GM Diesel...
 

I've been looking at several mid 80's GM trucks with diesel engines (6.2L). Supposedly the performance is decent and the mileage isn't too horrid (more than 10-12 compared to the 7-8 of the gas). Are these engines of this vintage any good and are there any problems to look out? I was also sent info on a 1993 suburban with a diesel engine as well, is this the same vintage or a better\worse engine?

I ask because I don't see too many around... and wonder if it's like the Olds 350 =P

GM Diesel
 

Try going to The Diesel Place. A lot of information on GM Diesels there.

X2 . Thats a great place

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/index.php

http://www.gm-diesel.com/

Thank you both! Exactly what I was looking for.

I had an 82 chevy 6.2 2wd. 28mpg and no trouble what so ever. Had 190,000 on it when i traded it. Wish i hadn't done that.
My next door neighbor had a 82 6.2 suburban 4X4 and got 20mpg with it.

The 6.2L non turbo engines are pretty gutless, other than that they are an (OK) engine. fuel injection pumps are the most common failure which only cost around $500.00 for a rebuilt. The 93 6.5L engine is probably a turbo'ed engine which have more power but occasionally pop head gaskets. When you get to 1994-2000, they have an electronic/mechanical injection pump which fail pretty regularly or at least the PMD (pump mounted driver) does. The same vintage Ford (Navistar) 6.9L/7.3L diesels are a better choice.

Ben funny you mention these trucks. A customer came in today for batteries for a turbo Diesel powered 1984 regular cab dually. He used it for his business.

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/cto/1594555780.html

I wish I had the money for this one. :(

That would make an awesome smog exempt replacement for the wrecker, eh Steve?

There's a guy up here with one that's going for like $1k that supposedly runs well. Tough decision ;-) Also a couple of Suburbans, which would make a very practical vehicle when you don't have access to anything more than a 2-door Lemans or 4 door Bonneville =P

Ive now gone to the school of hard knocks with the Duramaxs.
Bought an 01 GMC one ton x cab flatbed.
It has at least one bad injector,which makes it impossible to start on its own.
But when its running,even with the bad injector it runs like a scalded ape.
You can turn the wick up on those later model diesels to the point that some other drivetrain components will be the weak point.
Most of the guys that own GM diesels have a low opinion of the older 6.2,6.5s;but the 01-04 Durmaxs have injector problems.

"Low opinion" because it isn't a performance monster (like a Pontiac 350) or "low opinion" because of serious design flaws and wear components (like a Pontiac 301)? I'm looking for reliability and usefulness, I am not much of a hot-rodder with a need for speed (SRR will tell you all about how strange that is for someone as young as me).

THe 6.2's a reliable engine but not the performer the newer engines are. I've got one in my 78 k20 4x4, straight 4spd trans, 4:10 gears and 33"tires. 20 mpg empty, 13 pulling 12k #'s against the govenor, the injection pump's turned up to the ragged edge of being a coal burner.

They had a nasty habit of cracking blocks when run hard. I've not had that problem yet and I've ran mine HARD. Turbos will kill the 6.2. The 6.5 had electronic problems in the fuel delivery system.

As I said they're not a bad powerplants but don't expect the horespower of a newer engine.

Mike

Yep
 

If Ben were to get a job driving Miss Daisy around she would tell him to hurry up. :D
Those earlier Diesels didn't have the brute power we now take for granted BUT they get good MPG and propel the truck they are in.
Hey Ben guess what I did with my old computer? Yep, I now have PY, CP and email in the garage!!! Yee-ha now I'll never get anything done. :D Albert suggested it after I put a clutch in his Xterra (what a beech, even for a stinking 4 popper) He had a spare 17" monitor, keyboard and set the tower up with XP. Even has a working DVD player. Works great but needs more memory (only 512K at the moment) and some speakers besides the ones in the monitor. :rolleyes:

This is good info. I've seen a few with the 4 speed on the 'net, but none for sale. I do like the idea of a manual transmission, but I'm pretty sure that's not going to be easily findable =) As far as performer, every time I think of "diesel performance" is some knucklehead "chip"ing it and it belches black smoke while driving loudly down the road. That's not me. I drive low compression engines everywhere with 2 series gears, so screaming performance is not something I even understand, much less want ;-)

Look at you now! You never got anything done anyways even with no computer out there ;-)

I help take care of a fleet with 6.2's and 6.5's an early d maxes and a few bt6's , the 6.2's are mostly landscapers trucks and several of the high milers have spun or broke balancers but when I say high milers I mean 300K+ and its hard milage pulling heavy trailers and snowplowing , we had to pull the body off one ( i t was easy as the salt ate most of it away ) and just used the drivetrain to power a able chassis , when the balancer comes apart they last about 10 minutes .... most problems are the pressure vac pump and filters plugging/gelling ( which we ussually change out to a big truck type ) gutless wonder Yes but can't beat the milage ,especially the vans