6.2 diesel swap, like to hear from people who have done it

[mustardjimmy71]

Has anyone ever heard anything good about 6.2 chevy diesels? I think theres a reason why nobody does the swap. Im not trying to discourage you from doing it, but, ok im discouraging you. Its silly and there is way better options if you want to go diesel, like something with a turbo and a heavy duty trans.
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[SamMargritz00]

Originally Posted by mustardjimmy71

Has anyone ever heard anything good about 6.2 chevy diesels? I think theres a reason why nobody does the swap. Im not trying to discourage you from doing it, but, ok im discouraging you. Its silly and there is way better options if you want to go diesel, like something with a turbo and a heavy duty trans.
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i always thought the 6.2 was a good engine, and thats from a cummins guy like myself. but for the OP, i have no idea what the weight of the engine is, you might have to beef up the front end if its too heavy. but a very good little engine is the cummins 4bt. smaller version of the standard cummins in pickup trucks and A LOT of people have done it.

[cleszkie]

I too have heard more complaints than accolades for the 6.2 diesel. Apparently, it is actually based on a gasoline engine that was modified to a diesel mill. Not designed to be a diesel mill from the get go like the aforementioned 4bt. I like were your head is at, but like the others have said there are better alternatives out there.

[bigbadchev72]

there are 2 6.2 diesel engines out there, one is an olds 350 that was made into a diesel, the other is a 379cu in motor.

I have had a couple of them. They are not big power houses, but ou can turn up the injection pump for a little more output. My only complaint on them is the 20+ mpg i was getting out of them

The 4bt is a great swap, but those things are loud! and that is comming from a straight piped cummins owner.

[AlaskaMatt]

Originally Posted by cleszkie

I too have heard more complaints than accolades for the 6.2 diesel. Apparently, it is actually based on a gasoline engine that was modified to a diesel mill. Not designed to be a diesel mill from the get go like the aforementioned 4bt. I like were your head is at, but like the others have said there are better alternatives out there.

Not to be a jerk but this is wrong. It's also a very common mis-conception. The 6.2 is a Detroit diesel. It was designed to be a diesel from the ground up. You are confusing it with the 350 diesel from olds.

As to the rest of the arguments this was not a overnight decision. I read long and hard and talked to quite a few people. I am not after power or turbo. I am after simple and economy.

The 4bt is loud, vibrates like hell and is dang hard to come by up here. Is it awesome? Absolutely. Do I want one in my rig. No. The 12V cummins, sweet sure, and likely come close to same economy as the 6.2 but the swap is far more involved and weighs much more than the 6.2. Fully dressed it's twice the weight of the 350.

As to the 6.2 people love to hate them for not being a cummins workhorse. Yup, they are not. Do they run many many miles and get great economy doing it, yes they do. Do they have a few known issues, yes but they are minor and easily addressed.

To the weight issue, it's 200 lbs more than the 350 in it now. It has new springs in it anyway that barely move no matter how much weight you put in it. My snowplow mount is nearly that and I can tell no difference in how it drives or rides with that on or off. It hardly changes when you pick up the plow for that matter.

It's all moot anyway. I have the donor and am committed to the project.


I didn't start the thread to hash what direction to go. I would have given it a different title and asked a very different question. Don't get me wrong I appreciate the input but we are not gaining any ground with the tangent discussion.

If you wish to continue the 6.2 debate that is fine, but please in another thread.

[superduty_59]

[QUOTE=AlaskaMatt;5383273]Not to be a jerk but this is wrong. It's also a very common mis-conception. The 6.2 is a Detroit diesel. It was designed to be a diesel from the ground up. You are confusing it with the 350 diesel from olds. [QUOTE]

I too like the 6.2/6.5's. Not Cummins power but very reliable. Good luck with your project. Keep us up to date with pics please!

Yea the 6.2 or 6.5 is a designed and built Detriot Diesel (GM used to own) the 5.7 or "350 diesel" wasn't a converted gas engine either. As a cost saving measure on the assembly it was made to be able to be on the same engine assembly line as the gassers and take some of the same parts such as valve covers, oil pans, ect. It was never converted but rather made with some of the same dementions as the gassers to share parts and easily dropped into the same cars without a special line just for the diesels.

[AlaskaMatt]

[quote=superduty_59;5519130][QUOTE=AlaskaMatt;5383273]Not to be a jerk but this is wrong. It's also a very common mis-conception. The 6.2 is a Detroit diesel. It was designed to be a diesel from the ground up. You are confusing it with the 350 diesel from olds.

I too like the 6.2/6.5's. Not Cummins power but very reliable. Good luck with your project. Keep us up to date with pics please!

Yea the 6.2 or 6.5 is a designed and built Detriot Diesel (GM used to own) the 5.7 or "350 diesel" wasn't a converted gas engine either. As a cost saving measure on the assembly it was made to be able to be on the same engine assembly line as the gassers and take some of the same parts such as valve covers, oil pans, ect. It was never converted but rather made with some of the same dementions as the gassers to share parts and easily dropped into the same cars without a special line just for the diesels.

Cool, I learn new stuff every day. Not much further along on the project, fishing keeps getting in the way. It's hard to be in the shop when the sun is out and the salmon are running.

[jer8716]

I didn't realize hjow different the first few blazers were I am current right in the middle of this same conversion on my 81 k5 I got lucky and picked up a complete 84 k5 that had been rolled has every thing I need to get the job done other then the flywheel since I'm using the sm465 trans currently in my blazer. Any way the one thing I have had to change was the motor mount pillow from the small block to the big block every thing else lines up as is.