Both my 83 3/4 ton long bed truck and 84 M1009 Blazer have the 6.2l diesel. The civilian comes with a 12v system and the military has a 24v system with 2 HD alternators. I like the 24v system mainly because it heats up the glow plugs faster and if your planning on running a bunch of lights and electrical equip like i am it's a nice thing to have. Also if you ever break anything on the trail you can use HD jumper cables and wield right off of the 24v system with a stick. The 6.2 with a stock suspension and 31" tires average 18 mpg city and 26 mpg Hwy. They are indeed gutless but they also have more torque then the 350 gas. Low mile motors from Boyce run about $900 bones so feel free to abuse the 6.2! Banks turbo kit bolts right on and adds around 40% HP(so it is said) also the military did weight reductions on the blazer, no A/C, carpet, manual windows, no radio, to name a few. They also USUALLY come stock with CB and communication antenna mounts on the rear side panels but they tend to hit obstructions and then get removed anyhow. I'm kinda an Armageddon freak. The military 6.2 has no computer and runs off of heat and compression. I was once on top of Farmington Peak in my pickup at 2am during the spring and the alternator went totally out and the motor still purred like a champ
no lights though had to duck tape 2 mini mag lights on the center emblem so I could see going back down the mountain. Lol! If anyone ever plans on buying a M1009 Military blazer I would recommend doing a very good inspection on the frame and axle housing. The military liked to throw them out of airplanes for some reason lol!
