CK5
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who wheels diesel?
- Thread starter stoney126
- Start date
alec78
1/2 ton status
Love my 6.2! I've got plans to change things, but most are just general K5 mods. I am going to change the tranny to a NV4500 and t-case to NP 205 (eventually 203 205 doubler). I also have to fab a snorkle as there is none made for the air hog.
jp0863
1/2 ton status
i wheel mine, in fact that was the whole reason i went with a diesel. went with a cucv cuz there's no power windows and all the other crap to go wrong. love it!!! the damn thing will run on it's side if it needs too. a little lacking in power, but most of what i do is in the rocks where gearing helps. and i get 20mpg to boot.
with gas prices being what they are, and the fact that diesels run at all angles like fuel injection does I am shopping for one right now! My buddy runs a 6.2 and it doesnt rev real quick but man the torque is amazing.
I love my 6.2 for wheeling, no more worries about stalling plus gobs of off-idle torque. Wheeling all day on less than a 1/4 tank is cool too.
Rene
Rene
Robert79K5
1/2 ton status
I have a 6.2 NA in my 79 Blazer with a sm465/NP205. Off road I love it. Its got great off idle torque and will smoothly idle up anything. It dosn't rev up really quick, especially under a load but for slow trail slogging im happy with it.
However I recently yanked my 1 ton axles from it and gave them to my 90 350 powered K5 because honestly I really hated the way my diesel blazer drove with the 6.2 sm465 on the street. At first I didn't mind it but the more I drove it on the road the more I hated it. The diesels narrow powerband and the sm465s wide spacing between gears made the engine fall flat on its face in between gear changes, especially on hills. Starting off was easy, and once you got up to speed it would pull hills fine, but around town where there was a lot of climbing through the gears it sucked bad.
I also didn't like my top speed. Even though the 6.2/6.5 will rev pretty high for a diesel it would be screaming at 55mph. But thats more of a gearing issue. I imagine if I had overdrive it would have been more pleasant. The reason I bring it up is to illustrate that you really need to pay more attention to your gearing selection if you run a diesel. Gas engines are more forgiving.
I hope this helps answer your question...
Basically for me, since my Blazer isnt my daily driver I dont mind loosing some fuel economy to gain some street friendliness. Its a good tradeoff for me. If your blazer is your daily driver you may be willing to put up with more for the added economy, and you may not even be bothered at all by the same issues that I was.
However I recently yanked my 1 ton axles from it and gave them to my 90 350 powered K5 because honestly I really hated the way my diesel blazer drove with the 6.2 sm465 on the street. At first I didn't mind it but the more I drove it on the road the more I hated it. The diesels narrow powerband and the sm465s wide spacing between gears made the engine fall flat on its face in between gear changes, especially on hills. Starting off was easy, and once you got up to speed it would pull hills fine, but around town where there was a lot of climbing through the gears it sucked bad.
I also didn't like my top speed. Even though the 6.2/6.5 will rev pretty high for a diesel it would be screaming at 55mph. But thats more of a gearing issue. I imagine if I had overdrive it would have been more pleasant. The reason I bring it up is to illustrate that you really need to pay more attention to your gearing selection if you run a diesel. Gas engines are more forgiving.
I hope this helps answer your question...
Basically for me, since my Blazer isnt my daily driver I dont mind loosing some fuel economy to gain some street friendliness. Its a good tradeoff for me. If your blazer is your daily driver you may be willing to put up with more for the added economy, and you may not even be bothered at all by the same issues that I was.
NYDIESELDAVE
1/2 ton status
I wheeled my 85 Jimmy until 1 year ago when I finally got the CUCV frame and body I wanted. Now I'm in the mist of a total rebuild. In my opinion it has the best of both worlds. It's reliable and strong. The 6.2 gets around 20-22 mpg and still can move a big ride. Like others I believe that its really in the gearing. My build up is consisting of a 700R4 , NP203 Np205 Doubler, D44 FT and 14 Bolt RR axles. If you are going to be running a mud rig I might choose another engine for better HP unless you are ok with doing some heavy mods to the engine. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of guys out there that have mud rigs with diesels in them, but I think a larger hp engine would be better.
As for the 6.2 and 6.5 respectively; in my book they are the best diesel around for the money. Parts are everywhere, cheap price, better mpg than other, quieter most of the time, pretty simple to work one, and reliable.
As for the 6.2 and 6.5 respectively; in my book they are the best diesel around for the money. Parts are everywhere, cheap price, better mpg than other, quieter most of the time, pretty simple to work one, and reliable.
well one of the big reasons i would go this route is that there is no smog on it.
I was thinking of running a 6inch lift with 37's. Drivetrain maybe 6.5 turbo backed by a nv4500 an 205? I do play in some mud but nothing crazy .
I was thinking of running a 6inch lift with 37's. Drivetrain maybe 6.5 turbo backed by a nv4500 an 205? I do play in some mud but nothing crazy .
afroman006
1/2 ton status
From a trail rig standpoint 6.2 are badass for all the reasons above. One other huge benefit is that they can be had for dirt cheap just about anywhere. Nobody likes them for starters, so they usually sell for next to (or in my case) nothing.
heh, I have been looking for a diesel for a hell of a long time, imported Cucv's are big bucks and nothing local in Canuck land! Just two days ago in the autotrader a 82' Jimmy imported from Cali was added for sale. They want $11,000!!!!! 
OffRoad
1/2 ton status
yeah i agree witht he other canadian guy. i don't know where you're getting these cheap diesels. but prices are pretty retarded here.
i'm not happy about that. i love diesels. i want one in my sammy, but it's big $$$. i want a 6.2 in my trail rig *when* i get one.
i'm not happy about that. i love diesels. i want one in my sammy, but it's big $$$. i want a 6.2 in my trail rig *when* i get one.
Why would you want to import a cali truck for a 6.2? I had no trouble finding a good condition 6.2 for $500 up here. It was from an '85 K20...a week later my buddy found an '83 C30 with running 6.2 for $500 so we grabbed that one too.
Tons of civilian 2WD and 4WD 6.2 trucks up here to rob the 6.2 from, you just need to look around some. First year for them was '82 and they were available right through '91 in 'our' body style.
As for rust free trucks it's always going to be a much better deal if you pick them up yourself. To buy one that someone else has imported is gonna cost. A good rust free K5 in TX, AZ or Cali can be had for less than $4K US in good shape. Any vehicle older than 15 years is a piece of cake to import too.
Rene
Tons of civilian 2WD and 4WD 6.2 trucks up here to rob the 6.2 from, you just need to look around some. First year for them was '82 and they were available right through '91 in 'our' body style.
As for rust free trucks it's always going to be a much better deal if you pick them up yourself. To buy one that someone else has imported is gonna cost. A good rust free K5 in TX, AZ or Cali can be had for less than $4K US in good shape. Any vehicle older than 15 years is a piece of cake to import too.
Rene
stoney126 said:
i'd recommend getting a 6.2 blazer and putting a turbo on it. you'll get at least 6.5 power and then you won't have to swap engines. rene (trustyk5) posted up the dyno numbers in another thread, but they've been known to do over 500# at the flexplate/flywheel and about 200 hp. your ideal drivetrain looks nice, but it will be costly. you might just want to run the turbo 6.2, sm465/205. from what i hear, nv4500's are great, but very pricey and maybe somewhat difficult to find. don't forget you'll have to run at least 3/4 ton running gear with those tires.
1967k10
1/2 ton status
Someone needs to swap a D-Max in 
to their trail rig.That's my tenative,future plan when I get some more $$$$ rounded up. My 01' D-Max wheels very good for what it is and in a trail rig it would be great. Plus more power is only a few minutes away.
to their trail rig.That's my tenative,future plan when I get some more $$$$ rounded up. My 01' D-Max wheels very good for what it is and in a trail rig it would be great. Plus more power is only a few minutes away.
afroman006
1/2 ton status
IMO turbos arent very usefull on a trailtruck. They just present one more headache and would never be utilized 90% of the time. This is precisely why I just sold a setup I have.
im wanting to go diesel as well in my k5. cant beat renes 19mpg on 40's
i just hope my 5.13s arent too low for 42s and 700r4
i just hope my 5.13s arent too low for 42s and 700r4
well looking at what they want fo rdiesel right now i wonder if it would be better to with gas? 2.89 for diesel or 2.41 gor 87 . what are wlloking at mileage wise? I have read different things in different places. 19-22 for the diesel and 15-16 for the gasser. I really dont want to do the math but i guess i may have too.
Ned Kelly
1/2 ton status
Anybody wheel in the mud with diesel? Just wondering how that would work out, say with 39.5" Swampers, TH400, and what gearing?
stoney126 said:
The only K5's I've ever heard getting 15-16 are near to dead stock on smallish AT's, little to no lift, OD, and computer controlled TBI. Same K5 with a 6.2 is gonna get 22-25.
I run 39.5" TSL's, no overdrive, 4.56's and it'll get 16.5 mpg running down the highway all day long. With the 355 i pulled out the best I ever managed with the same tires and gearing was 9 mpg.
Rene
rene, so would it be better or worse than ur setup with 6.2, 700r4, 5.13s, 42s?
i really want a diesel, i prolly get around 9 now
i really want a diesel, i prolly get around 9 now
