Opinions: 8.1 Chevy

robertyoke · Apr 3, 2009

AKSNOWRIDER said:
for what you put into hotrodding a diesel..heres the 8.1 answer.....http://www.kennebell.net/superchargers/gm/gm81/gm81.htm

wow.....692 foot lbs of torque.......but the same as a stock 6.7 dodge

humm....my little 5.9 twin turbo dodge has just 1250 foot pounds of torque....and sissy *** 545 hp......AT THE WHEELS! yea the gaser will run with me...lol

how come guys that buy diesel's never go back to gas?? its the guys that never had diesels talking smack??

AKSNOWRIDER · Apr 3, 2009

robertyoke said:
wow.....692 foot lbs of torque.......but the same as a stock 6.7 dodge

humm....my little 5.9 twin turbo dodge has just 1250 foot pounds of torque....and sissy *** 545 hp......AT THE WHEELS! yea the gaser will run with me...lol

how come guys that buy diesel's never go back to gas?? its the guys that never had diesels talking smack??

sorry..after 3 diesels I went back...stock for stock...8.1..and for hp...440 big block chevy in a tube frame pickup..1596 hp on one of two nos kits on the dyno(Nos race tech figured over 2100 hp on both kits)...and the motor was streetable...

Megadeth · Apr 3, 2009

Vern said:
ya, supposedly the shifting thing was taken care of in 03. i know my bros 03 will hold the gear alot better than my 01 but i still havent ever really noticed that issue on my truck yet but haven't even had it a year yet.

as for the half the torque of a diesel comment, maybe if your comparing the 8.1 to an brand new or pretty modded diesel. the stock 8.1 is rated at 340hp and like 455lbft torque, where as the early 2000s diesel like up to about 03-04 were rated at what? depending on the year and model like 225-275 hp and 450-500 lbft. so this half the torque stuff i dont know about unless like you mentioned to the other dude, were talkin about mod diesels to stock 8.1s. but i do know that you can get over 525hp and 600+lbft of torque out of a N/A 8.1 with just head and cam swap, plus you could always through the blower on top of that and that should get the output up there.

megadeth- go find a stock 8.1 and a similar year STOCK diesel and line them up from a dead stop and see how it turns out. then come back and make your assumptions. i've seen it many times and unless you got a major pos 8.1 theres not alot of trucks that get up and moving as quick as the big block. if it a long race the diesel will probably come around the 8.1 in the top end thanks to the turbo but it has to catch up first.

Like I said, if the driver of the diesel does a boosted launch they should beat them. The turbo won't have to catch up that way.

Beels · Apr 3, 2009

Dogmeat said:
I have a 2005 2500HD Extended Cab Short Box 8.1L/Allison combo, 3.73 gears 285/75/16 Nitto tires ...

It pulls my 16' enclosed with two sleds in it without even breaking a sweat, and I get EXACTLY the same gas miledge (9-10mpg) towing that trailer @ 65 mph as I did with my old 1/2 ton 5.3L towing the exact same trailer.

I get 9-10 mpg towing my dad's 24' enclosed trailer too ....

It pulls very well, it's quiet, you never have to worry about it not starting when it's 40 below .... BUT...

The gas miledge on them is really bad. Those things were built to tow, and that's it ... I get about 14 unloaded down the highway @ 75 mph ...
15 mph @ 65.

I have a feeling if I'd dump the 285 tires and go back to the stock 245/75/16 tires i'd get better miledge, but those tires just look lame ...

Overall I've been completley happy with the motor .... only thing I wish was different is that it came from the factory with a 44 gallon gas tank.

I am probably gonna put a 30 gallon TransferFlow tank/toolbox combo in here soon so I can get ~450 miles out of a single fillup. As of now I get ~230 or so. (towing)

My '01 sounds exactly the same as yours mileage wise. I'm running 265/75/16 tires though.

Ya, the smallish fuel tank is a pain sometimes, but I don't mind stopping and pulling my gotch outta the crack of my butt, and rip a few farts in open air, every couple hundred miles. :face-icon-small-win

What oil are you running and how much does it go through between changes?

Vern · Apr 3, 2009

robertyoke said:
wow.....692 foot lbs of torque.......but the same as a stock 6.7 dodge

humm....my little 5.9 twin turbo dodge has just 1250 foot pounds of torque....and sissy *** 545 hp......AT THE WHEELS! yea the gaser will run with me...lol

how come guys that buy diesel's never go back to gas?? its the guys that never had diesels talking smack??

and how much money do you have into that cummins? i'm not saying that the 8.1 will walk allover any diesel or you cant get big power out of the diesels and i know its alot easier to achieve it on the diesels. but i thought for the most part we were talkin stock for stock. but with some motor and tranny work and a bit of juice you can get a non boosted 8.1 to move pretty good for a gasser.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wYAljRwzOs

also we've had diesels and most of my friends have diesels and i still see no point or have any desire for all the extra costs of the diesels. really the only thing i like about the diesels is how easy it can be to get pretty good power out of them. if i had the money to throw away on a diesel i'd love to have a duramax with the zf/6 six speed manual, awesome trucks and they have a cool factor cuz the manual trans tends to be pretty rare.

robertyoke · Apr 3, 2009

probably not as much as you think......but i do have many hours in to it since i was the one who built the turbo piping, built the tranny (did buy the suncoast clutch kit, ats five star tc) its has stock injectors,cp3 ect. with arp head studs with original head gask. one smarty and one tst powermax and a little gs392 warbro transfer pump...(better working on the truck then drinkin in the bar imo)

most guys that get a newer diesel dont look back and one thing now no one has said was what happends when you pull that big trailer up an 11,000 pass?? the n/a gasser will lose 33% of its power, the turbo diesel will not. my 03 dodge stock 305 hp and 555 trq cummins will, with out a doubt pulling equal load will hands down walk away from the big block at high elevation...thats why you dont even see gasser 3/4 and 1 tons out here...they just dont cut it going up the passes.

i have a buddy that has a f150 ford that he said didnt want the diesel so he just got the half ton ....was a turd pulling a 2 place clamshell....so he supercharged it .....it goes ok but will over heat if you push it hard and it will use twice the fuel of my dodge pulling a 5 place 29' wells cargo enclosed....i can still walk away from him on a hill.

the real sad thing is the new diesels in europe run well and get better mpg then here because our epa sucks giant a$$... why not loosen the emmisions laws and let the new trucks get 3~4 mpgs better?
you almost have to get a programmer and get the sawzall out to remove the 'crap' from an truck that has a manufacture date 01/07 or newer.

robertyoke · Apr 3, 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-1MTr8X_Z0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUlVK-ihE_8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV0XJePUitI&feature=related

some diesels run well!

smokinskidoo · Apr 3, 2009

I had a brand new 03 8.1, had it for about 8 months, went through 4 tranies, 3 pistons. Then went to a 05 5.9 cummins never had one problem. Not even comprable, the cummins has so much more power, would easily pull away from the 8.1 pulling anything. The 8.1 is junk in my mind and i would never go back to a gas pick up.

2500hd · Apr 3, 2009

some people never learn if you talk STOCK FOR STOCK say an 03 8.1 and any of the diesels of the SAME year remember stock here i have no doubt that the 8.1 will drag, pull, race, you name it just as good if not better in the right eliment. meaning the only thing the diesels have going is traction because of there weight, now dont think im doggin the stinkin diesels i had a 97 stoker with a 5 speed, intake, exsuast, and a bully dog chip stacked with the edge evolution progamer. and i loved the hell out of that truck. now i have an 8.1 2500hd alison bone stock with 175,000 on the meter only changed one fuel pump and a water pump. the chevy would by far stomp that old stroker into the dirt pulling or raceing as for fuel milage yeah the stroker was better at 18 around town compared to the 12 of the 8.1 but like always it all prefrance.

J-HEFF · Apr 3, 2009

I have an 8.1 and it's a horse as far as gas motors go, there is no other GAS motor that will hang with it pulling.....BUT, it does not pull better than the duramax I have. Stock 8.1 racing a stock dmax from a light.....8.1 everytime. 60mph to 90mph, dmax has more torque and gets there quicker. Put a trailer on it and the dmax walks away....good 5 to 10mph up any hill faster than the 8.1. Plus the duramax gets the same milage towing as the 8.1 one does at 65 down the interstate unloaded. I've never seen over 12mpg in my 8.1. Just my observations, i'm sure everyone has there stories and opinions!! :beer;

P.S.
No regrets with buying my 8.1. I does use 1.5 to 2 quarts oil every 3000 miles, always has, always will. Has not gotten better or worse.

GlennRMK · Apr 3, 2009

I like this video

http://s223.photobucket.com/albums/dd151/madhatDTR/NC%2018%206th%20annual/?action=view&current=1009-1.flv

This truck dynoed 640hp and 1186 ft lbs

Its a mid 12 second truck

CATillak · Apr 3, 2009

I guess it comes down to the kinda luck we have had with the truck. Some get 175000 out of em, some of us hate em after experiencing them..

Now, i just got beat by my friends 03 cummins. QC longbed with 6speed and a ..superchips programmer lol.. I USED to think our 8.1 was faster but my mind was changed. This is an Avalanche BTW, if it makes a difference to any of you. Also highway, not light too light. That same cummins got beat pretty bad by a lifted Hemi with some programmer, didnt hve the superchip then though and it runs noticably better now. Kinda interesting, what does your basic 8.1 truck weigh out to?? Im sure the avilanche is heavier than a silverado..??

Dogmeat · Apr 3, 2009

Beels said:
My '01 sounds exactly the same as yours mileage wise. I'm running 265/75/16 tires though.

Ya, the smallish fuel tank is a pain sometimes, but I don't mind stopping and pulling my gotch outta the crack of my butt, and rip a few farts in open air, every couple hundred miles. :face-icon-small-win

What oil are you running and how much does it go through between changes?

Mobil 1 5W30 Synthetic ... I go through a quart every 3,000 miles or so.

Oil has never been dirty every time I've changed it (I always change it when the meter says %50 oil life) ...

They do burn a little oil

smokinskidoo · Apr 4, 2009

i know my 5.9 cummins with a smarty leaves a 8.1 in the dust from light to light and from 60 to 90 on the highway. I have a buddy with and 8.1 so he has had many chance at getting me and never has. He must like that black smoke in his face!

robertyoke · Apr 4, 2009

CATillak said:
I guess it comes down to the kinda luck we have had with the truck. Some get 175000 out of em, some of us hate em after experiencing them..

Now, i just got beat by my friends 03 cummins. QC longbed with 6speed and a ..superchips programmer lol.. I USED to think our 8.1 was faster but my mind was changed. This is an Avalanche BTW, if it makes a difference to any of you. Also highway, not light too light. That same cummins got beat pretty bad by a lifted Hemi with some programmer, didnt hve the superchip then though and it runs noticably better now. Kinda interesting, what does your basic 8.1 truck weigh out to?? Im sure the avilanche is heavier than a silverado..??

take a same year turbo diesel 6 speed (nv5600) vs auto (48re) the handshaker needs 100 more horses to run with the auto....too much boost lost at the shifts....and that tranny is a sloooooow shifter. does good 3 gear starts with a con fe clutch....my 04 flat bed drw will leave some nice rubber..lol and superchips for a cummins.....is a pos! smarty it and hang on! well if the stock clutch will hold.

robertyoke · Apr 4, 2009

AKSNOWRIDER said:
..and for hp...440 big block chevy in a tube frame pickup..1596 hp on one of two nos kits on the dyno(Nos race tech figured over 2100 hp on both kits)...and the motor was streetable...

i just read this post....i have two tandem axel dually trailers lets load them up to the max and run them up eisenhower pass and see who can get to the top first...... ok lets be fair loaded snowmobile trailers say 8,000 lbs load

this couldnt pull $hit either..now this truck is in the mid 7's http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OyP77zLPUs&NR=1
powered by isuzu!!

Vern · Apr 4, 2009

CATillak said:
I guess it comes down to the kinda luck we have had with the truck. Some get 175000 out of em, some of us hate em after experiencing them..

Now, i just got beat by my friends 03 cummins. QC longbed with 6speed and a ..superchips programmer lol.. I USED to think our 8.1 was faster but my mind was changed. This is an Avalanche BTW, if it makes a difference to any of you. Also highway, not light too light. That same cummins got beat pretty bad by a lifted Hemi with some programmer, didnt hve the superchip then though and it runs noticably better now. Kinda interesting, what does your basic 8.1 truck weigh out to?? Im sure the avilanche is heavier than a silverado..??

i believe that one, the 8.1 dont seem to get up and go very good at speed, hell i almost got beat by a fricken jeep cherokee one night from about a 50 mph rollong start. i think the turbo helps alot from a roll for the diesels, but from a dead stop i think you would give him a run.

as for the avalanche vs. pickup, yes there are some differences. one is that in the avalanche and the suv's like the yukon and what not they don't use the allison trans. theres not room for it in the tub or something so they use the 4l80 or somethin like that which i believe is only a 4 speed vs. the 5 or 6 speeds in the allison. now i dont know how much the extra gears will help for performance alone, but where the 4l80 is not as strong as the allison the avalanche may have more torque management than the pickups to help protect the trans. its gay, but all the gm trucks have torque management crap that limits the power output of the motor to save the drive train. so no matter how hard you mash the pedal the computer decides how fast you will be accelerating by adjusting timing and crap to take power away. so if you mash it all at once the computer will say "i dont think so" and retard the timeing to keep things safe.

even though i've had my truck custom tuned and had most the torque management taken off i can still tell its got a bit left. i've found that if you roll on to the pedal nice and gradually rather than just mash it it will get up and go quicker cuz the comp. dont casterate it so bad if your gental.

Vern · Apr 4, 2009

robertyoke said:
i just read this post....i have two tandem axel dually trailers lets load them up to the max and run them up eisenhower pass and see who can get to the top first...... ok lets be fair loaded snowmobile trailers say 8,000 lbs load

this couldnt pull $hit either..now this truck is in the mid 7's http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OyP77zLPUs&NR=1
powered by isuzu!!

i was gonna say you get a diesel to hopped up and it cant pull nothin either so it works both ways. but thats petty much what you stated.

that dmax is quick, nothin sounds as good as a hopped up v8 whether its diesel or gas.

Dano702 · Apr 4, 2009

I have about 54000 miles on my 05 Avalanche 2500 and about 80000 on my 06 Dmax . I love the Av ! I am thinking about pulling the engine and rebuilding it . It will be a better comparison to the D Max after the 8.1 is on boost .

The 8.1 is just begging for a blower and some heads.

bigrig73 · Apr 4, 2009

i love hearing the gas guys trying to say they can out pull a diesel. pull up beside my duramax and i will make you look foolish.

HAHAHAHAHA !!!

Opinions: 8.1 Chevy

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