Hey fellas. Let me start off by saying that I quite frankly (and a little sadly) have zero experience with Duramax engines what so ever. I'm very familiar with Cummins and Powerstrokes, however the world of Duramax is a new one for me. With that being the case, and seeing as how many knowledgeable diesel tuners, and just many folks with Duramax experience in general roam around these parts I figured I would get a straight forward, honest and educated response that I likely couldn't get anywhere else.
With saying that, I've been looking for a solid used truck lately to use as a reliable weekend work horse. Some friends and family convinced me to give some 04-07 Duramax's a shot. I took one for a ride, and flat out loved the power. The problem I've come across, and my main reason for coming to you guys for advice is this. I have read many seemingly biased reviews both strongly for and strongly against the GM Duramax platform as a whole, particularly beyond the holy grail 200k mark. I'm currently looking at a few different trucks, one of which is a 07 2500HD Duramax LBZ with roughly 235k on the odo. The frame, chassis and body are in STELLER condition, however the mileage here is what very much concerns me, partly due to what I've been reading thus far. If it were a 5.9HO Cummins, I'd have zero reservations about the truck, but with it being a Duramax I'm just very unsure.
Long and short of it, how durable are these engines/drivetrains and how significantly compromised is the life span when even mild recalibrations are done? Are there any engine mods that are considered a MUST before pumping an bit of power through these engines (such as head studs, head gaskets, injector issues, ect ect) that I should also take into consideration with such a vehicle?
Thank you in advance for any help in the matter guys.