Thinking of going to a LLY

[haggus]

Looking at a 2005 GMC Sierra ECSB it has 300k and the guy is asking 10K. Leather interior clean looking truck inside and out with 300K on the engine. Is this a lot for these engines it is probably still good for 200K, but the price might make me pull the triger.

It means I would probably sell my 95 6.5TD I am kind of on the fence I like the old truck with the mods I have it has improved graetly but having an LLY might ease the pain.

Any things I should be looking out for if I decide to buy this truck.

Thanks

 

[Will L.]

If you can afford to keep the 95 for a while in case you get the new one and it isn't what you hoped it would be. Or if you get it and there is some unexpected repairs. It's not like the value will fall a lot in the next 6 months.

 

[WarWagon]

It is a lot of miles for the truck. Even the injection system is iffy with that many miles on it. We are talking fuel rails for the pressure regulator and CP3 not just injectors.
What is it going to get you aside of more expensive repairs? Sure it's cheap, but, what will being cheap cost in repairs? IMO keep it under 200K when buying.

Personally I hate GM's LLY because they did such a piss poor job for throttle control. It really isn't fixable. It's either on hard or off making breaking the wheels loose in reverse easy and unwanted. Bumps make the throttle vary enough you will notice. I'd rather drive my 1995 or 1993 over the 2005. Esp with the mods they have...
Then there is the steering half shaft vibration over bumps...

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

It is a lot of miles for the truck. Even the injection system is iffy with that many miles on it. We are talking fuel rails for the pressure regulator and CP3 not just injectors.
What is it going to get you aside of more expensive repairs? Sure it's cheap, but, what will being cheap cost in repairs? IMO keep it under 200K when buying.

Personally I hate GM's LLY because they did such a piss poor job for throttle control. It really isn't fixable. It's either on hard or off making breaking the wheels loose in reverse easy and unwanted. Bumps make the throttle vary enough you will notice. I'd rather drive my 1995 or 1993 over the 2005. Esp with the mods they have...
Then there is the steering half shaft vibration over bumps...

I just did an 04 LLY. Nothing but an LBZ airbox, LBZ mouthpiece, EGR blocker plate, and a basic tune. And it drives just as smooth as my LB7 does with EXCELLENT throttle control. the stock tune isn't very good, but with a few changes the throttle feels very nice in them. So it is an EASY problem to fix.

 

[btfarm]

Check the average MPH on it. Miles/hours. If it's over 35 or so then it's alot of highway use. If under, I'd walk. For example, I've averaged right at 43 mph since new. I drive 95% highway.

 

[WarWagon]

Check the average MPH on it. Miles/hours. If it's over 35 or so then it's alot of highway use. If under, I'd walk. For example, I've averaged right at 43 mph since new. I drive 95% highway.

The DIC hour-meter on all GM years is subject to random 0 hour resets due to low or dead batteries. Keep this in mind when looking at hours.

 

[haggus]

Those are all things I have to ask the seller it's a dealer not far from me so I can get more info. I have to agree with War Wagon I have been working on my 95 for 3 years now. She is just about where I want her. It pulls my 7K lb 5er fairly good now. A few more mods and she will be all that I need. I might just have to keep it but having a newer truck to play around with will be fun to.

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

I will say that once you drive even a stock DURAMAX towing, you will not want a 6.5 again. The extra power is VERY addictive, and with a good basic tune they will flat out MOVE! On the other hand, they are worse than drugs. Once you start modifying them you don't want to stop. And before you know it you've twin turbos, built trans, built engine, and wanting even more because you got outrun at the dragstrip.

 

[tanman_2006]

I'd still rather tow with my 6.5L. After you smoke the tranny and have fueling issues $$$$ you dont want to break that chit again. I can buy a nice 6.5L and teds engine for the price of a built tranny.

I will say it is odd to accelerate at will up hill grossing 30K and not have severe heat issues.

 

[WarWagon]

I will say it is odd to accelerate at will up hill grossing 30K and not have severe heat issues.

You mean heat issues with the 6.5 or the LLY?

First time I towed with the LLY, factory tune, with the AFE mouthpiece I wanted my 1993 with the FACTORY turbo! Because I would still be doing 30 MPH WOT in the 1993, but the damn AC would be on!!! The LLY was hotter than a wet pistol with both trans and ECT gauges near red, heater on high, windows down, and would not cool down for nothing even sitting. 30 MPH, light throttle, was where the temps wouldn't trigger an alarm and the turbo was wound up to blast furnace even with light throttle. I had more power, but, couldn't use it. It was 117 out going through Death Valley. Understand that a tune can help this runaway temp condition as well as additional radiators.

My 1993 with the ATT would have handed the LLY it's ass on that trip.

 

[tanman_2006]

You mean heat issues with the 6.5 or the LLY?

First time I towed with the LLY, factory tune, with the AFE mouthpiece I wanted my 1993 with the FACTORY turbo! Because I would still be doing 30 MPH WOT in the 1993, but the damn AC would be on!!! The LLY was hotter than a wet pistol with both trans and ECT gauges near red, heater on high, windows down, and would not cool down for nothing even sitting. 30 MPH, light throttle, was where the temps wouldn't trigger an alarm and the turbo was wound up to blast furnace even with light throttle. I had more power, but, couldn't use it. It was 117 out going through Death Valley. Understand that a tune can help this runaway temp condition as well as additional radiators.

My 1993 with the ATT would have handed the LLY it's ass on that trip.

My 6.5l won't accelerate up the hill but it won't lose speed or over heat. If I stay in my dmax I will build heat well over 250* on both Tran and ect, egt is under 1500* and doesn't stay there for long. I limp my tranny or get low rail psi before I overheat usually, the 93 6.5l doesn't have either of those issues.

Source Unknown

 

[haggus]

So I guess what I am hearing is the LLY will require some mods as well ie cooling upgrade I have seen the additional radiator addon over at DP and a custom tune as well. THEFERNATOR mention EGR delete and adding some LB7 pieces as well. So I will be looking at a 2000.00 for these for about 100 HP more out of the engine above a 6.5TD. Now with the mods I have on my 6.5 w/o the ATT I am getting pretty good towing nothing spectacular but I can maintain 40 -50 Mph up hill for a long stretch w/o hitting 1000 EGT or 210 F ECT sitting in 3rd gear at about 2100 rpm boost varies from 5 -10 psi.

If I get the LLY I am definitely keeping my truck for a while don't want to end up w/o a truck if I have to tear apart the D-Max to do upgrades. I want an ATT for my 6.5 to try out first perhaps I might just save the cash and mod my 6.5 some more and set aside the rest for a P400 down the road.

 

[btfarm]

The LLY isn't likely to have any overheating issues up where you live. Mine NEVER showed a single sign of overheating in all kinds of weather up to near 100* F

 

[Ed HD]

I've pulled some serious weight behind our 05 LLY CCSB in some hot temps (95°F+) and not had the engine or trans temp even push anything to even be worried about. We only have 107k on ours, but it's had absolutely no issues. I saw one on eBay that had 750k, was owned by a hot-shotter who ran trailers all over the country. Stock engine and trans.

One thing to keep in mind on these forums, people here either love their truck, or have had all kinds of issues and found the forum to get help. The "average" truck owner doesn't seek out a forum, because he doesn't care. Hence why there is such a polarity of answers.

 

[WarWagon]

Area your are towing makes a difference. Both wind resistance of the trailer and grades. My 1993 would maintain 62 MPH on the flat lands west of Phoenix. The LLY would zoom past it. Soon as you hit a serious grade like Death Valley going from -282' below sea level to 6000' the LLY gets too hot. Hot DRY air makes a difference over hot damp air. Takes serious work to solve GM's issues with the first year variable turbo. The LLY isn't alone as even my 2008 LMM ran hot out here, just not as hot as the LLY.

GM simply hasn't done their job to keep you cool with all that power. When you reach the runaway condition you can't hardly back out of it enough to cool it down on the LLY. After mods it will behave better.

The plus side is the AC will freeze you out of the cab in the LLY vs the 90's AC systems.

My broker had all kinds of Duramax trucks, just not any 2005's. They would get well into the 300K's without major issues aside of injectors and FPR's. Water pumps are not fun. The 2007 had issues with the DPF plugging and my 2008 had minor issues with the DPF and biodiesel. They went through headlight bulbs by the 6 pack...

 

[tanman_2006]

I pull a swather and tractors that stand high enough that I have to watch out for some highline crossings on back roads and is 16.5' wide on top of grossing over 30k. I have plenty working against me.

Source Unknown

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

The LLY overheating issue is not all of them, but just a large portion of them. Some LLY's run cool even with BIG tunes towing in 120 degree desert heat, while others will overheat in 85 degree weather towing a small trailer. Many believe that it is a casting issue with some cylinder heads as some overheaters got different heads and the problem stopped. Others have also found that adding an oil cooler can make a big drop In coolant temps. As for god mods for an LLY, put in a LBZ mouthpiece, better airbox that is sealed off from underhood heat, a basic EFILIVE tune, EGR blocker plate, and exhaust(make the kitty disappear).

 

[haggus]

Still waiting for the dealer to get back to me they have some nice trucks even an 01 F350 7.3 PS with only 97K and 6" Lift but I am kind of partial to a newer GMC.

 

[radtech07]

Seems like a lot of miles even at that price. My dads 05 pulls a toy hauler with plenty of power and stock tune, only time it overheated bad was when the fan clutch went bad and would not engage going over a mountain pass in colorado. I found a 2006 lbz with 155k for 11,000 I just need to sell my 96 6.5 suburban first. There are trucks out there with better miles and still have a good price.

 

[haggus]

Seems like a lot of miles even at that price. My dads 05 pulls a toy hauler with plenty of power and stock tune, only time it overheated bad was when the fan clutch went bad and would not engage going over a mountain pass in colorado. I found a 2006 lbz with 155k for 11,000 I just need to sell my 96 6.5 suburban first. There are trucks out there with better miles and still have a good price.

Yes it is a lot of kilometers 300 = 179 miles so I offered him 8000.00 he said he would consider it but never came back with a counter offer we will wait and see. If he calls back the offer goes to 7500.00.