One of my customers has a 2000 GMC with a hammered out 6.5 Diesel engine. I suggested looking for a takeout or gov’t rebuild engine for a Humvee. Is that a good or a bad idea ? He was told the next year GM used a Duramax in that chassis, but you need to swap the ecm and probably some other things. I like the idea of a good 6.5 because it might be the easiest thing to put in there. The truck is just a local use farm duty service truck. He wants to Duramax it because he’s got a good running engine in a truck that is too rusted to keep on the road. How do y’all see this playing out?
Sounds like you will make a lot of money from this guy doing it how he wants and then doing it over after that doesn't work
With all the electronics, way easier to just find another 6.5. Anything is possible with enough time and money but not feasible for an old farm truck
A Dmax swap would be an expensive nightmare for both you and your customer. Hurt feelz, broken hearts, destroyed relationship and money problems.
Way too many unknowns or what ifs .
Sounds like time to put the tool bed on a newer truck or just replace the engine
You can find government 6.5's on the DRMO websites. They are also available from engine builders on the net. I had a personal quest of putting a Dmax in a square body 3500 SRW. I canceled that idea.
What made you call it off
The big block vortec of that era isn't a bad motor, and / or from what I read, you can put a 6.0 in anything. The hot rodders are making wiring harness and controllers for the 6.0 stuff. Or there's the option of staying diesel and 5.9 Cummins it. Which there is also lots of help for doing the swap. I think I would rather do either of those, as try the Duramax.
Hear me out (I've always wanted to do this to a pickup tho it may not fix too good) cat 3306 with jakes
I wonder how the gearing would be going from a diesel to gas?
3306 would be big and heavy, never seen that done. Seen 4bt 4-53, 3208, and Perkins. I've got a 92 Ford 460 that I would like to 5.9 or 6.0
A boy can dream right biggest problem is I don't think I could tastefully get it under the cab. It would probably have to have like a f450 front under it
I've always wanted to do a IH travel all with a 5.9 , but it's hard to find one that isn't all ate up with cancer. I think most of them started rusting before they left the factory.
While it probably should have been the cost and *** tax involved in the swap, what really caused me to ditch the idea was this.. The Chevy dealer had brought in an 85 3500 SRW with a 454. They would sell to me for what they gave for it, like $2500. It was near perfect, had power windows and locks, the nice interior. It would have been a near perfect conversion. My 3500 had the 6.2L diesel, but the gas would have worked. I drove it for 50 miles and it felt like I was driving a grain truck. I had put 250K on my 3500 when I sold it, but had not driven one since. I guess I have been softened by the newer trucks. It just wasn't something I wanted drive that often. So I killed the idea.
Grain truck--that's a pretty fare assumption, people have gotten use to being surrounded by layers of luxurious shades of plastic instead of open areas of painted steel interior. Spring rates and independent front suspension combined with layers of sound deadening has softened the tough guy idea of a old repowered rig. No power windows, no cruise cc, no climate control, no high range travel suspension, older cabs don't fit taller people, no safety features--higher percentage of dying if wrecked. * No surround sound---but if you spend 100K you can possibly build what you desire. or buy a gas powered cheaper model have the luxuries and keep 40K in the bank. * Funny thing about vehicles---show me a frying pan & stove big enough to cook one. Can't eat those vehicles----not tasty.
The 6.5 was a gutless, clattering pile on a good day, and a grenade the rest of the time.