016 or 01E behind a Duramax Diesel

Any idea how an 016 or 01E would hold up behind a Chevy Duramax? Probably about 400hp and 700 ft-lbs of torque. This would be a daily driven mid engine car with a curb weight of about 3600 lbs. I would take it easy for a while, but maybe after a year or two ramp it up and see how much abuse it could withstand.

BTW, the engine makes that torque way down at around 1800 rpm. Redline is only about 3300rpm. I did some calculations with a .56 overdrive and 3.9 final drive and got a cruising speed of 70mph at 1900rpm, so that would be ok. Incidentally, a duramax has the same bell housing pattern as an LSx.
 
Brian, sounds like an interesting project. Tell us more and show pictures! I've had both the 016 and recently installed the 01E in my GT40. The 01E has made a HUGE difference in my ability to enjoy the car. My engine puts out about 430 HP and around the same in ft. lbs of torque. The 016 is a good box and served me well (read: I never had a problem) but its not a box that fills one full of confidence to do anything risque' like drop clutch starts etc. You can change the ring and pinion in them and add a LSD which improves it more. I always found the 016 gearing was not well suited to my engine and its Weber induction system. Cruising on the highway I found 4th too low and 5th too high so the engine never really felt comfortable and seemed to sit at an unfavorable RPM. The 01E does not suffer from that issue as 4th, 5th and 6th are all good gears for cruising. The 01E is also capable of handling more HP/torque and enjoys a solid reputation on this forum from many people who have them installed in their cars. 700 ft. lbs though is a mighty big number and even the 01E may not be capable of enduring that too many times.

Good Luck with your car.
 
The 016 won't last long with that much torque. You will need to install the plate behind center housing to support the pinion bearing. The 01E would be a better choice. Maybe Scott will add his thoughts to this. That is a very heavy engine. I think it is actually heavier than the big block Chevy.
 
I can't see an 016 taking anywhere near that kind of torque with any degree of reliability. It's built for maybe 200....so a small block ford is already stretching it with 300-400.

For that kind of tq I'd think a ZF or Ricardo is what you'll need.
 

Pat

Supporter
I agree with Cliff, 700 ft lbs is a lot and when you couple it to a 3,600lb car. I'm not too sure an 01E, a G50 and certainly not an 016 would be the answer for such a high torque Diesel engine. You'll also need to examine the ratios that work well with the Duramax which I think redlines under 3,500rpm.
If you can find the adapters (and the $$) I'd go with a Ricardo, Albins or Weddle.
 
Brian, I was thinking about building a mid-engined tube frame dune buggy w/ a b3.3 cummins w a zf25-2 that I have extra in gt40 configuration and use c-5 suspension. I love the duramax but they are very heavy and I think you could kill even a zf very handily if it every is really hooked up or unless you are under 1500lbs as they make so much torque!
 
Duramax torque will destroy an 016, and an 01E holding up would be suspect it would depend on how it's used. The 01E ratios are well suited for a diesel torque curve. Are you set on a duramax? There are far better choices for diesel engines that are much lighter and produce much better lb/hp. VW, Audi, and Mercedes all have smaller and lighter diesels.
 
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