CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

80's burban from diesel to gas(350) possible?

down4thakrown

1/2 ton status
 Premium
GMOTM Winner
Joined
Aug 5, 2003
Posts
1,981
Reaction score
342
Location
flagstaff,az
thinking of buyin a burban for a tow vehicle that has a blown diesel engine and if i bought it i would swap it for a 350....is this possible or are the frames differant and it wont work?
 
A gas motor should be able to be dropped in without any problems. There were far more gas vechicles built than diesels. The easiest way to do it would be find a parts truck/suburban to swap parts from.

Things that I can think of off the top of my head that may need to be changed are, motor mounts, fuel system (or drain/flush current tank), exhaust, and possibly some wiring.
 
I saw thread and said WHY??? Then saw it was blown. Might just be easier to get another 6.2 and put back in. 23 mpg hwy 15 city sure is better than gas mpg.

Wire harness for motor
Flush the lines and replace tank
Brake set up hydro boast vs Hydraulic brakes
not sure on motor mounts I think different
exhaust system in books is different.
I believe fuel pump was not in tank yet.
 
350 will drop right in without having to change too terribly much. Couple points for you....

Electrical:

The firewall connector is identical between a gasoline and diesel engine. Grab a bone stock 350 gasoline engine harness and plug it straight in without re-pinning anything.

Fuel:

You can use the stock fuel lines, but you will need to drain and flush the tank. Even a smallish amount of diesel left in the tank will make for a poor running engine (found that out with my quad the other day, don't ask!). The 6.2L's fuel pump is located in the same place as the 350's, and uses the same size supply line. The return line is a different size between the gasoline engine and diesel engine, but it can still be used regardless. You will also need to change your gas cap out with a cap designed for your gasoline engine depending on if the engine has a charcoal canister or not.

Physical Mounting:

The 350 and 6.2L share the same engine mounts, you can interchange them without any problems. Drop it on and bolt it up.

Transmission:

A 6.2L has totally different shift points due to a different governor installed in the transmission, and also has a very low stall torque converter. You'll need to install a gasoline governor and a gasoline torque converter to make the transmission usable with the gasoline engine. The bellhousing bolt patterns are identical between a 350 and a 6.2L.

Brakes:

A diesel engine produces no vacuum, and therefor uses a hydraulic brake booster. You can buy a hydroboost power steering pump for your 350 to retain the hydroboost, or you can switch the booster out with a vacuum booster. I would suggest retaining the hydroboost however, it is a superior system in my opinion.

Cooling:

The factory 6.2L rad is a wonderful upgrade for the 350. Just block off the oil cooler ports incase you wish to install a 6.2L again in the future. You may need to get a different upper rad hose, as the diesel radiator is significantly longer than a gasoline 4 core rad. If your suburban has A/C, you may need to replace the lines depending on where the A/C pump bolts up on your 350. Make sure your carb has a idle step up solenoid for when the A/C kicks on.

Exhaust:

In my experience, the manifold dump locations are the same between a 6.2L diesel and a 350. I was able to drop a 6.2L in to replace a carbed 350 in an 85 crewcab without modifying the exhaust.

Hopefully that about covers everything... If you have any more questions, feel free to PM me incase I miss this thread in the future.
 

Latest Posts

Top Bottom