6.5L turbo on a 6.2L N/A

[K5dreamer]

hey all, im headed out to the local truck junkyard this week to get some parts i need (broken windows and hopefully a CDV) and im thinkin ill price out the parts i need to put a 6.5L turbo setup on my 6.2 but realized im not really sure about what im gonna need. its a m1009, so its already got the non-egr intake.

also, i was reading there is a difference between the 6.2L and 6.5L camshafts, everything else seems to be swapable, so can you put a 6.5L cam in a 6.2L block? are they roller cams?

i apologize for the noobness, i really have spent the past 45 minutes looking online for this info and havent been able to find it.

 

[longbedder]

You'll want the plenum, turbo, all the plumbing, oil supply and return lines, the exhaust manifolds and piping, and wastegate (if equipped).

The cam is interchangeable between the two engines, and is a roller cam.

 

[Russell]

No need to change the camshaft out though, the stock 6.2L version works just fine.

If you get a computer controlled 6.5L's turbo setup, you'll need to convert it to a mechanical wastegate as it is controlld by the ECM in the later years.

As far as parts go, you'll need the turbo exhaust manifold, the turbo itself, the turbo intake, passenger side valve cover + associated ducting for the CDR, and the oil filler neck. The biggest challenge that you'll face is that the turbo's stock oil return goes down and into a plate that covers the port where your fuel pump is right now. You'll either need to do something else with the CDR and return to the valve cover, or find some other way of returning the oil. You'll also need to have an oil line made to reach from the back of the block where the oil supply nipple is to supply the turbo with oil as well.

If you have the 6.2L apart, you may want to consider replacing the harmonic balancer, and installing a main girdle kit as preventative maintenance items. You'll also want to buy and install a pyrometer and boost gauge to keep an eye on what your engine is up to. These 6.2Ls don't like a whole lot of boost in stock form, and you want to try your best to keep the EGTs under 1000F sustained.

 

[K5dreamer]

thanks so much, definatly putting together my list. and thanks for pointing out ill need the turbo CDR, i was getting ready to buy one for my truck anyway, so its nice not to blow the 70 bucks needlessly.

and a few questions that have popped up. mainly regarding the oil to the turbo.

is there a reason i cant return the oil to the valve cover with the CDR on it? if thats a problem, could i run the oil return line to the other valve cover? or maybe the oil fill tube?

regarding the oil supply, you mention a nipple that is there for the oil line, is that there on the older 6.2L engines? or will i need to drill, tap, and install one? if its there, whereabouts is it, and what am i looking for?

and wise advice on the balancer, i might as well be looking for one of those in good shape too until i can buy a new one. mine has started to concern me and i know those are the widow makers of the 6.2 engines. the main girdle is also good advice, but i hadnt heard about it until you mentioned it. do you know who makes it? Ill also look into the pryometer and boost guage, im sure i can find some place to put them, im in the process of putting together a list of parts to turn my "idiot lights" into guages. oil pressure, two voltmeters, then putting my coolant temp guage where the old voltmeter used to be, so ill have two spots to put the boost and pyrometer guages.

The engine is not currently apart. but im definatly thinking with the possible tranny swap coming up, and installing a turbo, and probly doing a rebuilt pump and injectors, it might be what i wind up doing. Just completely freshen up the engine, new bearings, rings, head gaskets, and maybe a set of ARP studs for the heads and main caps. the other weak part of these engines are head gasket failures, especially with boost, makes sense to have all the insurance i can get right? maybe port and polish the heads a little bit while they are off and install some megaflo valves.

the reason i asked about the cam swap, is i saw a used 6.5L cam for around 35 bucks, and seeing as its a roller cam, i dont feel to concerned about putting it in the truck. So i was just wondering if there was a benifit to the cam. i cant find the specs anywhere on the internet, so i cant tell if there is a signifigant difference.

 

[mogulmasher]

Keep us posted on this turbo swap as I am several months behind you hoping to do the same thing....I have a '91 6.2 from a 'burb going into my '77 K20.

I'm gonna do the same thing, freshen up the motor and 6.5 turbo it. DSG makes a main stud girdle kit, which includes main bearing studs. I've found most recommend a fel-pro head gasket when boosting a 6.2 and defintely ARP head bolts. I hadn't heard about the oil plumbing issues so I would like to see how that works out.

I've done a lot of research on dieselplace.com and found it pretty helpful.

 

[K5dreamer]

well dunno bout keeping yall posted, even though youre a few months behind, youll probly finish before me, right now im kinda scrounging parts, and doing homework, it might be next summer before i get around to actually yanking the engine/tranny/tcase and trying to do all this stuff. im in school and on a shoestring budget. my only income is working the door of a bar three days a week. so you can imagine how hard it is to buy all the stuff i want for the truck

 

[mogulmasher]

well dunno bout keeping yall posted, even though youre a few months behind, youll probly finish before me, right now im kinda scrounging parts, and doing homework, it might be next summer before i get around to actually yanking the engine/tranny/tcase and trying to do all this stuff. im in school and on a shoestring budget. my only income is working the door of a bar three days a week. so you can imagine how hard it is to buy all the stuff i want for the truck

I can relate, I'm hoping to swap mine this summer, but with a family to feed and currently in market for a house here in the super expensive northeast its tough. I bought whole 2wd burb for $500 with good running 6.2 and I'm going to part out truck to fund most of the project. Even doing that I think I'm going to do the necessary prep work to motor for a turbo, but it'll likely get dropped in the truck NA for a bit until I later gather turbo parts.

 

[longbedder]

I checked with Banks on what it would cost for their oil return kit - it includes an adapter plate that allows you to mount the lift pump and has a fitting for oil return. I thought it would be like $20 or something - it is $145 with shipping!!!

I would think that you want the oil return point to be lower than the turbo, so the valve cover may not be a great lcation for that. The dipstick tube may work OK, but it's way on the other side of the engine.

If it were me, I would just fab up a plate like Banks' out of 1/8" stock and a little piece of steel tubing.

 

[K5dreamer]

i cant see the pic you posted, so ill do a quick google search, if i cant make it myself, im sure i can trade a case of beer to the guys at the schools machine shop

we'll also have to see what all the parts from the junkyard cost, because if its anywhere close to the banks system, i think ill wind up just saving up, or maybe taking out a small loan from the bank, and getting the brand new banks setup. i have quite a bit of respect for banks and only passed on the sidewinder cuz i thought the junkyard setup would be alot less expensive. we shall see.

 

[Russell]

For the turbo oil supply, I plan on removing the small plug that is just above the oil cooler lines and running a home made hard line up to the turbo itself. Since I am using an electric fuel pump instead of the mechanical pump, I will be replacing my fuel pump with a factory oil return plate.

If you didn't go that route, I can't see it being a problem to route the oil return to the valve cover by putting a T in below the CDR canister. The turbo sits above the valve cover on my engine, so it should just be a matter of putting a 90 degree elbow right off the return line of the turbo and straight over and into the T.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that I grabbed my girdle kit from Diesel Services Group out of Red Deer, Alberta, as well. Set me back 178.83 + 5% sales tax for a total of 187.77 Canadian.