im looking at one because i have come to the conclusion that i dont got enough money for a pstroke or a CTD so this is my next option its a real real nice '96 looks babied only got 126k on the clock so i just want some un biast (i know thats hard) opinions what goes wrong on these trucks what are the common problems (it wont be use for towing and never has) and also what is the life expectancy on these motors, i have heard mixed opinions on these motors somegoing 250-300k miles and others need to be rebuilt at 120k so i am really torn on the issue thanks guys
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6.5td
- Thread starter DBogo
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I've never driven a 6. 5, but I did drive a 6. 2l all through HighSchool. It was a gutless wonder, but no matter how hard I beat it up and neglected it, the damn thing would start up every morning. I loved that truck! But If I was short on cash, I would go for a gasser. If it's just a "truck" and you aren't pulling with it, or going cross country, you will prolly have a lot more fun with a gasser.
Just my opinion, please no flames
Just my opinion, please no flames
I voted no, go find yourself a good used first gen, they are out there and are quite a bit cheaper than the second gens. You can find one with 100-200k on it for under $6500 easy.
had a 92 6. 5 that I still miss. sold at 211,000 and ran like new only problems
were turbo seals leaking oil (warranty) and 2 or 3 sets of alternator bearings.
warning though somewhere around 93-94 they went to a different setup
(fly by wire) with all kinds of electrical gremlins. takes a scan tool just to
set pump timing. I used to work on them. lot of them ran O. K you just
couldn't keep the check engine light off.
were turbo seals leaking oil (warranty) and 2 or 3 sets of alternator bearings.
warning though somewhere around 93-94 they went to a different setup
(fly by wire) with all kinds of electrical gremlins. takes a scan tool just to
set pump timing. I used to work on them. lot of them ran O. K you just
couldn't keep the check engine light off.
Hi,
I still have one (1993) and it has 180,000 on it. It ran great up until about 150,000 with nothing other than routine maintance, but I've had to do the top end twice in the last 30,000 mi. In addition the dual mass flywheel came apart a couple of months back and took out the transmission input shaft and almost wore through the block: $4,700. 00 later its back on the road again!
The engine is not capable of much more power than stock without horrendous egt's and its not particularly long lived. I would vote for as old a Cummins as finances dictated.
Dave
I still have one (1993) and it has 180,000 on it. It ran great up until about 150,000 with nothing other than routine maintance, but I've had to do the top end twice in the last 30,000 mi. In addition the dual mass flywheel came apart a couple of months back and took out the transmission input shaft and almost wore through the block: $4,700. 00 later its back on the road again!
The engine is not capable of much more power than stock without horrendous egt's and its not particularly long lived. I would vote for as old a Cummins as finances dictated.
Dave
Buy something else. My mom had one no problems for 120,000. So my brother got one had all kinds of problems since day 3 or 4. A total money pit.
Heard of horror story after horror story.
steve
Heard of horror story after horror story.
steve
93 Td
I bought a 1993 crew cab dually with the 6. 5 and a 5 speed manual new. I put lots of trouble free miles on it -- good truck, just not much power. I had a cabover camper and pulled a 3 horse bumper pull horse trailer, about 17,500 combined weight. I could run 70 on the flats, 50 in the hills, and get about 9. 8 mpg. Empty it would get 14. 5. I put about 165,000 miles before I traded it off. I thought it ran ok, til I got my Cummins. Whoa. Was I ever wrong.
For a daily driver, though, they seem ok, but I wouldn't want to ever tow with one again. Also, I know the later electronic fuel pump versions (94 & up) had more problems than the mechanical ones (sound familiar?).
They can be picked up pretty cheap, though. I'd buy one for a commuter truck, if the price was right.
I bought a 1993 crew cab dually with the 6. 5 and a 5 speed manual new. I put lots of trouble free miles on it -- good truck, just not much power. I had a cabover camper and pulled a 3 horse bumper pull horse trailer, about 17,500 combined weight. I could run 70 on the flats, 50 in the hills, and get about 9. 8 mpg. Empty it would get 14. 5. I put about 165,000 miles before I traded it off. I thought it ran ok, til I got my Cummins. Whoa. Was I ever wrong.
For a daily driver, though, they seem ok, but I wouldn't want to ever tow with one again. Also, I know the later electronic fuel pump versions (94 & up) had more problems than the mechanical ones (sound familiar?).
They can be picked up pretty cheap, though. I'd buy one for a commuter truck, if the price was right.
I voted no.
I never dealt with the pre-1994 6. 5's, though based on comments here, they didn't seem too bad. The 6. 5's I dealt with were produced in '94, '96, and '98. They got progressively better as time went on, but were still subject to a host of problems; including the PMD, cracked blocks around #8, warped heads, broken valve keepers (they're plastic), and glow plug controller failures.
That being said...
If I wanted transportation that was dead nuts reliable and never needed my attention, I would stay far far away. On the other hand, if I were looking for something to play around with every now and again and lay lots of black smoke, then sign me up. I must admit, I really like the way they sound at idle.
I never dealt with the pre-1994 6. 5's, though based on comments here, they didn't seem too bad. The 6. 5's I dealt with were produced in '94, '96, and '98. They got progressively better as time went on, but were still subject to a host of problems; including the PMD, cracked blocks around #8, warped heads, broken valve keepers (they're plastic), and glow plug controller failures.
That being said...
If I wanted transportation that was dead nuts reliable and never needed my attention, I would stay far far away. On the other hand, if I were looking for something to play around with every now and again and lay lots of black smoke, then sign me up. I must admit, I really like the way they sound at idle.
well i dont need something thats dead reliable i will be screwing around wiht it alot on my spare time and wiht my budget anything that i get will need some attention or something so i think i am going to go with it even the the no's out weigh the yes's i dont think there is that many problems with them
I have an 03 Cummins, but I'll speak up for the 6. 2/6. 5's. I like 'em. I still have one.
Starting with an 86 Blazer with a 6. 2, 180,000 miles, 20+ mpg, no sign of wear when I traded it. I had to buy a glow plug relay control for around $80. 00. It had a broken valve spring for awhile (what was weird about that was that most of the time you couldn't tell, some cold mornings it would miss, when I finally had it fixed I was told that the compression of the motor blows it shut). I replaced the injection pump ($350) at 100k because that is the normal expected life. Fast and powerful enough. Very good outfit for what it was designed to do.
88 Chev 1 Ton SRW reg cab 4X4, auto no overdrive, 115k, 6. 2. 4. 10 gears. 14. 5 mpg empth and freeway, though without OD it sounded way overrevved at 75 mph. Bad injection pump when I bought it at 100k. No other problems. No sign of wear. It had a snow plow. The truck was underpowered compared to what you can get now, but for the time it was made the power was comparable to gassers. I liked it.
93 Ext Cab Dually 4x4, 6. 5 Turbo, auto OD. I still own this with only 44k on the odometer. I've added the banks stinger system which is exhaust, gauges, intake, and turbo mods. This pulls my 9000 lb boat trailer very well. 10 mpg with the trailer in tow. I don't know what it gets empty. I don't want to part with this truck either, but i don't need it and keep thinking i should sell. Being a 93, it is a mechanical pump, not computerized, the same pump as in the 6. 2.
The 6. 2 and the 6. 5 are essentially the same engine. The last year of the 6. 2 you could get a turbo version. 85 and older 6. 2's had problems with the heads.
What do you get with the Chev? Nicer, more comforatble interior. A better ride. 6. 2/6. 5's have precombustion chambers, making them quieter than the direct injection (Dodge and Ford PS) couterparts of the same years. In OD and pulling the boat, I can barely hear the engine. My Chev one tons have ridden by far better than even any of the 1/2 ton 1st gen dodges I've had, and better than my 03 CTD. Better fuel economy than with gassers of the same vintage. Change the oil frequently and you should make 200k - 250k without major engine problems.
Previous posts talked that 94 and newer had computer controlled pumps. It's true, and they are two to three times the money as the mechanicals, and their life isn't much better. I also believe their fuel efficiency went up significantly with the computer controlled versions. I've never owned one, but I would try one. I'd take the 96 6. 5 TD over any 96 Chev gasser for the same money.
Starting with an 86 Blazer with a 6. 2, 180,000 miles, 20+ mpg, no sign of wear when I traded it. I had to buy a glow plug relay control for around $80. 00. It had a broken valve spring for awhile (what was weird about that was that most of the time you couldn't tell, some cold mornings it would miss, when I finally had it fixed I was told that the compression of the motor blows it shut). I replaced the injection pump ($350) at 100k because that is the normal expected life. Fast and powerful enough. Very good outfit for what it was designed to do.
88 Chev 1 Ton SRW reg cab 4X4, auto no overdrive, 115k, 6. 2. 4. 10 gears. 14. 5 mpg empth and freeway, though without OD it sounded way overrevved at 75 mph. Bad injection pump when I bought it at 100k. No other problems. No sign of wear. It had a snow plow. The truck was underpowered compared to what you can get now, but for the time it was made the power was comparable to gassers. I liked it.
93 Ext Cab Dually 4x4, 6. 5 Turbo, auto OD. I still own this with only 44k on the odometer. I've added the banks stinger system which is exhaust, gauges, intake, and turbo mods. This pulls my 9000 lb boat trailer very well. 10 mpg with the trailer in tow. I don't know what it gets empty. I don't want to part with this truck either, but i don't need it and keep thinking i should sell. Being a 93, it is a mechanical pump, not computerized, the same pump as in the 6. 2.
The 6. 2 and the 6. 5 are essentially the same engine. The last year of the 6. 2 you could get a turbo version. 85 and older 6. 2's had problems with the heads.
What do you get with the Chev? Nicer, more comforatble interior. A better ride. 6. 2/6. 5's have precombustion chambers, making them quieter than the direct injection (Dodge and Ford PS) couterparts of the same years. In OD and pulling the boat, I can barely hear the engine. My Chev one tons have ridden by far better than even any of the 1/2 ton 1st gen dodges I've had, and better than my 03 CTD. Better fuel economy than with gassers of the same vintage. Change the oil frequently and you should make 200k - 250k without major engine problems.
Previous posts talked that 94 and newer had computer controlled pumps. It's true, and they are two to three times the money as the mechanicals, and their life isn't much better. I also believe their fuel efficiency went up significantly with the computer controlled versions. I've never owned one, but I would try one. I'd take the 96 6. 5 TD over any 96 Chev gasser for the same money.
Another no vote here. I've wrenched on several when I worked at a diesel injection pump shop and got some good advice fromone of the guys there, "If it runs good, sell it, somethings about to go wrong. " Tho they do run pretty decent with a few tweaks here and there, not quite as good as a stock Cummins but pretty close. And I would never ever tow with one even if it was the last choice in the world.
Nathan
Nathan
Turbo Tim 1
TDR MEMBER
What kind of money are we talking for this 6. 5? You wanted a Dodge with a Cummins, you became a member of the TDR, you've been searching and researching but now you're going to get a Chevy because it's cheaper! 
You know what you want, why don't you stick with that decision and save up and wait, you'll be happier in the long run. Take that Chevy for a ride and then come up to my house this weekend and we'll go for a ride in my truck so you can see the difference. My 2001 is hopped up a little but my old 93 wasn't really and it had a slush box and it ran better in stock form than the 2001 did. I know you can't afford a 2001 but a 1989-1993 shouldn't be too far priced from that Chevy if you're willing to wait.
You know what you want, why don't you stick with that decision and save up and wait, you'll be happier in the long run. Take that Chevy for a ride and then come up to my house this weekend and we'll go for a ride in my truck so you can see the difference. My 2001 is hopped up a little but my old 93 wasn't really and it had a slush box and it ran better in stock form than the 2001 did. I know you can't afford a 2001 but a 1989-1993 shouldn't be too far priced from that Chevy if you're willing to wait.
My plow/shop/beater truck is a 95 6. 5 auto. Has 195K on the odometer right now, have had to replace glowplugs & glow plug controller. Thos are the only non self inflicted repairs I have had to do. Truck gets 19-20mpg running down the hiway, 12-13mpg beating around town or pushing snow. I have relocated the pmd to a place outside the engine compartment to make it last longer, timmed the pump, and have a home made wastegate controller. It pulls ok, has power comparable to a TBI 454.
The engine does not like high boost though, blew a headgasket somewhere around 21-23 psi, but with all original everything, I don't blame it. Pushed snow for 16 hours straight with a bad gasket, and it still ran great.
Would I buy another one? Hard to say, they ride a lot better then a 1st gen cummins, but don't have near the power capability. If the deal is a good one, I wouldn't be too afraid of getting another 6. 5
The engine does not like high boost though, blew a headgasket somewhere around 21-23 psi, but with all original everything, I don't blame it. Pushed snow for 16 hours straight with a bad gasket, and it still ran great.
Would I buy another one? Hard to say, they ride a lot better then a 1st gen cummins, but don't have near the power capability. If the deal is a good one, I wouldn't be too afraid of getting another 6. 5
Rescue Ram said:
Thats what did mine in (twice). I can't believe that I spent over $15,000. 00 in 2yrs on a $10,000 truck, but each time I spent the money, I thought " OK, it was good for the 1st 150,000 mi, it should last for a while now. Nope.
Hindsight is 20/20, but If I had any inkling of what was going to transpire with my '93 6. 5TD, I would have simply excavated a big hole behind my shop and buried it!
For myself, I will buy a Cummins or a gasser only. I've had nothing but problems with the other diesels I've owned (or still own).
Dave
i had a 6. 5TD before and i was happy with it. if i were to buy another one, i would make sure it was a 3/4 ton version or better... no egr system on those, and well, the kitty can always be fixed... i wouldn't mind having a 99 3500 chevy crew cab short bed srw with the 6. 5TD [classic style, not this newer body style] ... they did exist for a little while, and i'd keep the 6. 5 in there for a while until i could come up with something nicer to swap in... [evil thoughts of a 6-71 with twins come to mind
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Subscribe
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Back Issues
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