2005 Duramax- what to look for when buying

jcramsey

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2009
Location
Marion, NC
Wasn’t looking for one but a guy offered to trade a 2005 Duramax truck for my K20 crew cab. I’m considering it but don’t really want to get into something I don’t know anything about.

4x4 crew cab, flatbed, stock engine w/ 281,000 miles, trans rebuilt at 196k

What should I be on the lookout for? @Croatan_Kid what kind of wisdom you got for me?

I would prefer to just sell my K20 but if this is worth it I would go for it.

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Looks rode hard and put up wet. I see wires and butt connectors hanging under the dash (may just be the brake controller). Looks like the PO has had his grimey hands on just about every part on that truck. I'd be weary of a high mileage diesel anyways especially one that has been hacked and altered that much. They're already hard enough to diagnose and fix when they're untouched.

I'm sure you're ready to move that k20 but I would pass on the duramax.
 
That's definitely high miles. It's one thing if it's high highway miles but by the looks of the truck, it's probably not. Do you know if it's had injectors? If it hasn't, it's definitely getting close to needing them, if it doesn't need them right now. Start the truck, take the oil fill cap off, flip it over, and lay it back down on the fill hole. If it blows it off, it's got some blow by. It's also getting toward the end of life of the turbo. The VGT's started with the LLY's and they're prone to typical VGT issues after 200k or so miles. Check the transfer case for signs of pump rub causing a leak. Do you know who rebuilt the trans? That's a very costly rebuild if it has to be done again. I would also be suspicious of head gasket issues. Some of the LLY's overheated very easily and had head gasket problems as a result. If you don't have any other way to tell, like a pressure tester, you can take a carbon monoxide detector from your house, open the coolant fill, and hold the CO detector over the hole with the truck running. If the detector alarms, you're getting exhaust gas in the cooling system from a blown head gasket. I'd value the truck at $5k, maybe $7500 tops, assuming none of the above issues are present, and it has a clear title. Looks to me like the driver's front fender isn't the same color as the doors, so I'm betting that at least that fender has been replaced. And I've never seen an HD truck with a painted grille from the factory. If it were me, I would pass.
 
Its rough around the edges, but those are good trucks. I had an 03 with about 300k miles. Bought it in 2012 for $7k with 270k miles on it, sold it in 2015 with over 300k on it for $9k. Other than worn out steering that I had to replace, I didn't really have any issues with it. If the price is right, go for it. You'll always be able to get your money back out of it. And those Dick Cepek tires are some of my favorites, so that gives it a little street credit ;)
 
Rockers and cab corners are gone, obviously. I HATE cateye Chevy trucks. It's also white. That'd be enough for me, personally, to say no.

Mechanically speaking...miles don't scare me. I'm close to 360k on mine. I just always thought the LLY was kind of a bastard truck. VGT, but still 5 speed. That particular one just looks beat up. It would definitely be a project.

If I didn't have an LB7 and LBZs were affordable, that's what I'd have. Other than that, if I ever get another Duramax it'll be specifically a 15 or 16 LML.
 
Appreciate the different perspectives. My only interest is either if I could sell it easily or if it could replace my current DD without needing money thrown at it constantly. Doesn’t seem like I could count on either of those happening lol.
 
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