Diesel engine swap

[jesdude7789]

Originally Posted by DieselSJ

Seriously, if you are looking for 350ft/lbs of torque, why are you looking at diesels? Those are stock 6.2 non-turbo numbers. The 3 liter diesel in my BMW makes well over 400. You are really looking at 4bt numbers, and you can back it with a 700R4, 4L60E/4L80E (if you want to deal with electronics), or any 5 speed manual.I want at least 350 ft/lbs so more would be nice. I have wanted a diesel for a long time now and the 4bt seems to be the right choice. If I come across a 6bt or any other higher hp/tq engines then I will definitely consider them but the 4bt is lighter which is good for my suburban suspension. I am also looking to upgrade the suspension to 3/4 ton.

6.0 gasser will easily surpass those HP/TQ numbers and be a fairly easy drivetrain swap. From having done a diesel swap myself, there are A LOT of little things that come with changing from gas to diesel. As much of a fan as I am of diesels, I agree with Hatzie on this one that you should take a serious look at the 6.0 gasser. I will. Another 5.3 would do as well.

Towing 10K lbs on a 1/2 Burb chassis? It is possible that I would tow that much but not very often at all and not very far. You might want to rethink that. That 1/2 ton running gear also won't live long behind anything larger than a 4bt. I agree. Used axle upgrades will be needed. A Dmax/6bt/DT360 will blow the ring and pinion out of that rear end the first time you nail the throttle. I had to upgrade my Jeep to a 14bolt for that reason.

They say the higher gear ring and pinion are actually stronger than the low gear since it has the larger pinion but I do see your point.
I have abused my trucks 2.73 axle and it has actually never given me any problems which is amazing when I think about it.

[jesdude7789]

I'm not having much luck finding 5.3 or 6.0 gm engines so far. I see them for 5k and up and they are not decent pullouts. Accessories missing, clearly sitting outside for who knows how long, no wiring or computer, some shady looking. Might need to try and pick and pull myself to get a decent and complete setup.