How much do you like your 6.5

[JeffsTowTruck]

Well in the 8 years she let me down only 1 time. That was the injection black box, guess it was not her fault.
So I have no real complaints, I do wish there was a little more power ,but I don't have a lot of $$ to spend on it so maybe that's my fault..
Great truck to have made it through a hurrican and sat under water for a week or so..

[NH2112]

My thoughts are that excluding electronics issues the 6.2l/6.5l, along with the 318, are the most reliable and durable light truck engines ever produced (the 5.9l Cummins, Navistar/IHC diesels from 6.9l & up, and IHC V8-304/V8-345/V8-392 were all medium truck engines first.)

[JeffsTowTruck]

Hey I did get new stripes this summer from Fleetwood!! I match!!

[JeepSJ]

Love it. Without a doubt, the best engine swap I have ever done.

[winemaker]

I just turned 350,000 km last week on a 1000 km trip. Anyone else feel like they know the truck by feel? This truck feels like it's got a lot of life left. She fires right up, runs strong and smooth.
My buddy Grant, who was a member a couple years ago and told me of the value of TDP, had a 94 3500 dually extracab 5 spd when I had a Dodge cummins with no proper hitch. His truck had the Heath TurboMaster, MaxE Tork and 3.5" exhaust when I borrowed it to haul my 1979 27' Travel Trailer 500 kms up the Coquihalla. That sucker ran like a hotrod!
A couple years later I sold the low-mile Dodge in favour of my high-mile Chev and I couldn't be happier.
This is a truck that I could grow old with.....unless I can talk my wife into a crewcab down the road!
Brett

[More Power]

I like Robyn's idea for a thread like this. All too often, the problems people have overshadow the good stories we know are out there. I received the following email message today from a fellow 6.5 owner that I'd like to share. Jim

I was reading a few things on your page about your 6.5TD power project, and I read that you put 200,000 miles on it in seven years. I love my 6.5, it’s a 97 3500 dually, and in 10 years I have put 425,000 miles on mine. I've only replaced glow plugs, filters, one starter, batteries, fuel pump (not the injector pump) and the radiator (took a hit from a rock one day). It still runs like a champ and I'll run it until it hits the ground.

Sincerely,
Rob from NC

Rob might send a few photos. If he does, I'll post them...

[KallyI]

I wrote this about my truck last September, here in TDP:

I made a few changes to my truck this year, I completed the intercooler and gauge installation, put a 3" crossover pipe in, a 3" turbo downpipe, and Kennedy's boost controller.
Wow!!!, what a difference pulling a load. Places where the PCM pulled fuel, The engine temp went up, and Lord knows what my EGT was, plus I lost about 25-35 mph, (belching black smoke), I can now go up, and maintain my speed, or possibly lose 3-5 mph,, with no smoke. Some hills I can even gain speed if I want or need to. I've put about 4,000 miles on in this configuration, and I am very pleased. I haven't seen an EGT temperature over 1000

I still feel that way about it!

[85camper]

We owned our 85 K10 for over 11 years. I just can't leave a good truck alone, but it's fun adding goodies to her. Way too many options to list but the new 411 gears and SS rear disks make driving her much better. Plan to keep her till the doors fall off.

[Mark Rinker]

I owned two 1994s - both had nearly 100K miles when I bought them, they were municipal plow/flatbed trucks from KCMO.

Both gave me some good towing miles and many hours of snowplowing. However, the amount of repair and wrenching to keep them in service was out of range.

Both eventually broke crankshafts. One got a new engine and was sold 40K miles later, the other was sold as-is with the bad engine. There wasn't a good GM alternative at the time of purchase - even used Duramax's at that time were too new and too expensive.

Honestly, knowing what I know now, I'd have been better off sticking to the 5.7L gas, and then move on to the Duramaxes.

[joe bleaux]

What a damning post. Regardless, I like honesty.

Mark, how many miles did these trucks have and what did you find so constant when it came to maintaining them?

I am in the learning mode on mine. Got it used at 210k and drove it home and immediately tore it down to do the waterpump, balancer and pulley, thermostats, pmd relocation, oil cooler hoses and timing chain and gears.

Not even having used the thing, I am already thinking Duramax.

Joe

I owned two 1994s - both had nearly 100K miles when I bought them, they were municipal plow/flatbed trucks from KCMO.

Both gave me some good towing miles and many hours of snowplowing. However, the amount of repair and wrenching to keep them in service was out of range.

Both eventually broke crankshafts. One got a new engine and was sold 40K miles later, the other was sold as-is with the bad engine. There wasn't a good GM alternative at the time of purchase - even used Duramax's at that time were too new and too expensive.

Honestly, knowing what I know now, I'd have been better off sticking to the 5.7L gas, and then move on to the Duramaxes.

[Giusvald]

silverado 1988 6.2 diesel thermostat 80 degrees mechanical fan that always run my diesel is very good and does not heat wheels .... 33 TH700 transmission oil cooler with additional consumption 7.5 km with one liter of diesel fuel .... ☺ ☺☺

[svcattle]

Love my 6.5 just hope it loves me back enough to not die from catastrophic failure