Go 6BD1 Greg! I even know where you can score one...
It it weren't such a huge project, I'd consider it!
With a few simple modifications my old 6.5 pulled a load very well and provided similar fuel mileage and power as the
stock 12v and 24v Cummins I've owned. I know numbers on paper don't mean much in the real world... but rated at 215hp/440ft/lbs the later 6.5's are in the same ball park as any of the other 90's diesel pickups. Too bad you can't easily add 100+ hp like the others :-\ Its a bit outdated but have you read this article?
http://www.thedieselpage.com/finale.htm
I wouldn't hesitate putting a 6.5 in anything (especially if it was replacing a gasser LOL) but I'd rather have a 12valve Cummins or IDI
Totally agree, I was saying that if one started with a 6.5l truck it could be pretty cool. No way would I swap one in, for the time & money one would be better off with one of the Cummins or Isuzu offerings. IMO the 6BT is overkill for a 1/2 ton GM.
I have read that article, they make the 6.5 (after mods) like a pretty viable option! I don't know about that IDI remark though...
With the truck being built with dual use i guess i would look for a solution to the poor mileage problem as well. Everything is a compermise with a multi use vehicle. I think swapping a diesel would be more trouble than it would be worth. But, i do lile your idea of a stroker motor. More power means the truck may hold high gear longer. And all it may take is a simple computer re flash to make it all work together. But, honestly, i think a goal of mid teens for mileage maybe the best you could manage no matter what you do. Even with a stroker motor you may only be in the low to mid teens. Diesel or not. Take any modern turbo diesel, pep it up, and install larger tires and they may all struggle to maintain mid teens for mileage. Especially if they are honest with their figures. 37" tires is a big, heavy tire. The truck has a much larger frontal area and it is aerodynamically challenged. I just dont see anything you can do to get it over the 15 mpg mark and stay within any kind of a working budget.
I love the truck, and i think it is a home run, bottom of the ninth, score tied kind of build. One of the most impressive builds i have seen. You kept with the theme and had a clear vision of the build from start to finish. Something most of us lack.
LT.
You are absolutely correct, I did not expect great mileage with this build and the talk of a diesel swap is just that.... talk. While I would LOVE a powerful turbo diesel under the hood, it's just not a realistic option. I do want to retain factory reliability and that's a huge reason to stick with a smallblock Vortec engine.
I like the Vortec 350 and my plans are to build a 383 stroker with 6" rods and a slightly more aggressive roller cam. 6" rods will let me run low octane and keep the compression ratio decently high. If I can get 420-430 ft/lbs out of the engine, I'd be very happy. I think it would pull the overdrive ratio at freeway speeds just fine at that point. If I could also manage 13-14 MPG, I would be very pleased... but if not... I'd still have 420+ ft/lbs... I can deal with poor MPG's if I have some power.
I've played with the idea of a Vortec 454, but that would require a transmission upgrade to a 4L80E ($$$) and rebuilding the engine would be $$$. An ever more amazing idea is a Vortec 8.1l... probably one of the most badass GM big blocks (other than the 502
), but that would require a fair amount of wiring, etc, etc. Not something I want to deal with. I think a 383 built right will suite me just fine.
Thanks for the other props on the build, it's been a fun one! Not too complicated, but a very big change in capability. I realize my plans were a little loose at the start, but I knew what I really wanted... just had to make sure my check book agreed.
x2. One of the reasons you got this truck was for the motor. I'd stay away from a motor swap. If you're going that route, sell it to Lewis and build something else up.
As mentioned above, a big diesel swap isn't in the works... just talk. Factory reliability is something I want to keep. I don't need/want another big project, I want to get out and hit the trail!
Lewis couldn't afford it... at least not what I'd need to get out of it!
You would have been better off mileage-wise with 5.13 or 5.38 with that tall overdrive. BUT, since you got the 14b for a good deal with 4.88's, it certainly wouldn't have been worth swapping. (just for future reference or whatever....)
One of the big factors for going with the 4.88's was towing... 4L60E's don't like towing in OD, so I'll be towing in 3rd gear. 37's and 4.88's in 3rd = 3300 RPM at 75 MPH... which IMO is a good place to be. I can use the big OD ratio when I'm not towing and hopefully get half-decent mileage. I like the deep 1st gear ratio and the big OD ratio of the 4L60E, so I'd like to keep it.
Since we're talking about transmissions, my plan is to buy a rebuilt 4L60E Monster Transmission... probably around the same time the 383 gets installed.
^ditto^
but I do have a soft spot for the 6.5TD
Like I said... IMO starting with a 6.5L TD truck would a half decent option.
