Chevrolet 2500 HD 8.1 litre performance

[cschulz]

Do some research on both motors. Both will do what you want. The 6.0 is pretty much bullet proof but in that era down on power. The 8.1 has the power but has its issues like oil useage. The good news with the 8.1 is you can get a Allison as a option. It was a option so watch closely. It was not available behind the 6.0


The guys I know with 6.0 motors of that era see 8 mpg average towing, 10 day to day, and 13 on the highway. The 8.1 is thirsty. They get 6 towing, 8 around town, and 10 on the highway.


Chris

I will have to second all that is said above but with one thing to mention I owned a 92 with a 454 and it pulled so much better than my 05 with 6.0. Big diff but also big diff in fuel use. If I was to purchase a truck again Id get the 8.1 or look for a coal burner(diesel)

Chris

 

[msmith1wa]

I bought my 8.1 in '03 and love it. My dad had an '04 with a 6.0 and it got about the same fuel mileage as my 8.1 and did not have near the power. Most of my towing is a 24' toyhauler RV and I get 9-10 mpg.

For a gas motor the 8.1 pulls hard. If you compare the tow ratings of the 8.1 and the Duramax, at least for '03, the 8.1 actually has a higher rating.

If you are buying one with an automatic the Allison is the only tranny used in the pickups. The Suburban and Avalanche did not get the Allison though.

I also bought the 8.1 because I was too cheap spend the money on the Duramax. Based on the estimated mpg of the two motors and fuel costs at the time I estimated it would take 100,000 miles to break even in fuel savings 10.5 years later the truck only has 51,000 miles on it, thanks to having another vehicle to drive to work everyday.

 

[southerndeere]

I'm looking at upgrading to a 3/4 ton pickup to pull my 20' bumper pull equipment trailer which the heaviest thing I haul is a 40 hp compact utility tractor with loader and 6' bush hog mower, but it is a real load on my 1/2 ton truck. I have been looking at 2000-2004 models with the 6.0 litre and 8.1 litre gas engines and was wondering how much worse is the fuel economy on the 8.1 over the 6.0 litre? I was just hoping that some of you who have or do own one or have first hand knowledge may be willing to shed some light on these models good or bad. Thanks in advance for any information.

I had a 2005 6.0 regular cab 4x4. Put 168000 miles on it. Pulled some things I should have never pulled. It did great. This pastnovember I was in the market for a new truck an with all the incentives I upgraded to a gmc 4 door 4x4 with the duramax an in my opinion there is no comparison. It pulls better an gets better fuel mileage. There are tons oof good used diesels on the market. So in my opinion if its in ur budget the diesel option is the way to go.

 

[sld]

I have never ridden in a 8.1L truck. How does it compare to Ford's 2005 and later 3V V10?

One buddy did have an early 90's 3/4 ton with the 454. At the time that was the cat's meow.

 

[southerndeere]

I have never ridden in a 8.1L truck. How does it compare to Ford's 2005 and later 3V V10?

One buddy did have an early 90's 3/4 ton with the 454. At the time that was the cat's meow.

Daddy had a early 90s dually with a 454. That thing was a hoss but only got 6 to 8mpg. I remember bim complaining even when gas was cheap lol

 

[cschulz]

I'm looking at upgrading to a 3/4 ton pickup to pull my 20' bumper pull equipment trailer which the heaviest thing I haul is a 40 hp compact utility tractor with loader and 6' bush hog mower, but it is a real load on my 1/2 ton truck. I have been looking at 2000-2004 models with the 6.0 litre and 8.1 litre gas engines and was wondering how much worse is the fuel economy on the 8.1 over the 6.0 litre? I was just hoping that some of you who have or do own one or have first hand knowledge may be willing to shed some light on these models good or bad. Thanks in advance for any information.

For what you want to haul the 6.0 will do fine. And give you some better mileage to boot. If you are pulling that loadm everyday then I would suggest the 8.1 w/ the allison

Chris

 

[Sammy3700]

I have a 2002 3500 with the 8.1 and Allison. Fuel is 7-10 depending on load. I have a gooseneck dump trailer with two 10,000lbs axles. This would be the probably the most weight. Also a 40' 5th wheel camper that weighs 16,000lbs however it has a lot of wind sail because of its height. The truck has no problem with pulling power. I love it. As far as oil consumption, around 10,000 miles I started running 15W-40 instead of the 5-30 GM recommended. They were trying to get another half mile to the gallon. Mine will drop almost to maybe a quart in 3500 miles. I have kept the oil changed and transmission serviced.

 

[britt2020]

The 8.1 is a lot of old technology mixed with some new. It is essentially a BB 454 that was punched out, or maybe stroked out to a 496. They put the LS style injection and intake on it, but it's not a true LS motor. The 6.0 is a true LS motor, which is a major improvement over the older generation Chevrolet motors ie. 350 and it's predecessors, but its not a Big Block. The 6.0 that most of you guys are using in your trucks is called an LQ4. It's an Iron block motor with aluminum heads. The heads are key to this series of motor. They are what is referred to as a cathedral port head which improved flow substantially. These heads were first introduced in 1997 on the Corvette, which used an all aluminum block and head LS1. The 6.0 block is essentially an Iron LS1 with a larger bore and stroke. Whenever you see issues with people saying they are under powered, it's usually due to the gearing in the vehicle. You really cant go wrong with a 5.3 or 6.0. I play with these motors quite a bit, so if any of you guys have any questions or are having any issues give me a shout and I'll try and help best I can.

 

[The Fred]

The Chev 8.1 was not their proudest achievement. Stick with 5.3,6,0 or 6.2 .

Because? Chevy big block was quite an achievement in my opinion. The engine was outlawed by the EPA for use in 2007 2500, 3500 trucks because of the large per cylinder size the emissions could not be lowered easily. With the advent of direct injection I would put good money down that says GM will bring this beast back and it will rock! Gasoline is cheaper than Diesel fuel and the emissions required are less than the new crap on the Diesel engines.

Other than burning large amounts of gasoline this engine far outpulls ANY LS1, 2, 3 series engine. Ask ANYONE who has one. Another great choice for a gas engine for pulling is the Dodge V10 that is also gone. These might only get 12 MPG but all their torque is at low RPM and again ask anyone who has one they WILL get the job done.

With direct injection these old dinosaurs will make a commeback soon.

Fred

 

[buickanddeere]

With 420HP and 460 lb ft from an all aluminum 6.2, the big block is stone cold dead. The cost to re-certify, re-engineer and re-tool would be cost prohibitive for such a small market. GM sold the L18 engine to "workmaster" who is affiliated with Navistar.
The L18 was a 454 stroked and re-worked into a heavy all cast iron that in the highest HP truck application made 340HP and 455lb ft.