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Blazer as first truck

6.2Blazer said:
Driving anything with 3.08 gears and emissions choked engines back in the mid-80's was a lesson in patience in regards to how fast you got there.
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I understand why you say this, but (having both combinations at this point) I prefer my 3.08 gearing to the 3.73. Both for mileage and for road noise. 3.73 gears are nicer in the mountains, though... :whistle:


And I will admit that I am more patient than most when it comes to acceleration standards... :D
 
3j3j3j said:
I understand that. The difference is the 350 can be made powerful, while the 6.2 is the way it is. You can add a turbo and do exhaust but thats about all.
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There is truth here, but don't get hung up on that for a first truck. You should focus on learning how to drive well before you get all caught up in pushing the specs of your vehicle. And un-modded 6.2 with 3.08 gears is still very capable of killing you at crazy-high speeds.

I say give it a couple years of getting to know your truck (and driving in general!) before you start chasing horsepower. Way too many trucks (and people) get smashed up due to drivers exceeding their competence levels.


For the long-term picture, I'll put in 2 more plugs for the 6.2:

1)The turbine makes a significant difference in high-engine-speed power (borrow someone's 6.5L truck if you wanna feel the power difference). Low-speed power is not typically an issue with these engines (read on).

2) The 6.2 has a healthy amount of low-speed torque. This provides a significantly wider range of engine speeds that are useful for driving (on road or off road). Unlike a gasser, slowing down on the road does not automatically put you in a gutless gotta-downshift-'cause-I'm-stalling RPM range. You still have power at low engine speeds. Accordingly, downshifting can be rare with these engines. I find that handy (even with a 700R4, which can be notorious for hunting-and-pecking themselves to death!)

This resistance to stalling is also handy if you're just learning stick-shift (or teaching your friends!) :thumb:

And, should you get into off-roading at some point, your transmission will thank you all the more for not changing gears so often.
 
campfire said:
6.2Blazer said:
Driving anything with 3.08 gears and emissions choked engines back in the mid-80's was a lesson in patience in regards to how fast you got there.
Click to expand...

I understand why you say this, but (having both combinations at this point) I prefer my 3.08 gearing to the 3.73. Both for mileage and for road noise. 3.73 gears are nicer in the mountains, though... :whistle:


And I will admit that I am more patient than most when it comes to acceleration standards... :D
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82355 said:
You also have a diesel.

Big difference.

Martin
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I interpreted this statement as comparing 3.08 diesels to 3.73 diesels. The thought that he might be referring to non-diesel 3.08 trucks didn't even occur to me. :doah: My apologies for reading too hastily.
 
campfire said:
2) The 6.2 has a healthy amount of low-speed torque. This provides a significantly wider range of engine speeds that are useful for driving (on road or off road). Unlike a gasser, slowing down on the road does not automatically put you in a gutless gotta-downshift-'cause-I'm-stalling RPM range. You still have power at low engine speeds. Accordingly, downshifting can be rare with these engines. I find that handy (even with a 700R4, which can be notorious for hunting-and-pecking themselves to death!)

This resistance to stalling is also handy if you're just learning stick-shift (or teaching your friends!) :thumb:

And, should you get into off-roading at some point, your transmission will thank you all the more for not changing gears so often.
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I am so confused... Are you referring to a manual or auto for point number 2? you say 700R4 which is auto, but teaching your friends to drive manual? Is shifting a little more going to be that big of a deal? I ride dirt bikes, so I am used to shifting
 
3j3j3j said:
I am so confused... Are you referring to a manual or auto for point number 2? you say 700R4 which is auto, but teaching your friends to drive manual? Is shifting a little more going to be that big of a deal? I ride dirt bikes, so I am used to shifting
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I was saying that with either style (manual or auto), torque is handy to have, and makes up for the engine's relative lack of high-RPM power. It's also handy on the road-when I start losing speed on a (non-mountainous) hill, I simply press the gas petal. No downshifting half-way up the hill, it simply goes.

A healthy 350 will win a drag race on the highway with a 6.2. But the tables are turned at low speeds or when starting out (or trailering, but that doesn't seem to be too important to this thread).


Shifting isn't a huge deal, but the constant hunting-and-pecking cycle that often accompanies 700R4 4-speed transmissions leads to burned-out clutches (inside the tranny). TH-400 3-speeds don't usually hunt-and-peck (unless your gearing is really anemic :doah:), but most of them don't end up with great mileage. A 6.2/700R4 combination is able to have the benefits of overdrive & a lockup torque converter without having to downshift as often as a 350/700R4 combination.

Stick-shifts are not nearly as vulnerable to shifting issues. :thumb:
But for whatever reason GM didn't offer manual O/D transmissions very widely until later years. :(
 
Also, GM didn't offer the 6.2 with a manual transmission in Blazers, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Martin
 
82355 said:
Also, GM didn't offer the 6.2 with a manual transmission in Blazers, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Martin
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Hmm. :thinking: Just for my curiosity's sake, do you know which models could come with the 4-speed O/D manual tranny? My understanding is that it was a Saginaw box that only came with diesels and only in pickup trucks (no Suburbans), and that it is easy to identify due to its three external shifting linkages. Is that consistent with what you've seen?

I have yet to ever see one of these units. I don't know why GM didn't offer them more widely. O/D transmissions (or just decent manual street transmissions in general) were rather late getting into GM's lineup... :dunno:
 
campfire said:
Hmm. :thinking: Just for my curiosity's sake, do you know which models could come with the 4-speed O/D manual tranny? My understanding is that it was a Saginaw box that only came with diesels and only in pickup trucks (no Suburbans), and that it is easy to identify due to its three external shifting linkages. Is that consistent with what you've seen?

I have yet to ever see one of these units. I don't know why GM didn't offer them more widely. O/D transmissions (or just decent manual street transmissions in general) were rather late getting into GM's lineup... :dunno:
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http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=314183

I am not sure if they were available together in a Suburban, but it wouldn't surprise me if they were not.

Martin
 
Well that is surely disappointing. I would love a manual.... It seems like if they were to only offer the manual in a gasser or only the 6.2l, they would choose only the diesel, but I am wrong.

And as far as manual vs automatic, Which is better off road? I had always thought manual, but a quick google tells me otherwise.

And by the way, I love you guys. All the answers and input I have gotten on such a minuscule topic blows me away. There are good forums, where you can tell that people are passionate about what they do, And this one of them. Thanks a ton.
 
3j3j3j said:
Well that is surely disappointing. I would love a manual.... It seems like if they were to only offer the manual in a gasser or only the 6.2l, they would choose only the diesel, but I am wrong.
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They did offer diesel stick-shifts, it's just that we haven't seen a stock Blazer with that combination. Which isn't definitive proof that it never happened, either. There are a lot of one-off trucks floating around with obscure combinations of options.


3j3j3j said:
And as far as manual vs automatic, Which is better off road? I had always thought manual, but a quick google tells me otherwise.
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Totally a matter of personal preference. There are people who swear by both styles. There are people who swear at both styles. Advantages are pretty self-explanatory. Stick will give you finer control and you can lock the engine speed in (and engine brake accordingly). Automatics don't typically stall (or require 3 feet and 2 hands to operate in steep country).


3j3j3j said:
And by the way, I love you guys. All the answers and input I have gotten on such a minuscule topic blows me away. There are good forums, where you can tell that people are passionate about what they do, And this one of them. Thanks a ton.
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Welcome to CK5 :thumb:

This is one of the reasons that I hang around here instead of other forums. :)
 
3j3j3j said:
Well that is surely disappointing. I would love a manual.... It seems like if they were to only offer the manual in a gasser or only the 6.2l, they would choose only the diesel, but I am wrong.
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A man with enough motivation and hand tools can build about anything he wants.
 
Some people seem to like automatics off road, or even just at all. I don't understand it.

Martin
 
Depends on the gearing...with 3:08's you can go 75+ mph no problem...if it has 4:56's you'll be limited to about 55-60 and it'll be close to the governed 3600 rpm limit..

The 6.2 wont like being run at or near the 3600 rpm redline much,and wont deliver good mpg either,if its geared low,and you do lots of highway driving..
They prefer cruising around 1800-2000 rpms..
 
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