Anyone gone with a diesel
 

I was wondering if any of you guys have thrown in a diesel? I got a 454 bored out .030 but was wondering if anybody has thrown in the duramax or 6.5 or other diesels. I have a K20 so probably would work better for the 4x4 guys but lets hear if anybody has done this.

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

I`ve seen the 6.2s and 6.5s put in a few trucks.One was a guy that had oredered his`71 when new.Around 1990 he refurbrished the truck and had a 6.2 swapped-in.He just recently sold it.I have experience with these motors and would like to put one in a`72 I have.All I can say is if you can get a complete set-up to change over for cheap to nothing,it`s worth it.You won`t be "dropping" a Duramax into one of these trucks,though.It would be alot of work and e-x-p-e-n-s-i-v-e.They don`t share the common configuration that the Detroit-Allisons do and are fully computerized.So,1/2 the wiring and the transmission will need to come from the Duramax donor.

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

I saw a diesel swap on PIMP MY RIDE. They put the DURMAX in a impala. The car ran great. Had the car running on BIO-Fuel. The car out ran a Ferrari in 1/4 mile.

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

Saw the same episode, that thing would fly! Ate the Ferrari for LUNCH!

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

Yep.............I swapped back to diesel the smart and quick way and it cost less than trying to do anything with a Duramax.

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

Yep, me too... I was loyal to the lable though.. Duramax Rock!! WES

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

i,am going 4bt cummins in my c10,1971 and 6bt in my c30 dually in my 1972 both are bolt ins with no truck mod,s. needed. and the 4bt commonly gets hi 20,s in mpg

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

So I could just drop a 4bt or 6bt right in and bolt it up to the TH350 tran and be on my way without having to do a lot of mods? This has gotten me intersted now.

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

When they put it in a Suburban Im all over it............cant be loyal and buy whats not made!!!!!! I wont own another post 99 GM until then either.

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

I guess that sounded kind of bad. Didn't mean to step on your toes there 72freak. I wish that GM would put a Duramax into a Suburban too. However my crew cab has lots of room too. It also gets 20 plus miles per gallon pulling my 24' fully enclosed trailer full of parts. WES

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

the 4 bt is a direct bolt in but you need a 400 th trans. a 350 th wont hold the torque of a 4bt. a 6 bt you have to fab engine mounts and go with a more h/d trans. as for the lame duramax yes they run good for a while but as you all know any engine with aluminum heads has problems with head gaskets. expansion rates are different and they start leaking then you run em low on coolant then crack heads & burn pistons. poor design for gm. you all know its made by isuzu dont ya for gm.

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

Know all u cummins guys don't get mad but. Do some reserch isuzu has been making diesels before cummins was ever thought of and hummers have been running around for the military with 6.5's w/ aluminum heads and never had problems in fact all vans and hummers had aluminum head 6.5's. My buddy has over 400,000 miles on his duramax with only a few problems, I know a lot of die hard cummins guys but it seems they all have problems and did you know that Ford is a partial owner of cummins in fact some dealerships service heavy duty cummins vehicles(service body trucks). My 6.5 which of course is gm(detriot) and I have 335,000 without any issues in fact all that has gone wrong is dead batteries, oil pick up fell off (welded it on when repaired), and ever since this new low sulfer fuel came out my liner in my tank came off and clogged the fuel system(not sure if the fuel was the cause but 2 of my buddies had the same problem recently) nothing else has been touched. To top it off isuzu and GM have been doing business for a long time same with gm and toyota (ie chevy luv, isuzu hombre, isuzu suv's where all made in the same factory with there chevrolet counterparts) isuzu is one of the best known diesel manufactures in the world (ie Catapillar engines) (huge oil liner ships etc etc. Dont be mad because the duramax's have more power pull better and last longer than pretty much all other light duty diesels manufactures the've only been doing it for over a 100 years. Back on topic find a wrecked duramax swap everything u can pick them up in an auction for 5k smashed in the rear or side, or run a 6.5 turbo, with the 6.5 pennisular diesel sells lower compression pistons so u can run more than the stock 7 psi of boost, and in doing this it will outrun any powerstoke or cummins on the road. Here check this build out it will show you how good the 6.5 can spank a powerstroke or cummins with just leveling the playing feild with even amounts of boost in all trucks
http://www.thedieselpage.com/finale.htm

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

90% of all engines now of days are aluminum heads, most high performance heads are aluminum, even the new cummins is aluminum headed, this is not new technology, ford 5.0 have cast heads and lose cylinder heads like I fart, I agree with the dis-similar metals with heat but they figured those problems out 20 years ago with better castings and bolt locations to hold the 2 together properly, aluminum heads can also be repaired easier, there is nothing but benifits to them, next time never replace your stock cast iron intake with an aluminum one then, or dont run steel headers on your cast heads there different and expand at differnet temps. Also Cummins blow. My 93 6.5 with a turbo back only 3" exhaust and no other mods 1 ton, blows the doors off my buddy's 97 cummins that had an intercooler from the factory also a 1 ton. Heres your brain heres your brain on drugs. Any questions

BCOWANWHEELS much love for you man I'm just stating the facts.

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

say what you want but they all wish they were cummins. and pull down with the same year engine as your max and see who tops the hill first. the only reason the max dont have cast iron heads is because of cost cutting.

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

I think it would be awesome to have a 6.2 in my pickup. I've heard that they're not good engines but hell the military used 'em in their CUCV trucks and blazers so they must be good!

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

Is the 6.5 or 6.2 a direct bolt in as well?

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

Hey I am with you, Not to piss in somebodies cheerios, But if you look in the aftermarket H.P. diesel crowd look at the majority of the motors being boosted. I saw a crew take a cummins with over 200,000 on the clock. Made over 800hp 1200tq . The only thing they did to the motor besides the normal bolt on go fast parts was remove the head, port and polish it, and put it back on.
Now again, I am not trying to piss anybody off, just stating what I have seen. I do own a 3500 Dodge with the cummins (stock) and there is now comparison when it comes down to the grunt of a heavy load.

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

I am not sure of the direct fit, but the 6.2 can be a good motor or the 6.5 . There are just slower than a herd of turtles. compared to the newer diesels. I have also had problems with overheating on these motors some say it is just a chararistic of them. Then again it could be I just had some bad luck with ones I have had.

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

this raises another issue I would like to have answered:

what is the legal situation of swapping in a diesel? I am in texas, if that matters.

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

Got a 5.9 cummins in mine!

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

Show me a 6.5 with Alloy heads??? These statements are funny. "Ford is a partial owner of cummins". Ford had stakes in Cummins for a minute, years ago. I love this one: "u can run more than the stock 7 psi of boost, and in doing this it will outrun any powerstoke or cummins on the road". No comment needed.:bs:

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

If Ford is a partial owner of Cummins, then why is it that all Ford diesel engines are manufactured by International Harvester???

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

AMEN!!!!!!!!!

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

You will only have issues if you live in an emmisions state that tests older vehicles. You can take a diesel vehicle and put a gas engine in it and not have to have emmisions testing...but you will have to have the vehicle re-certified as a diesel if you go from a gas vehicle to a diesel vehicle if it faklls under the years that they test.

Other than the emmisions issue...there are no other legal issues

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

No emission laws in Texas on a diesel. I do know that. Plus we are exempt in our old trucks anyway, gas or diesel.

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

There are no emmisions testing on any diesels anywhere yet as far as I know but if you were to take a newer GAS engine vehicle that is in the system as a GAS engine truck and you put a diesel engine in it...you are still subject to the laws of a gas engine until you have the vehicle re-certified somehow.

Now most states dont test any vehicles that are over 25 or so years so it wont matter. I think California might test older ones

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

Did you go to the link posted at the end of the post?? a 6.5 with 15psi was two seconds faster than a 99' (newer ford and dodge) on 0-60 times, and the ford and dodge both run 15-20 with intercoolers stock in that year, it also pulled a 10,000lb trailer uphill at 6% grade faster than ford or dodge. the only mods done to the motor were pistons to lower the compession down close to ford and dodge to accept the added boost. And all Hummer and van 6.5's had alloy heads All of them, and the turbo is piped up and mounted on top of the motor instead of the passanger side exhaust manifold. Look up a replacment head for hummer or van

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

here is your 6.5 alloy head
Attachment 288060

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

Ford Does not own any part of Cummins, they owned some shares a few years ago and Cummins bought them all back. I think 2008 is the last year Ford will have a International Harvester Diesel, by 2009 Ford is going to have there own diesel.

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

I stand corrected on the heads. As far as the link go's thats a comparison between apples and oranges. Comparing modified to non modified is not a real good comparison especially when talking about the fuel system of a diesel engine. A $350 chip (or some pump tweaking) on either of the other trucks and the 6.5 is done for. The modifications in the link would cost serveral thousand dollars. On top of that they are yanking the motor apart with under 200,000 miles on the odometer.

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

ROTFLMAO..................I can't get enough of this :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Just by looking at the facts, the Inline 6 is a better engine............PERIOD. And it doesn't really matter WHO makes it. It is really obvious who drives OTR trucks and been around them by reading this, because I can't name many V-type Diesels that have actually HELD UP in that application, let alone ones that had any go to them on a hill with a load.


I'm a huge fan of GM pickups, but as far as I am concerned, they have yet to put a diesel into a truck from the factory...............

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

The mods were to just level the playing feild no cam no heads no speed parts where used just bigger injectors and more boost due to that they had to lower compression to 18:1 ford and dodge is still lower at 17.something:1 the ford and dodge still had more boost and higher fuel rate after the mods to the 6.5, My mom codes warranty at dodge they have tons of problems with those things, my dad has worked at chevrolet for 32 years but you dont want his opinion he hates all diesels. But the duramax does have problems aluminum heads are not one of them, fuel pump problems, cpu problems but the motor itself is not an issue. Like I said before my 93' 6.5 with exhaust outpulls my buddies 97 dodge cummins with a factory intercooler and more boost. And they didn't yank it apart it says there were no problems after 200,000 after mods and the truck was then sold in may 06' to an employee whom still drives it

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

The 6.5 is GM, the isuzu motor is a joint venture with GM its not 100% isuzu and the make an inline 6 duramax for the 4500 and up models 7.8 liter 6 i believe. none the less, most big rigs use v8 cummins motors, they hold up fine.

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

If you go to the link you will also find the ford v8 diesel was second in line with the cummins trailing far behind in the up hill with a load. And I do stand corrected on the share holdings with ford was not aware they were purchased back. Look I like diesels period but to say the duramax is a lame motor is wrong w/ 660 ft lbs of torque its by far the most powerful diesel on the market in light duty trucks, and I have driven them all more than 10 different ones from each manufacter the duramax is by far the best, and the 6.5 is not a bad motor, turn your boost on your cummins down to 7 psi and lets race w/ a trailer. I can pull my buddies cuddy cabin 21 ft boat uphill 7% grade at 75 with no problems boat and trailer weight is 8,000. Like I said there all good in my book I like diesel it just my opinion and experience that the duramax out performs.

theside00 sorry for trashing your post do some reserch and make a choice off your own opinion and see what fits your budget and needs and run with it,

Terraizer I heard the same thing about the Ford, hopefully the come up with something good the new powerstokes are having a lot of issues, but thats common when you change to new stuff.

rwgregory dodge has a contract with cummins and I don't think its expiring anytime soon.

BarryB watch the show pinks Bully Dog built a cummins with 62 lbs of boost twin turbo propane injection all there programmer goodies and it still only made 800hp, and the thing came apart on the 4th run good thing they won due to the small block chevy truck runnning out of nitrious

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

I believe your wrong..................If you ever sat in the drivers seat behind a 555 or 903 Cummins you'd understand why they weren't popular when they were new, let alone running one now days. Inline 6's are by far the favorite for the reasons I mentioned, and other than possibly Mack, nobody else I know of even produces a V Type engine for OTR trucks. Favorites being, Cat C15's or ISX Cummins, with Detroit, Volvo, and Mercedes lagging behind.

Only V-type diesel engines that were worth a Darn IMO for on road use were Detroits 2 stroke offerings..........Lacked low end, but they were rock solid reliable. And Macks 1000 CI V-8 which actually ran really well. For me though, give me a 3406B Cat or 400 Big Cam Cummins. 6 in a row makes it go, and everything else is just a wanna be...........

We had a friends D-Max'ed Powered GMC here on the farm..........Regular Cab, 4x4, 6spd manual.............I personally thought it was a dog running light. I couldn't imagine ATTEMPTING to pull anything with any weight to it..........But people tell me that they work better with the Allisons. I however prefer to shift my own gears, and a hot running 5.9 with a 5 or 6 spd on a hill is a joy to behold.

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

Thats funny you mention that, I actually work for the guy that did the swap, Johnathan Goodwin, he just opened up his own company called Hline Conversions. We are mostly putting the duramax motors in H1's and 2's but we just did an 07 GMC Youkon that we swaped the body over to an 8 lug chassie with the duramax and we are currently putting a duramax into an 07 Caddilac Escalade EXT that is all blacked out sitting on air ride and 26" Dub Dirty Dog 2's for SEMA this year as well as a couple other customer vehicles.
Here are some pics of some of the vehicles:

The bosses bagged H1, runs on: Bio-Diesel, Bio-Diesel and Ethnol, Propane, or Hydrogen:
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...9/DSC00219.jpg

H2 Getting it's heart transplant:
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...9/DSC00216.jpg

H1 about to go back on it's frame with it's new Duramax:
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...9/DSC00212.jpg

A finished Product:
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...9/DSC00211.jpg

I can't say who this belong's to but read what the floor mat says!
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...9/DSC00205.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...9/DSC00208.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...9/DSC00207.jpg

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

Here's one my buddy is building with Gale Banks.

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

Another pic

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

Heres a little video of the truck going together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HfgmWYXlvo

Re: Anyone gone with a diesel
 

I just want to know were to score those 6.5 alloy heads I know were there is a ware house full of H1 engines that were from the military when they replaced the 6.2 with the 6.5 and I can tell you neather had alloy head on them go to any neasage board out there and you will find the same thing all the heads are steel.
I didnt see ware any one ansewred this but a 6.2 and 6.5 is a detroit deisel not gm maybe gm owns deitroit diesel I dont know but its not a gm engine.
It is the easyest engine touse in our trucks it will bolt up to any gm trans and uses the moutor mounts for the gm v8 engines.
As for D-max I love the one I have now but I did have 2 lemons before this one its a 2004.5 I have now I had 2 go back to GM before this one. If you want power in your convertion go Cummins becuse a hoped up 6.2 or 6.5 will cost more to build then the Cummins will cost you stock to get the same power. if you dont belive me price a set of those low compretion pistons so you can run the high boost. Im puting a 6.2 in my burb with a ATS turbo its not going to be pulling any thing so it works for me.
I sujest you get away from threads like this and go to some ware like thedieselplace.com and read you will get a much better feel for one of these convertions. Just to besure i wasnt wrong with the 6.5 alloy heads I called a budy of mine and he stuk a magnet to 2 of the h1 in the motor pool and it stuck to both of them so maybe this was an option they thought of using but did not make it on verry many 6.5s
also if you just want to read abought sick power go to thedieselplace and search for nastygirl its a d-max with over 2000 lbs of torque probly the badest diesel daily driver on the road.
And as a last note I had a dodge with the 6bt sold it becuse I couldnt keep a trans in it but if I would have got one with the nv4500 Id probly still have the truck.