duramax

This Universal High-Flow Catch Can Kit is now available! Click here to check it out!

It's no secret that the world relies on the diesel engine. From the mega-motors powering cargo ships across the ocean to the 4-cylinder TDIs, the turbodiesel has become synonymous with longevity and dependability. Even after hundreds of thousands of miles, the deep chugging and piercing whistle of a turbodiesel keeps going. While the diesel engine is a staple of reliability, its lifespan is still determined by how it's taken care of. Even with all the advancements in technology and engineering, the diesel engine is still susceptible to one of the same issue that plagues its gas-powered cousin, blow-by.

Blow-by comes in all shapes and sizes, and is never good for your top end internals.

The silent menace that is blow-by might be familiar to some, but for those of you in the dark on the subject, let's review. Oil blow-by is the by-product of the standard operation of an internal combustion engine.

Interested in purchasing this Duramax Intercooler? Check out our product page for more information!

Mishimoto Chevrolet/GMC 6.6L Duramax Intercooler Kit

With our testing complete, it was time to recap the results and see what kind of benefits our cooler was capable of producing. The testing procedures and information from our previous posts are outlined below.

Testing Procedures and Information

Vehicle: 2011 Chevrolet 2500 6.6L LML Duramax

Engine Modifications: None, all factory equipped

Ambient Temperature: 85°F (29.5°C)

Humidity: 35%

Sensors: PLX Pressure and temperature sensors were placed on both the hot-side and cold-side intercooler boots.

Physical Benefits

Before we jump right into the testing data, let's compare the physical aspects of our intercooler design that distinguish our unit from the factory cooler. We increased the core size of this cooler significantly, so let's take a look at the actual numbers behind the increase.

Comparison chart of intercooler volumes

The gains in

Interested in purchasing this Duramax Intercooler? Check out our product page for more information!

Mishimoto Chevrolet/GMC 6.6L Duramax Intercooler Kit

Product Testing and Procedures

The fun part of development is the reveal of our initial prototype design, but the truly exciting part is the testing portion of development. At this point our offices are disrupted by noise from the dyno pulls, tempting a few of our empolyees to filter into the garage and check out the action. Below we see the truck loaded onto the dyno.

LML test truck on dyno

LML test truck on dyno

To collect data, we installed our PLX sensors in a hot-side boot and a cold-side boot. We would be collecting both temperature and pressure data for each side of the cooler. Additionally, we would be recording power output to see if our cooler provides an increase in output.

Intercooler boot with sensor ports

Boost gauges

Once we had everything set up, the dyno pulls began with the factory intercooler and the Mishimoto intercooler.

Interested in purchasing this Duramax Intercooler? Check out our product page for more information!

Mishimoto Chevrolet/GMC 6.6L Duramax Intercooler Kit

Prototype Test Fitting

Time to see if this massive intercooler fits! Our prototype design was based on critical dimensions taken from a test vehicle so we could expand the cooler as much as possible without causing fitment concerns. Let's see if we succeeded on our first attempt!

The radiator and intercooler are thicker than the factory units, so we bolted the intercooler prototype to the new Mishimoto radiator prototype. Now attached to each other, we installed them together for the benefit of those customers who would want to purchase both components.

Mishimoto prototype intercooler (bottom) and prototype aluminum radiator (top), assembled

Mishimoto prototype intercooler (bottom) and prototype aluminum radiator (top), assembled

Mishimoto prototype intercooler (top) and prototype aluminum radiator (bottom), assembled

We then located a

Interested in purchasing this Duramax Intercooler? Check out our product page for more information!

Mishimoto Chevrolet/GMC 6.6L Duramax Intercooler Kit

Prototype 3D Design

Now that we outlined our project goals and had all the test data from the factory intercooler, our engineers were ready to design a prototype intercooler. Using dimensional data from a rendering of the truck as well as the actual measurements we took from the test vehicle and factory intercooler, our team was able to create a very nice looking prototype. Check out a couple renderings of the design!

Mishimoto prototype intercooler rendering

Mishimoto prototype intercooler rendering

When designing this intercooler, our team experimented with different end-tank diverters to provide better air dispersion through the core. Our goal is to spread the airflow to all portions of the core so we can take full advantage of the surface area available. Check out this neat shot of our test results using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Interested in purchasing this Duramax Intercooler? Check out the product page for more information!: Intercooler Kit, fits Chevrolet/GMC 6.6L Duramax 2011-2016

Welcome back! In our last segment we removed the factory intercooler so we could determine if this project would even be necessary. The good news is, all that work was not for nothing; our team found several aspects of the factory intercooler that could be improved. Check out a few more detailed images of the factory intercooler.

First, a peek at that interesting metal end tank we discussed in part 1 of this article.

Factory LML intercooler metal hot-side end tank

Now let's take a look at the core!

Factory LML intercooler core

So, what do we gather from all this data? The factory intercooler is a reasonably sized unit with a well-designed core. From our initial inspection, we believe it should support factory and mildly modified trucks without issue. That being said, there is certainly room for improvement. The plastic end tank used

Interested in purchasing this Duramax Intercooler? Check out our product page for more information!

Mishimoto Chevrolet/GMC 6.6L Duramax Intercooler Kit

Product Introduction

The LML Duramax is the cleanest and most powerful Duramax thus far. The innovations made for this new model are quite substantial and are a direct result of serious advances in automotive technology. Unfortunately, stricter emissions standards of today result in the inclusion of a DPF (diesel particulate filter) system, which improves emissions yet hampers fuel mileage.

Luckily, not all the innovations for newer Durmax models are in place to provide cleaner air; several features of the new engine are in place for improved performance and reliability. Among the long list of improvements, a few highlights include a quick-spooling VGT turbocharger, a factory-equipped exhaust brake, upgraded designs of the main bearing and engine block, upgraded oil pump and circuit for improved flow/pressure, and of course the use of an