[njsteve]

I found a local reputable diesel place today. They were a 45 year, family owned GMC truck dealer until the 2008 GM slaughter of small dealers. They are still a GMC truck repair facility for light and med duty trucks and familiar with the 6.5s.

That being said, I pulled the drain plug and there was a lot of coolant at the bottom, under the oil. So it is looking to be a bit more serious than a head gasket, possibly a cracked block or head. And if the coolant ran through the bearings for any length of time, that pretty much points me towards a new engine.

The shop is going to do a compression test and dye test next week to confirm a diagnosis and see exactly where the failure point is. We will then make a decision based on the facts.

Anyone have any experience with the GM part # 88894125, which is the brand new factory long block? They go for around $6K and have a 3 year/100K mile warranty. I am looking for warranty coverage otherwise I'd go with a military takeout. The shop said they have had nothing but trouble with Jasper - he said they had to replace a Jasper Duramax three times on the same job. After that they wouldn't touch a Jasper again