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I guess... exploring diesel options

COCHEV

COCHEV

1/2 ton status
Joined
Jul 9, 2002
Posts
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Location
Washougal WA
so, i've been having to commute from portland to bend for work and racked up over 900 bucks in gas last month. i still need a full size cause i'm a tradesman and need all my tools. soooooo, been looking at diesels. and older ones cause i can't afford a d max. so give me some pointers. i need a 3/4 ton pick up. found this one on craigslist...

http://bend.craigslist.org/cto/1478764630.html
 
For fuel mileage you're better off with a half ton, all the 3/4 ton and 1 ton's will have either a SM 465 or a TH400. Great for strength, but horrible for having the 6.2 spinning stupid rpm's on the highway. A 1/2 ton with a 700R-4 will be likely to get you low to mid 20's on the highway, a 3/4 ton or 1 ton will get you mid teens usually.

Find a 1/2 ton and swap some 8 lug diffs under it...

You want that 6.2 spinning at near to 1800 rpm on the highway for max fuel economy. Every 100 rpm above that (@ 65 mph) will lose you about 1 mpg.

Rene
 
sweet. good things to know. my work truck with a crate 350 eeks out 10mgp. and the burb gets 7.5 all day long. :eek1: big block are cool untill you have to put gas in em.

how will the 6.2 do with say a palet of tile or hardie backer in it- 1000-1500lbs... i don't do it all the time. just for stocking jobs. otherwise, i'm just hauling my hand tools- few hundred pounds
 
6.2 won't even notice that...I haul all sorts of crap with my C1500 from a few hundred pounds of junk to 3000 lbs of gravel. It could care less and doesn't seem any slower than when empty, although inadvertant wheelspin on wet pavement becomes less of a problem. Empty it's near impossible to start off from a dead stop on wet pavement without turning a tire though.

Where the 6.2 is out of it's element is if you'd be towing 5000lbs or more often.

Honestly, it sounds like a half ton would be more than sufficient for your needs, and would net you the best fuel mileage. I've seen a personal best with my C1500 of 26 mpg, which was 95% highway at or near 65 mph. Regular for that truck is 24 mpg average with a mix of 20% in town and the rest highway.

Rene
 
thanks for the help, rene. i will refine my search. currently both my rigs have th400s and 35s with 4.10s. so highway speeds yield high rpms and the worst milage possible. plus i just don't like my engines having to scream that long. its a good way to wear things out fast.

For the cost of adding overdrive to one of my rigs i can pick up a used diesel...
 
I disagree, 94 was the first year for computer controlled and was problematic at best. I much prefer cheaper, simpler square body with a 6.2 than any of the '90's stuff.

Hard to go really wrong with a decently maintained completely mechanical 6.2 without turbo. Especially when you factor in intial purchase price and fuel mileage.

Rene
 
well, so far everthing i'm finding is 3/4 ton or 2wd. what if the 3/4 ton was geared so that i was around1800 rpms around 60 mph...
 
nevermind. i'd have to run 3.08s and 35s to have 1950 rps with 1.1 ratio. and thats 35 actual hight:( would most likely be a slug at all other speeds
 
Stay patient, and what you want will come up. Do you need it to be a pick-up? I know it's probably the most practical, but a K5 is near enough to a shortbed with the rear seat removed...and it's easy to secure your stuff.

I worked a few years as a brick layer/stone mason with a K5 as my work rig. Always had bricks, 1/4 yd of mortar, tools etc in the back.

Rene
 
with the amount of crapolla i haul around i'd have to go with a burb as a 2nd choice. i've use the burb i have now for work until i found my current work truck. it worked ok, but i didn't like riding in the same compartment as all my tools. a simple car accident would have most likely lead to instant decapitation with all the stuff i haul :eek1:

some day down the road a job trailer will hopefully fit into the budget also. a little enclosed 5x10 would do just fine. tools in the trailer and the bed for hauling materials...
 
I am running 37" tires, 4.10 gears and a TH400 in my '83 and get 15 mpg (after correcting for the speedo error). I do great towing until I get on a mountain grade. But lower gears and an overdrive would be nice. I have considered selling my trucks to buy that '94... I used to get 18 mpg out of my old yellow '79 with a 6.2L, SM465, 4.10 gears and 33" tires. But that truck would be revved out at 60 mph.

The '93 model year was the last year of the mechanical IP, first year of the turbo and also has the NV4500 as an option. I would look for one of those for a daily driver/work truck.
 
Another option... I currently have a 2wd '93 Chevy S10 pickup with a 2.5L and a 5 spd. It gets about 25 mpg. I can safely haul 1000 lbs in the bed of that truck without killing the mileage.
 
yeah, an s-10 simply doesn't cut if for hauling pallets of tile or hardie backer.

i'll keep searching around. i think overdrive is the biggest thing missing from our old trucks. i can do without power windows, a/c and all that jazz. but screaming down the freeway at close to 3k is no fun.

i want to swap o/d in my current rigs too, just the catch 22 of how much fuel i'll really save vs the cost of the swap...
 
COCHEV said:
yeah, an s-10 simply doesn't cut if for hauling pallets of tile or hardie backer.
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You'd be surprised. I'm currently working for Dal-Tile in one of their warehouses and some of the little stuff I've put LOTS of tile into amazes me.:doah:
i'll keep searching around. i think overdrive is the biggest thing missing from our old trucks. i can do without power windows, a/c and all that jazz. but screaming down the freeway at close to 3k is no fun.

i want to swap o/d in my current rigs too, just the catch 22 of how much fuel i'll really save vs the cost of the swap...
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That is the big decision. However don't forget to factor in driver comfort, lower wear on the engine and drivetrain, and your satisfaction.
 
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