New engine for the family truckster!

[njsteve]

What did it need? I've been tinkering with this one for over two decades now. Other than the headgasket glitch (a known problem) and relocating the PMD (injection pump brain) to behind the front bumper instead of on the 200+ degree engine, it has been a great truck.

I decided against rebuilding the existing engine because it already has the inherent stress cracks in the original heads between the valve seats (which GM declared to be not an issue in their TSBs), so I would have had to spend a couple thousand for some non-Chinese cast heads... and then new pistons for a thousand more...yada yada - til the cost approached a brand new engine that has all the old weaknesses designed out. That's not even considering that possibility that the block could have main web cracks. Certain batches of these blocks, mainly in the 1997 to 2000 range were machined too quickly after casting and were too green when assembled. The main webs crack right were the bolts go in and travel to the location where the oil squirters were drilled to spray the bottoms of the pistons.

So, in the event the block has no cracks, I already have several 6.5 guys wanting it.

[Tommy]

I had new injectors/glowplugs and glow plug relay installed as well as new Turbo and turbo master from Heaths Diesel (with hurricane wheel). Also bought Heaths improved water pump and new fan. I ditched the old crossover pipe and added the larger mandrel bent unit as well as a Diamond eye 4" exhaust. We found several oil leaks and spent some time and money sealing those up. Added a new starter from Heaths too and had to buy a new front starter brace as the last one was installed without the brace. last year I trashed the 4L80E so that was replaced with a new one.

My truck is a Behemoth, a 2000 model long wheel base crew cab 4wd dually with 4:10's and I was hooked the day i saw it. Unfortunately I was never a fan of the engine but the rest of the truck overrulled the engine. In case anyone is scratching their head, yes its a 2000 model. the 2500/3500 kept the 88-98 body till 2000.

Tommy

[njsteve]

You will like that Diamondeye exhaust and crossover. That was my Christmas present two years ago. The 6.5s really breathe with that setup. That factory crossover pipe is a horrible double wall design and 50% of them have a collapsed inner pipe at the bends. It reduces the flow from a 2" pipe to a 1/2" pipe.

I've been running the Heath maxi-torque chip and turbomaster manual boost adjuster for 6 years. My truck is an OBD1 so it uses the old fashioned PROM chip. Good stuff. I also have a delegated laptop that has the GMTD Scantech software on it so I can reset the pump when I install it on the new engine. Without that you have to go to the dealer and they usually had no idea whatsoever on how to work on these trucks (unless you find an oldtimer still working there) .

Never run a starter without a brace on these engines. Many a horror story of guys breaking the ear off the block from the starter loosening the two mounting bolts and then torqueing over without the brace in place.

Let's see a photo! My neighbor down the street has the exact same truck (but a 454) and it's black. Evil looking monster.

My first casualty so far has been the starter - the tiny terminal on the solenoid snapped off...and get this...the AC/Delco solenoid is discontinued and even an aftermarket version is $165!!!! But a brand new ACDelco (not reman) starter is $148 (rockauto). Ordered it yesterday.

[njsteve]

Oh, the joys of getting those last two upper bellhousing to engine bolts. There is no easy way to do it. They are double studs with all sorts of brackets coming off the studs. And not accessible from under the truck. I had to rip the remainder of the inch-thick, sound deadener pads (probably made of asbestos) off the firewall to even see the studs. That, of course is after I pulled the intake manifold, fuel/water separator, assorted non-moveable wiring harnesses, etc,. Luckily I borrowed my friend's ladder-creeper - a real life saver! I used a ratcheting, angled, closed end, 1/2" wrench for the nuts and 9/16" for the studs. - yeah this is a 1995 so they used SAE threaded transmission-to-engine bolts. Everything else on the engine is metric.

[njsteve]

Oh, and yes this was the extent of my family's assistance in this endeavor on this holiday weekend - laughing at me as I am devoured by the family truckster and photographing it for posterity. :-)

[earntaz]

Climbing into the engine bay like that is really getting into your work ... LoL TAZ

[njsteve]

I spoke too soon this morning. My wife was busy so my son actually helped me take the hood off the truck so the hoist would fit. Though I did have to wake him up at 11:00 AM to do it.