GM 5.7L Diesel / 350 cid Diesel

[MagnuM4WD]

Hi! I have a friend with a '70's Blazer, which have a V8 5.7L diesel engine / 350 cid. I think is LF9 engine code.
I ask you, if somebody know, can you tell me something about this engine?
Especially, if somebody can tell me, is any kind of difference betwen flywheels (balance wheels) from 5.7L diesel / 350 cid LF9 and 6.2L diesel / 379 cid LL4?
I ask that because he want to use on his engine, a balance wheel from a 6.2L.
Thank you for answers! Regards! Mihai.

 

[dremu]

The 350 diesel, aka the Oldsomobile diesel, has been much maligned. It was an early diesel and certainly isn't as powerful or long-running as, say, the Cummins, but isn't as bad as people say.

IIRC, the block is based on the 350 gas motor, whereas the 6.2 was designed from scratch as a diesel, so I'm reasonably sure no parts from the 6.2 will swap over.

You might have better luck swapping 350 gas parts over, but I'm sure someone will post up with more detail.

-- A

 

[Russell]

No, the flywheel from a detroit 6.2L diesel will not fit your Olds diesel. A flywheel from a 6.2L or 6.5L on your 5.7L diesel engine, as the bolt pattern on the newer diesel is unique to those engines. If you are referring to the harmonic balancer, then again, you cannot interchange them from one engine to another. You need to use the part designed for your engine.

It is a common misconception that the Olds 5.7L is a converted gasoline engine, it is not! Lots of guys have taken the diesel engine and converted them to gasoline as drag engines, but there is no way you can take a gasoline engine and simply slap a couple diesel heads on it and expect it to survive the rigors of diesel service. It was fully designed as a diesel engine right from the get go, just shares similarities with the other gasoline Olds engines

It is true that the 5.7L diesels are not very relaible, and do indeed give later GM detroit diesels a bad name. That said, the detroit 6.2 / 6.5L diesel engines are in no way bad engines. They do have their problems like any engine does, but if you perform basic maintenance on them they will outlast any gasoline engine. Most people just are not used to the extra maintenance required with a diesel engine, and let them fall apart.

 

[DEMON44]

you can make a big cubic inch small block motor converting that 5.7 diesel to gasoline. the walls are very think and can be hogged out for very large slugs.

 

[Blue85]

So was 5.7 diesel a Europe only option?

 

[K5dreamer]

nope, it was definatly offered here in the states. converting them to gasoline engines is a new one on me, but makes sense. My two cents on the matter. find a reman 6.2L (there are a few here in the classifieds section for rather attractive prices, that i would have already bought if i had the storage space) and swap it in place of that 5.7L.

 

[MagnuM4WD]

So was 5.7 diesel a Europe only option?

Of course not! This 5.7 diesel is first I've ever seen on a Blazer, in Romania! I have two 6.2 diesel - LL4; one on my '91 Suburban and the other for spare.
Speaking about old body style Pickup/Blazer/Suburban, you find them here with 6.2 diesel, 5.0 gasoline, 5.7 gasoline and even some 7.4 gasoline!

This friend which I speak about, have two '70's Blazer's; one with the 5.7 diesel, automatic gearbox, 4x2 and the other one with a 2.8 liter diesel, 4 in line Daihatsu engine, manual gearbox, 4x4, transmission and transfer case also from Daihatsu!
Now he try to make one from two - the 4WD, using the 5.7 engine and automatic transmission from 2WD.
He have some problems with the starter - different number of theets, and he can't put on the engine. He want to take temporary from me, a flywheel, to try to start the 5.7 engine.
But, like I said, mine are 6.2 and I wasn't shore if will work... so, I ask you about that!

 

[tRustyK5]

So was 5.7 diesel a Europe only option?

The 5.7 was the predecessor to the 6.2. It was first offered in '78 in the pick-ups...the interesting part is the 5.7 diesel was offered in a lot of cars in the Oldsmobile line during those years. I still see a few driving around rattling away. In a car it's probably a decent engine.

luke, I've heard the 5.7 diesel block can be punched out to 440 cid without worry as a gas engine.

Rene

 

[rob h]

an older friend took one of them and put spark plugs in it and the usual gas parts to make it work and walla huge compression....it was in a 2wd rusty shortbed.....ran for a hole lotta beatings, when it ran it was damn neat...lol.........but didnt run long...

 

[AJMBLAZER]

No tech knowledge here but my FIL used to pick up the Cadillac, Olds, Buicks, etc with the 5.7L diesels for cheap, sorta de-tune them so they didn't munch themselves, and then just drive them for years. My MIL could drive his Buick from Lansing, MI to Nashville, TN and wouldn't have to fill up again until half way through the return trip.

 

[DEMON44]

The 5.7 was the predecessor to the 6.2. It was first offered in '78 in the pick-ups...the interesting part is the 5.7 diesel was offered in a lot of cars in the Oldsmobile line during those years. I still see a few driving around rattling away. In a car it's probably a decent engine.

luke, I've heard the 5.7 diesel block can be punched out to 440 cid without worry as a gas engine.

Rene

I knew it was in the 425cid + range but never really knew how much.

 

[BlazerBud]

The public got scared away from the 350 diesel through word of mouth.
Actual statistics from recorded maintenance and failures were almost all related to poor metalurgy. Most frequently the head bolts. Sometimes the crank main journal bolts.

The average driver of an early 350 diesel blew the head gasket in 10K miles. The soft bolts would stretch and once the heads were loose the gaskets would cut as compression leaked.

A 350 diesel can be built with good head bolts, and it doesn't deserve its reputation. But why?

There are so many better CHEAP bomb-proof diesels available.

 

[MagnuM4WD]

The public got scared away from the 350 diesel through word of mouth.
Actual statistics from recorded maintenance and failures were almost all related to poor metalurgy. Most frequently the head bolts. Sometimes the crank main journal bolts.

The average driver of an early 350 diesel blew the head gasket in 10K miles. The soft bolts would stretch and once the heads were loose the gaskets would cut as compression leaked.

A 350 diesel can be built with good head bolts, and it doesn't deserve its reputation. But why?

There are so many better CHEAP bomb-proof diesels available.

There are in United States... The engine about we talk, is in... Romania!
Ok,is not impossible to buy from US - I know, I buy all parts I need it, from US... but somethimes, the shipping and custom taxes kills you...

For example: A 2,5" suspension lift kit is around $900-1000 in US; shipping to Romania, more then $1400 - cheapest shipping; custom taxes for $2100 import value parts, is around 400-500 euro; total around 2000-2200 euro...
Same kit, is 1500 euro in Germany; shipping to Romania is 600 euro; no custom taxes - is inside of EU; total 2100 euro.

But is not the same for rims: is cheapest to bring them from US. All depend on the item weight; an engine is really heavy... the prices will be the same...

 

[3 on the tree]

My dad put over 250K on an Olds diesel wagon, with zero issues. The only rreason he quit driving it, cause it got caught between 2 semis, on an icy road.

I believe it was Warren Johnson, who ran the Olds, converted to gasoline, in Pro Stock.

I did quite a few diesel to 455 pickup swaps, back in the 80s. Farmers would wear out the diesel towing, pick up a used 455 for a couple of hundred bucks, and be back on the road in a couple of days.