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GM 6.5 Deisel

Started by Lenny_M, July 16, 2006, 06:22:40 AM

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Lenny_M

  Anyone know much about the GM 6.5 Deisel engine? Just tore one down at work, Leaking coolant into top end of engine.(white exhaust). Magnafluxed the heads and both were cracked. Is this common with these engines?
Its a 97 GMC 1 ton van with 250k on it.
                                                    Thanks          Lenny

sawguy21

I ran a fleet of trucks for a helilogging company and learned to hate the 6.5. We had grief with the injection pumps, replaced it twice in three years on one pickup. Fortunately, they were covered under warranty, GM extended engine coverage to 11 years or 195,000 km to placate all the mad customers. ::) Power steering pumps and starters were also issues. GM spent a lot of years building diesels yet could not develop a decent version for light trucks. The Duramax does seem better but it was developed by Isuzu.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

Captain

Cracked heads are common when overheated.

Cracked blocks near the oil spray nozzles on 1997 and newer engines are common in higher miles/hard working trucks also.

Captain

Tim L

We never ran the engine enough miles for problems. After 4 transmissions and 2 frame breaks we decided to send our 1994 GMC down the road to the Ford dealership . That was in 99 (our first Ford) and we have had Fords at work ever since.
Do the best you can and don't look back

scsmith42

Re the cracked heads - ditto what Craig said - they will crack if you overheat them.

Not a heavy duty diesel - more along the light duty route.  The 7.3 Powerstrokes, Cummin's, or new Duramax's are a lot more engine.
Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

Ironwood

Ford guy that I am, I must say STAY AWAY from the 6.0 Power strokes. Ford got a real black eye over these PS 6.0's. The only reason I bought my 2000 F-550 was because it has the old 7.3. I didn't want to be looking for a truck two years from know and only find 6.0's. I am surprised there isn't a class action suit for the 6.0. Still LOVE the fords I hope they get the 6.4 Twin turbo right in 2008. I will really care for my truck and eventually drop a new motor in when needed (I can't justify new truck $$ for how I use them) The Chevy does seem to have a great combo Duramax and Allison but I don't like the rest of the package ;D.

                      Reid
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

Tim L

We have an 04  6.0 that had to have injectors and 2 transmissions in 75 miles of plowing. The service guy said to me "well diesels sound different than gas" I replied "we got 3 others and they don't sound like a full race cam" They had it a week and put injectors in it . I have to admit since then the truck has done pretty well.
Do the best you can and don't look back

scsmith42

I guess that I've been lucky - have had three 6.0's w/o any major problems.  "03 Excursion, 03 Dually, and now an '05 Dually.

There is an unusual noise coming from the '05 under light throttle conditions, so I'm probably about to get my horizon's broadened...

Reid - it will probably grenade in your driveway on Friday when I pick up the shapers!

Scott
Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

Ironwood

Scott, and folks,

Ask around, Ford really hurt themselves with the 6.0. I have been asking around since last Nov. to see if I made the right choice when I bought my 7.3 and seems it is fairly unanimous. Even ask a Ford garage diesel tech. (away form the boss) they will just roll their eyes and knod.

                   Reid
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

rebocardo

Basically, any GM diesel engine is a dog and they have always
been even since they started putting them in Impalas,
back in the 80s?

Their best car engine, the 1.8, was an Isuzu!

In the military trucks the GM diesel was looked at as a competitive
disadvantage for the troops ...

> They had it a week and put injectors in it

Someone probably put gas in it and did not tell the boss.

> I made the right choice when I bought my 7.3 and seems it is fairly unanimous

Yes, the 6.9/7.3 are fine engines as light truck diesels go.

The thing with the 6.0, they wanted to keep the horsepower ratings and
the emission ratings. Big mistake. imo, It is not wise to buy
any new work truck/engine the first two years it is out unless you like
to be the real "beta" tester.


Captain

OK, a quick note on GM diesels

The GM 350 diesel was a converted gasoline engine used in some light duty trucks and mostly cars (station wagons) in the late 70's  and 80's.  It was an absolute mistake.

The replacement for that, a 4.3L diesel, used in some front wheel drive cars was an absolutely great diesel engine, but could not be sold in the car market due to the 350 diesel's reputation.

The 6.2L diesel built for light trucks in the 80's was actually a good solid engine.  Never got a turbo from the factory, and about the only thing that ever went wrong with them was the CDR (Crankcase Depression Regulator) Valve.  The rope rear main seal would begin to leak, and the CDR valve was bad.  Change the valve, leak stopped.  There are MANY normally aspirated 6.2L engines on the road today with over 400K miles on them.

The 6.5 was a bored 6.2L.  Debuted in 1992.  The first engines enjoyed the same reputation as the 6.2 due to a mechanical injection pump.  Even the turbo models.  Most of the Workhorse chassis (GM P series, think of the typical Frito/Lay delivery truck) ran mechanical injected 6.5s well into the late 90s as the engine of choice.  The need to keep up with the Cummins an the Powerstroke as well as meed light duty emissions in the mid 90s prompted a move to electronic injection pumps in 1994.  Huge problems started, that were not really sorted out until about 5-6 years later.  In 1997, in an attempt again to keep up with the others, they juiced the 6.5 again and added oil spray nozzles in the block.  1997-1999 were bad years for cracking blocks.  After 1999, the spray nozzle supply bores were made much smaller, and the blocks got better. 

The 6.6L DuraMax shares absolutely nothing with its predecessors.  It is a result of engineering by Isuzu and is built in Moraine, Ohio by the D-Max Corp, a joint venture between GM and Isuzu in the beginning now wholely owned by GM.  It is built exclusively for the North American Market.  The Duramax is now in its 3rd little generation, the LBZ RPO code, with some pretty wild HP and torque numbers.  It has been a successful package teamed with the Allison LCT 1000 transmission.

OK, that's GM diesel history in the last 25 years in a few paragraphs.  Just how do I know all of this anyhow??  ::)

Captain


barbender

The 6.9 and 7.3's are ok, as far as I'm concerned if you want a real diesel get a cummins.  The 6.5 in my foreman's one ton is not too impressive as far as power goes, it has around 180K and is on engine #2.
Too many irons in the fire

Quartlow

oh well like everything else some are junk and some are good. one  nephew has a 6.5 that has over 300,000 on it and it eats up 6.9 and 7.3 IDI (pre powerstroke) internatiionals all day long. on the other hand prior to that he had a 6.2 that was dog.

And on this hand we all have to admit that none of the big three currently have diesel engine that they developoed all by themselves.
Breezewood 24 inch mill
Have a wooderful day!!

Lenny_M

 Thanks for the replys,
                               Lenny

TeaW

Lenny 250K with a 6.5 you did good. This has been an interesting thread.Captain said the 6.2 was  a solid engine and some of them where, 85 to 87,s for some reason ran for ever but I had an 88 and put a gas engine in at 180k. Looked at a lot of used GMC,s that had been rebuilt or replaced under 200K. I was scared of the 6L ford and didn,t like the $6k for it so I got a 05 350 with a 5.4. Time will tell.
TeaW
TeaW

rebocardo

> a 4.3L diesel, used in some front wheel drive cars was an absolutely great diesel engine

Yea, one of those things you hear about, but, never see. Maybe Barrett-Jackson?  ;)

> Just how do I know all of this anyhow?? 

You were lucky enough to work at a Chevy dealer (like me) while driving a Ford  :D

or

You had to fix a lot of H1s for Uncle Sam  ???

Lenny_M

 Got 4 light trucks at work with deisels, 1 ford and 3 GMC`s.I`m not impressed with any of them. All dogs when it comes to power.
84 gmc 1 ton, 480k. 3 motors and 2 tranneys
94 gmc 3/4 ton 168k 3 tranneys, 1 injector pump
97 gmc 1 ton van, 250k 2 tranneys, top end just done, 2 rear ends
2000 f 350, 200k, 1 tranney,1 rear end and position sensor

My truck, 94 FORD f 150, 289k, Straight 6 with mannual tranney 4x4.
1 watter pump and the magnetic pick up.
Looks like i`ll be sticking with the little fords for a while. ;D

Now if the droped a real deisel in a light truck, Like a cummins or a Duetz, With a tranney and rear end that would hold together I might be influenced to give up the little 6.
I`ve had several  Duetz in forklifs. they are bulletproof. 30-40 k hours , have done top ends, never touched the bottom ends, ran 24/7. keep good oil and filters in them and keep the engins clean(air cooled) they keep on going
                                                         Lenny

Quartlow

A lot of the Deutz are oil coiled, and they are just about bullet proof. We had one in a Genie boom that the customer ran gas in  ::)  ::) I flushed it out refueld it with diesel and contacted Deutz since it was a brand new machine. Their reaction? don't sweat it.  ;)
Breezewood 24 inch mill
Have a wooderful day!!

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