Thinking about a diesel. Fuel mileage? Gearing?

[OffRoad]

i'm looking for a vehicle. there's a 84 4x4 pickup for sale. i don't know if it's a k10, 20, or 30. (probably not a 30 for the price).

the ad doesn't give any more info than that. don't know what tranny, etc. (i'd like a 465)

i'm thinking low to mid 20 for mileage. am i dreaming? i drive like a grandma, i don't squeal tires or accelerate hard.

what gears would it have? i'd like to put on 32s for a daily driver wheeler. figuring 3.73 would be good forthose i think.

i know 1800 rpm is best for economy, so i'll try to stay around that.

i'm 21, this would be my first vehicle. it would be a daily driver do everything vehicle.

i really appreciate your help.

 

[tRustyK5]

Well, if it's a 1/2 ton it'd have the 700R-4 and tall gears, likely 3.42's or taller. Great for economy (low to mid 20's no problem)but it will be kinda slow.

If it's a 3/4 ton it'll likely have 4.10's and a TH400 (SM465 was also available). Defnitely a lot more get up and go, but economy will be a fair amount less...likely 15-16 mpg on the highway.

Rene

 

[OffRoad]

1/2 ton sounds great. i want to run the tallest tires a can without changing gears. 3.42 ought to be ok for 32s right? hopefully it'll have 3.73's. that's if a get it at all. it's this or a sammy. (need the mileage)

the sammy would (probably) wheel better with fewer mods, but the pickup would be a better all-around vehicle.

mid 20 mpg is what i want to hear for mileage.

to the hard-core guys: i'm not bashing 3/4 ton, i just need mileage more than beef right now. 'spose i could try to swap in a 5 speed.

anything specific to look for on the diesel? i know i should watch it on a cold start.

the guy want $2000 Canadian for it.

 

[tRustyK5]

When I said low to mid 20's I was talking about to the US gallon. To the imperial gallon (4.54 litres) it'd be closer to 27-28 mpg.

The half ton would already have overdrive, the 3/4 ton wouldn't have overdrive at all.

32's would be OK with the 3.42's (for your purposes anyways)

Things to watch for...mostly just excessive smoke when cold started. They all smoke when cold, but the smoke should clear up in 5-20 seconds or so. If it takes a long time to clear up it could mean it needs an injection pump and/or injectors. Mine smoked like a train when the IP and injectors needed building.

Check the harmonic balancer...if you can see any rubber 'squirting' out from between the inner and outer rings it'll need replacing soon.

Both batteries should be the same brand, size and age. Other than that just regular stuff like wierd knocking noises, bad oil leaks, anti-freeze leaks etc etc. The general condition of the truck should give you a clue as to how well the motor was maintained. The 6.2 requires religious oil and filter changes...

Check the air filter, should be another clue to the maintenance level...

$2000 cdn is a decent price if the truck is in good shape. I'd certainly take that over a Sammi any day. The truck will cruise so much nicer, more comfortable and the 8 foot bed will be hard to beat with a Sammi. Off road I'd give the Sammi the nod, although the pick-up could do well with a few inexpensive mods.

Rene

 

[Pookster]

6.2 requires religious oil changes? i didnt know that! I usually change mine every 3k or so, but I've heard running it to 5k wasnt a problem either!

 

[tRustyK5]

That's what I was told...but I'll admit stretching the intervals personally.

Which reminds me...

Rene

 

[OffRoad]

wow and wow! 27-28 mpg? sweet!

==========
some concerns:

when i called the owner he said the truck had a turbo 350. so no overdrive. no good mileage for Ian.
he said it needs a torque converter, and that it only has 2 of the 3 eyelets holding it on. i didn't know what he meant but i played along...

he said there's rust in the fenders and doors. i got the impression the rust was right through. i care about the doors but not the fenders. i haven't seen the truck, so i'll have to judge that for my self.


===========
general info:

it's 1/2 ton with 245,000 km. when do these normally get rebuilt?

he said the glow plugs were changed this time last year. i didn't think to ask about the batteries.

he's the third owner. original owner was parks canada (a goverment truck). he said he's never plowed with it.

assuming i can get ahold of him saturday, i'll take a look at it then.

i really appreciate your help trustyk5. i know i'm new with lots of questions

 

[tRustyK5]

I wouldn't give him more than $500 for that truck. His asking price is reasonable if it had a decent functional 700R-4 like it came with, and if the rust was minor. The TH350 was added by a previous owner that was too cheap to get the 700R-4 rebuilt. They never put a TH350 behind the 6.2.

Mileage is OK, the 6.2 commonly goes about 300,000 miles before needing a rebuild. That one still has lots of life left (most likely)

Eyelets? Beats the hell out of me my friend...

I would either lowball him with a $400-$500 offer, or keep looking. A rebuilt 700R-4 is not exactly cheap, probably $1500 cdn if you install it

Rene

 

[OffRoad]

well...

i won't be buying that truck. i need the gas mileage and i'm not paying that for a tranny i would still have to put in myself. no sir.

thank you very much trustyk5, you just saved me a lot of money.

====================
there's a k10 with a 350 and 4 spd in the same "Super Saver" for $1500. i'd like to, but i can't afford the gas mileage. damn gas...

 

[tRustyK5]

Just keep your eyes open for another 6.2 1/2 ton pick-up or blazer...they should come up often enough.

Rene