Are 6.5L diesels any good?

[JustinLee]

A buddy of mine found a '95 Chevy 3/4 ton with ~250k miles with the original 6. 5L diesel engine for sale. $2000 obo (He doesn't have the funds for a Cummins. They hold thier value a little better. :-laf ) Anyway I don't know much about the 6. 5L. Drawbacks? Things to look for? It would be more a light duty work truck.



Thanks

Justin

 

[FourBarR]

Gas engine with diesel heads. one of the worst things GM ever did. Set diesel use in North America back years .

 

[TFucili]

Gas engine with diesel heads. one of the worst things GM ever did. Set diesel use in North America back years .

I am no fan of the 6. 5, but the disastrous engine I think you are referring to is the 5. 7 convert-o-diesel, that was a converted Olds gasser, for all intents and purposes. The 6. 5 grew from the 6. 2, and was of Detroit Diesel origins.

 

[WDixon27]

i don't think the 6. 5 was the turd that the first ones were, fairly gutless compared to our motors from what i have read, the fuel controller overheats in the stock location on the intake seems to be a common issue

 

[bmoeller]

There is a relocation kit for the engine mounted electronic controls. That will help alleviate the heat and vibration troubles they have.

The 6. 5 is a better engine than the 6. 2 was, but they're still a V8 diesel. Pretty decent for what they are, though. If it was taken care of, I wouldn't be afraid of it. They just aren't my cup of tea.

 

[Bill Stockard]

A buddy of mine found a '95 Chevy 3/4 ton with ~250k miles with the original 6. 5L diesel engine for sale.

Thanks

Justin

A GM 6. 5L diesel engine is at about the end of its normal life expectancy with 250K miles. I imagine the original owner knows that and it's the reason it's for sale. Your buddy could spend a lot more than the low $2000 purchase price to keep it running.



Bill

 

[jgillott]

We have a 1996 Chevy box van with the 6. 5L diesel in our fleet at work. I've driven it off and on since it was new. It's used mostly for short trips between our buildings. It probably has just over 100K on it now, but that is all short trips and almost no highway driving. I can honestly say, other than a few minor issues with brakes and rear axle seals, it has been a very good truck. I'm sure that it will be replaced soon due to age, but it is still running strong.

 

[Bob4x4]

My brother had the 6. 5 in a Chevy truck and unloaded it around the 250k mark as well... ... ..... it seems to be at the end of the normal life cycle as Bill said. I would pass.

 

[JGamble]

250K is the end... ... but..... If he decides to get that truck, be ready for a plethora of things to go wrong. Glow plugs go out quickly, no power, they leak like its digusting, major overheating issues, rings wear like its funny..... its gonna be a money pit... .



Regards,

John

 

[CROW]

A mechanic I was acquainted with here in town told me that he used to buy these old GM diesel trucks and replace the diesel engine with an Oldsmobile gas engine. According to him it was a pretty easy conversion since the engine blocks were the same and he could buy the diesel engined truck cheap. Claimed he did several and made some extra bucks doing this.

 

[HBarlow]

As TFucilli wrote above, the 6. 5 diesel engine installed in pickups was a Detroit Diesel of mediocre design and service life but was not based on an Oldsmobile gas engine.

The diesel used briefly in Oldsmobile cars, possibly a few found their way into other big GM sedans, was a poorly converted gas engine. Their service life was about 40,000 miles

 

[rscurtis]

Mine didn't make it quite that far. It pulled the wrist pin out of a piston at 4300 miles while it was idling- just stopped with a bang. The dealer replaced the short block, and I sold that POS before their bad reputation was well known. The next owner ran it over 100K miles with no issues. I knew a landscaper who had an '86 6. 2 in a 3500 GMC, and while it didn't run bad, you could pretty much forget about starting it if it was much below freezing-and it was like that since new.

 

[Bob4x4]

A mechanic I was acquainted with here in town told me that he used to buy these old GM diesel trucks and replace the diesel engine with an Oldsmobile gas engine. According to him it was a pretty easy conversion since the engine blocks were the same and he could buy the diesel engined truck cheap. Claimed he did several and made some extra bucks doing this.

That would have been the earlier light duty 5. 7 diesel... ... ... .....

Here in Cali they(smog Nazi's) caught on and were doing random inspections on the 5. 7 diesel trucks to make sure they were still diesel powered.

 

[JUeckert]

250k may or may not be the end of life for the that truck. dependes on the life it lived, and the maintance it recieved. i have rebuilt a few 6. 2/6. 5 engines that had well over 300k on them, and had the hatch marks still on the cylinders, and little to no wear on the bearings. biggest issues are the pmd's on the pumps, keep them cool and they will last a lot longer. next biggest issues is egt's. for a truck thats worked, and driven by a person who knows not how to drive one, egt's are the biggest killer's of these engines. generaly piston's develope cracks and the rings become brittle,resulting in blowby, and an engine that misses. next is valve pitting, here again egt's. last biggest issue is harmonic balancer's causing the cranks to fail. there are some other issues as well, but these are the most common and easiest to prevent. i own 3 different 6. 2/6. 5 trucks with over 250k on them and no major issues. to say they have been worked is an understatement!

 

[Grizzly]

I believe your friend would be better off getting a gas engine than a 6. 5 GM Detroit diesel if he's on a tight budget.

 

[AABEN]

I would spend a little more and get the dodge ! Will save you money in the longe run. Tell your buddy to run away from it JUNK!!

 

[KLauber]

My friend runs his 95 Suburban with the same 6. 5L motor. Runs great, he replaced the injection pump last year. It loves the veggie fuel we make. Set your sights low and you wont be disappointed is all I can offer.

Ken

 

[AHarris]

6. 5 GM diesels are decent motors if cared for properly but they lack power. If it were me, I'd hold out and spend a few more bucks on a 12-valve Dodge Cummins of the same vintage. You'll have a much better truck with a lot more upgrade potential!

 

[Grizzly]

6. 5 GM diesels are decent motors if cared for properly but they lack power. If it were me, I'd hold out and spend a few more bucks on a 12-valve Dodge Cummins of the same vintage. You'll have a much better truck with a lot more upgrade potential!

I'm going to disagree with you on that. I never had one, but everyone I know that did, had nothing problems with them.

 

[AHarris]

I'm going to disagree with you on that. I never had one, but everyone I know that did, had nothing problems with them.

Well, I know a few guys who had them and got miles and miles of trouble free use out of them, but about the only things they could outrun from a light was a loaded school bus or a cement truck. :-laf

If I had to choose between a 6. 0L Powerstroke and a 6. 5 GM diesel I'd take the GM diesel. The Duramaxes are much better. None of them compare to a Cummins IMO.