Oh, what to do???

[black dawg]

A banks kit will really wake up an old 6.2 (over 400 ftlbs), but the problem is keeping them cool while towing. If you are set on doing a 6.2 or 6.5 turboed, plan on getting the later serp belt stuff so that you can take advantage of the cooling system upgrades for the serp belt 6.5.

also plan on starting with new headgasket and head studs.

my last burb that I built for towing was an 89 3/4 ton 6.5 th400 with a banks kit. It pulled alright, but hills would quickly make coolant temps an issue. It would have been awesome to get it to work right, because it got really good mpg even towing, but the hills around here made it a pain in the ass.

 

[85 Burb]

I will just chime in here for the 3/4 ton burb. I have an 85 K2500 that clears 33's no problem. With 4.10's it pulls pretty good. As already mentioned the Th400 is very stout. But the lack of overdrive is a complaint.

I will make one comment, my truck doesn't have anything resembling a computer in it. I do have the original carb for it, nothing resembling electronic hook ups.

I know california trucks got Computer Controlled Carbs, maybe it wasn't the case else where across the states?

Shouldn't really matter though seeing as you're looking for a diesel anyways.

 

[jgcoastie]

Well first I wouldn't say a needle in a haystack, and as for the years, you can go all the way to 91 the 6.2 trucks were the same up to then.
The 3/4 tons mostly got the th400 but I have seen, and have one such beast, the 700R4 behind the 6.2 in a 3/4 ton burb.
I like it because it is offering an OD for the diesel that is very important.
Now having said you don't want computers, the 4l80e needs a computer, unless you want to go fully manual conrols but it's not the best setup for a do all truck, especially if the wife might drive it.
If you have no problem with a computer controled tranny then a 4l80e is definitely a good addition.
And don't try to find a manual truck, the change to manual if you wanted it is pretty easy, and also cheap enough that it's better to find your truck the closest to what you want it and add the trans of choice

Outstanding info imiceman44! Thank you!

So, the 4L80E is out then, since no computers is the name of the game.

I see the benefit of having more than 3 gears (TH400)... And I would greatly prefer a manual, are there any heavy-duty 5-speed transmissions that would fit correctly in a 6.2l-equipped Burb?

If not, I guess it'll have to be a SM465... I've been seeing rebuilt/re-manufactured ones go for $750-$1k... That plus a rebuilt 6.2L (~$3k)... Whew... I guess it could be worse, I could be looking at $7k for a rebuilt 5.9.

Thanks for all the help guys, I'm at least starting to get an idea of what lies ahead and how to go about it.

Edit: As to the possible overheating issue with a turbo'd 6.2... Will the standard-rotation high-flow pump from Peninsular Diesel fit a 6.2? It's marketed for a 6.5... Anyone have any experience with it?

 

[imiceman44]

Outstanding info imiceman44! Thank you!

So, the 4L80E is out then, since no computers is the name of the game.

I see the benefit of having more than 3 gears (TH400)... And I would greatly prefer a manual, are there any heavy-duty 5-speed transmissions that would fit correctly in a 6.2l-equipped Burb?

If not, I guess it'll have to be a SM465... I've been seeing rebuilt/re-manufactured ones go for $750-$1k... That plus a rebuilt 6.2L (~$3k)... Whew... I guess it could be worse, I could be looking at $7k for a rebuilt 5.9.

Thanks for all the help guys, I'm at least starting to get an idea of what lies ahead and how to go about it.

You can go with a NV4500 5 speed, plenty of strength and smoother than a SM465, they did come behind diesels so they are a direct swap.
You could also use an NV3500 they did come in these trucks and could work fine in your light duty example, might be easier to find and cheaper too, but the NV4500 would be my choice if I had to go thru the trouble, unless the NV3500 was sitting in my yard.
And to go back to the 4l80e, you can as I said do full manual, but you get harsh shifts and is not what I would call streetable, from what I heard.
I am going that route for a truck I am building and I could always go back and put a computer if it felt too bad.
There are a couple of guys here that can tell you more about this if they see this post.

 

[blazinzuk]

I will just add my opinion here.

What do you hunt just varmints or are we talking larger game here.

If we are talking deer elk ( larger game) then I say the burb is out. crew cab pickup in. Its just so much easier to throw the game in the bed of the truck rather than tarp the back and deal with all the cleanup after the fact.

In addition to that fact a crew cab is most often found in a 1 ton variety so bonus with the 60 front, which would allow you to run a bigger tire.

I don't know how you feel about fender trimming but a 4" lift and some 37s would add some serious capability to your rig.

Burbs and Crews are huge so while I think a 33 would be fine on say a shortbox or blazer I say 35s on a burb or longbed and at least 35s on a crew cab truck

Get one with a 6.2 swap in an nv4500, throw a banks turbo kit on it.

Or even better use a 465 with a gear vendors, 7 speeds are better than 5 but your getting into some expense there.

A camper shell for said pickup would allow much of the same utility as the burb for camping and such while allowing some extra capabilities

 

[83ChevyK5Blazer]

Hey, finally another coastie on here , and just when I thought I was all alone.

 

[black dawg]

X2 on the 465/gear vendor combo. that would be sweet.

as far as the peninsular water pump you should probably contact them, as the different years use a different water pump plate.

I should say that I never tried any of the cooling upgrades on my burb, because I had my ford crewcab for towing, I wish that I would have spent some more time/money on it.

 

[imiceman44]

I looked into the 465 gear vendor and you only gain one additionnal gear, the spacing and the ratio they have coincides with most of the gears.
On a th400 however it works out good, and you can have the controler do it all automatic.

X2 on the 465/gear vendor combo. that would be sweet.

as far as the peninsular water pump you should probably contact them, as the different years use a different water pump plate.

I should say that I never tried any of the cooling upgrades on my burb, because I had my ford crewcab for towing, I wish that I would have spent some more time/money on it.

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

If not, I guess it'll have to be a SM465... I've been seeing rebuilt/re-manufactured ones go for $750-$1k... That plus a rebuilt 6.2L (~$3k)... Whew... I guess it could be worse, I could be looking at $7k for a rebuilt 5.9.

Why plan on needing to rebuild the Cummins?

 

[jgcoastie]

A lot of responses, THANK YOU! I'll try to address them as best I can...

You can go with a NV4500 5 speed, plenty of strength and smoother than a SM465, they did come behind diesels so they are a direct swap.
You could also use an NV3500 they did come in these trucks and could work fine in your light duty example, might be easier to find and cheaper too, but the NV4500 would be my choice if I had to go thru the trouble, unless the NV3500 was sitting in my yard.

Sounds good. Thanks again.

I will just add my opinion here.

What do you hunt just varmints or are we talking larger game here.

If we are talking deer elk ( larger game) then I say the burb is out. crew cab pickup in. Its just so much easier to throw the game in the bed of the truck rather than tarp the back and deal with all the cleanup after the fact.

In addition to that fact a crew cab is most often found in a 1 ton variety so bonus with the 60 front, which would allow you to run a bigger tire.

I don't know how you feel about fender trimming but a 4" lift and some 37s would add some serious capability to your rig.

Burbs and Crews are huge so while I think a 33 would be fine on say a shortbox or blazer I say 35s on a burb or longbed and at least 35s on a crew cab truck

Get one with a 6.2 swap in an nv4500, throw a banks turbo kit on it.

Or even better use a 465 with a gear vendors, 7 speeds are better than 5 but your getting into some expense there.

A camper shell for said pickup would allow much of the same utility as the burb for camping and such while allowing some extra capabilities

I hunt everything there's a legal season for. Primarily deer, hog, and turkey in addition to small game like rabbits and such... The end goal if I use a Surbaban is to essentially make my own Avalanche... Or if I can find a crew cab 3/4 or 1 ton I'll just have the pickup... But Suburbans are slightly more plentiful than crew cabs from what I've seen on the used market.

I'm not too concerned with cleanup, etc... The end goal is bedliner on all body parts, inside and out, no paint(olive drab or coyote tan, I used black when I did this to my K5 way back when and it was HOT in the summer). Will use marine audio parts and weatherproof all electrical connections, so I'll be able to just wash it out with a water hose/pressure washer.

Agreed on the camper shell, if I can find a crew cab pickup.

As far as tires go, I'm pretty set on staying under 35" tires, the closer I can stay to a stock stance the better for reliability. The goal isn't necessarily to be the most capable, but to be the most reliable while being somewhat capable.

Hey, finally another coastie on here , and just when I thought I was all alone.

Small world, small guard, we're never too far from bumping into one another, glad to double up the Coastie quota here.

Why plan on needing to rebuild the Cummins?

Because whatever motor I put in this rig will be a rebuilt/re-manufactured motor. I want to be as close to 'newish' as possible, for longevity's sake. Ditto for transmission and all other mechanical parts. I don't care if the radio quits working, but I don't wnat to be in the middle of my bug-out and have a major mechanical breakdown. By starting as close to newish as possible, I believe I would be mitigating some of that. This will be my all-in-one, daily driver, hunting/moderate off-road, SHTF, EMP, towing and whatever else comes my way type of rig... However insane that sounds, that's what I'm doing... Odds are, I'll be sticking to a 6.2 for this build though. I have a substantial fund saved up for this, but I don't want to spend it all on a 5.9 if I can help it. It sounds like I'll be served best by a Banks-equipped 6.2, it'll do, and for less than half the $$$, it'll do nicely.

Thanks for the input so far guys, I really appreciate you helping me form up my plan for this rig!