How much do you like your 6.5

[chickenhunterbob]

My old '94 just keeps going about it's business, just turned 312,000 km.

I keep track of every tank of fuel and compute the mileage of each tank, and then again compute an annual average once a year, in August.

This last year I drove 34,837.6 km, burned 4,598.64 litres of fuel, which computes to an average of 21.34 miles per imp gallon for all combined driving.

I'm quite pleased with that, as fuel mileage is the primary reason I drive a diesel pickup.

In the 4 years since I have been driving this rig I have averaged 21.12, 20.98, 21.05 and 21.34, so pretty consistent.

Also has been 100% reliable, I replaced the glow plugs and injectors last year, and today am going to change the belt tensioner, the old one is starting to hang up, but have not had any sort of breakdown.

[robscarab]

My interest in GMC/Chevy Diesels goes back to 1992 when I bought one for convenience reasons. I was building a contracting company (self propelled 400hp tree mulchers for land clearing without burning). The mulchers are powered by Cat Diesels and carrying Gas and Diesel tanks was inconveniant to say the least. The 6.2 did not have the power we needed to tow our mobile shops around and I am not a Ford guy. When the 6.5 TD arrived I was overjoyed and bought 12 over the next 5 years. Poor fuel quality in the far North forced me to switch to Dodge in the late 90's. (the Cummins FPs seemed to tolerate the crappy fuel a little better?) Since then I have always missed the refined ride and handling of our Chevy Diesels and although my main transportation is a Chrysler car, I have ALWAYS considered myself a GM guy.

Fast forward to 2007, I have sold my mulching business and decided to move my family to our summer place on Lake Ontario. I have an older 5th wheel trailer and nothing to tow it with since I sold the trucks with the business. I need a truck to haul it and my "toys" 2500 miles to our new home. I start looking at new Duramax crew cabs and walk away with a bad case of "sticker shock". I only plan on using the truck for heavy hauling purposes and my old reliable Suburban gas-pot can handle people moving when the car is not practical.

So I'm enjoying my new found time to surf the net and stumble across "The Diesel Page"... Talk about a great info source for my long lost friend, the 92-98 GM diesels!! I promply join and begin to research the issues I was having with my fleet back in 97. It turns out that with some simple mods gleaned from the page, I can build a powerful,quiet and reliable diesel engine for the best looking, most reliable chassis/drivetrain ever built!

I search the local listings and find a 93 CC dually diesel for 2500 bucks!! I get there and find that this rust free truck has been babied for it's entire life. It has an onboard compressor that powers the load levelers and an airride Frieghtliner passenger seat. Its interior still smells new and it comes with a 100 gal. polished aluminum aux fuel tank mounted in the box. Auminum mag wheels, running boards and some fibreglass dress-up pieces add to the full load of options it is equipped with! The police officer whom was selling it to me had just put a new GM sourced 4L80E trans and 1400.00 torque converter into it last Fall. The clock showed 348,000 kms and the engine had a broken crank. The owner had no time to fix it himself and just wanted enough to put a down payment on a new truck.

TDP has given me the confidence to buy this great rig and build a reliable engine for it to suit my needs. I have been working on it since May in my spare time and just finished bolting in a new TD with all the upgrades recommended by the members here on The Page! Tonite we hook up all the wires and lines and by this time tomorrow we should be out on our first test drive.

Thanks to the Diesel Page, I have saved over 40,000 CAD and enjoyed building a custom truck with my kids. We have lots of great memories and at least 100 photos of us working together on our "Family Funmobile" as we call it. Although this old truck and us don't have much history togther yet, I anticipate keeping it for many years and I'm sure it will appear in the background of 100's more vacation photos!

How much do I like my 6.5?.... Enough that I have spent every weekend this summer in the shop with my laptop and her...er....it!

Rob, Hayden, Michael, Colby

[Robyn]

Good to hear

Robyn

[soulman67]

I love the 6.2/6.5 engines. My truck was bought used in 2000 by my Dad for or business of building game and ranch fences in south Texas. It had 83k and I fell in love with it, I like it better than my 67 c10. I finaly talked my dad out of it 2 years ago drove for 3 months and the hamonic balancer broke off the crank. I wasn't able to afford to fix it til now and I am hoping to get the motor back in this weekend. I have had a lot of good times in Ol' Blue and I am taking it out hog hunting next month to start some new tales and good memories. The truck has 220k and there isn't any sign of wear at all in the engine.

If the gov't trusts the lives of our troops with them, thats good enough for me. Cause thats a 6.5 in that Humvee, not a cummins.

[rustyk]

Well, in some ways I shouldn't post here, mainly because the very early 6.5L TD in my motorhome scored four cylinders and got replaced by an AMG/Peninsula engine uprated. But the new engine has (since 12/06) 11K trouble-free miles on it, and fuel economy has increased by about 15%. So I'm happy with my new semi-rat, as I was happy with the OEM 6.5L TD until it blew a head gasket and I got into its innards. While it's not a Cat 3126/3176, it's a very capable engine, and I have no gripes with either the old engine or (certainly) the new.

[dieseldummy]

I like my 6.5 so much that I went out and bought a Dmax... Seriously though, I must like my '93 somewhat because I keep it around. As most know I won't recomend a 6.5 to anyone looking to tow or hotrod, but if your looking for a daily driver they are great.

Every so often I slip a cog and take to driving my '93 for a week or so at a time. Usually when there is a truck pull nearby... Heck, it even tied a juiced up Dmax last week!

It really is hard for some of us that have bitten so many times by these motors to keep coming back for more. At times we are bitter and feel that there is nothing good to say, but after a while we forgive and forget...

It's kindof like having a night out on the town. The next morning you feel awful and swear you'll never do it again, but in a couple of weeks all is forgotten and there we go again...

[Robyn]

Sort of like the family cat.
The little sucker comes over and scratches you and gets kicked then 5 minutes later its back in your lap sound asleep.

OH yeah
The number of these little diesels that have lived in my stable just keeps growing.
Been thinking about stuffing a 6.5 in a 4 door Tahoe just for giggles.
Maybe do a DB2 pump and a TH 400 just for the sake of simplicity.
Just can never be without a project.

Never seem to get enough of the good times..

Happiest when I got a wrench in my hand

Robyn

[6.5 Detroit Diesel]

Hmm, whats to say about the diesel. I love the lo/4lo option that this truck has. I have been able to put it in this range and start and pull 6,000+ lbs using only the clutch and get out and walk beside the truck.
Pulling a semi truck loaded with sand out of the ditch.
Having never owned a diesel before, this truck has been a definite deciding factor for me to drive diesels. The only major thing that this truck has done was crack a return line. Normal wear. Everything else has been due to my heavy foot.
Turning 36x12.5" military tires, this truck still has no troubles spinning the tires off the line. It looks good with the air scoops, bed rack, big tires, running lights and 6" exhaust tips. It also sounds like a semi when you drop it into second at 35Mph.
At 332,000 kms, (207,000 miles) she is still going strong without a rebuild.
I love my MFI 6.5 TD

[6.5 Detroit Diesel]

to say that I just replaced my thermostat as my milage was sucking. I did a trip that was just under 1,000 kms on less than a tank averaging out to 20-21 mps while pushing those 36's with 4.10's at 55-60 Mph.

[Kev-o]

I had a clean 87 fullsize blazer that was black with burgandy int. fuel inj. 5.0 and when it started smoking i bought a wrecked 86 silverado with a 6.2 and switched it all over on my holiday's. drove the truck for about 3 yrs. and sold it for a 98 ext. cab 3/4 ton, sold the 98 and bought a 93 long box 3/4 ton 4X4 and love it, but now in the market for a 6.5 burb.

[rustyk]

Well, on another forum (that for Barth motorhome owners - Barths are very upscale motorhomes built like Prevosts or Newells, only shorter; they're significantly heavier than plastic pigs of the same size), we've been comparing performance of Barths in the size range of mine (28' through 32', diesel pushers only). Most have Cummins 160, 190, 215, or (one with a 230) 5.9L. My humble Super-Rat (AMG 6.5L TD) apparently sucks the doors off the C-powered Barths, even the 230HP, but he's lugging 2K lbs more than I, and he's had a series of issues with the accessories.

Frankly, that surprised me; although the Cummins owners can put their feet into theirs all the way up the mountain, even watching EGT on mine (and I usually don't exceed 1050F), I can climb faster and easier.

[Tough Guy]

I put a couple 100 thouand miles on the one I had....It was a good truck.

[JTodd]

My Sub is basically bone stock. The FSD is remote, and it runs straight exhaust - no cat or muffler. For work I put about 1200 highway miles a week on it. With 3.73's I am able to get as high as 19.5 mpg. Other than some wear items, no real issues. What amazes me still is that with all the miles, it will fire right up, unplugged, at -20* (some places just don't have an outlet). And, because it is a sub, I can load the whole family (five of us plus a dog) in, with our camping gear and head out for the weekend. It is a good truck.

[6.5 Detroit Diesel]

Okay so I just had to put this on here. And I know I might get flamed for abusing trucks like this but to bad. It was too much fun.

My buddy and I just had a pulloff not to long ago. Actual bumper roped to bumper.

The two trucks.

Mine: 1993 GMC HD2500 4X4 with 4.10's and a NV4500. Five inch exhaust and Military 36x12.5" Wranglers.

His: 1982 GMC Heavy 2500 4X4 with 3.73's and SM465. Dual 2.5 exhaust and 33" BFG All terrains. Also a pile of junk in his box for weight. (700-800 lbs)

Now he has been commenting for a while that the newer trucks were being built lighter duty, so I finally said enough was enough and accepted the offer. We had the pulloff in a field.

Out came the 18,000 lb tow rope and it was attached to our bumpers.

The first pull went my way. I put it in four lo and ran through four gears. Gave me some trouble but his motor died after he hit a 6,000 RPM shift.

So we hooked back up again and went at it. This time I left it in four lo/lo and dropped the clutch and didn't touch the peddle.

The truck just started to crawl forward. I look behind me and he is sending white and black smoke out his exhaust pipes like a semi under load and going from side to side. I tapped the throttle and suddenly shot forward.

His truck didn't do to well. His bumper was twisted and pulled out, front driver hub exploded, and his rad was leaking everywhere. My damage? On of my marker lights in mu bumper had a wire pulled off when I ran over a big weed.



I love my diesel. I did decline the offer to pull against his 82' 6.2 Dually crewcab on the road however. Maybe after my dually conversion if I want to really wreck the truck, not!

[cdub]

My 94 K3500 Ext.Cab Dually has been the best truck I have ever owned. It quit on me once while towing my trailer from OR to MT. Injector pump. I can't hold that against it because lots of other brands of trucks and motors have left thier owners on the side of the road also. Mine has towed my trailer maybe 70,000 miles. It has taken me to some very remote areas to hunt, fish, and work. It rides better than any other brand of 1 ton. I think it looks better body wise than the other trucks out there. One time a friends place was threatened by a forest fire. I loaded up a 600 gallon tank, a 150' hose reel of 1" hose, and a 175psi gas powered water pump in the bed of the old dually. I filled up the tank, drove 17 miles, and sprayed down his house and all his outbuildings. I have almost 200,000 miles on it now, I will replace the motor when it is needed and will continue to drive and enjoy it.

[quickv6]

My truck is 1994 K2500HD silverado I am second owner my grandfather was the first owner. I have 467,000 miles on this truck (wonder when they are giving prize for the miles contest) and the engine has never been touched. Thats correct no glow plugs or injectors. This truck will start I dont care how cold it is. I have driven 300,000 of those miles. I have replaced 2 injection pumps probably both needing PMDs but have around 200,000 on last pump with stock location PMD. I love this truck. It has never left me on the side of the road. Even with crap i had going on last week I still drove it home. It drives great,tows great and cost next to nothing to own. I was getting about 18-20mpg on the average now shes a little tired and gets closer to 15-16. Cant wait to get the new engine in the truck. Still better MPG than my 90 454 or my newer 496 I had.

[bowtiedude]

Well I talk to mine and buy it gifts. Does that count for something?

[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.