Talk me out of a Chevy Trail Boss Duramax 3.0

[D45]

I like the 5.3L in my truck, it's good enough

However, my 2012 F150 3.5L would run circles around my Silverado.....especially when towing and driving through deep snow

 

[rcintx]

...Maybe the question for you is...if you FIX your Ram's timing, would you then just keep it and drive until the wheels fall off? What could you get for it in current condition as a trade in for that Trail Boss and would that be worth it?

That's the question I have been noodling all day. I think the truck is probably worth around $3500 in current condition. That is not enough trade-in to put the TB in my (comfortable) price range. My current plan (subject to change, ask my wife) is to put a new engine in it and drive it until the wheels fall off. I am OK with that with one exception. I am anxious that something else major will happen (transmission, computer systems, etc) that will put me thousand's back into the hole. I don't know of anything else going out, but I didn't know the engine was in this bad of shape either....

I think with all of the information I have available that is the best choice. New engine, save some money for a rainy day, and run it for at least a couple of more years.

 

[Todd n Natalie]

That's the question I have been noodling all day. I think the truck is probably worth around $3500 in current condition. That is not enough trade-in to put the TB in my (comfortable) price range. My current plan (subject to change, ask my wife) is to put a new engine in it and drive it until the wheels fall off. I am OK with that with one exception. I am anxious that something else major will happen (transmission, computer systems, etc) that will put me thousand's back into the hole. I don't know of anything else going out, but I didn't know the engine was in this bad of shape either....

I think with all of the information I have available that is the best choice. New engine, save some money for a rainy day, and run it for at least a couple of more years.

How much is the truck worth with the engine fixed? What is the cost of the repair?

I had a similar situation years ago with a 2003 XTerra S/C. 125k miles and the head gasket blew out. Shop basically told me an engine. I think work estimate was 4 grand or something. I think I only paid 5 grand or so for it. I just bailed on it cause I didn't want to be into a 5K vehicle for 9K and then worried about the next failure like you.

Got out of it and bought an 80 series Land Cruiser. That ended up being a bigger money pit. That was the end of me buying older used vehicles as DD's, lol.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

That's the question I have been noodling all day. I think the truck is probably worth around $3500 in current condition. That is not enough trade-in to put the TB in my (comfortable) price range. My current plan (subject to change, ask my wife) is to put a new engine in it and drive it until the wheels fall off. I am OK with that with one exception. I am anxious that something else major will happen (transmission, computer systems, etc) that will put me thousand's back into the hole. I don't know of anything else going out, but I didn't know the engine was in this bad of shape either....

I think with all of the information I have available that is the best choice. New engine, save some money for a rainy day, and run it for at least a couple of more years.

That was my conundrum as well, when the transmission went in my GMC. And I made the same choice you did. The questions run the gamut between "will there be a big engine issue in the future to knock me back down?" and "man wouldnt it be good to go 3 more years without a payment!"

Like you, mine is also my daily. I took a look at the value as-is vs the used car market and decided fixing was less expensive and viable, since I have a 3 year warranty with unlimited (you read that right) miles. And i got a "better than GM" transmission where all the known failure points were built up or engineered out. We will see, only time will tell.

Best of luck with the engine and keep us posted

 

[ThundahBeagle]

How much is the truck worth with the engine fixed? What is the cost of the repair?

I had a similar situation years ago with a 2003 XTerra S/C. 125k miles and the head gasket blew out. Shop basically told me an engine. I think work estimate was 4 grand or something. I think I only paid 5 grand or so for it. I just bailed on it cause I didn't want to be into a 5K vehicle for 9K and then worried about the next failure like you.

Got out of it and bought an 80 series Land Cruiser. That ended up being a bigger money pit. That was the end of me buying older used vehicles as DD's, lol.

Yep. That generation V engines in the Nissans. They drank oil like a fish and crapped out before the CV transmission ever had a chance to.

My girlfriend had an 04 Nissan Murano. Damn lovely vehicle! Comfy yet form seats, gorgeous style and colors, and everything worked well.

but it was all over at 117k when the head gasket blew and was equal to the then value of the car to replace. Had I been a better mechanic I would have fixed it. So we sold it and she drove my Jeep Grand Cherokee around for a while before she settled on a GMC Terrain Denali. Wow. What a nice ride that is!

 

[Nikilrho]

We are buying a 1500 ZR2 with the 3.0. They have updated the engine for this year and it’s not the same engine having the issues. Time will tell with these. With the zr2 package we aren’t getting all the payload or towing we could with a lighter truck, but with 25 miles one way of commute at altitude, the mpg is a thing we need to look at. The 3.0 just doesn’t make sense next to the 6.2 for fuel economy Plus we can still haul a little trailer and our motorcycles. Since I work at a sister dealership we get good pricing, better hourly rates, and parts pricing. The oil pump belt isn’t an issue for us with those things in mind.

We really considered a 2500zr2. But just couldn’t justify the extra fuel and bigger body for the amount of towing we will do. Most trails in our area are meant for jeeps and the big 2500 just has a harder time fitting between the rocks and trees.

One day we will move in that direction when I have horses again.

You definitely have a bigger family than us and the 2500 may be the direction that suits you best. Maybe a cheap, paid for, good fuel economy box for that long commute. I commute in a fiesta ST. This zr2 will be an upgrade for my husband’s 02 s10 zr2 with its 15mpg on a good day. lol.

 

[(none)]

3.0 Duramax still has the wet oil pump belt doesn't it?

That should be an immediate no-go for anyone planning to keep the truck more than 50k miles. No excuse for that and not worth the hassle.

 

[Todd n Natalie]

3.0 Duramax still has the wet oil pump belt doesn't it?

That should be an immediate no-go for anyone planning to keep the truck more than 50k miles. No excuse for that and not worth the hassle.

Is there an issue with them in the GM's?

The Ford 2.7L and 5.0L use them and I haven't heard of them being an issue in those engines?

 

[(none)]

Is there an issue with them in the GM's?

The Ford 2.7L and 5.0L use them and I haven't heard of them being an issue in those engines?

Still a bit too new for those motors. Ford has been using them on mostly smaller motors and in Europe. Search youtube and you'll see many examples. The belts degrade, teeth strip off and/or clog the oil pickup.

The fords seem to be on the front of the motor, but the duramax belt is on the back of the motor requiring removing the trans and/or motor to service it. Something a chain has accomplished for decades with no maintenance required.

 

[rcintx]

That was my conundrum as well, when the transmission went in my GMC. And I made the same choice you did. The questions run the gamut between "will there be a big engine issue in the future to knock me back down?" and "man wouldnt it be good to go 3 more years without a payment!"

Like you, mine is also my daily. I took a look at the value as-is vs the used car market and decided fixing was less expensive and viable, since I have a 3 year warranty with unlimited (you read that right) miles. And i got a "better than GM" transmission where all the known failure points were built up or engineered out. We will see, only time will tell.

Best of luck with the engine and keep us posted

It's the only option that makes sense for me right now. The way I look at it the truck is worth ~$3500 as it sits. I think I can put the money in to fix it (let's say $10k) and sell it for $13,500. So either way it's worth $3500. Hopefully, I can get it fixed and drive it for a year or more while the car market levels out (if it ever does).

We are buying a 1500 ZR2 with the 3.0. They have updated the engine for this year and it’s not the same engine having the issues. Time will tell with these. With the zr2 package we aren’t getting all the payload or towing we could with a lighter truck, but with 25 miles one way of commute at altitude, the mpg is a thing we need to look at. The 3.0 just doesn’t make sense next to the 6.2 for fuel economy Plus we can still haul a little trailer and our motorcycles. Since I work at a sister dealership we get good pricing, better hourly rates, and parts pricing. The oil pump belt isn’t an issue for us with those things in mind.

We really considered a 2500zr2. But just couldn’t justify the extra fuel and bigger body for the amount of towing we will do. Most trails in our area are meant for jeeps and the big 2500 just has a harder time fitting between the rocks and trees.

One day we will move in that direction when I have horses again.

You definitely have a bigger family than us and the 2500 may be the direction that suits you best. Maybe a cheap, paid for, good fuel economy box for that long commute. I commute in a fiesta ST. This zr2 will be an upgrade for my husband’s 02 s10 zr2 with its 15mpg on a good day. lol.

The ZR2's are awesome. If I didn't need to towing and could spend more time offroad I would take a harder look at them. I think they are one of the best looking (and optioned) trucks on the market right now. Congrats on picking one up.

 

[rcintx]

Still a bit too new for those motors. Ford has been using them on mostly smaller motors and in Europe. Search youtube and you'll see many examples. The belts degrade, teeth strip off and/or clog the oil pickup.

The fords seem to be on the front of the motor, but the duramax belt is on the back of the motor requiring removing the trans and/or motor to service it. Something a chain has accomplished for decades with no maintenance required.

I read up on this issue. I'm no expert by any means but supposedly in the latest generation the belt is good for 200k miles. Warranty on that drive train will at least cover you for 100k miles.

 

[Todd n Natalie]

We are buying a 1500 ZR2 with the 3.0. They have updated the engine for this year and it’s not the same engine having the issues. Time will tell with these. With the zr2 package we aren’t getting all the payload or towing we could with a lighter truck, but with 25 miles one way of commute at altitude, the mpg is a thing we need to look at. The 3.0 just doesn’t make sense next to the 6.2 for fuel economy Plus we can still haul a little trailer and our motorcycles. Since I work at a sister dealership we get good pricing, better hourly rates, and parts pricing. The oil pump belt isn’t an issue for us with those things in mind.

We really considered a 2500zr2. But just couldn’t justify the extra fuel and bigger body for the amount of towing we will do. Most trails in our area are meant for jeeps and the big 2500 just has a harder time fitting between the rocks and trees.

One day we will move in that direction when I have horses again.

You definitely have a bigger family than us and the 2500 may be the direction that suits you best. Maybe a cheap, paid for, good fuel economy box for that long commute. I commute in a fiesta ST. This zr2 will be an upgrade for my husband’s 02 s10 zr2 with its 15mpg on a good day. lol.

Out of curiosity, what is the payload rating on a 1500 ZR2 with the 3.0?

 

[Nikilrho]

Out of curiosity, what is the payload rating on a 1500 ZR2 with the 3.0?

I don’t have the truck yet, but online sources say 1440. The bison edition is much worse but we decided a couple of steel bumpers weren’t what we needed.

 

[Nikilrho]

3.0 Duramax still has the wet oil pump belt doesn't it?

That should be an immediate no-go for anyone planning to keep the truck more than 50k miles. No excuse for that and not worth the hassle.

Yup it does. Rated for 200k miles. Regardless I’m not worried because I get cheap dealership labor and parts.

It's the only option that makes sense for me right now. The way I look at it the truck is worth ~$3500 as it sits. I think I can put the money in to fix it (let's say $10k) and sell it for $13,500. So either way it's worth $3500. Hopefully, I can get it fixed and drive it for a year or more while the car market levels out (if it ever does).



The ZR2's are awesome. If I didn't need to towing and could spend more time offroad I would take a harder look at them. I think they are one of the best looking (and optioned) trucks on the market right now. Congrats on picking one up.

we looked really hard at the 2500 zr2. Had the diesel not become available in the 1500 it would have been the likely winner. But we can’t give up on 30mpg in a truck with our commute. Our 02 S10 may become a bit of a monster or we may buy something cheaper for 4x4ing. With the truck, we mostly are going to go camping off the beaten path (but not jeep type rock crawling), and towing our motorcycles to the track about 1.5 hrs away. I joined the forum to look at trailer builds and ideas. The eventual goal imo is to have an off road toy hauler we can sleep in. I don’t want a RTT as we have a 75lb dog we have zero desire to haul up and down a ladder. He probably could climb it now but in a few years that may not be an option as he’s already 8. Since the payload is lower I doubt a slide in will be an option either as much as my husband was hoping for I think. I said he picked the wrong truck for payload. 🤷🏻‍♀️

 

[MTNWest]

Figured I would add my .02 since I have a similar combo as what you're looking at. I have the 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 version with 3.0L Duramax Diesel. First model year of the new 'LZ0' upgraded engine version. The belt life was extended to 200,000 miles which is more than I usually plan on keeping these types of trucks w/ complex electronics/screens. I love the 3.0L engine/10 speed trans combo. I live in the mountains and often commute to the city (80m R/T) with lots of steep passes to cross. From a power/torque perspective, the 'baby-max' laughs at any payloads I've thrown at it and asks for more. Unloaded it averages 26-30+ MPG. Loaded with camp topper & provisions (FWC Hawk) it averages 22 MPG (if you keep it under 75 mph). I bought the version with heavier payload 9.76" axle and has ample braking power.
I ditched the stock leaf springs and had a custom set of HD Deaver springs installed which vastly improved off-road and high speed highway handling with high payloads- best mod yet.
For short commutes or if you typically drive unloaded- I would go for the gasser engine for simplicity. Although, for my mission with longer commutes and a mix of towing/heavy payloads the 3.0L diesel economics and performance are working really well for me. From an emissions perspective, it's a quiet motor and most people can't even tell it's a diesel. With the new CAL compliant emissions systems/DEF injectors, there is no diesel exhaust smell emitted and seems to run clean. (not a scientific analysis by any means, just my observation when comparing to driving behind 2500/3500 diesel trucks)

Here's is a brief summary of the big ticket items they improved in the LZ0 engine model. Lots of other minor system improvements- which can be expected for a newish engine.

"the LZ0 features a revised combustion bowl, and upgraded steel pistons, while the turbocharger was retuned and the fuel injectors were updated as well. The cooling system was also improved, while the oil belt life has been extended to 200,000 miles"