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Engine Specific Info and Questions => Non VW Group Diesel => Topic started by: firestorm13666 on March 13, 2006, 09:04:32 pm
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I want to swap a diesel engine into the 73-87 Chevy/GMC full size truck 4X4 3/4Ton or 1Ton.I am thinking of eather the 4BT,6BT Cummins or the GM 6.2/6.5 diesels.I am looking more for power,and relabity.I want to beable to tow with this and have some off road fun as well.I asking here because there is alot of diesel knowagle and not alot of smart a** people that don't help.Thanks for any help!
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A 12 Valve P pump 6BT is a good choice.You can have as much power as you wish,and it's a fairly straightforward bolt in install.
The 4BT will bolt in too,and have more fore and aft clearance,but they aren't as smooth.
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I didn't know the cummins were bolt ins for the chevy trucks. The 6.2 and 6.5 GM diesels share the bell housing pattern with the 5.7 gas, so they are bolt ins. Northboundtrain put a 6.5 in his 70's chevy pickup -- not sure if there are any posts on this forum about it, but perhaps if you PM him, he might have suggestions.
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Cummins does have a bellhousing flange available for a GM trans boltpattern.
It was used on the Cummins 4BT powered bread trucks with an SM465 manual trans.You can bolt up other trannies as well.
4BT and 6BT can both use this bellhousing flange,so you can install either.
Check out www.turbodieselregister.com,and look in the conversion forum for more info.
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Hi I read Diesel power magazine ( I know,,, it's a herasy and I'm v bad :oops: ) they had a artical about 6.2/6.5 gmc diesels and hopping them up.... It can be done , look for a 6.5 w a serpentine belt set, they have the best basis to start w ...... I'm not a big fan of the gm diesels, mostly from poor experiances w my dads old 82 6.2 p u ........ but they are light for a diesel v8 and can make Ok horse power w some work and they can be cheep to buy if you know just what to look for and what to RUN SCREAMING :shock: away from......... hey the US army still uses them today....... :wink:
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While the GM diesels are decent in stock form,I wouldn't bother trying to hop one up.As soon as you turn up the power,they tend to come apart.
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I saw that article too,That engine they built was not cheap by any means,with that brand new turbo kit from banks and some rare 6.2 parts$$.You'd be better off finding a running or not 6.5td from a 92-93 truck as it got a mechanical pump and no computer.It would give you almost as much power in the stock form as the hopped up 6.2 for a fraction of the cost.As well as that the 92-93 TD's come with the serp belt setup.With 18:1 pistons+hx35 you can make some decient power from the old 6.5's and have them hold up too.
Or go with the 6bt :twisted:.
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Thanks for all the info.So what would be a better engine for my needs the 4BT or 6BT?
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If your going to be towing,and want the power,the 6BT is the way to go.
The 4BT can be turned up,but it will never be as smooth,or have the torque of the 6BT.
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Any ideas of where i could find more info on the engine like wiring and if you can get a muti-fuel injection pump for it liek the US army uses.Thanks
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Check out www.dieseltruckresource.com for 4bt and 6bt info. You might have to make a name and post in the other section, but they are the 6bt kings. And should be able to tell you anything you need to know about the 4bt.
Coop
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Thanks for all the info guys.I plan on over this year geting a truck and building it up.I need a damn good work truck because when i use a truck i use like a truck and run it hard and do nto want something to brake so iam going to build one up and use the strongest parts i can get.
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You will nver break a 6BT,unless you do something silly with it.No need to "build" it,just leave it alone,and turn up the fuel.
You will break drivetrain parts,as these things put out so much low end power,they like to tear things up.
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These guys know what they're talking about, go with the cummins. My old GMC, however , is powered by Perkins, a 354 6 banger. Lots of torque, a little low on horsepower, pulls like crazy and low fuel consumption to boot.
Rough, loud, hard to start in the cold,...........
I LIKE IT! :D
Most people wouldn't! lol
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kewl topic guys :) :) (http://perfume.seo-toolz.com/)
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Back form the dead!!!Well i got a fullsize truck now a 1985 C10(for now).So iam on the hunt for a engine so i need some more advice.As i said before iam open to any engine but i want to get a list going so i can looking up more info on them and go form there.Also just about everyone who knows me keeps asking why i want a diesel and look at me like iam sick in the head.Well to tell the truth i am sick in the head :twisted:.Thanks
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I have a 7.3 from a Ford or something. Not sure it's my aunts. Still installed in the truck, 1 ton. I can remove it for easy pickup if you want. $800 cad, runs great (according to my aunt), With auto trans and whatever else you need
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OK, engines... in order of my preference if it were me...
1st Choice.
Oldsmobile 5.7L Diesel ... ya... THAT Diesel Engine..... :P They were available in 78-81 GMC/Chevy 1/2 ton 2WD drive trucks... They are not as bad as everyone makes them out to be..
If you go this route get the later updated "DX" block engine but get the Non-EGR Pencil injection and heads.. 20 HP more then the the later Poppet injector / EGR motors. Pencil injection was used in passenger cars in 78-80 and Pickups 78-81. If you get one of these and the engine doesn't have the later head bolts stamped with a _ and 0 above it on the head, replace them and the rod and main bolts with hardend bolts from Arp Racing, it'll be bullet proof.
Ok, I'll admit it... I am partial to this one and it's on the top of the list because I own one, it's a work in progress but, I am slowly "restoring" it. Engine has the updated Block, head bolts, and pencil injection... It's Pretty rare pice of iron and it makes dump runs too :lol:
OK, so It's NA and it's no power stroke tow monster but it does everything I need a half ton pickup to do while getting around ~26 MPG. Parts are plenty availble and cheap as far as diesel stuff goes, I just bought a brand new in the box IP on ebay for $25 shipped.... If you really want to know more go to.. oldsdiesel.com (http://www.olds-diesel.com/)
(http://www.ziptar.com/truck/79_diesel/truck.jpg)
(http://www.ziptar.com/truck/79_diesel/right.jpg)
(http://www.ziptar.com/truck/79_diesel/badge.jpg)
2nd Choice.
Cummins 4BT (4BTA if you can get, it's intercooled but, you can do it to any of them) Kinds of spendy nowadays because they are popular but, they are peppy and with a 700R4 trans and the right gears you could see 35-40 MPG in a 73-87 1/2ton 2WD Pickup. If you have a 2wd truck, the cummins mounts out of a 4BT equipped Chevy P-30 Doritos truck will bolt right in. It is a easy job, By far, the SIMPLEST conversion is 73-87 C 1500-2500 2WD with either a 4 speed or Auto depending on which 4BT you start with. That's about as straight a conversion as it gets, you can even use the air cleaner and fan shroud. Best info is on the Cummins 4BT yahoo group (http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/cummins4BT/) also Dovebid.com (http://www.dovebid.com) has been auctioning off frito-Lay's Cummins 4BT equipped Chevy P-30 Step Van's for the last few months now, there are some deals to be had.
3rd Choice.
GM 6.5L Turbo Diesel Kinda Spendy too but, reilable, powerful, and fairly thrifty MPG wise if it's built right see the diesel page 6.5TD Power Project for info (http://www.thedieselpage.com/finale.htm).. They are pretty common too... for a conversion into a 73-87 C series 2WD. You want one of the the first two years ('92 + '93) of the 6.5, they were mechanical, so there was no engine ECU on those engines. There was an ECU (GM calls it an ECM or a PCM in later years) that controlled the trans and other vehicle functions. You don't need that though, bolt it up to a 700R4 and no computer controls needed. The only big issue with that conversion is the turbo and exhaust plumbing and the firewall. If you have A/C there isn't enough room for the turbo so you have to loose the A/C or you can get the evap housing from 93-ish S-10 and graft it onto the stock blower box and get around this. Other than that it's a straight drop in.
A GM 6.2L is a straight drop in too.. you can add a banks kit to it too but, if you are going through the trouble may as well do a 6.5L if you ask me... Older blocks have problems with main webs cracking....
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I agree with the 6bt. If it was a 2wd half ton I would go with the 4bt. You would have to get an adapter to bolt it to a chevy tranny. A lot of 4bt came with turbo 400's so there are a lot of the adapter plates out there. Just remember if you stoke it up any get a egt gauge. I have seen too many fubared motors from guys that thought they were bulletproof.