Big 6.5 Test

[Acesneights1]

I'll dig up the URL for that mod again for ya. It makes a big difference... the tranny temp doesn't have to be that high, but what it does is prevent the engine from shedding heat.

Trust me on this one... it's a 15-minute mod that costs $5 and makes a big difference.

PS - I did Kennedy's airbox mod too, and it didn't hurt my IATs, so I doubt that's your problem.

Thanks. Yeah that's the point I was trying to make . My airbox is still pulling all the air from the fender . I'm not even sure mine had a snorkel because when I went to remove it there was none unless PO did it.

 

[Acesneights1]

I drove the truck in 95+ heat today on the highway with no trailer and the engine never went past 190. Once Boost and EGTs go up that's when the fun starts. I have the camper on ebay anyway so that may solve my problem. Not selling soley because the overheating. Prissy wife who hates camping and 2 yr old son who is too young to appreciate it. But getting OT here so I am still interested in an Intercooler. Did Scrufdog ever make it over to this site ? I still like his the best. Even without the camper I still pull my skidsteer around with both trucks and both overheat with that as well.

 

[jcool]

J, no offense at all I just don't think I'm explaining what i did right so as confucoius(spelled that one good huh ?)say..picture worth 1000 words.

ahh, I thought you meant that it was basiclly an open element under the hood... which I assume you will know where I am coming from if it were. That makes sense then, an intercooler may help then, depending on the backpressure it produces. Something really doesn't seem right at all to me considering we towed a 28' 5th wheel with 6 people in the truck up and down mountains in the middle of the summer engine banging redline the entire time in my fathers 98 ram 1500 4x4 5.2v8. It never overheated and was for about 6 hours of beating... anyway could their be a restriction in coolant flow through your engine?

 

[JiFaire]

Nope. It's a 6.5 thing, Justin; not at all similar to a Cummins. These babies generate a lot of heat and it doesn't shed well.

These guys will pull pretty good, too, up hill and down, as soon as he finds the right set of mods to make it work.

But it still ain't a cummins.

On the other hand, your Dad's cummins was stuck in a Dodge... (ugh)

 

[Acesneights1]

On the other hand, your Dad's cummins was stuck in a Dodge... (ugh)

Hee hee....:devil:
I totally understand what you mean. Hot air in, hot air out. Alot of guys do suck eng compt air through the air cleaners.
It is definitely a 6.5 thing. I had many 6.2 that never had this problem and the main difference is the added turbo heat. Dodge and Ford and Dmax run intercoolers. I think GM cheaped out on the 6.5 in an area they should not have. Just have to decide top mount or hanger. I like the neatness of the top mount. Besides if I use a hanger and decide to run down my mother in law I might have to clean the core...:devil:

 

[DEERE3594]

yall...I think a 5.2 V8 would be gas, wouldnt it?

 

[JiFaire]

yall...I think a 5.2 V8 would be gas, wouldnt it?

Yep - it's a Dodge (formerly 318 cid)

http://dodgeram.org/tech/gas/specs/5_2v8.htm

 

[samfraser]

I didn't read previous posts, but did someone mention the horrid design of the 6.5's water jacket? How about the bottleneck at the thermostat? Or the small capacity water pump, or the fact that the passenger side exhaust travels less distance, and has less back-pressure than the drivers side? Or the in-efficient two piece radiator design? Or the improperly designed front fascia that doesn't direct enough air through the engine compartment? etc, etc, etc! Dual thermostat, turbo re-locate, bigger 4 core radiator, head work, and an intercooler would have fixed all of these problems before they started.

 

[JiFaire]

I didn't read previous posts, but did someone mention the horrid design of the 6.5's water jacket? How about the bottleneck at the thermostat? Or the small capacity water pump, or the fact that the passenger side exhaust travels less distance, and has less back-pressure than the drivers side? Or the in-efficient two piece radiator design? Or the improperly designed front fascia that doesn't direct enough air through the engine compartment? etc, etc, etc! Dual thermostat, turbo re-locate, bigger 4 core radiator, head work, and an intercooler would have fixed all of these problems before they started.

Nope. None of us 6.5 guys ever thought of stuff like that. We figured they were overheating because they were such hot trucks.

Now we know the truth. I feel cheated, somehow, like a kid whose big brother just told him the real story about the Easter Bunny.

 

[samfraser]

Nope. None of us 6.5 guys ever thought of stuff like that. We figured they were overheating because they were such hot trucks.

Now we know the truth. I feel cheated, somehow, like a kid whose big brother just told him the real story about the Easter Bunny.

hmmmm, like i said i didn't read the previous posts, I am no stranger to sarcasm, matter of fact i welcome it. By the way, the easter bunny was real, I ate him.

 

[JiFaire]

hmmmm, like i said i didn't read the previous posts, I am no stranger to sarcasm, matter of fact i welcome it. By the way, the easter bunny was real, I ate him.

ROFL... no harm intended, Sam. I wuz just being a smart-arse.

Your post definitely hit all the bad crap about the 6.5 cooling system, but the good news is, with a little TLC, it can be made to work adequately.

Jim

PS - you ate the Easter Bunny? You are a sick man. I suppose you know what happened to the tooth fairy, too?

 

[Acesneights1]

I didn't read previous posts, but did someone mention the horrid design of the 6.5's water jacket? How about the bottleneck at the thermostat? Or the small capacity water pump, or the fact that the passenger side exhaust travels less distance, and has less back-pressure than the drivers side? Or the in-efficient two piece radiator design? Or the improperly designed front fascia that doesn't direct enough air through the engine compartment? etc, etc, etc! Dual thermostat, turbo re-locate, bigger 4 core radiator, head work, and an intercooler would have fixed all of these problems before they started.

That's why we can buy them cheap, do a few mods and pay 1/6 of what your dmax cost. Besides that 2007 you got would be way too nice for me to be boo haain through the woods with cutting firewood. That's why I sold my stroke. Got 14,500 for used 99 stroke with 100k on it. Bought my 2000 K3500 for 4,000$. Simple economics. would I rather have a dmax ? Sure but for what I do with the truck it would be a poor investment. you don't take a 40K$ truck where I go. As far as my 95 goes it was the only passenger class full sized SUV made with a diesel that was capable of towing(once overheating issues are fixed). Even with the price of both trucks combined and all the mods I'm still not even half the price of a newer dmax.
Besides If I didn't have truck to work on I would have to spend more time with my inlaws...

 

[JiFaire]

Man, you and those in-laws are really a hot item right now... you must have just come back from a weekend alone with them...

Don't let your wife hear you talking about her mother like that or you'll think your Tahoe is running COOL by comparison!

 

[samfraser]

ROFL... no harm intended, Sam. I wuz just being a smart-arse.

Your post definitely hit all the bad crap about the 6.5 cooling system, but the good news is, with a little TLC, it can be made to work adequately.

Jim

PS - you ate the Easter Bunny? You are a sick man. I suppose you know what happened to the tooth fairy, too?

I hit the tooth fairy on the head and buried him in the woods, he was breathing heavily leaning over my kid, what would you do?

That's why we can buy them cheap, do a few mods and pay 1/6 of what your dmax cost. Besides that 2007 you got would be way too nice for me to be boo haain through the woods with cutting firewood. That's why I sold my stroke. Got 14,500 for used 99 stroke with 100k on it. Bought my 2000 K3500 for 4,000$. Simple economics. would I rather have a dmax ? Sure but for what I do with the truck it would be a poor investment. you don't take a 40K$ truck where I go. As far as my 95 goes it was the only passenger class full sized SUV made with a diesel that was capable of towing(once overheating issues are fixed). Even with the price of both trucks combined and all the mods I'm still not even half the price of a newer dmax.
Besides If I didn't have truck to work on I would have to spend more time with my inlaws...

I didn't mean to bash anyone, I have dealt with 6.5's for a long while, still do. We run 3500 head of cows in montana, have 10 ranch trucks and 3 of them are 6.5's. They can't pull with anything, they get hot, but they are still running. I take some of the other DMAX's and chase cows, bang off trees, and other crap, but I will always have a soft spot for 6.5's. I like the way they sound, and nothing can match fuel economy of a ricardo fuel combustion chamber. Even if it is indirect!

 

[Acesneights1]

hmmmm, like i said i didn't read the previous posts, I am no stranger to sarcasm, matter of fact i welcome it. By the way, the easter bunny was real, I ate him.

Tastes just like chicken...

 

[Acesneights1]

Man, you and those in-laws are really a hot item right now... you must have just come back from a weekend alone with them...

Don't let your wife hear you talking about her mother like that or you'll think your Tahoe is running COOL by comparison!

Ever see the Movie "Carrie" ? with sissy spacek ? That is my mother inlaw. I told my wife last weekend by inviting her along with us camping that she ruined the one thing left in my life I enjoyed. She prays for my death on a daily basis.

 

[Acesneights1]

I hit the tooth fairy on the head and buried him in the woods, he was breathing heavily leaning over my kid, what would you do?




I didn't mean to bash anyone, I have dealt with 6.5's for a long while, still do. We run 3500 head of cows in montana, have 10 ranch trucks and 3 of them are 6.5's. They can't pull with anything, they get hot, but they are still running. I take some of the other DMAX's and chase cows, bang off trees, and other crap, but I will always have a soft spot for 6.5's. I like the way they sound, and nothing can match fuel economy of a ricardo fuel combustion chamber. Even if it is indirect!

Oh believe me the overheating issues are frustrating. I have actually though of gong backwards to a CUCV. Not as fast but impossible to kill. My 3500 sees some really rough terrian. There is not a body panel on it without somesort of damage. I ripped the crossover off it on a rock a month ago.
Like I said I would love a dmax but unless I come across a beat to s#it one real cheap just too much money to spend for the abuse I give it.

 

[samfraser]

I got one for ya, its really beat to shit, ranch managers rig, come to think of it, I don't think I could sell it, too much guilt involved. Hit your local auto auction, they are cheap as shit now with fuel getting so damn high.

 

[Turbine Doc]

Well if hauling 18K is nothing I guess I got me a dog of a 6.5, they can be made to pull strong just takes more work than the Stroke-Cummins-Dmax does to get to the reliability point, 6.2/6.5s are light duty Diesels from factory, all they were ever intended to be, some of us have made them plenty capable of medium to light heavy duty haulers, some sort of post turbo cooling is part of the equation to do that.

 

[Brooklyn Tow]

Hey Guys, Been a while since my last post......Hope everyone is fine...........

One of the first problems when I got my rig was running hot,(Even Unloaded) now I'm a pretty heavy wrecker, (10,000 lbs without me and very little fuel) and Brooklyn, NY is not known for hills, I travel a lot on "Flatlands Ave."
Anyway winter time truck ran 180* - 190*, but summer in 95* heat I often saw 210* and maybe 2 ticks higher (Do the math) unloaded in traffic. One day I found all the guru's at Dplace and was told to do something, these engines don't like heat, clean this clean that, Ba, Ba, Ba........OK sure! .....first thing I did was change the water pump to the HO, ....wasted money, did nothing, second thing i did was the fan clutch, (BIG long story behind that one,) was assured this will solve the problem from the vendor, no dice, just alot of noise and robbed my power, freakin thing never shuts off...........I then returned to the thread I posted my overheating woes to and one of the guru's asked what my radiator looked like?.......I said it looks good, antifreeze is green, no leaks..... and then I was given the old, "You have to take it out and clean the fins" routine, and while your at it clean the condensor and the oil and tranny coolers........"but those could stay in". Then the guru said use "scrubbing bubbles, spray it up let it soak and then rinse it with a garden hose"............."repeat this till you could see your feet through the fins"......"and if it takes less than 3 or 4 hours, you didn't do a good job"
Well needless to say I thought this guy was plucking with me and he was nuts if he thought scrubbing bubbles was gonna solve my problem, Then another guru, green name guy added in," make sure you got origanal AC Delco t stats in there," I had allready bought 180* robert shaw's, (just kept my mouth shut on that one), and then another Green name guru said, you might also want to get rid of that old style 6 blade fan........(I just spent a ton of money on a clutch, water pump and now it's the fan?
So I sat with this advise for a couple of days, drove my rig like the parts I changed were gonna work better over time...Yea Right!.........so a week goes by and i'm getting tired of watching my temp gauge go to 210*, then having to turn the A/C off and sweat my bells off..............all along this was unloaded, empty, light, so one day I was loaded, full, heavy......and that gauge started to go right to that 3/4 mark (Do the Math)...........
So guess what I did, I pulled into my friends local gas station/repair shop with 5 cans of scrubbing Bubbles..........He thought I was there to clean his bathroom, Ha Ha....and then I asked him to pull the rad......now bear in mind that this is the guy that changed the water pump and the clutch.........and I told him what my plan was with the toilet cleaner,
This was the best Laugh he had all week, and he poked at me hard after the rad was out, every wise crack you can think of that has to do Toilet, Cleaning, running hot, Stuffed up fins, scrubbing Bubbles, you name it, he tore me a new hole.
Now after the 3rd hour and all the water and gunk, leaves, dirt he wasn't laughing anymore, cause I'm taking space in the shop, making a mess, and he still got to put the rad, fan and shroud back.................
But Guess who left running 15-20* cooler, oh, and by the way, I never knew the a/c could blow that cold.
If anyone is overheating, make this the first thing you do ......so you don't have to read another story like this one ..........and there are lots

Thanks, Green name guru's.......you know who you are.

Louis