School me on 6.5 diesels?

[Nuts]

Looking at a 3/4 ton suburban with a 6.5 and all i've ever heard is that they are slow turds. I've had a few powerstrokes and 4 cummins trucks and don't expect them to be equal to those, nore am I looking for a race truck or to roll coal at every stop light,. I just want a decent tow rig with good fuel mileage. is a 6.5 even worth messing with?

 

[lowbudgetjunk]

I haven't had one personally, but have a few friends that have. I do have a 6.2L NA diesel and it won't get out of its own way. If you want to tow 5000 pounds worth of anything, you are wasting your time. Pulling a lawn mower with 5x8 single axle trailer, you'll be fine.

 

[muddinmetal]

Looking at a 3/4 ton suburban with a 6.5 and all i've ever heard is that they are slow turds. I've had a few powerstrokes and 4 cummins trucks and don't expect them to be equal to those, nore am I looking for a race truck or to roll coal at every stop light,. I just want a decent tow rig with good fuel mileage. is a 6.5 even worth messing with?

They are just as strong as older stock 12v, & get really good mileage, you'll be fine just as long as you accept their limitations

 

[Nuts]

The buggy and trailer shouldn't be more than 7000 pounds, and like I said I'm not expecting to get anywhere first, i just want to get there

 

[InittowiniT]

Had a 1998 nice truck but would not pull a yj on a car trailer. Ran 230 degrees when pulling and bought a remote pmd for it. I would buy anything else, 1/2 ton gas burner!!

 

[lowbudgetjunk]

Hell, I forgot about all the damn HMMWV's that had them. Drove those for 8 years.

If you do get one, mileage better be lower and built after mid year 1996, I think. Cooling is better and less chance of head cracks.

 

[grcthird]

Had a 97 one ton flatbed that I hauled all kinds of heavy **** with. Super slow and didnt have a bumch of power, but it never let me down and for the most part never really gave me any major problems. I wouldn't buy another one, but then again I'm not really a diesel fan either.

 

[fire6945]

I had one that the previous owner done about everything you could to boost it up. Injectors, chip, more boost, exhaust ECT.. It ran good for what it is, but a stock tundra still smoked it pulling our rigs to Harlan.

 

[fire6945]

Think Heath Diesel makes upgrades, but you won't like the prices.

 

[drkelly]

is a 6.5 even worth messing with?

NO

 

[Eddyj]

It's like pulling with an old school 350.

 

[Stretch]

They have their limitations like any other, but I'd buy a 5.7 Vortec half or 3/4 ton before I bought a 6.5 Diesel.

 

[zjtrey]

DON'T DO IT! :****:

I had one that was over 200k and by the time you got done fixing all the bs problems, you'd be back to re-fixing what you started out on..

Power sucks, even with all the heath diesel mods.. pmd's go out regularly unless you relocate it, heads crack, vacuum pumps go out and you've got no boost endless problems.. The factory fuel system is designed to kill injection pumps every 75K unless you modify it. stupid small exhaust from the factory with cat converters that clog up and send EGT's sky high.. I could go on and on.. just don't do it buy ANYTHING else..

traded mine in on a Tundra and never looked back

 

[onepieceatatime]

Re:

My dad had one in a dually for years and he pulled my yj behind my 1/2 ton 5.3 and said the small block pulled better than the diesel.

 

[Nuts]

So it sounds like the 1985 2wd crew cab with a 454 and T400 would be a better towing option?

 

[muddinmetal]

So it sounds like the 1985 2wd crew cab with a 454 and T400 would be a better towing option?

Hell yes, square body Chevys are

 

[bbone]

Turds

 

[Nuts]

Re: Re: School me on 6.5 diesels?

ive had one for 6 years.

It has 270,000 on it .... 30,000 is mine. I had to do the remote pmd when I got it and it shucked the tcase a month ago , so ive spent 900 bucks on it.

I drove it 100 miles a day for a long time , it got decent mileage. It pulls the samurai with an 18ft trailer and you cant tell its there. It pulls my parents 30ft camper as long as your not in a hurry.

if a 5.7 out Tows one its sick and needs a manual boost controller.

they are cheap, I'd like to have a CC short bed 4x4 instead of my CC LWB

Thanks for the first hand knowledge. I know everybody thinks there are junk,and they might be if compared to a newer diesel,but I've never talked to anyone that has actually owned one to get a straight answer.

 

[locnrol]

My burbo has 279000 on it. Runs like a top. Diesel Kleen with every tank. 96 model. Tows jeep good.

 

[zjtrey]

Re: Re: School me on 6.5 diesels?

Thanks for the first hand knowledge. I know everybody thinks there are junk,and they might be if compared to a newer diesel,but I've never talked to anyone that has actually owned one to get a straight answer.

no problem.... when I had mine i really wished i could have gotten my hands on it when it was low miles so it could have gotten all the goodies before it was wore out as Christy Macks hoohoo… i tried really hard to make a good truck out of it but in the end i don't think it could be done… the truck itself was super nice, leather captains chairs, 5 speed, rode like a caddilac just kept ****ing breaking but it never left me stranded.

one time on the way to harlan i lost boost.. figured out it was the vacuum pump, i was stopped in a lowes parking lot so i went in and got some ice maker tube.. started the rig up on the trailer and stole vacuum off the rig to power the boost solenoid. my buddies still pick on that one but it got me to harlan and home..