Might be a good time to switch to diesel?

[VBOD]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

I know a lot about the 6.2L and 6.5L diesels.

Say Oilpan4, any year of 6.2 N/A you'd recommend over the other years? I've pulled some info off of here I think about an '86 with smaller valves, bigger pre-cups, J-code & 5-spd along with other mods to get the best fuel economical & reliable combination. Or other recommendations?
Thanks

[drmiller100]

you want a turbo. the newer the better, but you do NOT want a computer controlled 6.5.

the fords were better motors. the dodges better yet.

[duffremle]

As someone who owns a gas and a diesel truck, they both have their pros and cons. Gas starts up easier, faster and drives like the cars we're used to. Diesel engines like to warm up a little and don't start so well in cold weather, particularly old diesels with indirect mechanical injection. Diesel costs about 50 cents more per gallon. Diesel maintenance costs are often more too. Expect to use 10 quarts or more for an oil change. Coolant capacities are often in the 8 gallon range.

What diesel does do well is fuel economy and towing. Whoever said there's a 1-2 mpg difference was just flat out wrong. The difference is more like 30-50%. Those old diesels are very torquey as well but low on horsepower, so they accelerate differently than gas engines. From a stop, your initial acceleration to 10 mph or so is good due to the torque, after that you accelerate like a train, slowly and steadily, and like a train they'll accelerate slowly and steadily even with a big load being towed behind them.

One more plus for the old diesels is their simplicity. Back in the 80's when the big three were turning out carburated gas engines with choked down valves, miles of vacuum hoses and dozens of solenoids, the diesels were free of all that. Emissions control on diesel engines is a relatively new thing.

[VBOD]

I drove a Peterbuilt wheat truck one summer and ya, love that turbo; thing just pulled, pulled and pulled. But wouldn't it hurt the economy? I'm not looking to go fast, just get decent low torque with good economy. The 350 TBI had enough torque and definitely not fast (4.56:1 & 4spd).

[JasonG]

Diesel is more expensive, for now.
I've had a diesel since the early 90s and watched it go back and forth with gas.
The popularity of the big pick ups has it up, as biodiesel becomes cheaper, it will drift back down. Due to similaities to heating oil, it is highest in the late fall.

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Word of advice from a 300,000 mile 6.2 owner.

In for a penny, in for a pound.

Convert the truck to a NV4500 manual. There are kits out there to do this. There are NV4500s with GM bellhousings.

It's get better MPG and you'll avoid the heartbreak of slow-revving diesels destroying car-type automatics.

I went through SEVEN automatics with my 6.2. My much stronger 7.3 is on the OEM clutch at 283,000 miles.

Ditto, I have the NV4500 and love it. With 4.10 gears it handles the 41 foot monster in my sig decently. Without the trailer I get over 22MPG hwy, only aero mod is a partial grill block or I can't get it to warm up to the 195 deg thermostat.
If you're not towing heavy (over 8K lbs). A 3.57 (3.51 something like that ?) Rear will help immensely.
That is part of why the diesel Suburbans do so well.

Originally Posted by drmiller100

you want a turbo. the newer the better, but you do NOT want a computer controlled 6.5.

the fords were better motors. the dodges better yet.

Pray tell why ? Once the factory recall fuel pump was changed to the ceramic pistons, I've had 138K trouble free, abusive miles. Remove the dumb dress cover and you'll never cook your computer (only happens on tweaked motors it seems).

[vacationtime247]

The 6.2 Liter will bolt right up. If you're running a 700R4 style tranny, put in a shift kit and a tranny cooler. Think you would come out ahead getting the 6.2 vs rebuilding the 350. You'd need a few extra parts, like a trans shift kit & cooler, fuel filter bracket, oil cooler lines and accessories, but it'd be worth it IMO.
VT247

[oil pan 4]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

I don't have experience with any diesel other than my Cummins, but I do know the engine is much heavier than the gas counterpart (I've read it weighs 1000lbs alone). Would the diesel swap make your front end heavier and wear suspension and front end components?

I have replaced 5.9L cummins with the VP44 pump and the shipping weight on the crate the engine came in was 1150lb.
It is a heavy engine.

[oil pan 4]

Originally Posted by VBOD

Say Oilpan4, any year of 6.2 N/A you'd recommend over the other years? I've pulled some info off of here I think about an '86 with smaller valves, bigger pre-cups, J-code & 5-spd along with other mods to get the best fuel economical & reliable combination. Or other recommendations?
Thanks

For economy and reliability build an engine and truck up like mine.

Newer style 6.5L turbo block, small valve heads with small mouth heads (#162 casting),, j-code intake manifold, super sized air cleaner, cold air/ram air intake, foward of the rear axel dump exhaust, electric fans, some DB2 serries mechanical injector pump.
Dont bother with the electric coolant pump I still consider it in the expermential stages.
I don't have the 5-speed but it would be nice.
If I were staying N/A I would put on some long tube headers, maybe straight pipes too.

Water injection may help under load, I am getting set up to test N/A water injection. Since its winter it will likely be watered down methanol mix.

[oil pan 4]

Originally Posted by duffremle

As someone who owns a gas and a diesel truck, they both have their pros and cons. Gas starts up easier, faster and drives like the cars we're used to. Diesel engines like to warm up a little and don't start so well in cold weather, particularly old diesels with indirect mechanical injection. Diesel costs about 50 cents more per gallon. Diesel maintenance costs are often more too. Expect to use 10 quarts or more for an oil change. Coolant capacities are often in the 8 gallon range.

Mine starts up fine but I built it knowing these engines don't like to start cold, I put in duel 650 watt block heaters (which I haven't needed yet even on a night where the low was -2'F), file fitted piston rings, putting 6.2L non-turbo heads on a 6.5L turbo block gives me about 1 more point of compression, I made a 0000gauge starter cable with 2ga grounds off each battery and not having a belt driven fan allows the engine to crank faster. So I say "what cold start problems"?

The 6.5L takes about 6 quarts of oil, just like a gas engine, when I built my new engine and filled it with water for the first time it took just shy of 5 gallons and thats with a few extra feet of radiator hose due to the electric pumps.

[JasonG]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

Mine starts up fine but I built it knowing these engines don't like to start cold, I put in duel 650 watt block heaters (which I haven't needed yet even on a night where the low was -2'F), file fitted piston rings, putting 6.2L non-turbo heads on a 6.5L turbo block gives me about 1 more point of compression, I made a 0000gauge starter cable with 2ga grounds off each battery and not having a belt driven fan allows the engine to crank faster. So I say "what cold start problems"?

The 6.5L takes about 6 quarts of oil, just like a gas engine, when I built my new engine and filled it with water for the first time it took just shy of 5 gallons and thats with a few extra feet of radiator hose due to the electric pumps.

Yeah, had an argument the one time I went to have my oil changed :

"OK $29.99 oil change, wait........ that's a diesel, $79"
"What it only takes 7qts with the filter?"
"Sorry sir, its a diesel"

Changed my own oil ever since. Buy 2 gal of Rotella and big filter.
Pour 1qt into an empty and dump rest down the filler neck.
Job is done before you can jack up a car.

Oilpan, what rear gears are you running? Tire size ?