diesel motor sway from a 5.7

[$outhworth]

Is there a diesel motor that I could swap into my '96 silverado z71? if so what body style would it come from? Any ideas or comments on this would be greatly appreciated! I have had this idea for some time now and would like to know if its possible and if so what the best motor would be!

[DieselPower]

A GM 6.2 or 6.5 would bolt in. A Cummins 4BT would also work pretty well. A 6BT might be way too much, but it's been done before.

[$outhworth]

A GM 6.2 or 6.5 would bolt in. A Cummins 4BT would also work pretty well. A 6BT might be way too much, but it's been done before.
really appreciate it man! do you know the average total price the whole swap would cost?

[FordeatinZ71]

yea, a 6.2/6.5 turbo would fit right in, they came in the GMT400's (your body style)...the Cummins 4BT would go in with a little modification. as for cost? that all depends on what you can find the parts for. if you just want a diesel, i'd look on EBay for a donor truck up north (with a horribly rusted body/good drivetrain)...from 94-01 you can find the 6.5 turbo diesel. it even came in 1/2 ton 2wds. but, in 99-01 you'll only find it in 2500/3500 HDs because that's all that carried over in the GMT400 body style. if you can find a complete donor truck, just rip it all out and swap it in.

but, the 6.5 is NOT a powerhouse by any means. it does ok, and is reliable and will deliver awesome fuel mileage numbers, but it's not a "hoss". if you want raw power, go with a Cummins 6BT (12/24 Valve Cummins out of the 88-06 (?) Dodge pickups/Frito Lay/UPS trucks)...

look on www.4btswaps.com for a lot more info on this...good luck!

[$outhworth]

thanks! i greatly appreciate it! with the 6.5 swap you stated its not a powerhouse... but thats ok considering i love the gas mileage and sound of them... are the capable of being one with some modifications? and also would i also need to change the trucks computer? axles? or anything along those lines? sorry just dont know too much about them i used to build and boost honda's and would have to change a whole bunch of stuff when i changed the motors...

[FordeatinZ71]

they can have a fair amount of power, but it takes a good bit of modifications...www.thedieselpage.com did a project with one, i believe it was a '96 2500 eclb with a factory 6.5. they wanted to see if they could make it hang with the Cummins/Powerstroke and made it actually compete...they rebuilt the engine using a kit from Peninsula Diesel that reduced the compression from 21.5:1 (i think) to 18:1. see, that's why the IDIs (In Direct Injection) are weaker than the newer DIs are...higher compression means less fuel/less boost. they were built to run without turbos so they were trying to make them as strong as possible NA. they lowered the compression to around where the Powerstroke/Cummins are (i believe they are around 17.5:1) and then added copius amounts of boost/fuel...i wanna say they got around 325-350 rwhp...and yes, that's stout for a 6.5 Turbo Diesel but you gotta think, when the Cummins/Powerstroke/Duramax owners do a few mods on theirs, you're not gonna even dream of competing...

so, the short answer to your question? yes, it can be decently stout with mods, but they're gonna be extensive/expensive...

[Koots]

they can have a fair amount of power, but it takes a good bit of modifications...www.thedieselpage.com did a project with one, i believe it was a '96 2500 eclb with a factory 6.5. they wanted to see if they could make it hang with the Cummins/Powerstroke and made it actually compete...they rebuilt the engine using a kit from Peninsula Diesel that reduced the compression from 21.5:1 (i think) to 18:1. see, that's why the IDIs (In Direct Injection) are weaker than the newer DIs are...higher compression means less fuel/less boost. they were built to run without turbos so they were trying to make them as strong as possible NA. they lowered the compression to around where the Powerstroke/Cummins are (i believe they are around 17.5:1) and then added copius amounts of boost/fuel...i wanna say they got around 325-350 rwhp...and yes, that's stout for a 6.5 Turbo Diesel but you gotta think, when the Cummins/Powerstroke/Duramax owners do a few mods on theirs, you're not gonna even dream of competing...

so, the short answer to your question? yes, it can be decently stout with mods, but they're gonna be extensive/expensive...

:word:

I came in here to basically say the same thing :lol:

A 6.5TD from 94 up is gonna be the most complicated to swap due to its extensive wiring. It shouldn't be a huge difference compared to your now vortec truck. Just get a donor truck to haul the harness and all with you. I think you only have to change gauge clusters, engine compartment wiring (detaches from the rest of the harness). Your transmission and transfer case (if applicable) have the right sensors for the ECU and The ECU can operate your trans and should bolt in.

Obviously you'd need to change or clean out your fuel tank. Run new lines, plumb in an electric lift pump (should fit in place of your current fuel filter), switch over to hydro boost brakes (should come from the donor), swap in the big diesel radiator and some other small things as well.

I haven't done the swap but I've worked with these engines and the 96-98 GMT400s heavily and have an idea of the process.

With some carefully selected mods, you could out tow almost any small block, while getting better mileage than they ever could.

[DieselPower]

A 6.2/6.5 without a turbo is going to run with a 305. Add the turbo and it'll keep up to a stock 350. The DB2 IP won't flow enough fuel to make big power, you *might* see 175 hp out of a good one. The 6.5 TD IP is all electronic and will make more power. You can toss in additional fuel via methanol injection, CNG, propane - but sooner or later you'll discover that these engines have a history of failure when pushed hard. Everything cracks - the block, crank, and heads. It's just not a good idea to try to push them too hard. As to them hanging out with a medium duty engine like a Cummins - forget it. You might be able to make that kind of power and torque for a little while, but you'll want to make sure you have a ride home. They won't do it for long. The Powerjoke can't do that.

Keep a 6.2 pretty much stock and it will do ok. It's a bolt in swap, fitting the same motor mounts and bolting into the tranny easily enough. There's only a couple of wires needed to get it running -so it is a fairly easy swap. Put something like an NV3500 behind it and it should do reasonable well for you for a long time. If you want some additional power, drop in a salvaged 6.5 turbo from ebay or a wrecking yard - that's a popular upgrade. It's a pretty low boost turbo, but it will help you burn up the rest of the fuel that might otherwise create black smoke - and spin the back tires a bit harder for you. Putting a 6.2/6.5 in means you aren't hunting for maximum power - but your fuel economy should pick up nicely. You also gain the ability to either make your own biodiesel or run WVO in it.

[$outhworth]

im trying to find a diesel motor that wouldnt be too much of a hassle to swap nor too expensive but also would love to make some good power n blow some black smoke on them ppl who'd like to ride my tail..... but i was also lookin on youtube at some of the video's of the 6.5 n i think i would be ok with the sound of that with the 4" or 5" strait exhaust... it sounds good and blows some smoke but then again the good gas mileage and towing capabilities is making me thing the 6.5 ... something about the though of a dodge motor in my chevy kinda throws me off but if it makes good power then its very possible to do

[DieselPower]

...something about the though of a dodge motor in my chevy kinda throws me off but if it makes good power then its very possible to do
It's a Cummins engine, not a Dodge engine. Dodge just uses them. In terms of economy, a 12v 6BT will get better mileage than a 4.3 and make more torque than a 454. Toss in a few minor tweaks and you'll make more hp than the big block and more torque than two of them. The downside is that it is almost twice the engine in size also - it's a big beast. You'll also spend some serious money putting in a new driveline to handle that much power, and you can expect to suffer more front end wear from the increased weight you'll have up there. A 4BT is 1/3 less and still is probably more than you need.

For a low dollar swap, the 6.2/6.5 works best as no adapters are needed and it bolts in. I've seen some Mercedes 5 cylinder 3.0 liter turbodiesels used as well. They get great mileage and are very durable - but you'd want to pump them up a bit to get decent power out of them. It is quite doable though - and it is one fantastic engine.

[richmond2000]

I would say 4BT Cummins usually relevely low cost and is specc'd in some GM chassis "step vans" IE freto LAY or FedEx and with a GM "ISO1" bell housing GM drive tain can be used AND they come in Mechanical fuel injection with ONE wire ign connection for EZ wiring

[gr8twhite]

What's said here is correct. The 6.5 is no powerhouse. But it can be made to do an acceptable job. My 98 K2500 tows this all summer long without breaking a sweat after putting in a new long block:

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/gr8twhite/1237d529.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/gr8twhite/1755ee92.jpg

34 feet and just shy of 9000 lbs. But that's not the big challenge, the real fight is the wind load. It's like pulling a square rigged ship down the highway.

It's pulled from the west coast to the east coast. Vantage highway, 4th of July Pass, Look Out Pass, in and out of Butte, etc. Motored right over the worst of it around 55 mph. I think I dropped to 40-45 on look out pass, but I remember that being quite steep and EGT's were trying to climb past 1100F, ECT pushing 215F, Already downshifted, boost tickling 13 psi and the water injection at full song. Best to let off the throttle with these old girls at that point and just enjoy the scenery as it goes by...


So yeah, a 6.5 can get it done.



But mine's definitely not stock anymore and it's not cheap after the last chip falls.

GEP 6500 Optimizer new from GM, upgraded cooling, Heath diesel custom flash PCM, 4" exhaust, water meth injection, etc, etc, etc......

Well, it might be cheap compared to a new 50,000 Duramax.

Gets around 13-14 empty and 12-13 towing. It almost doesn't care if it's loaded or not, mpg wise that is. Mpg is attributable to the 4:10's the truck runs. 3:73 6.5's report in the 15-18 mpg range empty. Bu tthen again, they can't tow as easily as my 4:10's.

Mine runs 0-60 in just a hair under ten seconds.

No idea what it will 1/4 or dyno.

I popped a piston crown this year on my 599 block and had to replace the engine with a GEP 6500 optimizer (just the newer designed 6.5). I'm into the truck for around 16-18,000 now. That includes a purchase price of 5000 and another grand on buying tunercat II to frig with the PCM. The optimizer was almost 10,000 but that's because I had to have someone install it. The long block was just a smidge under 7 grand from GM performance.

A cummins is a good choice except for it's physical size and weight. You get into things like body lifts or dropping the front diff, cowl hoods or maybe even a solid front axle swap. A fully dressed 6bt can come in just over 1000 lbs. That is heavier than a 454 by about 300 lbs and around 350 for a 6.5. You start getting into IFS components and unitized wheel bearing wearing out sooner with that kind of weight over it. A SA can fix that, but now you can chuck in another 2-3 grand.

The 4bt is an option and lighter/easier to package, but in addition to being LOUD is shakes the truck like a summabitch. Lots of 4bt swaps for sale. However, they can get close to 30mpg in a 2wd chassis if driven right. HP is also there reasonably cheaply, although not as much as a 6bt.

Some other things you'll have to think about is a vacuum source to run your power brakes, speedo, transmission, etc...

A Cummins is going to run you anywhere from 5-8,000 to do a decent swap if you find an affordable donor. If you go overboard, 10 grand is very easy to drop on one of these swaps....

For the 6.5, you can buy a rusted out donor truck for anywhere from 3500-6000 depending on year. A nice bonus about buying a GM 6.5 donor truck is you will get the hydroboost brakes and everything else you need from it will just bolt right up/plug right in. Well, everything except the larger front diff and the front control arms if your donor is a K2500/3500....

Easiest would be a 93 with the mechanical DB2 pump. After that, it's just as difficult to swap and OBDI as an OBDII. which you choose will probably be based on price and availability. With the OBDI/II years, you get to find out what the letters "PMD" mean.......:rolleyes:

Every 6.5 owner will know what those letters mean. Google it if you want to find out but be prepared to read some really nasty curse words!

599 castings are supposed to be the best factory option (early TD's), but there's many cracked head, cracked block, shattered crank 599's out there.

Avoid factory "506" (casting number) blocks. They are the most trouble prone for cracking and failures. Cranks break, main webs crack, heads crack, cylinders crack, just a bad casting run. Anywhere from 97-ish to 2000.

Now, if you find a 506 with the navistar diamonds cast into the block you've found and "optimizer". Well worth the cash. This is the block cast by International GEP (a division of AMG) when AMG bought the 6.5 rights to continue making them for the military hummers. Only block better is the GEP P400 casting of the 6.5. That block is mucho expensivo and the strongest 6.5 you can get. GEP designed it for the AMG "up armoured" military Hummers.

Just keep in mind that you're probably going to top out a 6.5 TD at around 300 hp and 450-500 lb/ft. And that's going to take a considerable amount of cash to even get there.

You probably don't want to hear this, but I'd really recommend selling your 96 and buying a diesel powered truck to start with.

12v P pumped Cummins trucks are reasonable these days (but the truck they come wrapped in is kind of a piece o' crap) and even the early Duramaxes can be found affordably if you shop around enough. You'd be starting with the engine and truck subsystems already in place and you could focus any future monies into upgrades rather than just building it.

Your choice.

Good luck either way.

:)

[chevy zone cold]

I agree!A 6.2 Lit 6.5 and Cummins excellent! I decided it instead of a gasoline engine up, diesel and good. :)

[richmond2000]

a few POINTS RD 4BT and a common "fail" in the conversions is using DODGE/6BT motor mounts as they are to "hard" for 4 CYL use and for VAC look for FORD chassis cummins will have a vac pump with the PS pump piggy backed mounted to the lower acc drive on the engine
a different option that would be possible is a 4.1L Isuzu engine inline SIX used in Brazil to power Various GM trucks/SUV (I believe it is Isuzu) the Isuzu are also ONE wire Ign engines with PRE heater VERY ROBUST and loved by swappers/marine use swap kits / parts are avail out of Australia