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'85 Military Diesel- Need Help ASAP

T

tmuenster

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I am considering purchasing an ' [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]85 CHEVROLET Blazer-style 8 CYLINDER DIESEL. I was all set to buy it then I read some articles on this site which have me concerned about the pre-'88 6.2L diesel. Something about a lack of a serpentine belt? The truck runs well and has around 95,000 miles. Am I buying into trouble? Please response ASAP as I have until 7pm CST on Dec 14th to make a decision. [/FONT]

Thanks,
Tom
 
thats what i have, i have no major issues with it. lots of people run without a serpentine belt.... it's one of those personal preference things in my opinion.
 
My 1028 is a 6.2 with v-belts and my 90K5 is serp. As far as a preference the serp is easier to work on but the v-belts can be more reliable.
 
Thanks for your quick reply. Is there anything to watch out for on an '85? What should I look for? Also, what is most likely to go wrong with these engines and how much does it cost to repair? Just looking for some ball park numbers with worst case scenarios.

Thanks again,
Tom
 
My 6.2 is an '85, it has 235,000 miles on it and still runs strong. Things you may need to repair or replace are as follows:

1. Glow plugs. The stock glow plugs were crap, and sometimes swelled the tips as they failed making them near impossible to remove. You can do a search in the diesel forum for more on that. Many here have switched to constant duty glow plugs such as the AC 60G's or the Kennedy "quick heats"

2. Worst case scenario is probably to have to get the injector pump and injectors rebuilt...and even that isn't really a big deal. I got my IP and injectors rebuilt for $347 a couple of years ago.

Use fuel conditioner regularly, change oil and filter religiously, and it'll be a very reliable motor for you. Mine hasn't given me a lick of trouble since the IP rebuild and injectors.

HTH

Rene
 
Rene,

Thank you very much for your quick response. That is exactly the type of info I was looking for. One more question, if you don't mind- What type of mileage do you get with your truck?

Thanks,
Tom
 
My truck isn't the best example for fuel mileage, but it does manage 16.5 mpg steady freeway (15mpg in town). I don't have overdrive, run 4.56 gears and 39.5" TSL's though. My freeway rpm's are ~2600 at 65 mph.

The ideal rpm for fuel mileage with a 6.2 is 1800 on the freeway. In that range they easily pull down 21-23 mpg.

Rene
 
The glow plug system on CUCV's was unique and does not share parts with the civilian 6.2/6.5 It can be a pain in the ass sometimes. The gearing on the M1009 (Blazer) is 3.08. You'll consistently get 20+ MPG, but you'll be undergeared if you go much larger than the 31" tires. I enjoyed the CUCV series, but you got to learn the "diesel" ways. Keep in mind this was a military vehicle, so don't expect AC, electric windows, sound insulation, or blinding acceleration :D
 
Well, the auction ended and I did not win the bidding. It went for just over $2,500. I was not sure about the price since many of the posts here said they could be had for under $1,500. Thank you very much for the great information and I will keep looking.

Tom
 
CUCV prices vary GREATLY depending where the sale is. In the northeast they can command a ridiculous price. $4000. is not at all unusual for a clean, running, M1009. Surplus thieves up here wanted $2000. for a (abeit rustfree) carcass - no engine, no tranny/xfer, and a hacked wire harness :eek1:

I think down Texas was they give 'em away with a fill-up:haha: :haha: :haha:
 
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