Not the 1st Modern 1/2 ton Diesel

[JHumphries]

The 3. 1, created largely by adding a cylinder to the 2. 5, featured variable fuel-injection timing, a quick-sensing inlet-side positioned thermostat, and coil-on-plug ignition.

 

[rscurtis]

Was that an air cooled Deutz? We had a few of them in various pieces of equipment at my former job. Was in a manlift on Main Ave in town doing some work on the courthouse building, when the head gasket on an air cooled 4 cylinder Deutz let go. Watching oil being pumped 15 feet out the stack was a first for me that day . We ended up yanking the head off of it and replacing the headgasket on the spot, didnt want the EPA breathing down our backs for pumping 3 gallons of oil down the storm drains

It was air cooled, an F5L912. The Webasto heater, pump, and reservoir were used to supply coolant for the heater core. It was great- you had heat in less than 5 minutes, but it was something else to take care of.

 

[surfbeetle]

The 1/2 ton suburban that I had with the 6. 5 diesel had 8 lug wheels and a dana 70 rear axle, everything about it was 3/4 ton except the badging on the side so not really a 1/2 ton IMHO.

 

[BDaugherty]

I'm not one of those who thinks the Gm 6. 2/6. 5 were made by olds or converted gas engines. however, I don't see how anyone would argue that a pre-combustion chambered mechanically injected engine was "modern". I've had three 6. 2s and I keep trying to buy one of them back.

The one I wish I still had is a '84 chevy light duty 3/4 ton 2wd with 700r4 and 3. 73 rear gears. It runs fine and drives good and the power is fine as long as it isn't loaded too heavy. It even has a/c and a home made starter brace. New injector nozzles were 11 dollars each and really help cold starts as did the manual glow setup. ;

 

[mwilson]

I'm not one of those who thinks the Gm 6. 2/6. 5 were made by olds or converted gas engines. however, I don't see how anyone would argue that a pre-combustion chambered mechanically injected engine was "modern". I've had three 6. 2s and I keep trying to buy one of them back.



The one I wish I still had is a '84 chevy light duty 3/4 ton 2wd with 700r4 and 3. 73 rear gears. It runs fine and drives good and the power is fine as long as it isn't loaded too heavy. It even has a/c and a home made starter brace. New injector nozzles were 11 dollars each and really help cold starts as did the manual glow setup. ;

I think the 6. 2 / 6. 5 engines were a product of Detroit Diesel, unlike the nasty converted 350 Olds.



Mike.

 

[HBarlow]

Yeah, the Oldsmobile boat anchor was an actual gasoline V8 which GM, in it's generic car for the fools wisdom, adapted to burn diesel fuel. It was a disaster for owners and for diesel power in America for a long time. A friend who was a naturally gifted mechanic and later service manager in a small rural town Chevy store said he pulled many of those low mileage pieces of scrap iron out and dumped them in the alley behind the store to install gas engines.

GM has given us many wonderful products to be remembered.

 

[jgillott]

I'm not one of those who thinks the Gm 6. 2/6. 5 were made by olds or converted gas engines. however, I don't see how anyone would argue that a pre-combustion chambered mechanically injected engine was "modern". I've had three 6. 2s and I keep trying to buy one of them back.

The one I wish I still had is a '84 chevy light duty 3/4 ton 2wd with 700r4 and 3. 73 rear gears. It runs fine and drives good and the power is fine as long as it isn't loaded too heavy. It even has a/c and a home made starter brace. New injector nozzles were 11 dollars each and really help cold starts as did the manual glow setup. ;

I had an '85 4x4 with 4. 11 gears if I remember correctly. Bought it wrecked in the fall of '87 with 7500 miles on it and sold it in '98 with 330K. I would have kept it longer, but there wasn't enough left to weld to with all the rust. Sold it to a guy that used it as an off road plow/farm truck for years. I'm sure it is gone by now, but really was a decent truck for what it was.

Sure did make my '92 Dodge feel like a powerhouse when I bought it though.

 

[Excessive Force]

Back in the day our vet had a 1980 chevy 1/2 ton with the 5. 7 converted diesel... What a POS,and no dealer would take it on trade... ...

 

[rMetzger]

If "modern" requires common-rail injection and such, the new J-1 Jeep, which we can't have here in the US, might count. And there's the Toyota Hi-Lux, and probably a smattering of others from all around the world. I was coveting a 4wd diesel-powered Hyundai mini-van that I saw in the Philippines in 2000. That would be SUCH a cool potential beach-buggy.

 

[rscurtis]

Back in the day our vet had a 1980 chevy 1/2 ton with the 5. 7 converted diesel... What a POS,and no dealer would take it on trade... ...

That was another great thing about GM during that era. After they unloaded a POS to you, they either didn't want it back or the trade-in was pennies on the dollar for a 5-10 year-old car. They would always do a 90% job on a product, and then spend the 10% on rebates to move the junk off their lots or on warranty claims to fix it, when they could have just done it right the first time.

 

[TCDiesel]

I have had them All even the 2. 2 Luv, I left the truck run for Days when we went Ice fishing on MilleLacs,That engine would use 2-4 Gallons Per 24hrs,I have been saving for 8 Years for the 1/2 Ton 1500 PU Diesel,I will place My order as soon as Ram will take them,Yep I had the 6. 2,5. 7,6. 5,6. 6 GMs(The D-max has proven to Be Powerful and dependable, All the other GM smoke blows POS), 7. 2,7. 3 Fords, I will Not own any 6. 4,6. 0,6,7 Fords.

 

[DonFitzwater]

My wife is already drooling over the thought of having a 1/2 ton diesel. We used to have a Liberty CRD and she liked everything about it besides not having a bed to throw junk, dogs, 4 wheelers etc. I just want to know how much it's going to cost!

 

[Dieselnut59]

My wife is already drooling over the thought of having a 1/2 ton diesel. We used to have a Liberty CRD and she liked everything about it besides not having a bed to throw junk, dogs, 4 wheelers etc. I just want to know how much it's going to cost!

I had the Liberty also, but I am a truck person. I just hope the dang thing will be available in a "base" model truck, with a MANUAL transmission!!!

 

[AEdelheit]

I was at the dealer today today and the parts manager started talkin about the diesel 1/2tons, then realized he wasn't supposed to mention then, haha whoops

 

[HBarlow]

My guess is Ram will not offer a manual transmission in the Ram 1500 diesel because a manual transmission capable of handling the torque and still shift like a car is not currently available and sales volume probably won't support a major development expense.

Perhaps there is a transmission available from a transmission builder like Aisin or an Italian light-medium duty truck transmission maker I don't know about and I'll be wrong.

 

[AEdelheit]

They probably won't buy it will be because of emmisions, not the lack of available transmission options.

 

[rscurtis]

If the 1500 does not have the manual option now (I didn't check), I don't see it being added for just the diesel.

 

[Sticks]

Just about all vehicles are auto only anymore. My wife had a heck of a time trying to find a 2006 Jeep LJ with a manual. She actually found more 2wd Jeep wranglers than Jeeps with manual trans... in Colorado!?!?!

In her search for a newish small SUV, manual trans were not even an option (8 months during 2010).

Auto would not be so bad if they came with a TC lockup as standard. My work service truck, a 2006 GMC 5500 has what is supposed to be a VGT turbo exhaust brake, but is nothing more than a TC lockup/downshift when you release the throttle if it is in the RPM range of the gear. READ - there is no difference between normal lockup with the exhaust brake turned off. I'd put a down stream E-brake in but the company won't spend the money on it, they would rather buy some used beat up POS equipment at an auction, or a brandy new pickup for a red hat (foreman) than update the service equipment.

Back on topic... Been a lot of talk about this for some time now and still nothing. If Dodge does not get on the ball with this, they are going to get left behind by all the imports trying to get the diesels in the country. Toyota is likely to beat them to it.

 

[HerbW]

I had a 1992 3/4 ton 6.5 turbo diesel and ran like a top. I had troubles starting it if warm. It wouldn't crank fast enough without glow plugs reheating to start. Now a good feeling when hunting by yourself in the woods! I finally wired an operated switch that you pushed to bypass the temp sensor and get some glow.

 

[GCroyle]

s-10 had a diesel in the early 80,s. k

83-85 S-10 2.2L Diesel Ref: AAIA Valid Table, used for aftermarket cataloging.