chevy 6.5 diesel

I am pondering buying a mid 90's chev with the 6.5. Any pros or cons to this motor. I have a 5.9 cummins and am debating just putting that in. So I guess my question is the 6.5 worth a damn?

Reply to
sidewinder
Loading thread data ...

the 5.9l cummins is a much better motor than the indirect injection

6.5 GM diesel, however, it doesn't mean that it was a bad engine. other than the electronic pump driver failures in the later models, they were pretty reliable and had 195HP/ 395 tq (iirc) on a TD.

I think you're going to be hard pressed to fit the 5.9 into a 88-98 chevy pickup as they weren't designed to fit an I-6 into them, unlike the Fords of that era with the 4.9l gas I6 or the Dodges with the Cummins. you'd probably have better luck trying to get one into a

72-87 chevy as they had enough length under the hood for the 250/292 I6 gasser.

-Bret

Reply to
Bret Chase

There was a 6.5? Wasn't it the 6.2?

GMC Gremlin

Reply to
GMC Gremlin

the 6.5NA replaced the 6.2. in the early 90's. for a while you could get either a NA or a turbo 6.5. the 6.5TD was retired when the 6.6 Duramax was introduced.

-Bret

Reply to
Bret Chase

Ahkay. See you guys have to start talking in K5 talk. I relate all changes in the world to when major changes to the K5/Jimmy were introuduced. :-)

Like in 1984 a bold new grille had a bi-level design with three black-finished horizontal bars, square headlamps in both sections (optional), parking lamps behind the bars on the bottom, and a yellow bow tie on the body color strip in the middle. Only 4x4 models were available for 1984. Fender badges now identified these trucks as K5 models..................... and....... I was also born.

GMC Gremlin

Reply to
GMC Gremlin

Find an Oldsmobile with a 5.7 Liter Diesel, hehe. Turboless and no balls what so ever, buddy has one in a Cutlass Supreme, 1982. Regular gas block converted over to a diesel engine. Obviously using diesel engine components. The 6.2L and 6.5L were supposed to be what the 6.6 Liter is now, smokeless and less noisy, took Isuzu to. Shame on GM!!

Reply to
Kiel Uyttenhove

I did a couple of quick measurements between my 88 K2500 and a '90 F250 we have at work... my truck's engine bay (firewall to back of radiator core) is and inch LONGER (41" vs 40") than the ford. so the length shouldn't be a problem.

-Bret

Reply to
Bret Chase

Worth a damn? That's a tough one. If you have owned and operated a Cummins powered vehicle, then you will be sadly dissapointed by the

6.5L, as you would with any of the other pickup diesels. Otherwise, if you have nothing to compare it to, then it won't seem so bad.

They are decent engines in their own right, but they had alot of injection pump and glowplug issues.

I don't know if I would waste a good B-5.9 Cummins on a truck of that vintage. If it were me I'd be looking for somthing older, with solid front axles and no computer controls.

I've always wanted to put a B-5.9 in a late 70's or early 80's 1-ton

4x4 single wheel, with a New-Venture 4500 5 speed behind it. That would be the ultimate truck now...
Reply to
Tony Kimmell

I used to have a 1981 Buick Century with a 350 diesel in it. The original engine was replaced with a crate 350 diesel in 1986. By then, GM had all the bugs worked out of them. That was the best running 350 diesel I've ever seen. Got 27 mpg too. I think I put almost 60,000 miles on that car in 2 years before I got rid of it a couple years ago

As far as the Duramax goes... GM has contracted with Isuzu since before you were even born. What do you think the Chevy LUV was? A re-badged Isuzu Pup. How about the Isuzu Hombre? All it is is an S-10 with a different front clip and different badges.

I'm sure the Duramax is a decent engine, but I'll never buy a V8 diesel over an I-6

-Tony

Reply to
Tony Kimmell

As a I6 Diesel are naturally balanced and very minimal vibrations compared to a 90 degree configuration. But the duramax is an awesome engine. I know a guy now who owns one with a 5 speed automatic Allison trans and the truck has 300,000+ miles, only work ever done to the engine was something to do with the fuel injectors.

Reply to
Kiel Uyttenhove

Not so much that, I was referring to the fact that the I6 is a much more efficient and reliable design for a diesel. Hence the reason you will be hard pressed to find anything but an I6 in a semi or road tractor.

I don't even want to know how he racked up 300,000 miles in less than

5 years. But that's not really comparing apples to oranges. all highway mileage in that short amount of time is alot different than driving it everyday for a few years.

Tony

Reply to
Tony Kimmell

He's my boss. He owns Great Lakes Limousines. We stretch He's, Towncars, Escalades, ect. He is always traveling all over the U.S. buy cars, trucks, SUV's or whatever. He redoes some of them and sells some of them as is since most of them come from the south and out west. He pulls a 5th wheel 4 vehicle car hauler. From day one of owning this truck, 95% of the mileage has been pulling this huge ass trailer.

Reply to
Kiel Uyttenhove

Reply to
sidewinder

Thanks Bret. A friend put the 5.9 into his 95 and the only major change he had to make was to lift the body two inches. I am not sure why but it wouldn't fit other wise.

Side

Reply to
sidewinder

Maybe you could try a banks sidewinder turbo, I know a friend who has one and they kick ass in diesels.

Reply to
Kiel Uyttenhove

do you have pictures of his truck? I'd be interested to see the swap. was it a 12V Cummins? what went behind it? a NV5600 or NV4500 I hope.

-Bret

Reply to
Bret Chase

OK all of you Comedians can stop stop about the GM Diesels. They great engines and where in great trucks. Like someone else said you are not going to be able to get the 5.9L Cummins into the Chevy, it's just too long. Anyway unless you have a donor truck, you are going to pay a lot of money for a running truck and most likely anything that is cheap is going to be a totally wasted truck. If the truck is nice then someone is going to fix it.

Any way good luck in your search.

Reply to
Tlake

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.