83 4x4 diesel drivetrain onto a 68 4x4 frame

[qksilver]

Well, lets just say it's wild hair time. Been feeling pretty good the last couple of days, so it's time to play around again.
Done quite a few frame/body swaps but this one is different. I have a complete running 83 3/4 4x4 diesel burb and a few 67-72 burb bodys and one 68 1/2 4x4 rolling frame. n
I want to swap all the running gear and crossmembers from the 83 onto the 68 frame. I have been told the 6.2 uses the same mounts as a big block. I have also been told that the later model crossmembers with work in the 68 frame.
I know the rear leaf spring perch spacing is different
Any idea's............got the measuring tape out and it looks like things will bolt in except the engine/frame mounts. I ran into this problem on a 2 wheel drive swap the 80 and up frame/engine brackets were to tall.
I was going to try a BB swap into the 68 4x4 but that seemd to easy!!! So I want a diesel with air ,400 trans and 205 transfer case ,full floating rear and Dana 60 front
Thanks for any info........
Steve

[special-K]

I have a similar desire.I have a`91 3/4t diesel Suburban.It`s already got all four 4" lift springs & Rancho 9000RSX shocks.Also,it has the 4L80E.
I`d say if you used the 4wd frame you have,you could just use those crossmembers and mounts.I think the spread on the leaf pads are the same.But,the leafs are longer,making moving the rear shackle-mounts back required.

[rancid]

what about a cummins in a 72, anybody have any pics or info on the cummins in a 67-72. im needing a stout motor for my 67 crewcab, and im not sure a built 454 will do the trick. i am only towing a few qauds or a 19 ft jet boat so its not real heavy. i just want to keep my speed up some of those steep utah hills.

[soulman67]

heres a link to 67 k20 with a cummins on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevr...26818201QQrdZ1

[jeffspower]

Years ago, I had a '72 4x4 sitting in the shop with the engine out of it and the trans/ transfer case still in it. I also had an '85 6.2 on the floor- so I dropped it in out of curiousity. It didn't have enough firewall clearance on the driver's side to bolt up to the transmission. About 2 inches or so away from the bellhousing & the cylinder head was against the firewall. I'm sure a body lift, firewall trimming or just locating the trans. further forward would do the trick. I think the crank centerline would needed to be higher than the original 350 for exhaust manifold to frame clearance. Of course the '72 engine crossmember won't work. I don't remember any other major troubles in making it fit.

[qksilver]

I have mocked most of it up. I bolted the core support in, put the later model cross member in stuck a messed up 6.2 block I got from a friend and slid it very close the core support with a radiator. i will have t use an electric fan because the whole assembly isn't that long/deep and it looks like it's going to clear the firewall etc. Now the A/C no, I will have to try to fiberglass the one I got from the junk yard (85) to a cut down 72. Hey, I only have 500 bucks in the whole thing so far and i think I am close!

[rancid]

i like the cummins conversion, just need to decide on a built and turboed 454 or a cummins.

[soulman67]

How about a 6.5TD that will pull with the duramax. http://schoolcraftpowertrain.com/index.htm
This is the next engine for my 96 crewcab when I have enough saved up for it.

[special-K]

Never heard of those guys.I have a 300hp 6.5TD MFI from Peninsular Marine and it is a fine powerplant.It`s got the 18.1s,a tweeked DB2 pump,hi-pop Bosch-tip injectors,medium duty non-wastegated Switzer turbo w/ custom exhaust elbow,125 gpm water pump,and high-flow dual thermostat set-up.It`s very peppy,makes the truck feel light.They run around $8,600 and it`s all new.The blocks are high-nickle and the main journal bosses are beefier than GM production blocks.They are the newer GEP blocks.

[soulman67]

Well they use same blocks, but different pistons and more percise machining. The pistons are from Kennedy Diesel, which are custom made instead of have the top of the piston shaved. But for the money I could get a duramax/allison combo with tcase for around 8 grand off ebay.

[special-K]

I think John uses Peninsular pistons,doesn`t he?

[soulman67]

I believe John designed his pistons and had a machine shop build them and had them coated.

[special-K]

Yeah,maybe I heard that.It`s confusing because he has developed a few upgrades,mostly electronics,but also sells outsourced stuff as his products.No different than any other place,though.

[earl87gta]

you guys should go over to ck5.com there is a ton of info and pics for both the cummings and 6.2 swap.

[qksilver]

thanks, it started out as a big block swap but as everything else concerning the rise in gas prices plus getting a $200 83 6.2 3/4 4x4 burb........I was warned 2 years ago about buying a car trailer

[soulman67]

if that 6.2 ran for that price you stole it. 6.2 are very good engines and very easy to turn up. I had a 91 crewcab with a 6.2 and got the injection pump rebuild and turn up 20% for 300 dollars. I pulled a 14,000 pound water trailer with it everyday never had a problem with it, just the frame broke right behind the a-arms. Which I heard somewhere that was a common problem with the crewcab diesels of that body style. So if I where you I would box the frame in the engine area just in case.

[qksilver]

It runs now. I went to look at it and the guy said the starter went out. He lived worked on a large farm so he just started to use one of the farm trucks. I checked all the fuilds, turned the engine to see if it was free and it was. rebuilt the starter myself ($35) drained and flushed the fuel system, pulled the glow plugs out primed and bled the fuel system, plugged in the heater and cranked it a few times and it runs pretty good now. I haven't bitten the bullet and bought new batteries for it.
I want to get a gear reduction starter and one big battery after I do the swap.
The main reason I orginally bought it was for the 3/4 4x4 drivetrain, the diesel was a bonus

[soulman67]

You need both batteries, because that 6.2 has 21:1 compression ratio and they don't make gear reduction starters for that high of compression. If you run just a single big battery you will go through starters fast. Plus with two batteries you have more starting power which is needed to start 6.2s and 6.5s the starter needs the spin fast.
You can put a turbo set up off a 6.5 and gain power and fuel economy. There is a lot of good info on thedieselpage.com I am member of that site and that is where I got most of the mod info on my 96 6.5td and it would out run and pull my friends 02 powerstroke with a 80hp chip. and I still got 21.3mpg runing 65 on average empty loaded I get 16 at 70 that with my 88 grand wagoneer on my 24ft gooseneck. I can run with a stock 300hp d-max but that 360hp d-max will leave me in the dust.

[qksilver]

I wish I had the money to do it, right now my doctors get most of my money. I can't get health insurance and I am not disabled enough! LOL
The starters I see on are one E-bay and the diesel page. They were talking that using one of those style starters made it so you don't have to run 2 batteries. I am a few months away from worring about that. I am going to finish stripping the 83 and start actually bolting everything on to the 68 frame. I welded a home fabbed crossmember but will cut it out and use the 73-up but so far as i can tell just about everything I need for the diesel will swap from the 83 onto the 68. still will have to figure out about the a/c box under the hood. I have a complete 68 burb a/c system but was saving that for another project. The 72 body i am going to put on has dual air so the a/c box will hit.

[krue]

I've been warned off the 6.2/6.5's but I know where a blazer is sitting that has a diesel, I've been thinking of trying to talk my uncle out of it.

[qksilver]

mounting it up isn't a problem, the fuel/glow plug system is really simple. They run ok about the only real problems I have encountered, used to run them in tow truck back in the late 80's were with having the injector pumps rebuilt. Drain the tank and filter, plug it in when cold and they seemed to do alright. The boss had one in a blazer that he drove and we put at lot of trans in his(700r) until we had ATI rebuild it.
They pulled ok, the 454's of that time weren't all that powerful at that time either, economy was good and as long as they were drained and pulled in always started. Now this was In Wash DC not way up north.
There are quite a few around here, next to Fort Bragg NC, so parts aren't going to be a big deal for me. I want A/C though, and the 88 burb I got didn't come with it. Finding A/C brackets are going to be a little thoug.
Krue give it a try if you get into it cheap enough I think it pays off. I am not going to invest a whole lot other than time in my project. From what i have heard and talking with people most of the diesel swaps really don't pay off unless you get in cheap.

[rcbildr]

There is a gear reduction starter for the 6.2/6.5 diesel. From what I've read, it is called the 28MT...not sure how well it would work with one battery. I have one on my 85 Burb, and it works great. I just need to buy the correct brace that goes between the motor and the block. Also, FYI, there are different starters for diesels with automatics and diesels with a manual transmission. I found out the hard way that a starter for an automatic diesel cannot be used on one with a manual tranny. The biggest difference is in the pinion gear on the starter, the gear does not retract far enough.

[6T8]

Is the wheelbase the same on '73 up burb as on '72? Just picked up '87 4x4 burb and I have '72 4x4 burb frame? I know I'll have to change springs, just wondering about drive shaft length. Plan on using '87 mounts. Thanks in advance for info.......Rick

[qksilver]

Nope..........the wheel bases are different. Otherwise I wouldn't be swapping all this stuff on the 68 4x4, just the body

[special-K]

The wheelbase is the same between a`73-up Suburban and a`72-earlier pickup,though.At least,I measured mine and it was the same.Contours will vary.I would guess after`72,the p/u and`Burb wheelbases are the same.I wish they were on pre-73s.
For a/c,I wonder if you can go with a Vintage Air unit and adapt to the`burb system on the interior.I wunder if they make 6.2 brackets,kinda doubt it.I was going to use vintage Air if I built a `72 p/u with my 6.5TD.Things are changing around here,though.I don`t think I`ll take this project on.So Steve,any interest in a`91 3/4t diesel Suburban w/4L80E,a/c,4" EZ-Rides???If so,pm for details.