don't flame me, I needed a plow truck

[David_VT]

Well I added a 4th truck to my growing parking lot.

1. My 99 TD RAM, now pushing 50K
   
2. The 55 Dodge PowerWagon for eventual restoration (does run)
   
3. My wife's 91 Chevy Suburban that I bought new and will not die at 110K
   
4. Today's arrival: rusty old 87 Chevy p/u with plow and 6. 2 GM diesel
   
   [/list=1]
   
   
   
   Any one have or had a GM 6. 2 diesel who can point me towards some decent web sites for info? ]
   
   
   
   Please no emails inquiring about my lack of intelligence. This was real cheap (<$500) and looks it. If I can save the truck (6. 2 diesel), great. If not, the plow goes to the wife's suburban.
   
   
   
   The 87 chevy is never going to be legal again, but I suspect it will run. I am thinking of getting to spring of '02 and then trying to put the 6. 2 in the old powerwagon. I've seen them with 350's and this is not much bigger than a 350. But for now that is just a fantasy as winter is coming and with it the darn snow.....

 

[Jeff H]

For that price you coud do an engine swap. How about dropping a CTD it.

 

[klenger]

Hey, there's a duramax on e-bay going cheap.

 

[RBrunson]

6.2

David, wait till you change the fuel filter on that thing. I can't believe any automotive engineer would come up with a piece of crap like that.

 

[Briar Hopper]

David, I think Mark Koskenmaki might shoot you if you attempt to put that 6. 2 in a power wagon... . Might be the makings of a "Rescue that PowerWagon from David" movement starting up on this website.

Dunno the link for the Chubby website, you might ask Steve St. Laurent, he practically lives there!

If you guys can't take a little ribbing, flame away at me !

 

[gitchesum]

www.thedieselpage.com



You might have to pay to post in certain sections of that site. There's also www.diesel-central.com. Good group of guys there too.

 

[David_VT]

pw not a priority at this point

Mark (i. e. powerwagon),

Fear not, the ole powerwagon will survive the winter unmolested.

That truck's engine works but belches oil from the dipstick and distributor. . The 6v starter only works on 12v, so I put a jumper on it alone to start the truck for the random move around the yard...



As to the Chevy, I saw the fuel filter had just been replaced (only bright thing in the engine compartment. I suspect that at least one injector is bad (smokes) but if I can make it to spring with the plow working I could really care.



I am looking for starting advice in subzero temps. That is probably my largest fear is having a big storm outside and then hearing the 'big storm' inside the house when I have to tell the wife to call the commercial plow because the new yard ornament won't start... The guy I bought it from showed me the old engine with the cracked crankshaft (too much ether)...



Any opinions about trying to jury rig a heated intake like on our cummins? Sure seems less complicated than the glow plug stuff.



Thx in advance for any thoughts...

my email

 

[pcorssmit]

I never had mine not start on me, but the coldest it got without being plugged in was around 0-5°F. Just make sure the glow plug system is in good order, I fried a set once when the solenoid stuck on. As a side note, I found that 350 olds diesel plugs work after you grind down the extra-wide terminal on them. I had a manual control on the plugs on mine. The 350 plugs may or may not be really bad for the motor, I have no idea, but mine was junk anyways and it was just a matter of time before I swapped it out.



BTW, '87 Chevys are highly desireable. Unfortunatly for you, its because it was the first year of fuel injection and the only year you could get a regular cab in that body style with fuel injection.



Pete

 

[J DeMaio]

Make sure you have good glowplugs, batteries, and a block heater. How many miles are on it? Is it a heavy duty or a light duty diesel? They seem to run all right. The most problems I've heard of are injection pump failures and cracked heads. I believe the trouble with the heads are no Pyrometer and the fuel cranked!!! This is almost always common around here with Chevy's. They say they are junk but it is the failure of the owners.



As for information,



www.62-65-dieselpage.com



This should help.



John

 

[David_VT]

Well,

old truck story... .

Brought the trailer over to haul the rig home... .

7 hours later. .

• Starter solinoid rebuilt (last owner did not put the mounting screws on)
  
• fuel tank in the bed, mounts rotten under the cab
  
• fuel lines kludge 4" too short
  
• cracked fuel line under the cab, too big for bubble gum
  
• 2nd battery now connected, was hanging in the breeze
  

But, on the one attempt we managed to make to load on my trailer, the plow frame would not clear the lip... .



Never got it turned around, sitting for a flatbed to haul it home.



When it did run, it sounded ok and settled down to a nice idle.



ANY HINTS ABOUT BLEEDING THE FUEL LINE? Seems this will be the first big problem to solve...

 

[David_VT]

Beast is home. .

I bought a bellows pump to push the fuel from the relocated tank to the engine. The chevy forum tells me to removed the mechanical pump on the engine so as to not risk having it's diaphram fail and allow diesel to flood the engine sump.



end of story for now...

 

[GFoley]

6.2 in the cold

David,



I saw our HMMWVs sitting in the Minnesota winter snow and cold for months. They only got fired up once a month when the soldiers came in to drill. We had more than 48 in the motor pool and we usually had to jump off three or four. Not bad for sitting around, and none of them were plugged in to anything.



I often though about buying one of our surplus Chevrolet pickups at the auctions. Of course I never did but if the price had been right I am sure I'd be in an Army pick up. I watched as we turned one in that only had 3,000 miles on it. That was a steal for the buyer, perfect truck.



Someone already posted the 6. 2-6. 5 page. I recall having been there when I was looking for info for my brother.



Good luck with it all,

Glenn

 

[CumminsAholic]

We have an 88 blazer with a 6. 2 for plowing. Used to have a ram charger, but 10 mpg wasn't too great. They blazer gets 20mpg. Haven't had anything go wrong in 5 years, finally now a bearing is out in the transfer case, time to find a used trans case. It's SOOOOO Gutless though. Almost have to use drive if there's a headwind. Anyways... To start it when it's cold, hold it to the rugs, that's the only way it'll start. Gramps used to have a 6. 2 suburban, same thing hold it to the rugs to start it. It really likes the block heater too. It'll usually start if it'll turn over long enough without the batteries going dead when it's not plugged in. It's getting retired now though, the plow's going on the 89. Anybody want a 88 blazer with a 6. 2? It's in pretty good shape and is great for plowing because it turns so sharp.

Corey

 

[David_VT]

IT LIVES!!!

Well, after patching a fuel line and adding an electric pump at the tank (sans our b. o. m. b'. d rams), the beast lives!



I was able to get the plow connected and found it functional also!



So, if I can just figure out how to get the transmission into neutral, reverse or park I will be good to go. A parking brake would be nice too, but for now I have the big yellow parking brake out front!!



Not bad for $425!!



Thx for the advice!!