Need info on 6.2 diesel blazer

[nevada70chev]

Help, I am looking at a 1983 blazer with 6.2 diesel. I don't know anything about them, the owner is stating it gets between 25-30 mpg, this is very attractive if the mpg is true, but is it? Does anyone have one and what have you found? Also, what should like lookout for in a diesel? Again as always, thanks for all your info and help.

[chev74]

mpgs all depends on the gearing. you should post pics of detail work. how long ago were the glow plugs replaced? does it need new batteries (yes, its takes two batteries); how old are the injectors.

The thing i have always been told about diesels is that they last forever, are built strong, but that the parts are always about 3 times more expensive

[67_C-30]

I have an '84 K1500 that gets 25 all day long in town, and has got as good as 28 on the Interstate at 75-80. It has factory 3.08 gears and a 700R4 tranny. I have had several of these engines and I've always had good luck with them. If you use for what they were designed faor (a light duty diesel) they are great. If you try to pull 15,000-20,000 pounds or run one at max 4400 rpm with a low geared truck, they can have head gasket and main web cracks. With that being said, I've had 2 in 1 tons and they pull a car on trailer fine but they pull much better with a manual tranny. Mine 1 ton flatbed had an SM465 4 speed pulled very good.

[nevada70chev]

So it is not unheard of to get 25 to 30, this is a blazer, not sure of the gearing or tranny (it is an automatic probably 700r4), I'm looking at this to replace my daily drive obviously since the mpg is much greater. Also it has pretty much all options. If I did do some towing, what is the expected decrease in mpg? What should I expect to do for regular maintenance? What about major service events? Thanks again. Much appreciated.

[67_C-30]

Originally Posted by nevada70chev

So it is not unheard of to get 25 to 30, this is a blazer, not sure of the gearing or tranny (it is an automatic probably 700r4), I'm looking at this to replace my daily drive obviously since the mpg is much greater. Also it has pretty much all options. If I did do some towing, what is the expected decrease in mpg? What should I expect to do for regular maintenance? What about major service events? Thanks again. Much appreciated.

No, they are actually known for good fuel economy, and that's what they were designed to do. Detroit Diesel designed them for GM. When I sold my 1 ton it had 280,000+ and still ran good and my K1500 has 330,000+ and it still runs good. The guy I bought it from put (2) 700R4's and a rearend in it while he had it. He drove it back and forth to Atlanta a lot and put 70% of the miles on it. They have a regular air filter and oil filter, so there's no big deal there. He always ran Shell Rotella oil (I do too) and kept it changed at least every 4000-5000 miles. You will have to replace the fuel filter every so often, but being an '83 it will have a spin-on filter that is easy to change. 84 - up had a funky square clip-on filter than can be troublesome as far leaking goes. Depends on what your towing with mpg decrease, but as with anything it will work harder to pull something and will drop some. It will still do better than gas engine in the same blazer.

[67_C-30]

BTW, here's my source for 6.2/6.5 diesels. The Diesel Page is OK, but the Diesel Place is better for the 6.2/6.5 stuff.
http://dieselplace.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=20

[1969k10stepside]

Wow,I was considering a 6.2 for my 72 K1500.I found one for $350.Now I think I will go for it if I can get 20 or so miles per gallon..

[67_C-30]

Originally Posted by 1969k10stepside

Wow,I was considering a 6.2 for my 72 K1500.I found one for $350.Now I think I will go for it if I can get 20 or so miles per gallon..

C'mon you know you want to. See how good it looks in there!

[89 crew]

The worst problems I had with my 6.2 diesel was with starters and alternators. I could look forward to replacing them at least once a year if I was lucky when I used my 82 k20 as a daily driver. my truck had 4.10's 4 speed stick. It got around 20 on the highway, and around town it got about 12. The things I hated about the truck though was first the noise. with as much rattling as they do you can't tell if you have a problem till it has happened. next was the stinking fuel, and exhaust. You can't drive it anywhere and not have that nasty smell! Every diesel pump I came to around here had fuel all over the handle so soon as I touch it my hands reek of it till I get some good waterless hand cleaner. The other fuel related issue you will have to face is fuel gelling. to prevent it you will have to add antigell to the gas tank. so all winter this will increase the costs per gallon which is already higher than gas. Someone earlier mentioned the glow plugs. Don't forget the glow plug sensor and the glow plug relay. I don't know about the 84 but the glow plug sensor for an 82 was a bit over $100 10 years ago. Personally I have had a diesel, it gave ok to good service, but I wouldn't buy a truck because it had a diesel. to me the headaches, hard starts, and the extra expense to fix them when they break isn't worth the mpg savings.

[special-K]

I like the smell of diesel.You rarely need to worry about gelling.I only add anti-gel when it hits the low teens and high wind.My experience has been it`s only the coldest days you ever see.In Maryland that`s once every few years.The 6.2 is an economical diesel.The military depends on them and so does the USPS.

[89 crew]

Originally Posted by special-K

The 6.2 is an economical diesel.The military depends on them and so does the USPS.

Yes I know the military does use the 6.2 diesel, but it doesn't look much like the 6.2 diesel in that blazer! The injection pump is about twice the size massive batteries. totally different fuel system. If you want to look at the differences look at this Ebay item. There is a pretty good under the hood shot.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1984-...QQcmdZViewItem

[Boog]

A friend of mine has an 85 Chevy long bed with an Izuzu diesel engine from factory. Says it gets great mileage and pulls a truck on a trailer just fine. It sounds like a bread truck or something. Were many built with Izuzu power?

[67_C-30]

Originally Posted by 89 crew

Yes I know the military does use the 6.2 diesel, but it doesn't look much like the 6.2 diesel in that blazer! The injection pump is about twice the size massive batteries. totally different fuel system. If you want to look at the differences look at this Ebay item. There is a pretty good under the hood shot.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1984-...QQcmdZViewItem

Actually besides the batteries and dual alterantors, it looks exactly the same. The IP is bigger externally and they are interchangeable. I put a DB2 4544 military IP on my 1 ton. The military has hardened internals to allow use of low lubricity fuels on a continuous basis. They were designed to burn a variety of fuels (not quite multifuel, but a range just the same). The military pumps do have to be converted from 24v to 12v if they came out of a HumVee. The CUCV's had a 24v system, but retained a 12v IP for some strange reason.

[lilred67]

i have had several of these motors in different truck ( 1-tons.,1/2 tons, 4x4's) and had good luck with all of them. the main one i had problems with was in the 1-ton with 225,000 mi. on it broke the crankshaft. everyone seems to have a horor story or 2 about them, but i like them. they are easy to work on,no major specialty tools required, and no computer etc. to mess with. when i had problems with a glow plug controller, i wired around it and installed a toggle switch to turn on the glow plugs. the best milage i got out of one was in a '83 1/2ton 3.42's 700r4 === 18-20 in town, 25+ on the highway. i would love to stick one in a '67-'72......................

[68K20 x Drill]

I doubt you will see 30MPG without a 5 speed manual. 25 is doable in a half ton.

[special-K]

The CUCVs use the same motor outfitted the same.Only difference is higher nickle content.I have a Peninsular Marine marine 6.5TD in my `92 work truck.The same mechanical pump(Stanadyne DB2)as used on all 6.2s and 92/93 6.5TDs is used,but has a larger head and rotor mated from a medium-duty pump.The compression had to be lowered to 18:1 to keep EGTs down from the increased fuel.There is a Hummer buff in my town that I swap info with I`ve helped modify some Hummers with.They really aren`t all that different.The main difference on turbo`d models is a center-mounted unit.Makes the motor look totally different.
I`ve never seen more than 20 mpg in my 5spd 6.5TD 4.10 K3500 SRW pickup.I`m very happy with that.I mostly see 15 mpg in it with the 300hp motor I have now.My`91 3/4t 4wd Suburban w/6.2,4L80E,4.10s,and 35" tires gets 20-22 mpg.

[72 CustomCamper]

I had an 84 6.2 from a Blazer in my 72 C/20. My uncle had done the install. The truck had a 700R4 and 4:11 rear. At the time the truck was getting 25 mpg on the highway...


Chuck