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Just bought a CUCV for $625.

82355 said:
It wouldn't start today.

Martin
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Welcome to the 6.2 club! :thumb:










:haha::doah:

Having worked closely with at least 5 6.2/6.5 engines in the last few years, failing to start in cold weather is by far my biggest complaint with the engine. Once started, they are fine, but they have a mind of their own once the temperature starts to drop.


Try installing the rest of the glow plugs. Then check blow-by. I wouldn't expect this balmy weather to stop a tight engine with good plugs.
 
The 6.2 in my '82 GMC has only refused to start when cold maybe 3 or 4 times,it has surprised me many times when it was below 20 above and started without having the block heater plugged in ,I just had to cycle the glow plugs a few times and it eventually started--the few times it failed to run,it did fire up and stall a few times,then the batteries wore down and wouldn't spin it over fast enough..it sounds like hell though,until it warms up some..like the pistons are .030 too small for the cylinders!..:eek1:

I notice it has started much better and turns over faster since I started adding thinner motor oil to replenish what leaks out of its rotted oil pan--I also put a gear reduction starter in it which might have helped too,but I think the oil viscosity made a bigger difference..

The 6.2 in my '85 Burb starts pretty hard,I have replaced 4 out of the 8 glow plugs (drivers side) but the other side might still have some dead ones...the engine in that is original and has around 155K on it,and it is much quieter than my other 6.2,but it sounds like it doesn't have as much compression when you spin it over--it has a gear reduction starter also...


I managed to get it started the other day using just one battery,when it was close to 60 degrees out,after sitting a good 6 months ,the day before I tried starting it when it was about 50 degrees and it did fire up and run a few seconds,then the battery was too low to spin it fast enough..the next day after recharging the battery it fired up almost instantly...but I saw smoke at the battery,and found out the small ground wire going from the ground cable to the radiator support had fried--found out the ground cable was loose where it bolts to the alternator bracket..:doah:..

I guess when it had both batteries hooked up ,the other ground cable was doing most of the "work",without the other battery,that small ground wire tried carrying the whole current load,and "whoof"....glad it didn't melt into any other wires or things near it...

If you dont plan to tow or use it heavily during the winter,I bet using 10W-30 oil in your 6.2 will make it start better...15W-40 turns into paste below 20 degrees...you need it to spin over as fast as possible to get it fired up in the extreme cold..using a block heater is a good idea too..
 
diesel4me said:
If you dont plan to tow or use it heavily during the winter,I bet using 10W-30 oil in your 6.2 will make it start better...15W-40 turns into paste below 20 degrees...you need it to spin over as fast as possible to get it fired up in the extreme cold..using a block heater is a good idea too..
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The tag on my visor on my CUCV states 10W30 for something like 30 or 40 degrees and below, don't remember exactly. I need to get the 15W40 out of mine. It turns over slow when it's cold like this.
 
I've always run 15w40 even in Below zero weather. I've never had any problems besides it's tough to turn the key.
 
Like I said,with 15W-40 in my truck, it almost always did start--but you could hear it suffering from lack of lubrication until it ran a good 30 seconds to a minute..and it would crank over like it was dragging the crank thru mud..
With the thinner oil it cranks over much faster,and it doesn't have that period of lifter noises and other things clattering like it does with 15W-40..

Synthetic oil wouldn't thicken up as much probably,but I wont use that in any of my old vehicles..
 
the 60g takes a LONG time to get hot. might not be running them long enough.

I have had very good luck with the bosch plug for these. I have yet to replace a dead one, 6 years now, and in 5 or 6 trucks.
 
I am not sure how much compression this thing does or doesn't have. I also think the wiring is really bad. It is only getting 10 volts at the slow plugs.

Martin
 
The glow plug relay contacts could be arced up or corroded and preventing full voltage from reaching the glow plugs...the wiring harness going to them also has 2 fusible links that can restrict current if they are wounded--the spades on the ends of the wires on both of my trucks were in poor shape too,I had to cut a few off and use female solderless connectors on them..

The previous owner of my Burb evidently used a Ford starter relay in place of the GM one,wired to a manual push button--it seemed to work OK,you can hear it click and the glow plug light comes on,but the truck was always balky at firing up,even in warmer weather...the other day I tried jumping the 2 posts on the Ford relay with a jumper cable when it refused to click on normally,I left it connected about 15 seconds--the truck fired up a LOT faster than it ever did,so I'm going to end up replacing that relay,its insides are probably gangrene from sitting all these years...
 
82355 said:
I am not sure how much compression this thing does or doesn't have. I also think the wiring is really bad. It is only getting 10 volts at the slow plugs.

Martin
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are you checking this voltage with the plugs heating? They draw quite a bit, and voltage at plugs can be as low as 9v at times.
 
I think it's more likely to see over 12 with the cucv from my limited understanding of the system.

The voltage drops to 12 due to the draw of all 8 plugs through a electronic thing(the scientific name is evading me). When plugs fail voltage increases to each plug resulting in shorter lifespan of plugs respectively.
 
Got it to start again today. Driving it over to a buddy's shop to try and do the other four glow plugs. Even with the 35's, it wraps a little tight with the 4.56's. thinking about swapping in some 3.73 geared axles. If I keep it together.

Martin
 
First to hear 35's with 3:37 gears What makes you wanna go that way? Thought about using 3:73 with 35 with 350 TBI and 700R4 but alot say RPM's will be high on the highway.
 
brans87 said:
First to hear 35's with 3:37 gears What makes you wanna go that way? Thought about using 3:73 with 35 with 350 TBI and 700R4 but alot say RPM's will be high on the highway.
Click to expand...

We are talking two completely different beasts here.

Mine is a 6.2 diesel, which doesn't care for RPM as much as a gas burner. A TBI 350 is a relatively low RPM engine, but compared to a 6.2 diesel it is a high winding sob.

I also have a TH400 which has no overdrive, and no lockup torque converter, so I can't even run at 1:1 through the transmission. Your TH700R4 has the advantage of both an overdrive gear AND a lock up torque converter (plus less parasitic horsepower loss....).

So for your application, 3.73's would be on the high end (low numerically).

Martin
 
82355 said:
We are talking two completely different beasts here.

Mine is a 6.2 diesel, which doesn't care for RPM as much as a gas burner. A TBI 350 is a relatively low RPM engine, but compared to a 6.2 diesel it is a high winding sob.

I also have a TH400 which has no overdrive, and no lockup torque converter, so I can't even run at 1:1 through the transmission. Your TH700R4 has the advantage of both an overdrive gear AND a lock up torque converter (plus less parasitic horsepower loss....).

So for your application, 3.73's would be on the high end (low numerically).

Martin
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This :sign17:

Im running 37s with 4.56 gears and that mix puts me back in the range of stock rpm range for driving (stock tires and 3.73).
 
There isn't much to take a picture of from replacing glow plugs, so I just took these.

96-1.jpg

All four plugs on the right side were swollen. I don't really care if I blow this engine up or not, and I was tired of fighting them, so I just broke them off.
After I broke each one off, I started the engine and listened to it pop. Then I screwed in the new glow plugs. If it will start in the morning, I may plug a couple of the new glow plugs out and see how they look. I did hear a few good rattles on the way home.....

96-2.jpg

Needs hub caps.

96-3.jpg

Martin
 
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Believe it or not, I really don't care if it looks like a CUCV or not. I have a bumper and grille guard in my hog barn, but I doubt I would put the grille guard on. I think they are pretty ugly.

Martin
 
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