N/A 6.5 Diesel

[Dieselwrencher]

I agree with 67C-30. These engines last a long time if not worked really hard day after day. This swap shouldn't be too bad at all since you have a donor truck. If you can't find BBC engine mounting plates, just make some your self if you have access to the tools needed. Good luck with the swap!

[67_C-30]

Originally Posted by 1950ChevySuburban

I put a 6.2 in my '72, made my own mounts. Kept the stock vacuum brake booster and using the vacuum pump that came with the diesel. When I go to power steering, I'll go hydro-boost.
Runs real well, but first gear is useless. Makes for a fun Home Depot cruiser!

Sounds cool, I'd love to see pics of it! BTW, to the board!

[stovboltguy]

nice project! my son and i have a 67 gmc dually that we are going to build with a 6.5t nv4500 and 3.42 geared 14 bolt. i also agree the project is going to be easier with the donor truck on sight,good luck!

[Seraph]

Sorry i haven't replied in a long time guys. life has taken over....i have been busy with the church band I'm in and some family problems that have been going on.
But this next week i will be hitting this project full force so be looking for updates!! Cheers

[Seraph]

SHE LIVES!!!
i have been spending the last weeks tracking down a fuel problem and glow plugs malfunction. i figured everything out and once she had a steady flow of fuel she started right up and never hiccuped once. Now that i figured my problems out and the motor is running i am ready to start breaking everything down and start on the swap! stay tuned.

[junkyardjohn]

COOL... I'M JUST DIPPING MY TOES SO TO SPEAK ON THIS DIESEL THING MYSELF. I JUST BOUGHT AN 84 MILITARY BLAZER WITH A 6.2 NON-TURBO DIESEL BACKED BY A T-400 NP208 COMBO. AT 52.. I'VE NEVER OWNED OR WORKED ON A DIESEL... BUT I'LL LEARN. MY NEXT IDEA IS TO FIND A WRECKED OR OTHERWISE JUNK LATEISH 80s CHEVY TRUCK WITH A 6.5 TURBO, JUST TO TEAR APART, & LEARN HOW THEY OPERATE. GOOD LUCK ON YOUR PROJECT..... IT CAN BE DONE. JOHN

[storm9c1]

Originally Posted by junkyardjohn

COOL... I'M JUST DIPPING MY TOES SO TO SPEAK ON THIS DIESEL THING MYSELF. I JUST BOUGHT AN 84 MILITARY BLAZER WITH A 6.2 NON-TURBO DIESEL BACKED BY A T-400 NP208 COMBO. AT 52.. I'VE NEVER OWNED OR WORKED ON A DIESEL... BUT I'LL LEARN. MY NEXT IDEA IS TO FIND A WRECKED OR OTHERWISE JUNK LATEISH 80s CHEVY TRUCK WITH A 6.5 TURBO, JUST TO TEAR APART, & LEARN HOW THEY OPERATE. GOOD LUCK ON YOUR PROJECT..... IT CAN BE DONE. JOHN

If you go diesel, things will be much happier with a turbo! Albeit it's easier when you have all the parts already, and very hard when you don't.

[Bob B.]

I have a lot of years as a diesel mechanic. 6.2's and 6.5's are great little engines. As others have posted, they were designed for economy, and they are not a medium duty commercial engine like the Cummins B5.9 (Dodge Ram) is. But, the 6.2L and 6.5L weigh about the same as a Big Block Chevy, and the motor mount locations and bell housing bolt patterns like any Chevy V-8, so the swap is much easier. A 4 row Big Block radiator should be fine if you are not towing a lot. 6.5's have better block and head castings than the 6.2 did. If you are using an automatic transmission, be sure to get a diesel torque converter, it has a different stall speed than the gas one does. In stock form without a turbo, the 6.5L makes about 145 h.p. and 300 ft. lbs. of torque. I know it doesn't sound like much, but the torque curve is very flat and comes on early, so it will pull the truck around just fine. 6.2's and 6.5's rev. good for a diesel, so your stock gearing should work (try that with a Cummins!).

[junkyardjohn]

THERES AN AWFUL LOT OF THESE OLD MILITARY TRUCKS & PARTS AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW WITH EVERYONE SWITCHING TO HUMMVEES.(EVEN THE GSA IS HURTING FOR MONEY) EXAMPLE... BRAND NEW 1985 6.2 DIESEL CRATE MOTORS WITH EVERYTHING BUT THE STARTER & TWO ALTERNATORS...$1799 , NOS HOODS.. $90 , NOS REAR BUMPER WITH FACTORY HOLES FOR BLACKOUT LIGHTS & TIE-DOWN BRACKETS...$40 . I BOUGHT THIS M1009 (84 3/4 TON BLAZER) THREE WEEKS AGO & HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT EVERY DAY SINCE, GOING OVER EVERYTHING WITH A FINE TOOTH COMB, & LEARNING SOME NEW STUFF TOO. I'M 52 & HAVE BEEN BUILDING BIG & SMALL BLOCK CHEVYs FOR 35 YEARS, BUT HONESTLY BELIEVE I'LL BE SELLING OFF MY HOARD OF GAS ENGINE PARTS IN THE NEAR FUTURE (I HAVE A FEW) & GOING STICTLY DIESEL. THE FUTURES HERE... & IT SMELLS LIKE DIESEL FUEL TO ME. JOHN

[mal68ibu]

I've got about 7600 miles on my 6.5 TD conversion in my 67 gmc 3/4 ton 2wd. I've had pretty good luck with it using a dmax clutch fan, and upgraded cooling parts from ssdiesel supply. I had a really slight coolant leak at the neck and was towing about 6K at 100 degrees and my water temp stayed around 220 with a stock 4 core radiator. When I got home I found I was just shy of a gallon of coolant. I've also done quite a bit of mods on my engine. Check out the link in my signature for my build and the rest of the specs on my truck.

[northern 85]

Any updates?

[Seraph]

WOW its been forever since i have posted on this thread, i have been busy with traveling for my new job. but recently i have started on the project again! i have the motor bolted down and in place...radiator and battery trays mounted. I am about ready to start working on wiring this baby up. I am a complete idiot when it comes to wiring, is there anyone one here that can kind of give me a break down of wiring for a dummy? I really appreciate it guys! stay tuned for updates, im going to be hitting this project hard for the next few months!! Ill post pics tomorrow.

[Seraph]

Ok everyone here are the pictures i promised. I guess the best way to update on this thread is to start from the beginning. Iv grown up around these trucks (my dad has had 3 long bed 72, a 71 blazer 4wd and a 71 GMC suburban) so naturally when i turned 18 i wanted one of these pick ups. I searched and searched on craiglist for the right one, till i finally found the one i own now. 1000 dollars brought her home. I swaer the first few nights i could have slept in that thing hahaa. Anyways i originally planed to put a 350 in it like everyone else does, but then my dad asked me if i wanted the 6.5 diesel for it. I told him heck yea! and the rest is history. lol ill stop boring you to tears now, so here are the pictures. I guess this thread kind of needs to go in the build and projects area.

[Seraph]

Here are some more pictures of disassembling the truck, we took the 350 out of the engine bay and discovered a few nasty cracks.....

[406 Q-ship]

In the words of Adam (Mythbusters)

"Well theres your problem lady!"

That is nothing a bottle of alumaseal wouldn't take care of......

[jwgeorge]

OK, I'm going to throw my usually rational, practical, logical, yet sometimes uneducated opinion into this. Sure, rebuilding a 350 Chevy engine is dirt cheap, if you do everything yourself. First of all, looks like the young man will need another block or core to start with (I don't think you can put enough Bars Leaks in that block to make it hold water), so there is money out of pocket for a block or engine core, then you may have to bore the new block if it's worn-out and buy a new set of pistons. Basically, "Rebuilding" a Chevy 350 isn't as thrifty as everyone makes it out to be. He already has a running engine, with a working transmission, in a complete other truck. The motor mounts should bolt right up and there may be some modding required for a trans cross member. The glow plug circuit shouldn't be that difficult to transfer over from the 85, just start at the glow plugs and trace the wires back until they lead to a 12v power source and install everything in-between. If it needs a return fuel line, you got a whole parts truck sitting there it'll have the line in it. Cooling issues, I do not know the depth of that, but a 4-core radiator with a flex-fan should keep it cool enough? The biggest expense I see is having the driveshaft modified to mate-up and fit. I think this will work and would be the cheapest route, just do everything yourself.