6.5 Detroit diesel

[dk2429]

I've been tossing the idea around about possibly finding a 2500 or 3500 with the 6.5 Detroit for cheap to just mess around with and fix up. Been doing a lot of research on this engine, and I've seen nothing but issues with the PDM location and injector pump. Also I've been seeing that you're lucky to get 400k out of these motors.

Just wondering if any of you folks have ever owned this truck and what y'all have to say about them from personal experience. I'm not looking for one to drive around every day and haul all of my toys. Might use it to haul the boat 20 miles down the road to the bay or just drive around on the weekend. Just looking for a project. Preferably looking for one that runs great mechanically, but could maybe use some body work. Been looking on craigslist and you can find one easily for $2k-$4k. So what do y'all think about the 6.5??

 

[TheBac]

Honestly, best to ask over at Diesel Place in their 6.5 section.

 

[dk2429]

Honestly, best to ask over at Diesel Place in their 6.5 section.

Will look them up, thanks

 

[zakkb787]

I've got a n/a 6.2 and I love it. Try to find a mechanical 6.5. Was the first years. If you get a manual trans and the right options you can swap the electronic crap for mechanical. I've tried to kill mine and haven't been able to yet.

 

[zf>allison]

I had 2, a 6.2 turbo I swapped into a half ton with a 2wd nv4500. And a 93 6.5 nv4500 truck. I will ways have a soft spot for those trucks. Problem is they seem to be in the same price range as a older Cummins these days, I wanted a crew cab long bed earlier this year and ended up buying my brothers at duramax for what a 6.5 goes for. They are fun and cheap

 

[SickLL7Crenshaw]

We have 8 6.2l and 3 6.5l here at the ranch. Relocating the PMD is a must on the 6.5s. Other then that some high mileage 6.2 6.5 tend to eat oil and coolant. Watch those levels and they will last a long time. There are tons of them over 400k.

 

[Chevy1925]

Dad had a 93 6.5 (first year so all mechanical). Had 250k on it when he sold it. Original 4l80 was just dieing (no first gear but the rest worked fine lol). Didn’t eat oil or coolant. Use to tow all the time, then was used as my first rig to learn to drive in and then became the shop delivery truck till the trans went.

Only issues were oil pressure sensors like to die which would cause the fuel supply to shut off and kill the engine, thermostat housing like to weep, glow plugs like to fall in the cyl when changing them, and that was about it. Damn good truck. Thing road smooth as heck too for a 3500

 

[dk2429]

Thanks for the info. One big thing I've heard/seen is that the 6.5 is good engine once you address the stupid little things around it that GM messed up on, but it won't tolerate the abuse a Duramax or Cummins will