6.5 swap

[MrMarty51]

Oh yeah, another reason I chose the 6.5 over the other diesels is, I am a GM person through and through, and, it does not take a bank loan to do a tune up on these engines. The tune components are reasonable enough, just do a lot of reading and asking before spending the money for GPs, injectors, etc as there are certain things to watch out for when purchasing.

 

[Will L.]

Oh my!! yessss these are crack monsters.
I can’t stress enough reading through that library. Do you already have 4” exhaust? Proper intake air filter that isn’t restricted? You know how to stop the starter mounting ears from breaking off, right-the front brace. You know which style starter you have and if you use shims or not?
We can try hitting one point after another but by then we would have retyped that library.


You have to do most of that $5000 at one time. Other than opening the oil pan to see if the block is good or not- it is generally a bad idea to open that engine up for rebuilding until you have all the money ready to go. Then once it is together, you need the money for the trans and all the other stuff shortly after. A somewhat common mistake diy engine builders do is build an engine then let it sit without starting it for a couple months. Huge friggin mistake- From the time the crankshaft goes in until it fires up should be 2 weeks, any more and you better have a full preoiler system including your sealed oil pump drive. Then if you are in a humid area, that time cuts down because the moisture causes rust on those fresh cut surfaces- and the oils/ grease and even powders used only adheres a little while before the heating and cooling has that moisture working its way in. Far more damage occurs sitting until the engine heat cures those fresh cut surfaces.

Basically the best thing you can do with all your free time is earn extra money for the project, and read that library.

 

[J_Oppie02]

Okay so what about a good way to get more pulling power out of the 350 vortec that's in it? I'm still doing the bigger rear end and springs... Then when I blow up the 4l60 I'll change to a 4l80

 

[Will L.]

Rebuild it with a turbo, but by the time you spend the money, better off to replace it with an LS 6.0 or 6.2

Modern control of fuel injection and timing makes a huge difference. Do some searching online and you will find the ‘LS SWAP’is the most common engine swap done. The 4l80e is the most common used transmission for a reason. Not just all the heavier gm trucks and rv, rolls royce, jaguar, bently, hummer/hmmwv- If you go automatic- this should be your choice up until the allison makes sense behind a duramax. I will leave manual transmission to others to recomend.

Don’t get me wrong, the 6.5 has great application- provided it is the right application AND updating it to handle the use is done. One weak link ruins the entire chain.

 

[J_Oppie02]

Well I'm gonna go ahead and pull the oil pan and check for cracks before I buy it but if the block is good then I think I'll be in good shape to go ahead and completely rebuild/bulletproof... But for now I think I'll just do the 4l80 and when I save up the money build the 6.5... then I recon I should just keep the 4l80 behind the 6.5

 

[Will L.]

The 6.0 will burn more fuel when towing. But you save a lot of the up front cost, and stretch out the ‘payments’ in the form of more fuel over the years.

Most people never take the time to figure out fuel burnt, and it’s cost vs cost of the engine they choose.
I know many guys on the hummer forum that are multi millionaires, and never notice money spent for fuel. For guys like me- i have to do the math ahead of time to make sure what I am spending now makes sense later. When I was younger, i spent all the money up front, and in the fuel tank later, followed by repairs.... but it sure was fun in that Camaro with the front wheels in the air! Haha

There is a lot to the idea of build exactly what you want, or you will never be happy with what you have. Problem is if you don’t have the $ to do it, you have a dream in a pile in the garage...

 

[Will L.]

Posting up a bunch of pics of the 6.5 you have is a good idea- because we can see things to let you know- maybe you already have an upgraded turbo- or have something someone rigged up as a bandaid.

 

[WarWagon]

Main web cracks shown here.

Bringing 1993 Patch back from the dead...

And "Christine" Died on the operating table last night. :zombie: . . . Hey Ted's Trucks: Send me the "rest of the 6.2 engine" Goodbye Christine, Hello Chuckie?

www.thetruckstop.us

The entire thread and several of mine like it show a great deal of cash pissed down a hole on what is essentially a disposable and expendable engine done on the quick by GM bean counters ignoring advice of Detroit Diesel like to use a forged crankshaft. I would have been better off to use a new Optimizer Longblock. $7350 plus tax, title, license, dealer doc fee, shipping... and then slam Gapless Rings in it. After you get done using a defib device over that price consider the used truck value has gone up a lot: a DRW 4 door 6.5TD with 200K just went at auction for over $8K.

Another UGLY Fact is good parts are getting hard to find. You can find painted wore out junk all damn day. @Will L. is joking about finding good used 6.2/6.5 engines. Brake calipers, PS pumps, starters, AC Compressors...

And where I live we don't have emissions... And I've known quite a few people who swapped diesels into gassers and registered them...

So this is a long term project. Your crystal ball is darker than mine for predicting the future. When this gets ready to roll things may have changed. As of a DECADE ago I quit running a non-DPF diesel (the 1993 hauling parts in a cargo trailer and/or RV's) commercially in CA due to their retro laws requiring all commercial diesels, except CA businesses, to have a DPF or a retrofit. CA's Communist Stupidity retro laws are spreading fast - I am not kidding about the people in power now plus EPA crackdowns on tuners, DPF delete shops, delete items, etc. One of the many ways Americans will be punished is further crackdowns on diesel esp. the evil diesel pickup owners who in their opinion all have a tuner. The people you know may in the near future be putting their rigs back to factory while paying fines.

Crossing state lines may also be a problem for you as you don't know who is following CA next. They have roadside emissions test stations and have offhand used them in Colorado and CA. Colorado was looking at and maybe using photo vans for NOx and smoke, photos your license plate, and then

This is a risk like gambling in Las Vegas where the odds favor the house and you have say a bag of weed in your backpack.

Maybe if you dropped a emissions compliant crate motor in. (Esp. a LS crate motor.) An example:

R2.8 Turbo Diesel | Cummins Inc.

www.cummins.com

 

[MrMarty51]

You also will not be disappointed with the 4L80E transmission.
I used to prefer the manual transmission, then, I dont know what happened, I now prefer the automatic units. Lazy ? Tired of clutching/shifting ? Your choice.