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Buster52's avatar
Buster52
Explorer
Mar 05, 2015

2006 Chevy 2500 with a 6.6L

I am looking at a 2006 Chevy 2500 with a 6.6L V8 32V DDI OHV Turbo Diesel and a 6 speed and a Allison transmission. It has 72000 miles on it. I have never owned a diesel before. I have been listing to several radio programs that say some diesel and transmissions are problematic. Is this a dependable motor and tranny and how many more miles should it get me before it will need a lot of attention? Thanks
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  • As mentioned above, if an LBZ, get it now! That year had the 6 speed Allison, that eng/tranny is a winning combination.

    If it is an LLY, it is still good. I had an 05, worked like a charm. I never had injector problems nor the head gasket problems, though, I did by it used. I put nearly 40k miles on mine in the 2 years I owned her, with only oil changes and fuel...

    Check the bottom for rust. From 1999-2006, the brake lines, fuel lines (and cooler), and transmission lines would all be rusted if it was a northern truck. I found this out the hard way, it was going to cost $10k for parts and labor to change everything that was rusted beneath, I decided to trade it at that point.

    Cale
  • There were two slightly different gererations (LLY and LBZ) of the Duramax in 2006. That was a transition year for GM.

    Look at the 8th digit of the vin. a "D" Is the lbz and a "2" is lly .

    If the truck you are looking at is an "LBZ" then I would jump on it. They are hard to get and highly sought after.
  • Buster52,

    72K is relatively low mileage for a diesel engine. The mid-2000 Duramax diesels had a few problems with the fuel rails, but that should have been taken care of by now. Many experts cite 250,000 miles as reasonable life expectancy for a well-cared-for diesel engine. My brother-in-law owns the truck you are looking at (same model year in a 1-ton DRW version) and it's a work horse. I have a 2013 Sierra 2500 SRW with the Duramax/Allison and love it.

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