6.2 opinions

Bodaciouscj7 · Jan 8, 2007

Wel I am tired of getting stuck in 2 inches of snow with the 2wd small block dually and looking to replace it with a 4wd. I know 6.2 are a joke to the diesel crowd but I found a 4wd 6.2 suburban for $1200.00, right in my price range. My question is would this be a step ahead or a waste of my money.

I have a regular customer in my shop that has a blazer with a 6.2 and he loves it but he doesnt tow 7000# of jeep, trailer, and gear.

GRW · Jan 8, 2007

First off (nothing personal) but the chev gas converted to diesel suck!
I feel better now.
OK if you through enough money at anything it will run good (sooner or latter). As a hole this motor is a turd and had issues (lots of them). So if you if buy it knowing of its falts & being willing to deal with them you shouls be ok. But if you don't want to deal with the issues these rigs had stay clear. One option is to drop a V8 BB in it. The drive train should do fairly well. Another option would be to drop a Cummins in it

They make a real nice addition to a burb.

Boomer · Jan 8, 2007

GRW said:
First off (nothing personal) but the chev gas converted to diesel suck!
I feel better now.

The 6.2 is not a gas motor converted to diesel. That was the Oldsmobile 350/5.7 diesel, very of which have somehow made it into GM pickups. The 6.2 was designed as a diesel engine from the ground up by Detroit Diesel.

The 6.2 isn't a terrible motor as long as you can live with it's low performance. There are plenty of them still driving around, just not going anywhere particularly fast. I think a 6.2 4WD would be a small step ahead from a 2WD 5.7 of the similar vintage.

partsch · Jan 8, 2007

6.2

I had a '84 6.2 with over 200K. Never a problem.

I have a '95 3/4 ton suburban with a 6.5 with 180K minor problems.

The newer the 6.2 the better.

I later installed a 6.5 in the 84 and loved it. Traded it in on my 02 PSD. Otherwise I would still have it.

Check out www.62-65-dieselpage.com for more info.

bobracing · Jan 8, 2007

4wd would be the only step forward, maybe some fuel mpg. The 6.2 is rated at 140-150hp (iirc). Likes been said, don't get in a hurry and it will probably work OK. Heard of people getting 20+ and 200K miles, other can't make it to the store without cracking a head. I'm sure if you poke around the net long enough there is solution to all 6.2 problems.
Another thing to think about is the trans, 700r4??? That era trans had a few problems to fix too. All these problems are fixable if you have money.

skinny_pedal · Jan 8, 2007

id do it. turn it up, do a big fat exhaust and roll black going nowhere:redneck: sounds like fun

82toyomud · Jan 9, 2007

Junk, its life is better served at the bottom of the ocean as a boat anchor

79chevy39.5's · Jan 9, 2007

i think they only put trubo 400 and 465 behind that motor but im not realy sure also the 6.2 was produced kind of earlier on. so it may be before 700r4 but ohh well get it and see how it works for you

partsch · Jan 9, 2007

6.2

I had a 700r4 behind my 6.2. with 3:73s I got about 18 mpg in the sub with 32 mtr. I got 16 with the 35 mtr.

I used to tow a 6k trailer with mine. Not bad, but not going anywhere fast.

I would buy one again if it were a 90 or newer and a 3/4 ton vice my old 1/2 ton.

Bodaciouscj7 · Jan 9, 2007

After talking to the local diesel guy in renton I think I am going to take a chance on it. He told me if I cant stand the performance of the 6.2 he can get me a 6.5 turbo on the cheap and help me do the conversion. He told me at the price being an 87 i couldn't go wrong.

skinny_pedal · Jan 9, 2007

Bodaciouscj7 said:
After talking to the local diesel guy in renton I think I am going to take a chance on it. He told me if I cant stand the performance of the 6.2 he can get me a 6.5 turbo on the cheap and help me do the conversion. He told me at the price being an 87 i couldn't go wrong.

excellent. put the turbo on it and it will proboly be much more doable around town. then turn that biaotch up and poor black coals at hondas:clappy: ...please:kiss:

GRW · Jan 10, 2007

Boomer said:
The 6.2 is not a gas motor converted to diesel. That was the Oldsmobile 350/5.7 diesel, very of which have somehow made it into GM pickups. The 6.2 was designed as a diesel engine from the ground up by Detroit Diesel.

The 6.2 isn't a terrible motor as long as you can live with it's low performance. There are plenty of them still driving around, just not going anywhere particularly fast. I think a 6.2 4WD would be a small step ahead from a 2WD 5.7 of the similar vintage.

Opp's my bad, I thought there was another one out there.
But not a performer, so personaly I stayed clear and didn't keep up with them.
But it would still work ok to swap in a BB or a Cummins

mattb1 · Jan 10, 2007

i run a 6.2 and love it. not the fastest on the block, but 23 mpg on the freeway in a suburban is a good trade for 100+ mph ability...85 is good enough for me

it'll tow for days at sea level, but being an NA motor the passes suck! if your doing a lot of over the pass towing, go with a 6.5 turbo

the newer 6.2 (aka the J code motor) has no EGR crap to plug up and is a longer lasting motor. if yours is 80-84 vintage, you might get what is called a "red block" or C code motor...good high nickle block with a bad crank snapping history. it has an EGR system, and it sucks. replace the intake with a J code intake and pray the bearings stay lubed

the oh so common issues on just about every 6.2 i have ever seen:
1. time the IP correctly. this is one line width to the right of the line on the timing cover...will put you at 3*btdc and in the proper power area. any more and all your making is noise, less and your boggin down and leaning out the motor
2. swap out the glow plugs to delco 60g's and put in a manual switch...the controller wont stay on long enough to heat the larger plugs, and are garbage anyway.
3. hollow out the air intake muffler. yes, that big oval is a muffler...and about 1" round at the widest part inside.

apart from that, crank the pump pressure up about 1/6th turn, put on a fatty exhaust and some cucv headers and roll coal

t1h5ta3 · Jan 24, 2007

ill add my 2 cents... having hotroded a 6.2...
theres 4 bolts holding the cover on the db2 injection pump, remove those, turn the motor over by hand untill you see a small hex, give'r about 1/4 turn abter that when tuning go about 1/8 at a time. this increses injection volume.
if you've got an early 700 behind it, you got some work to do to be tow able..
me, i wound up w/ a custom 13" allison converter finaly...
also if you keep it n/a (non turbo) look twards drugs : ie: nos and propane... some tuneing and its posable to get it running 14's at the strip