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Its not a 350 diesel!

toddm

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I was on some forum I can't even remember the name, everyone there said the 6.2 has a gas block. They really need to get out more.
 

Keith_J

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Gasoline engines converted to diesel have been successful. VW, for instance. The 1.6 to 2.0 liter 4 cylinder diesels are all derived from gasoline engines. Head bolts are torque to yield, head gaskets are multi-layer metal (thin coated steel sandwich of soft aluminum) with cylinder rings.

Had GM incorporated a decent water separator and used better head bolting/gasketing, it would have fared far better. And like the VW diesels, mechanics were ill prepared to properly fix this engine.
 

197thhhc

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Had GM incorporated a decent water separator and used better head bolting/gasketing, it would have fared far better. And like the VW diesels, mechanics were ill prepared to properly fix this engine.
As someone who was a mechanic at a chevy store back then (and still is today with Acura). I dont believe the mechanics were "ill prepared to properly fix" these engines. I dont know if you have personnaly been inside a 350 diesel that has suffered catastrophic failure but as someone who has been I dont know how you can properly fix an engine that has had the crank blown into the oil pan. It was poor design. You cant take an engine designed for 8.5:1 compression and bump it to 18:1 compression without a major design change and expect it to work. Our way of properly fixing this problem was to put in a gas 350 replacement engine.

Sorry for the rant Keith_J. You just kinda touched a nerve.
 

IdahoPlowboy

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I just had a Jackhole tell me that they will no longer use the 6.5 in Humvees, it will be replaced with the Cummins 6BT. The Dodge Cummins owners tend to be the most clueless and by far the most arrogant haters of the 6.2 and 6.5.
 

Stretch44875

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The perkins diesel on my massey, uses the same block as the gasser. But it's only 60hp

Grandma had a diesel olds, it was a good car for us. Think she had the pump replaced once. But it was not driven hard.
 

Tanner

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Some facts. The Olds 350 diesel was produced from 78-85. The 6.2 entered production in the 82 model year. The 350 diesel blocks were always a diesel block but it shared nearly every dimension with the gassers and thats why it's called converted. The headbolt pattern was poorly suited for diesel compression and the chief cause of failure. The 6.2 was a GM design assisted by Detroit which was a wholly owned subsidiary at the time.
6.2 was a clean-sheet diesel design from Detroit Diesel; no 'GM' truck input. Correct though that DD was a subsidiary division w/in GM hierarchy.

'Tanner'
 

Recovry4x4

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6.2 was a clean-sheet diesel design from Detroit Diesel; no 'GM' truck input. Correct though that DD was a subsidiary division w/in GM hierarchy.

'Tanner'
Agreed, victim of my own wording. GM truck said they wanted a light duty diesel engine and DD did the rest. GM Truck did have some spec perameters such as retaining the standard bellhousing bolt pattern and such stuff like that. The design to fit within these perameters was all DD.
 

m16ty

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The perkins diesel on my massey, uses the same block as the gasser. But it's only 60hp
True. I've got a diesel D19 Allis tractor and it shares the exact same block as the gas model. Only difference in these two instances is that they are a block built for a diesel but use the same block for the gas engine, not the other way around.
 

MarcusOReallyus

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Agreed, victim of my own wording. GM truck said they wanted a light duty diesel engine and DD did the rest. GM Truck did have some spec perameters such as retaining the standard bellhousing bolt pattern and such stuff like that. The design to fit within these perameters was all DD.

Makes sense to share parts when possible. Reduces inventory. Reduces cost. Hurts NOTHING. It's a no-brainer, really.
 
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Wildchild467

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I had a guy tell me that he knew every nut and bolt of my truck. He said the engine in my deuce was a Detroit and would burn almost anything. I corrected him by saying, no it’s a military designed multifuel engine that was made by Hercules, Continental, and White. All engines were built under the same contract and interchange parts with no problems. He again said it was a Detroit. I was a little persistant by saying it was not, but was not going to waste my day trying to set him straight. He fit the bill of looking and acting not all that bright. Scares me to think this guy could have worked on my truck when he was in the service. I thanked him for his service anyway and hoped in my Hercules powered Deuce and drove away.
 

wayne pick

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Makes sense to share parts when possible. Reduces inventory. Reduces cost. Hurts NOTHING. It's a no-brainer, really.
This is true, and as far back as the 1960s, GM implemented a sort of parts bin manufacturing process. Manufacturing a small variety of parts for a large variety of models. GM had small block and big block engines, three six cylinder and one "iron duke" four, reducing cost and inventory big time. Ford on the other hand had a variety of V8 and 6cyl engines that had little or no parts interchangeability, every one was different in some way. GMC truck used V6 engines with displacements ranging from 305 cid to 478cid. one 637ci V8, and one V12 of 637cid. Why is any of this relevent to this thread? Anyone with GM engine knowledge, 20/20 vision and are able to fog a mirror can tell the diference between a gas and 6.2 diesel engine that shares no parts with any GM gasser.2cents
 

MarcusOReallyus

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Wayne, it's funny how some companies "get it" and some don't. My dad's employer had a big fleet of pickups, and they ran Chevy's exactly because of the parts issue.

I had an old Datsun (1969) and found that those things had mastered the art of parts interchangeability. Bell housings, transmissions, rear axles, blocks - it was amazing how much sharing there was across product lines, even pickup trucks sharing with sedans.

In contrast, Toyota was extreme in the opposite direction. I helped a friend with his '69 Corona, and we found out there were seventeen different possible water pumps for his year car. Automatic vs. stick, 4 door vs. two door. Stuff that should have made NO difference, made a huge difference. Crazy.

I suspect they've learned better now.
 

wayne pick

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Hea Marcus, I had a short stint as a mechanic at a Leaseway, formerly Anchor Motor Freight terminal in Tarrytown NY. System wide, and no matter what terminal of origin, all the tractors were Chevy Brigadiers. All with 6-71 DE-troit Diesels, as we call them back east, and 9sp spicer tranny's. They were all identical down to last nut and bolt. After literally two weeks on the job, I could work on those trucks in my sleep. The parts room was fully stocked, but took up little room as the parts were specific to one type of truck and trailer. We could just about rebuild a tractor mechanically, with the parts we had in stock. By far the most efficient truck shop I've ever seen. Unfortunately the GM plant in Tarrytown closed shortly after, and along with it Leaseway. I was offered a transfer to the Welsley Island terminal up on the St lawrence river, but declined as southern New York state was cold enough for me in the winter months. LOL. I loved that job.
 

nattieleather

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I had a vet argue with my that my old M211 was a multi-fuel that burned diesel and JP4. I would just smile and say "is that so?" all the time thinking I wouldn't want to burn diesel or JP4 in that old 302. :) I had another guy say my old CUCV had a converted 350 in it and I's say "is that so?" and go on about my business. I just let people flap their lips... I figure they need the exercise! :lol:
 

patracy

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Sad to see that nearly 30 years later, the scourge of the Olds 350 diesel still survives. Europe has so many cool diesel vehicles. Here, nada.
 
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