engine swap: 305 to 6.2 diesel

[1985K20]

Is there a quick reference to an article or something like it that could take me to the things do to step by step to swap from gas to 6.2 diesel??

I have a good idea mysefl but im just not sure about the electric wiring and how to connect brake booster;can i keep my vaccum booster or do i have to switch back to the old hydraulic system? What about the power steering pump??

The truck came out factory with a 6.2L diesel but it been completely modified to gas.

 

[PhoenixZorn]

you already have the diesel motor? If not, check around at your local repair shop and see if they wanna sell any of their dump/tow trucks for a low price... if they are a chevy or gm, they may have a 6.2... take the front clip off the truck and swap the whole thing with your blazer... that will solve all your swap problems.

 

[1985K20]

I dont get it

 

[sweetk30]

you need to pay up and use the crap out of the desiel form on here its got all the stuff you need and the desiel guys hang in there more .

 

[PhoenixZorn]

I dont get it

The front clip is basically everything in front of the firewall... includes all your hoses, steering, axle, body... the whole thing... you cut off the front clip of your truck, attach new front clip from diesel truck, and you are done.

 

[1985K20]

Thanks for the idea, i would if i had time but we're gettin ready for lobster fishing down here...kinda short on time so i'll just try to find a thread with all the info i need.

 

[tRustyK5]

That is by far the hardest way to swap a diesel IMO...and I've swapped a 6.2 into my truck.

By far the best advice I can give is find a beat up or rusted out 6.2 donor truck. All the parts could be found piece by piece, but it'll nickel and dime you to death. My buddy and I found a running C30 pick-up with a 6.2 and TH400 for $500. I had already bought a decent 6.2, but used the donor truck for all the other parts.

You'll need the hydro-boost brakes.

For electrical, you can unplug the engine bay wiring harness from the firewall junction, then plug in the diesel version from the donor. So easy, and no guesswork involved.

The motor mounts work, and if your current 305 has manifold instead of headers the exhuast should bolt right up too.

You'll need to swap in the diesel radiator, and if the truck is 82 or newer the correct holes for the rad supports will already be there. The rubber mounts for under the rad you'll need to rob from the donor. My 6.2 came with the power steering/brakes pump.

You probably still have the second battery tray if your truck was diesel to start with. Make sure to run two identical batteries.

The fuel tank will need to be flushed, but the small block fuel pump and the 6.2's lift pump are in the same location...so the fuel lines will match up nicely.

I went as far as swapping the diesel guage cluster into my truck as well, which got my the "Wait to start" light and the "Water in fuel" light.

If you are planning on using the 700R-4 I believe you need the diesel torque convertor for it, and probably a longer TV cable. Speaking of cables, the throttle cable is a fair bit longer for the 6.2.

All in all it's not a difficult swap, and could probably be done in a weekend or two...it's mostly plug and play.

You could probably search the diesel forum for even more info, it has been covered a lot.

Other good reading in there would be starter info, manual glow plugs conversions...

Good luck!

Rene

 

[1985K20]

Thanks a lot, i appreciate

 

[kennyw]

I've also done such a swap in my '79 K10. I didn't use much for the donor wiring since very little is different. But if you get a donor truck it makes everything so much easier when you need a little part because it will be sitting right there (if the PO didn't start stripping it before you got it).

 

[diesel4me]

Buy em when its cold....

I learned over this winter if your looking for a Diesel,look in the want ads right after a cold spell..we had several contractors with diesels(fords and gm's) that failed to start after a sub-zero spell of cold snowy weather--and many of them junked the trucks rather than fix them....many "average Joe's" who are tired of the hard starts and smell of diesels often give them up cheap in the winter...

I guess they figured they got their money's worth out of them,and a plow truck that wont start makes them no cash--this goes for those of us looking to buy a diesel econobox like a VW Rabbit or Jetta too--I bought the 86 Jetta I had for 100 bucks,from a freind who paid only 50 bucks!!-(he bought it knowing I would,and made himself 50 easy bucks!)-in the dead of winter though,when it sucks to go get a vehicle--

But thats when they sell cheap,when the owners are pissed at them for not starting!--Usually nothing serious wrong with them,just lack of maintenence like dead glowplugs,or a bad controller not activating them--nothing a pushbutton switch wont fix..or fuel system problems,like rotted rubber hoses or fuel filters that were never changed,easy fixes most of the time..

I saw 6 GM diesel trucks get crushed over the winter-- --the motors sell for about 500 bucks if they can hear it run and sounds decent--one truck had the rare 4 speed overdrive 4x4 tranny too--they crushed it with the motor still intact-- --and two of them had TH400/NP205 drivetrains,one was sold for 350 bucks--the other had an "iffy" tranny,so into the crusher they both went ..
I know the contractor who junked one of the trucks--he said had he known I might have been interested,he would have sold ME the truck for 50 bucks more than it brought in scrap prices--about 275 bucks!!--I wasn't happy to hear that!