I am looking at getting a truck that has a 6.2 diesel in it. The motor is toast and would need rebuilt or replaced. I have been looking around and it seems that diesels are very expensive to rebuild. I would like to have a diesel, but it is a lot of $ for parts. Would I be better off replacing it with a gas?

It would be my daily driver as well as tow rig, so towing power and fuel mileage are a concern. I fear that the 6.2 non-turbo wouldn't have enough power for me. How are the 6.5 turbo's, do they have adequate power?

I have driven a 95 sub with a totally stock 350, how would the 6.5 compare power wise, for every day driving as well as towing.

What kind of mileage can be expected out of a chevy diesel on a relativly stock truck?

Dan

It all depends!!:)

me personally, diesel runs in my blood i would say diesel. I love my 6.2... its my wheeling truck and my daily driver. does awesome off road and gets better mileage than all my gas engine buddies

If you are gonna tow definatly get a turbo (i don't think the 6.2NA will have enough power for u). Mine doesn't have a turbo... would love the extra power but my truck has also never let me down for lack of power. but i only tow occasionally (when the gas engine trucks break down and i HAVE to tow them home or to safety ;) )

the 6.5 will accelerate slower than a 350 but will out pull it no problem. It will also give you way better gas mileage than any gasser.

my 6.2 gives me 11-18 mpg from heavy wheelin to normal drivin

6.2 Is a reliable motor, power really sucks.
I believe a 6.5 will have more power and better mileage than a 350. But you might need to mortgage your house to get a 6.5 turbo running properly. A 6.2 pump will fit on a 6.5 with no modifications but fuel mixture may need to be recalibrated.But there is still no power. A used 6.2 with a banks sidewinder turbo might be the best option. Because I think that a 6.2 needs a computer. You might be able to find a complete 6.5 truck though.
I just went through this with my '89. I ended up just breaking down and buying a 305 gas motor, put on a H.E.I. and an edelbrock carb. 3000 miles later I have had no problems so far. I spent less than $1000 cdn on this swap. Where a new 6.5 is $8000 cnd. [6.2 no longer available.] The swap was a snap the tranny bolts right up. motor mounts bolt right up. I got junkyard pulleys and changed the bracket on my power steering pump [hydro boost] and thats all there is too it. No matter how bad this truck is on gas now, It will still take forever to make up tha $7000 I saved.

whoops I meant to say a 6.5 turbo will probably need a computer that is not compatible with a 6.2 computer. Where as a 6.2 with a sidewinder will work

94 and newer 6.5s have an electronic injection pump that causes some people problems. This is the electronic part of it, the turbo doesn't matter... you can put a 6.5 turbo setup on a 6.2 if you wanted.

godfather has a point, the initial costs of diesels are alot higher than gas engines and that must be factored in... depends on what you can find and for how much.

just do what i would do if my 6.2 ever dies.... swap a cummins 5.9, bomb it and then be able to out pull any gas engine with better reliability and better mileage too!

My 6.2 got up to 24 mpg but mostly 18 to 20 mpg with the overdrive working(700r4). Without overdrive and with 33 inch tires and stock 3.42 gears I get about 15 mpg. The 6.2 engine had anywhere between 130 to 150 horsepower either emission or non-emission and 240 to 260 tq. Dependind on what is wrong with the engine a simple rebuild everything shor of the pistons crank and carmshaft can get offebay (http://search-desc.ebay.com/search/search.dll?MfcISAPICommand=GetResult&query=6.2+diesel&ht=1&itemtimedisp=0&st=2&SortProperty=MetaNewSort&SortOrder=d&srchdesc=y&BasicSearch=) for 400 bucks. You can get 19:1 low compression ratio pistons from Peninsular diesel (http://www.greatlakesmarinepower.com/parts.htm) for 340 bucks. This is if you want to build a turbo with more that 10 psi boost and intercooler. You could also get rid of the timing chain and put a gear drive unit fromDiesel Services (http://www.dieselservices.com/idlergear.html). I'm not sure on the prices, but they set the timing up on a dyno for more power. You could put the 6.5 heads on, they flow better than the 6.2. Do a rebuild yourself won't cost that much more than a gas engine. Put a simple banks turbo kit and that will give you like 200 horsepower and a little over 430 lb/ft tq and if you still need a little more power, you can add a propane kit for an extra 100 horse power.

Bryan

Thanks for the replies...let me be a little more specific about the motor. I know the guy who owns the truck and it was not maintained very well. I would guess that the oil was not changed frequently enough and if it was changed or checked, the wrong type of oil was probably used. When the motor "died" he was driving it and it just lost power and didn't completely stop, just was barely running I guess. Does this indicate top end failure or timing chain or what? It is an 88 by the way, 6.2 diesel, with an automatic overdrive tranny. The tranny was replaced about 3 months before the motor died. I could get the truck for next to nothing which is the only reason I am considering this. It would need everything and I would probably rebuild/replace the motor, and swap in some one ton axles, convert it to 4wd, etc. I could do all that stuff myself, so maybe it would be worth it...??
Sorry for the long post

Dan