6.5 Swap

[durallymax]

So I started the swap last weekend.

Heres what happening.

We have an old (93) 6.5 truck (in my sig) that is falling apart but the motor is fine and has low miles as the old one overheated.

Bought a 1990 GMC 1500 2wd Regular cab short bed with 253,000 miles on it from a kid at school for $500. It has a newish motor and tranny in it.

Last weekend the motor and tranny got pulled. Motor is sold and the tranny is still sitting here. The motor was a TBI 350 BTW.

The truck does need a lot of body work however. New front fenders, new hood, new grille, new driver door and new bed, as well as patch panels for the cab corners.

The good news, I have a good hood, pass side fender, and driver door.

Found a bed in good condition for $400, a grille for $20, fender for $40, new tailgate for $75.

The interior is in great shape and is staying the way it is minus the diesel gauge cluster, boost and pyro gauge as well as a nice stereo.

Im doing some work to the motor as well. It getting marine injectors, a gear drive for the timing, HO water pump and dual thermos, HX35 turbo and a turned up pump and possibly an intercooler.

The tranny will be an NV4500 5spd. I have one but its for a 4wd truck and is completely shot. So Im still looking for one.

The trucks stock 3.08:1 rearend will remain in the truck as it will never tow.

The driveshaft from the 6.5 will be shortened and balanced.

The truck will be repainted dark metallic red.

The frame will be powdercoated.

Heavier springs will need to be put in the front as well.

And thats about all for now. The 6.5 is coming out this weekend and I hope to have the 1500s cab and box off before this weekend.

 

[BoostN]

Sounds like a awsome project! Good luck with it.

 

[durallymax]

Thanks, with the 3.08 rearend and NV4500 and the fact that its a really short 2wd truck should give it some great fuel economy. Hoping for 20s but well see since the injectors will be bigger and the pump opened up.

The truck will be used as a runaround truck for the farms, mostly going to get parts and runnin g to our other farms. Basically the same thing you use a beater truck for but I hope this doesnt turn into one after all my hard work. hehe

 

[LarryJewell]

sounds like a lot of fun

 

[durallymax]

so far it hasnt been too bad but Im sure there will be some headaches

 

[dmaxguy]

make sure we see pictures. looks like a nice project. i bet it will get good mileage to. how much power do you think it will have??:chevy:

 

[durallymax]

shootin for 220RWHP.

 

[RCpullerdude]

Sounds like a fun project. You should be able to get 220RWHP easy.

 

[durallymax]

ya I figured it should be a pretty safe and easy number to hit.

Heres a pic of the truck that its going into. Before I tore it down into nothing but a frame.

 

[Z79outlaw]

Sounds like a cool project when I still had enough 6.5 parts to build another truck I wanted to build a high MPG 6.5 turboed S-10. I dont know if it'd be any use to you but I do have a 2wd NV4500 that was good when it came out of the guys truck I bought for the motor. The clutch went out on his truck and he said that was the last straw, sold me the entire drivetrain, and its pretty much all I have left.