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Is this a good idea? (truck purchasing scheme)

6.2 Diesel as DD?

  • Yes, a 6.2 will give you better mpgs and still allow you to drive an older truck

    Votes: 14 60.9%

  • No, 73-87 trucks are too old to be a reliable DD

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Maybe, Just be prepared to work on it a lot

    Votes: 9 39.1%

  • No Way! Buy a Ricer!

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    23
I looked at 6.5TD trucks around here for a while and rusted out ones were going for $5k. Somehow the new technology diesels have made all diesels in demand - even though they are just as gutless as they were new 20 years ago. The only clean one I found was a '99 Sub and somebody bought it for $11k with 200,000 miles on it. The 6.2 trucks seem a little more immune to this phenomenon.

If you're really after fuel economy, get a civilian 6.2 with 700R-4. Just avoid the earlier year transmissions and try for maybe '86+. The 6.2 might not make any power, but the torque is enough for the tranny to notice.

A 5.3L truck (especially 2WD) with the right gears will get 20-something MPG, if you're interested in something newer, but other than the engine/tranny, I don't think those rigs are inherently as durable.
 
The 4.3 trucks do really well also. I had a beautiful 05 with. 4.3, 5 speed, 4x4. It got an easy 20 mpg all the time. Then I craned it in a snow storm :doah: Those trucks have come down quite a bit in price.
 
I couldn't vote. You left out the option to DD an old Chevy with something other than a POS 6.2.

I switch back and forth between DD my 79 C20 and my 88 K5. I was putting 20-25k per year on my 79. The 79 has a 406 sbc, TH400, and Gearvendors overdrive. It gets 10 mpg at best, and less in city traffic. The K5 is a new stock GM 350tbi and a 700r4, but it is on a 6" lift, 35" tires, and 4.88 gears. It also gets 10 mpg. The 79 has at least twice the power of the K5. I drove the 79 when I was going to community college in 99-01 and it just had a crappy rebuilt 350 at the time and it only got 7-8 mpg (no gearvendors). I sometimes drove my dad's Toyota Cresida to save on gas.

Rice burners suck! I would rather drive my big ass trucks and pay for the gas. Economy cars, like the cresida, will get you there and can sometimes be fun (it had a DOHC straight 6 cyl engine) but I still like my trucks better.

My mom and brother both have 2005 5.3l Silverado pickups. They never did better than 17 mpg according to the computer on the truck. Actually, I got my mom's computer to read 99 mpg, but you have to reset the computer while coasting downhill and then barely touch the gas again. :haha: It was probably accurate, as long as you were continuously going down that huge grade. The performance is not bad on the 5.3 for such a small and fuel efficient gasser. Some upgrades would help wake it up though. Our fuel is mixed with ethanol in comnifornia, so that probably doesn't help.

I never liked the old diesels. They stunk and were noisy, not to mention the lack of power.

How about a cummings swap? I like the way they sound, but in stock form, the older cummins are not exceptional for power. They can be upgraded to really perform though.

I drove a work truck that was a dodge C&C dually with a 24v cummings. It was a 2001. It was rated at 450 ft. lbs of torque. It was always loaded to the max (steam cleaning truck with lots of equipment and water tanks) but it went OK.

My 406 is estimated to make up to 525 torque. I didn't have it dyno tuned and I am running a smaller carb, so I might be making somewhere in the 400+ ft lbs of torque range. I also tow a toy hauler that weighs up to 9k pounds and I have always had to haul material, equipment, and trailers for the type of work and hobbies I have done. You can see why I wouldn't want an old diesel.

I would love to have a new cummings or 7.3 Ford, or even a good Dmax.

I could see having an economy car (not a riced out wanna be hot rod) but they are so boring. Gas was a dollar a gallon when I was in college, too. Right now, it costs me a dollar a mile to go where I want. The shooting range is 10 miles away, so a round trip costs 10 bucks. My closest stop for my last job was 20 miles away, so that was a minimum of $20 per day to go to work. $50 per day was common for some of the properties I worked on.

I guess if you like the sound of a 6.2 and you are ok with the power level, it might be a good way to be able to afford to drive a less common and cool old truck. I have gotten a lot of good comments on my truck. There can be a lot of maintenance with DD an old truck. There isn't much I haven't upgraded or rebuilt on mine. As long as I put parts into it, it just keeps on going. Right now my pickup is waiting for the freshly rebuilt 406 and Th400 to go back in.

Maybe some pics from my build thread will make you want to DD a square body even more: http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=309446

You can also see some of the upgrades and fixes I have done to make it a nice DD.
 
I have never seen a smelly smokey noisey 6.2. I haven't seen very many, but everyone I have seen runs clean, smells way better than a clean running gas truck, and they sound awesome. They are quiet when cruising and loud when you get on them.
 
For what the op wants to do a 6.2 diesel is perfect. It was designed as a light-duty diesel that gave comparable power to a 350 of it day but at twice the fuel mileage. They were never meant to be like a Cummins (there is no "g"), Duramax, or Powerstroke.

As for smell and smoke, when running right there is very little of either. They're very quiet except at idle. If more power is wanted/needed a HX-40 or an ATT (A-team turbo, look it up if you don't believe me) will give very good results power wise but still deliver respectable mileage.

Plus doing a cummins swap or something similar isn't really budget friendly.
 
KirsL said:
For what the op wants to do a 6.2 diesel is perfect. It was designed as a light-duty diesel that gave comparable power to a 350 of it day but at twice the fuel mileage. They were never meant to be like a Cummins (there is no "g"), Duramax, or Powerstroke.

As for smell and smoke, when running right there is very little of either. They're very quiet except at idle. If more power is wanted/needed a HX-40 or an ATT (A-team turbo, look it up if you don't believe me) will give very good results power wise but still deliver respectable mileage.

Plus doing a cummins swap or something similar isn't really budget friendly.
Click to expand...

i agree. I have already been over all that in my head, whether to get a gasser or not. But i already have a 78 k5 with a fresh built 406 that will be my toy. this is going to be something that i will buy and drive. And it will only get worked on when it needs maintenance (most likely :D) so i think i have decided that even though its a "gutless" diesel it will suit me fine.

I had a 99 silverado with a 4.8l v8 in it and that is what i would consider gutless. i think it was mostly due to the rearend gearing...(it was something like 2.72:1 stock) and it loved to stay in overdrive and never come out, even when going up hills with foot into the throttle lol.

So i think a diesel will be fine. Ive looked into 6.5 diesels, but honestly i hate the look of chevy trucks in the 90s....(not to mention ifs). So unless i found one in a 87 or older...

And newer trucks are also out because i dont like them either lol. Too many computers, too much plastic :doah:

So if i was to away from the plan to get a 6.2 diesel it would be to get a similiar truck but with a 350 in it or something. but i would prefer a diesel, for economy reasons.
 
That 4.8 is like greased lightning compared to a 6.2.
 
I've never driven a 4.8 so I can't comment on that engine, but the 6.2 is gutless and slow. My truck when stock came with 3.08 gears. A 2wd would have 2.73 gears. It was made to just loaf along at 55 mph. Course it'll go much faster just going to take it a bit. If you've ever driven a stock 350 of that vintage thatll give you a good comparsion.

Mine had no problems keeping up with traffic when stock. Course stock 6.2 with 35's it was slow. Since you're staying stock it'll be fine.
 
ill have to find one and give it a test drive. then i will know. thank for the opinions though. and if i get one and it has egr, you can bet ill take one of those intakes off yours hands :thumb:
 
Any time. These engines have a bit of a cult following. You either love them or hate them. I like them.

I'd be happy to sell you one, they're just sitting in my shed.
 
I've been daily driving my truck for the first time in ages,and I would compare the 6.2 to a 250 six,not a 350 V8,as far as the torque and power curve goes,,the diesel puts out 140 HP or so,and a 250 six did back in the 70's pre-smog era,and both develop maximum torque around 1600 rpms..

I neither love OR hate my 6.2's,its more like "Meh"..its an engine..its not that bad on fuel...I have days when I wish it were a straight six instead..

I've had trucks with both 6.2 and 250 six engines,and they drive much the same..low end torque,not much HP...the 6.2 is also governed to about 3600 rpm,same as your average Briggs and Stratton lawn mower...the sixes will rev higher,but its a waste of gas,it dont make them accelerate much faster!..I find my diesel keeps up with traffic better if I shift it manually,let it wind up a bit more in second ,otherwise it'll dog along in third and lay an egg...

Put a 6.2 diesel or six in front of a diff with highway gears in a 3 ton hulk,and you have a sluggish but (barely) adequate powered vehicle,that can be a hazard in traffic when you need to pass or pull onto a busy freeway in a hurry...but so are many other vehicles,and you adjust and drive accordingly..
They often put lower gears in older six cylider trucks like 4.56's to improve pulling power and acceleration,but they couldn't go 70 mph all day either...

I've "missed" my truck,I dont feel like I have owned it ten years,after only using it maybe 5000 miles in that time..almost forgot what it feels like to drive (and PARK) a full sized truck,after driving a Ford Contour and a Caravan,that feel go-kartish in comparison...its nice to have other drivers WAIT instead of pulling in front of you,and any impatient tailgaters can be "fumed" by flooring it in second gear ,they soon fall back a 1/4 mile after you give them the treatment..:D..

I actually washed my plow truck for maybe the third time since owning it today...and I took it shopping,had to buy a gallon of Mobil Delvac (11.99 on sale!) and get groceries,something I have done with it maybe once in a blizzard before..

I admit its not a great grocery getter,the cab dont have much room for 3 sacks of food,and its rough ride almost cracked the eggs,it also takes up 2 of the parking spaces that they must have painted the lines for sub-compacts..and the lady next to me almost peuked when I started it up...whoever said they haven't seen a smelly,noisy 6.2 hasn't been behind mine I guess!..:rolleyes:..

I'd really like to get my 85 Burb with the 6.2 on the road,but I dont know if I ever will,the way things are going here...it would have a lot more room for groceries ,thats for sure..its a shame to let it sit...might sell it if I had the right offer,I dont know...
 
Granted, the 6.2 is not a powerhouse but part of the "they are completely gutless" opinions come from a lot of these trucks being saddled with stupid high gears. Put 3.08's in anything and it feels crappy. Later trucks like my '90 had slightly higher power numbers, and combined with 3.73 gears and the lower 1st of the 700r4 didn't really feel bad, especially in comparison to what else was available in '90. I got two speeding tickets to prove it, and no it wasn't a school zone either:pimp:.

The other thing I have seen a lot is people basing their opinions on driving 6.2 trucks that have 150k on the clock and have never been serviced. I learned pretty quickly that my K5 would run pretty bad if the fuel OR air filter got dirty, and the quality of diesel fuel you got from most small as stations (i.e. anything but a big truck stop) back in the '80's and early '90's was questionable...dirty, water, etc... I started carrying a spare fuel filter around with me becasue more than once got a bad tank of fuel when on a road trip and the engine would lose a lot of power.

A few years ago I removed the stock EGR intake and replaced with a port matched single plane non-EGR and turned up the fuel pump. It runs a lot better now...wish I would have done this back when it was a daily driver.

Reliability has been good. Bought the rig in '94 with 49k on the clock and it now has about 120k (been a dedicated wheeler for a long time). The engine has always been run hard, whether it being a teenager daily driving it to hard off-road use now. The only non-routine maintenance item I've replaced on the engine is the water pump and the fuel lift pump, and doing the 700r4 now.

Back to the Civvy vs. military CUCV versions, basically the civvy is just much more, well, civilized. My K5 was originally a Silverado with AC, stereo, bucket seats, carpet and THICK insulation everywhere, power windows, etc... I would have no problem driving one of these again every day.
 
When I drove my friends '87 C-30 ramp truck with a 6.2 / SM465,it felt like it had a lot more guts than mine,the TH400 in my truck probably wastes a good amount of power..his truck likely had 4.10s or lower gears being a dually though..mine ,I dont know whats in the diffs,no tags,and I have never had the covers off--feels like 3.42's or even higher,if they had gears that high in 14 bolts SF's...it could be lower ,and the tires I put on it that are 265/75/16 make it feel like its too high geared with the automatic and low HP..

When his ramp truck broke the crank after another person borrowed it and most likely whaled the piss out of it,I scoffed the dead motor for parts,it had a new GM oil pan that mine needed badly (and still does!:doah: ) ..and it had a J-code intake too...if it hadn't sat in a field for a year before I got it and outside on my engine stand since,I bet if I had a good crank to put in it,it would have still ran great..
I want to swap the intake "someday" but I've been waiting for my crusty injector lines to fail,so I can do it all at the same time..

I cant say I feel as confident working on the diesel as I do on gas engines--I have not had to do a water pump on one,it looks intimidating compared to a six or V8 gas one..ditto for a timing chain or injector pump replacement..I dont like the fact you must pull the injector lines and intake off to change a stupid valve cover gasket either,a 15 minute job on any gas V8...

My driving impressions of the 6.2 are it makes the truck feel more like a tractor or backhoe,its noisy,sounds like a loose rod or two slapping away compared to a gas engine,it gives me anxiety sometimes,and it sometimes idles rough ,makes you think it wants to stall,but never does..once you get it rolling over 40 mph,it seems to quiet down a lot though..the extra insulation and firewall covering does help kill some of the diesel clatter,but to anyone used to a "silent" gas engine,it can be a bit unsettling...and you have to turn it off at the drive thru ,if you want them to hear your order too...and not smog out the inside of the coffee shop!..:whistle:

I can imagine a military version with no interior or the firewall padding will sound like a tin can ,the diesel makes things in my cab vibrate and buzz at certain RPMS and I'm sure it would be very distracting in a truck without the sound barrier and interior..

My pickup seems to feel like its holding back sometimes,like a brake is dragging or something..maybe its just the lack of HP or the fact its a 6200 lb beast empty,I dont know..I have checked the brakes and one front caliper might be dragging a bit sometimes..the rotors were all rusty from sitting so that might be the cause too..

I dont know what year my pickup's engine is,or how many miles it has,supposedly it was from a mid 80's truck with 78K on it from a salvage yard ,but I have never looked for ID numbers or confirmed what year,and every salvage yard engine ALWAYS has less than 100K,we all know how that goes...

..it does run decent,it misfires a bit at idle,always did,and who knows what has been put in the fuel tank,I have yet to replace the Wix filter in 10 years,it looked new when I got it,so I just drain the old fuel out once in a while,it always looks clear,no water,so I let it ride..wouldn't hurt to change it I suppose..but I doubt it'd run any different..
I recently filled the tank in it for the first time since I got it too!..that cost 55 bucks..:doah:..

My Burb has 150+K on it,fas as I know the engine is original..it blows a little smoke out of the drivers side bank,but I think it needs a good highway run ,maybe the injectors need a dose of cleaner--the PO ran it on a lot of "bio" fuels supposedly,and it had about half a tank of kerosene added to it just before I bought it too...the engine sounds quieter than my pickups and feels "tighter" ,so it probably had decent care as far as oil changes...wish I could hit the lottery so I could put it back on the road and get the 700R4 fixed and use it some,before it rots into the ground..
 
I had the 6.2 in an 87 2wd burb. It was NOT super sluggish (infact I grenaded the planetaries in my 700r4 during a hard 1st to 2nd shift:doah:) and it drove fine on the highway. I set cruise at 72 mph and let her roll.... it almost never down shifted and stayed right at speed the entire time. averaged 24 mpg interstate and a best recorded 27 twice into chicago and back. I frickin loved it and want another BAD. the 2wd being a burb drove fine in the iowa winters and I never once plugged it in. (block heater had a short to the frame:doah:)

For a DD id do one like I had or just a bone stock pickup.. it's not a race car as i found out so no turbo's and such are needed... it's a DD:waytogo:
 
wage92 said:
Been talking to this guy: http://easttexas.craigslist.org/cto/4012299129.html

Give me your initial opinions just by looking at the ad.

Also, talked him down to 3800. That is the only reason im interested. Figure i could get it shipped for 1000 or less. which means i could have it for less than 5k....worth it or keep looking?
Click to expand...

Keep looking. Think stock. I went from 21mpg to 16mpg when I lifted my truck.
 
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