anything new to add ??
Enthusiast
anything new to add ??
Newbie
I have a towing special suburban I am going to swap a diesel into. My question is can I use the stock radiator? I know the diesel needs a better one then gas but the towing special has a better radiator for bigger loads. Would this work for the diesel or would it still not be enough.
Enthusiast
if it was mine i'd try it,,,but know where to get a upgrade if it didn't cut itOriginally Posted by stuntdoublejoe
Newbie
What problems would I come across using the turbo 400. I don't go on the highway much so not having an overdrive isn't much of a problem, and I've heard it runs on a vacuum and if thats true how much would a vacuum pump cost? Also how would I go about changing the governor for the diesel
Administrator
The van diesel engine and various other components would work for a pickup or Suburban installation. There may be a couple minor items that'll need to be changed, but overall, most accessory items would work fine. For example the oil dipstick, oil fill pipe, throttle & cruise cables are different between the two applications.
The gas big-block equipped Suburbans and trucks received the same larger radiator as the diesel - at least they were the same physical size, so I'd try it. If the Suburban was equipped with a 350 gas, it'll need another radiator.
A non-OD automatic worked just fine back in the days of the 55-mph speed limits - the first 9 years of my GM diesel experience was during the days of 55.... Nowadays, you just can't comfortably run at freeway speeds without an OD. Plus, when I upgraded to an OD automatic, I saw an immediate 6-mpg increase.
GM produced vacuum pumps and a VRV (Vacuum Regulator Valve), that was bolted to the side of the fuel injection pump, to simulate manifold vacuum on a gas engine. The VRV allowed a TH400 (or TH350) to function and shift normally behind a 6.2 diesel.
Jim
Newbie
How much would a vacuum pump and VRV cost me? I can get a 700r4 or a 4L80 for about $500. Would this be a better option because I am on a very tight budget and already have the engine and brake booster.
Administrator
The 700R4 can be built to shift without electric/electronic control - that's what I did for my 6.2L diesel. Still, the 700 would require a throttle-valve (TV) cable and bracket. A 4L80-E would require a TCM, harness, engine speed sensor and TPS (figure about $1k beyond the cost of the trans).
If on a tight budget, and if you wanted to use a TH400, you could post an ad in the classified ad section for a VRV/vac pump. Buying used would be less expensive than new.
Jim
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