4WD Engagement / Break-In - First Time Owner, Education Needed

[revrnd]

23 hours ago, Chuck FB said:

I have a correction to my prior information findings, since after all that was from back in 2010, it makes sense that the transfercase is an upgrade from then given the added power of the duramax.

 

I had just opened a pinned thread from 2019 where Newdude had provided fluid types and volumes for the various driveline components and he had listed the model of the transfercase for the HD, its one number up yet from what I had come across before and imagine its a higher torque capacity transfercase. I am not sure if its used on both the diesel and gas though. I will post the first line of the informational document from GM that contains the model number, also the link to the GM document for the 2020 model year HD trucks taken from the service manual.

 

The Magna Powertrain (MP) model 3025 RPO NQH transfer case is a 2 speed automatic, active transfer case (ATC). The MP 3025 ATC provides 5 modes, Auto 4WD, 4HI, 4LO, 2HI and NEUTRAL.

 

https://estimate.mymitchell.com/GMC/document/4/9/9/1/7/100314027_4991738_14196568.html

 

Funny that the 'uplevel' case gets neutral, where as the LT & lower trims don't.

[Chuck FB]

2 hours ago, revrnd said:

 

On the 1st part I should've added that yes, the rear axle would've been different plus the added spring leaves, but if I went from my 3/4 to a 1 ton, the motor & trans would've been the same. It's not like I'd be able to get a 8.1 L & beefier transmission, by moving up.

 

I had never thought of the mud situation w/ a duallie. I recall seeing either a GMT400 or GMT800 back in the plant after being used in the tar sands of Alberta. It was quite the mess. Apparently they had quite the cleaning process.

 

[quote]

Cleaning trucks in the oil sands involves removing heavy bitumen, tar, and oil deposits using specialized equipment and cleaning solutions, often requiring high-pressure steam or powerful degreasers. 

 

Here's a more detailed look at the process:

• The Challenge:

  The oil sands environment presents a unique challenge for cleaning, as the heavy equipment used to extract and transport the oil-rich sand becomes coated with sticky bitumen and other deposits. 

   
• Cleaning Methods:

  • High-Pressure Steam: Steam trucks are used to clean heavy equipment, including haul trucks, shovels, and other machinery, by using high-pressure steam to loosen and remove the buildup. [/quote]

   

  [quote]My diesel comment, that wasn't intended to sound like it was directed at you, it was in speaking of those that buy a diesel and really have no clue what hidden issues they may have by owning one and using it the way they are in a put-zing around way. I expect a number of the 3.0 duramax are sold in that way of some who buy them that putter around vs those that drive longer distances where they can regen properly.[/quote]

   

  No worries I didn't take it that way. Even though I don't read a lot on the diesel side, I have seen enough online. My brother has had Dmaxes since MY2005. I've heard him & my nephew discuss them (he had a fuel pump failure on his 2016 (after a cross country trip) around '21 or '22 & the repair was problematic. Got it fixed & traded it in on a '22.

   

  It would be hard to say on which end of the scale of 'driving' mine would fall. Yes most of it is putzing around LOL, but usually once a week I make an hour & a half round trip to the city for shopping. That being said, throw in Canadian winters & wouldn't likely wouldn't help matters either for 4 months either.

   

The fact that the prices of the same trim level/optioned 3/4 vs 1 ton SRW vs a 1 ton dually have very little cost gap says a lot, so much of the truck is exactly the same on the first two and in fact most of it the same even on the dually, the wider axle and two more tires and fenders on the box make up a large part of the difference. For what one is buying the dually is the most cost effective for what its able to do with that stability and extra payload.

 

And zeroing in on the SRW trucks, the laws around GVW is in large part what dictates what ends up making sense financially to own, its mostly about political bs and very little to do with the physical trucks, logic sure doesn't have much to play in it ... politics is quite something.

 

Oh the oil sands, I have only been to Fort Mac once and in fact never in the actual town I don't think. Its a long time ago, I was probably in my early teens. I went along with my dad to tour the oil sands and that would have been over 45 years ago. They had the bucket wheel going feeding the conveyor and the huge house of an excavator ( for lack of the correct name ) with the 100 ton drag bucket or something along those lines. The place would be vastly different compared to all those years ago as I am sure you could attest to. That item you pasted in about cleaning the equipment, that sounds like quite the mess all right.

 

One of my neighbours has a 2016 he bought new and I keep wondering when his fuel pump will send shrapnel through the system. He put some sort of different screen on it that is finer but I don't think that will save the day. However being the more simple emissions system he did get it deleted right near the end of his warranty as he was having emissions issues and the dealer was messing around saying they would have to charge him to diagnose it and he saw where that would have headed with no clear yes or no that they would even cover it warranty wise. So he took it to a shop that deleted it and that fixed the problem. He bought a slightly used 2023 duramax dually to haul a camper this winter so I guess I'll have a front row seat to how that does.

 

I'm sure with what I bought hindsight will be 20-20, it usually is and I will know in the future if my choice of vehicle was the right choice or one that I will regret. One thing is for sure, if I have a headon with a squirrel I believe he will come out second best !

[Chuck FB]

3 hours ago, revrnd said:

 

Funny that the 'uplevel' case gets neutral, where as the LT & lower trims don't.

That reminds me that I have done very poorly in reading the online manual and don't know if it even explains the transfer case in the sense of if the vehicle can be flat towed. Some 4x4 vehicles out there can be due to the transfer case design and not that towing a bemoth of an HD truck behind anything is practical but am curious if they are mechanically capable of it.