6.2 transplant in 72'

[USCGjimmy]

was considering a diesel in the 72 jimmy. is my daily driver and relieable as hell.
currently has rebuilt 400 to a th350.
not sure which oil burner would be easiest to install.
i figure i probably need the computer as well, and that the 6.2 would have less of one if one at all....also would i need to switch the tranny? probably go with an nv3500 or prefered nv4500.
is there a motor mount kit or write up, or diesel guru in here.
thanks.

 

[K5dreamer]

actually, the 6.2L diesel was designed to fit in the place of a small block chevy, so it and its sibling the 6.5L Turbo diesel are a natural choice for this kind of swap. If you have a built 400, i would strongly suggest the 6.5L turbo diesel over the 6.2. because you will be very dissapointed with the performance difference. Neither engine will probly measure up to the performance you have now, but even with 3.08 gears i have no complaints about merging onto I-495 with my NA 6.2, but i certainly wont win any drag races. Im not 100% sure, but i believe the motor mounts are the same from the small block ot the 6.2L.

check out the magazine Diesel Power, they are doing a build up on doing something very similar to what you are asking about, as far as "swapping a 6.5 into any vehicle". if i understood the first issue correctly, they are going to do a build up to try and get a bit more power out of it, then put it between the fenders of something that had a small block.

 

[USCGjimmy]

6.2

yea i still have my stock 3:08s since i dont have an overdrive, would i need a 700r4 or would either engine bolt to my th350? ill definetely check out that magazine... i do have 37's on the rig so my rpms are a little lower with a 3 spd. will i have an issue wiring up the computer?

 

[tRustyK5]

6.2 doesn't use a computer at all. It needs one 12 volt feed to run, and that's it. With 3.08's and 37's I'd go with an SM 465 4 speed...you're freeway rpm's would be 1800 at 65 mph which is perfect for fuel economy. Of course, with those gears it'll be pretty doggy around town though.

With 37's I'd rather see 4.56's and overdrive 5 speed. 1950 rpm at 65 mph and a ton more snap in town.

It's a pretty straight forward swap from a difficulty standpoint...but there is a fair bit of stuff to change. You'll need the monster 4 core diesel rad, hydro boost brakes (not hard), second battery and tray, manual glow plug set-up, fuel filter and water separator, and the engine bay wiring harness (or equivalent).

The fuel tank just needs a flush with a few gallons of diesel after the gasoline has been drained. The lift pump for the 6.2 is in the exact same spot as the sbc fuel pump is so the fuel lines from the tank pretty much bolt right up.

I'd also recomend some Dyna-mat sound deadener on the firewall/front floor area. All 6.2 equipped trucks got factory sound deadener on the firewall...and after doing a 6.2 swap and ignoring the sound deadener part of things I can see why. It can be somewhat loud in the truck without any sound deadening.

Rene

 

[K5dreamer]

always a pleasure trustyk5, its so refreshing when someone posts and knows what they are talkin about in such depth

in regard to the tranny question, anything that bolts up to a sbc will bolt up to the 6.2 or 6.5. like i said, they were designed to fit in, the fuel line placement is a great example that i didnt know about.

I also agree with trustyk5 that the tires are a bit large for the gears, i mean, ive got the 3.08's with 33in tires and im a starting to hate my gas pedal around town. ive also got the TH400 so im also feelin the three speed pain. If you go with the diesel i would strongly suggest planning on deeper gears and an overdrive tranny, even a four speed for better all around driving.

as for the dynomat, i suppose thats a personal preference, ive got the ex military truck with no floor mats or carpet, only a coat of rhino lining, but thats the way i like it

oh and for the radiator, definatly shop around, i just had to replace mine after a battery came loose on the trail and took out a fitting. the dealership wanted 600+ dollars for it, and a small radiator shop down in harrisonburg virginia had it in stock and sold it for less than 400 to me... i think the radiator and two bottles of coolant cost 408 total.

 

[tRustyK5]

Believe it or not Griffin makes an aluminum replacement 6.2 diesel rad...$525 or so if I remember right. It'd be a nice upgrade for not much more money.

The 6.2 actually makes decent power if it's geared right. Part of the 'gutless' reputation comes from the brutal gearing they often got from the factory. 3.08's and overdrive is just ridiculous...

A manual tranny behind one usually gets more power to the ground too. I never felt my K5 was slow with the SM 465 (and now with the NV4500) and it tips the scales at ~6000 lbs and runs on 39.5's. My other truck is an 83 C1500, 6.2/700-R4, 3.42's and 235/75's and it scoots along just fine...but it's quite a bit lighter than my K5.

Rene

 

[K5dreamer]

yeah i had been thinking about looking for an aftermarket radiator, but i busted the old one on the trail, limped back to JMU and already missed a day of work and had to get back right away, so i just went with the regular replacement. next time though, ill probly give griffen a call.

as for the gearing, i do agree its almost comical, but i have to admit, i was very impressed with the truck in 4wheel low down there, as far as being gutless.... well, i guess its all relative, my other car is a Z28

 

[Drey]

The 6.2 actually makes decent power if it's geared right. Part of the 'gutless' reputation comes from the brutal gearing they often got from the factory. 3.08's and overdrive is just ridiculous...

Yeah I had an 86 C10 with a 6.2. It had 3.73s, I never thought it lacked in power that bad. Sure its no Duramax but its still a good motor

 

[tRustyK5]

yeah i had been thinking about looking for an aftermarket radiator, but i busted the old one on the trail, limped back to JMU and already missed a day of work and had to get back right away, so i just went with the regular replacement. next time though, ill probly give griffen a call.

as for the gearing, i do agree its almost comical, but i have to admit, i was very impressed with the truck in 4wheel low down there, as far as being gutless.... well, i guess its all relative, my other car is a Z28

Yeah, in 4 low it's near unstoppable. I have the NV4500/203/205 behind my 6.2 in the K5 now...but haven't had a chance to wheel it with that combo yet though.

Rene