Chevy heavy duty gas engine needs upgrade

[DriveHard]

I have been driving my Silverado with a 6.2L since the year after it was made, and still love it. Whenever I think about trading it in, I know I would like to upgrade to a 2500 with a gas engine. What I can't imagine is getting a larger, heavier truck with a smaller/weaker engine. When will Chevy offer a more powerful gas engine in their heavy duty line?? It makes no sense that they only offer their most powerful engine in the least capable truck!

 

[ls1mike]

Because that is only one portion of the truck
1. They don't want an all aluminum engine in an HD truck because of assumed duty cycle.
2. Gearing is different.
3. Transmission is different.
4. Payload is different

Could it use more power? Sure, but I tow my trailer with my 02 all over the passes out west and go the speed limit up them.

It is total package, not just power. I would run out of payload with your truck and my trailer packed for 5 days of camping.

 

[Donald]

Duramax,

 

[redhat]

Originally Posted by ls1mike
Because that is only one portion of the truck
1. They don't want an all aluminum engine in an HD truck because of assumed duty cycle.
2. Gearing is different.
3. Transmission is different.
4. Payload is different

Could it use more power? Sure, but I tow my trailer with my 02 all over the passes out west and go the speed limit up them.

It is total package, not just power. I would run out of payload with your truck and my trailer packed for 5 days of camping.


You couldn't have said it better.

 

[DriveHard]

Originally Posted by ls1mike
Because that is only one portion of the truck
1. They don't want an all aluminum engine in an HD truck because of assumed duty cycle.
2. Gearing is different.
3. Transmission is different.
4. Payload is different

Could it use more power? Sure, but I tow my trailer with my 02 all over the passes out west and go the speed limit up them.

It is total package, not just power. I would run out of payload with your truck and my trailer packed for 5 days of camping.



No, I totally understand it is a total package, and I am NOT saying the 6.2L should be shoved in the 2500...not at all. I am saying there should be a more up to date, and more powerful gas engine available in the 2500 and 3500 to make it a more capable truck. Obviously the 2500 and 3500 have more payload than the 1500...and have more capability, but it sure would be nice to have the power to go with it! That 6.0L is over 10 years old, with little to no updates!

Diesel is OUT for me...nope, not going to happen.

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted by DriveHard

Diesel is OUT for me...nope, not going to happen.


I don't want one either, at least not right now.

But for towing I want a proven, low compression, power plant.

I was looking at a 6.4 Hemi truck and while it has a ton a power I actually joined a board to ask about it. Not a lot of people had positive things to say. Really surprised me as I was really interested in the current offering.

 

[Nick1994]

Diesel is probably their money maker.

If they offered a real powerful engine, they'd compete against themselves. A lot less Duramax models sold.

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted by Nick1994
Diesel is probably their money maker.

If they offered a real powerful engine, they'd compete against themselves. A lot less Duramax models sold.



I just read like a week or two ago that 64% of HD truck sales are gas.

 

[maxdustington]

It's totally to protect diesel sales. If they offer a gas engine with similar power levels and no one would buy the dmax. Without the dmax, they lose market share.

I could totally understand why they would stick with the 6.0 in work trucks. You said it yourself, if you have a fleet of GM trucks from the last decade they could all potentially be powered by the same engine.

 

[Phishin]

I couldn't disagree more. The 6.0 is a great engine. It plenty capable of towing nearly anything you throw at it. Watch the "Gauntlet" towing challenges on youtube....the 6.0 is a beast.

The 6.0 hasn't needed any updates, she's been a perfect child since conception. It's virtually indestructible. On here, a few members have shown trucks and work vans go over 500,000 miles....being worked to death. Hard to beat that.

What I really want to see.....show me a video of you pulling/hauling something where the 6.0 couldn't handle it. Show me you NEED a more powerful engine. I know we all WANT one, but do we really NEED it. Heck yeah, I would have loved it if my new 3500HD would have had the option for a 8 liter engine making 500HP and 500 ft-lbs of torque. That's what I would have bought. But that's not really what I need.

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted by Phishin
I couldn't disagree more. The 6.0 is a great engine. It plenty capable of towing nearly anything you throw at it. Watch the "Gauntlet" towing challenges on youtube....the 6.0 is a beast.

The 6.0 hasn't needed any updates, she's been a perfect child since conception. It's virtually indestructible. On here, a few members have shown trucks and work vans go over 500,000 miles....being worked to death. Hard to beat that.

What I really want to see.....show me a video of you pulling/hauling something where the 6.0 couldn't handle it. Show me you NEED a more powerful engine. I know we all WANT one, but do we really NEED it. Heck yeah, I would have loved it if my new 3500HD would have had the option for a 8 liter engine making 500HP and 500 ft-lbs of torque. That's what I would have bought. But that's not really what I need.
Oh, how I long for the days when you could order a GMT800 with a 8.1 Vortec and a manual trans.

 

[A_Harman]

Originally Posted by Phishin
I couldn't disagree more. The 6.0 is a great engine. It plenty capable of towing nearly anything you throw at it. Watch the "Gauntlet" towing challenges on youtube....the 6.0 is a beast.

The 6.0 hasn't needed any updates, she's been a perfect child since conception. It's virtually indestructible. On here, a few members have shown trucks and work vans go over 500,000 miles....being worked to death. Hard to beat that.

What I really want to see.....show me a video of you pulling/hauling something where the 6.0 couldn't handle it. Show me you NEED a more powerful engine. I know we all WANT one, but do we really NEED it. Heck yeah, I would have loved it if my new 3500HD would have had the option for a 8 liter engine making 500HP and 500 ft-lbs of torque. That's what I would have bought. But that's not really what I need.


Agree. When the duty cycle changes to heavy duty, the engine design has to get conservative. I wouldn't want an aluminum block engine in a heavy duty pickup. I'd bet the 6.0 iron block can put out more power longer, under more severe conditions than the 6.2 L86.

Once upon a time, I did see some LS V10 blocks at Katech. It was a 7.5L V10, so a 6.0 with 2 more cylinders. GM decided not to put it in production, but it would make a great heavy duty gas engine.

And then again, they may be working on a stroker version of the 6.0...

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted by Phishin
I couldn't disagree more. The 6.0 is a great engine. It plenty capable of towing nearly anything you throw at it. Watch the "Gauntlet" towing challenges on youtube....the 6.0 is a beast.

The 6.0 hasn't needed any updates, she's been a perfect child since conception. It's virtually indestructible. On here, a few members have shown trucks and work vans go over 500,000 miles....being worked to death. Hard to beat that.

What I really want to see.....show me a video of you pulling/hauling something where the 6.0 couldn't handle it. Show me you NEED a more powerful engine. I know we all WANT one, but do we really NEED it. Heck yeah, I would have loved it if my new 3500HD would have had the option for a 8 liter engine making 500HP and 500 ft-lbs of torque. That's what I would have bought. But that's not really what I need.


6.0 is proven and gets the job done, there is no doubt there....but...

You had to me until couldn't handle. There are some big 5th wheels out there Fuzion and Voltage come to mind. Their dry weights are all over 13000lbs with cargo they are all allowed to weigh over 16,000lbs that exceeds the towing capacity and Gross combined vehicle weight of the 6.0 gassers. The Voltage 4210 is 15,710lbs...DRY! Over double the weight of my trailer loaded!!! There is a time and place for diesel. I am at the point where my 7500lbs loaded does not warrant it.

I know guys out in the flat lands (Kansas, Oklahoma, Florida, you get the idea) towing 12,000 to 15,000lbs with my exact truck. Out west here with the big passes? I would skip it.

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted by A_Harman
[Once upon a time, I did see some LS V10 blocks at Katech. It was a 7.5L V10, so a 6.0 with 2 more cylinders. GM decided not to put it in production, but it would make a great heavy duty gas engine.

And then again, they may be working on a stroker version of the 6.0...


Yummy, wonder if I can that V-10 into the Caprice...plenty of room in there.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

LSX block 502 with LS7 heads

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted by A_Harman
Agree. When the duty cycle changes to heavy duty, the engine design has to get conservative. I wouldn't want an aluminum block engine in a heavy duty pickup. I'd bet the 6.0 iron block can put out more power longer, under more severe conditions than the 6.2 L86.


Exactly why the hotrodders go to the wrecking yards and pick up the iron block LS engines. The can handle the abuse longer and for most them some boost.

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted by SubieRubyRoo
LSX block 502 with LS7 heads

MMMMM I would hurt my truck with that.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted by ls1mike
Originally Posted by Nick1994
Diesel is probably their money maker.

If they offered a real powerful engine, they'd compete against themselves. A lot less Duramax models sold.



I just read like a week or two ago that 64% of HD truck sales are gas.

So if 36% are diesels, if GM puts out a super-performer of a gas engine, I wonder what diesel sales would be? 20%?

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted by Nick1994
Originally Posted by ls1mike
Originally Posted by Nick1994
Diesel is probably their money maker.

If they offered a real powerful engine, they'd compete against themselves. A lot less Duramax models sold.



I just read like a week or two ago that 64% of HD truck sales are gas.

So if 36% are diesels, if GM puts out a super-performer of a gas engine, I wonder what diesel sales would be? 20%?

I don't know. They didn't break it down by brand. It was overall.

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted by A_Harman
Agree. When the duty cycle changes to heavy duty, the engine design has to get conservative. I wouldn't want an aluminum block engine in a heavy duty pickup. I'd bet the 6.0 iron block can put out more power longer, under more severe conditions than the 6.2 L86.
I would, aluminum blocks are strong enough for race engines and high rpm use but not enough to lug a truck and trailer around below 5k rpm? If this were the case, aluminum blocks would be notorious for blowing up. I don't believe aluminum engine block durability is an issue in the 21st century, but I am not a metallurgist or automotive engineer. An aluminum block would be something cool to market, and a probable class exclusive.

Dmax is not as advanced as it was a decade ago, it needs to be sheltered. The 6.0 is the dmax's "contrast girl"