lexus engine?
http://jalopnik.com/assets/images/gallery/12/2007/12/medium_2099582121_2eb97a79fd_o.jpg
Photo Phil 11:37PM (9/30/2009)
T3hD0gg, pathetic stab at GM... nice try though
Hike15 6:42PM (9/30/2009)
have you ever really seen a ford 6.0? I think the last somewhat neat looking diesel was the old reliable 7.3 powerstroke. But I still want to see a comparison between this engine and the new for powerstoke.
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Geo 6:46PM (9/30/2009)
the delay is ... not good! not good at all.
Will they need more of taxpayer's money to produce something that will run in regulations?
As it is rocket science to understand that the sooner they have this, the more trucks they will sell compared to Ford and future Toyota Diesel truck division ....
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Tourian 6:50PM (9/30/2009)
I would be surprised if Toyota tries to compete in the 3/4 and 1 ton diesel truck market considering how they've been getting routed in the 1/2 ton truck market. So basically, GM is going to turn the buyer's market into a seller's market so dealers can actually sell these trucks at a premium instead of pushing them out at invoice or getting into holdback with rebates and/or 0%. So really, there's nothing to be concerned about.
Ren Nagata 10:23PM (9/30/2009)
its not a closet it doesnt have to be neat it has to run
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Rakesh 2:43AM (10/01/2009)
Not too concerned as there are still plenty of PowerStrokes and 6.7 Cummins power plants.
Nice move GM.
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Greg Aryous 9:16PM (9/30/2009)
Sounds like Ford's new SuperDuty with the 6.7L PowerStroke can't come to market fast enough to take even more share from GM... I bet there are delays with GM getting the new diesel into production, just watch... no confidence!
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Maxzillian 9:41PM (9/30/2009)
I glad to see a light duty truck manufacturer finally taking the step towards urea injection. This regenerative exhaust BS needs to take a hike.
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T3hD0gg 2:38AM (10/01/2009)
Oh, I know about engines.. I'm a mechanical engineering student. My last sentence was meant to be more of a stupid joke than to be taken seriously. Come on, we're on a car website...
@Tourian
I prefer for an engine to be easy to work on but this one doesn't appear to be so. I'd rather take a Cummins than this. Why the hell would you put the turbo in the middle of the V unless the exhaust was coming out there? To get to the intake manifold you have to yank the turbo? Wow. I bet there are some balancing issues with air getting to the right bank's cylinders because of how the intake manifold is shifted towards the left bank to make room for the turbocharger. I'm curious to see what the intake manifold actually looks like.
@Cmicasa the GREAT
You need to calm down.. Not all engines are ugly. If you work on them enough, you begin to enjoy the look of some and hate others.
@Pokey
Or I might need to replace my muffler bearings... uh, yea..
@Tyler
Every one except the diesel you mentioned.
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Tourian 9:28AM (10/01/2009)
I suggest you look into why BMW does it on their new turbo V8s, you might respect their opinion of why they put the turbos there.
RSVDon 12:06PM (10/01/2009)
The Intake Manifold is small and shaped like a Y. The intake tube where the throttle body is drops right into it and then the Y shaped manifold feeds smaller "log style" manifolds on each head. It's a fine design and there's no imbalance of air.
Also, it's turbocharged, an intake manifold doesn't have to be smooth and beautiful to make torque.
Maxzillian 1:34PM (10/01/2009)
Being an ME student, you should know all about how packaging is extremely important. As such, resting the turbo charger in the cam valley of the engine where there is already a lack of components is a key design element in making the engine more compact. Hanging the turbo off one side of the engine or towards the front is hardly compact and easy to work with. Not to mention, you'll get poor exhaust feeding issues with pipes being a different length or so long that a large amount of heat is lost before it ever gets to the turbo.
Serviceability is always a concern with any design, but should only be primarily focused on service or high maintenance items. More often than not, you won't find yourself needing to get at the intake manifold and if you do, you've likely got bigger problems than what can simply be fixed within the engine bay of the truck.
Brandon 8:12AM (10/01/2009)
I don't understand why they even make V8 diesels. A V8 diesel is a stupid idea and the only reason I can imagine you would create one is so stupid meatheads that think they need a V8 will be suckered into buying one. Any proper diesel of this size would be an I6 like every commercial and industrial diesel is.
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Tourian 2:03PM (10/02/2009)
I have wondered the same thing, however I didn't go so far as to chalk it all up to a stupid marketing ploy. I am surprised how many people are shocked to learn that a Dodge Cummins is "only" six cylinders. I still think it might save them some money engineering wise since the trucks are packaged for V8s already and may not necessarily be a disadvantage at this power level, but I don't know. Are you sure that ALL commercial trucks and heavy equipment are straight sixes without exception?