Interesting, but true D/A story. On 5/18/04, I left Guadalajara Mexico about noon headed north on my 3500 mile trip back to Oregon on a fresh oil change, with my 02 CC 4X4 loaded with stone work weighing an estimated 13,000 lbs. Climbing into the Sierra Madre an hour later I noticed the oil pressure falling slowly at 2000 rpm (I have 245X19.5 tires = about 70 mph. Gradually fell over the next hour to about 40 lbs. Stopped and checked oil, and through thin, it was above full mark. Being in Mexico and no D/A service, I drove it until north of Mazatlan it dropped to 30 at 2000. Outside temp was 90, but engine temp stayed 185. Added 2 qts of oil just to thicken it. Noticed the rear of the truck was covered with diesel. Drove it on to Culican at dark where I motel and drained it. Took out 5 gal (using a 5 gal bucket to pour it into) of diesel out of crankcase) Changed filter and filled with new oil. Next morning left at 3am and it took 175 miles to drop the oil pressure to 25 at 2000 rpm. For the next 14 hours until I reached Casa Grande, AZ, I changed the oil (not the filter) every 125 to 175 miles by draining 5 gal of diesel from the crankcase) but didn't change the filter. Got up the next 3am and did the same thing for the next 23 hours until I got home in Bend at 1:15 am Thurs. Last stretch I drove over 200 miles and oil pressure dropped to a little over 20 at 2,000 rpm. During the entire fiasco, heat never rose above 185, and idle oil pressure never dropped below 20 lbs. Unloaded it Thurs am, and drove it to GMC dealer. They were amazed I'd driven it all that way on diesel. Tear down showed two injectors "had broken seals" and were pouring diesel into crankcase. Replaced all 8, fired it up, oil pressure went to over 80, and runs like a charm. No metal found in pan, which makes sense, since engine had been thoroughly cleaned with diesel throughout it for 3500 miles. They are now cleaning the underside of the truck (you cannot imagine dirk, mud, small rock, all filled with diesel) though there appears to be no damage to factory coatings.
They claim no engine damage and I believe it, but just in case I will write on invoice that dealer was requested to tear it down and factory rep would not let them. Point to this long story is no gas engine nor 6.5 nor probably many other diesel engines would have gone 3500 miles running diesel for oil and lived. Oh yea, my mileage dropped from 15mpg to 8 mpg during the ordeal so it pumped a lot of diesel out the crankcase vent. I also purchased close to 50 GALLONS of oil at a cost of almost $300. But I got back - which with me without out being stranded which for me is all than counts. D/A is a great engine!
