re: hello from South Dakota

[Dan Miller]

Welcome from Indiana !!

 

[john mccarthy]

Hello Everyone
Thank you for the welcomes from all of you. It is very much appreciated and I also appreciate the advice and comments which you have given me. I will take on board what each of you have said about the diesel engine which I have in this truck. I hope to get it running soon and then see what I have got and then make a decision as what I need to do. I will keep you informed and I do appreciate what all of you said. I live in Sioux Falls and teach Automotive and Diesel Technology at a High School Academy. I am originally from New Zealand and I have had 12 years in the automotive trade, (gasoline and diesel). I like the idea of restoring a square body pick up, however the body on this one is rough. Take care John

 

[Preston]

Welcome to GMSB from Virginia

 

[Albrigap]

Welcome John.
I just want to add, that is not the old 350-V8 diesel from the Oldsmobile days of the past. That is an entirely new design, of the times, it will be the 6.2 liter V-8 diesel.
That engine was carried right up through the present day in the Military Hummers. Now known as the 6.5 turbo charged diesel.
GM dropped that design in 2000 and went to the new Duramax.
The 6.2 will not seem like it has a lot of power but it will get 20+ mpg if injectors are in good condition and the injection pump is proper tuned.
The 6.2 can also easily be converted to the Turbo charged unit with exhaust manifolds, turbo and cross over pipe from a 6.5 TD diesel.
Biggest problem with these engines is they tend to crack the main bearing webs in the engine block.
Be sure to watch the harmonic balancer, if it ever looks like the rubber is bulging around the ring, quit running the engine until a new balancer can be obtained.

I had an 81 Chevy 1/2t with the Olds diesel.
They had a lot of head gasket problems.
A friend fixed the head gasket issue by retorquing the head every 2,000 miles until they no longer needed tightening.
Usually took three retorques.
Last I heard, the engine was still running at 120,000 more miles.
The 6.2's should also be retorqued to insure the head gaskets hold.
It's a pain to retorque but so is pulling the heads again.