Advice for a new diesel owner?

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skylark

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As a 6.5 owner, I would like to give you this advice. Get a rabid squirrel to chew on your left nipple. Have an opossum rip your right nipple off. Get into a fist fight with a kangaroo on meth. Piss off a rattlesnake with an under bite to the point that it knaws on your manhood to the point that if you ever pee through your swollen member again that it works like the water sprayer in the vegetable aisle. Then get r@ped repeatedly by an entire family of silverback gorillas with sexually transmitted diseases. Finally go to sleep naked in a prison without lube while handcuffed.

Owning a 6.5 is worse than that.

My ass still hurts.
 

skylark

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The 6.5 was based on the 6.2 which didn't have enough power to do much of anything but The fine folks at General Moturds decided to "compete" with the 5.9 Cummins powered Dog and the upcoming 7.3 Powersmoke. To do that they slapped an inefficient turbo on a larger displacement engine with crappy metallurgy. Then they used a cooling system that wasn't up to the task. They also rushed the electronic injection pump using, in my opinion, an underdeveloped control module (PMD). There are notorious for PMS failures (was that really a typo?...), cracked blocks in the main webs, cracked heads, overheating cylinder #8, injection pump issues, failed oil pressure sensors, complete cooling system failures, harmonic balancer failures resulting in sheared crankshafts, a crappy rubber balancer pulley, the wastegate system consists of failed vacuum pump, cracked plastic lines and solenoid failures, the turbos used were really undersized for their application resulting in high drive pressures causing excessive heat leading to cracking in the heads and valve failures plus additional heat to the already overtaxed cooling system. Oh, I almost forgot that oil cooler lines like to fail in dramatic fashion. Don't believe me? Just Google 6.5 and everything that I mentioned.

I personally have owned 4 6.5 powered trucks. One I immediately sold. Two came to me with low mileage, 79k and 124k and both of those had valve failures. The 79k one had meticulous records including the additive and fuel mileage of every tank of fuel since new, every light bulb, oil change and truck wash. The fourth truck was my own personal truck and the #3 exhaust valve failed taking out the head, piston and possibly the rod as well. May it rest in pieces at 104k...

I'm stupid enough to put a 6.5 back in my truck because I don't have Cummins swapping cash and I had already bought new hoses, glow plugs, injectors, upgraded turbo, mandrel bent crossover and more prior to the engine failure. Not too long ago I came across an Optimizer for a reasonable price. Do I trust it? NOPE! I've addressed every single issue mentioned above but prior to it getting back on the road I will renew my AAA membership.
 

618 Syndicate

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You really don't seem to like these engines, huh? I mean I have heard a few bad things but then I have heard good and bad about just about every engine out there... Are they really that fragile?
They're not fragile in stock trim once you address the known issues. As long as you're satisfied with stock levels of performance you should be fine.
I was pretty excited to get it, the people I am getting it from used to pull a 32' travel trailer all the time... Should be well within its capabilities to occasionally pull a 12' box trailer full of tools? I would hope?
Yes, it should handle that fine, depending on what it weighs.
I would like to avoid replacing the truck or the engine for the next 5 years at least, preferably 10 or more. Is that even reasonably possible?
Yes. Just remember it's a 30 year old light duty diesel. Handle the issues and don't ask it to do more.
 

someotherguy

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They're not fragile in stock trim once you address the known issues. As long as you're satisfied with stock levels of performance you should be fine.

Yes, it should handle that fine, depending on what it weighs.

Yes. Just remember it's a 30 year old light duty diesel. Handle the issues and don't ask it to do more.
Whew.. you're way nicer about that boat anchor than most would be. I figure it's best to rip the band-aid off now instead of letting the guy learn from years of E.R.-priced first aid. ;)

Richard
 

618 Syndicate

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Whew.. you're way nicer about that boat anchor than most would be. I figure it's best to rip the band-aid off now instead of letting the guy learn from years of E.R.-priced first aid. ;)

Richard
What is the world coming to when I'm the nice voice in the room??
 

someotherguy

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What is the world coming to when I'm the nice voice in the room??
I'm just jaded, old, and grouchy - mostly from constantly cruising craigslist and facebook marketplace and seeing nothing but GMT400 ads in three categories:

1. Overpriced piles of crap with low options - V6, crank windows, clapped completely out but still think it's $4K+
2. Decent priced whatever it is but "NO TITLE" (title pawn has it)
3. 6.5td's misrepresented in any number of ways such as "ran fine when parked, just needs batteries", "just needs starter bolt", referred to as a "Duramax 6.5", "reliable", etc. :D oh and every single one of those priced like it's a Cummins

Richard
 

89obsSB

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Hey everyone,

Not new here but it's been a while since I posted.

Anyhow, in a couple weeks I will be getting a new-to-me 1995 K1500 ECSB, with the 6.5 turbodiesel. It has about 119,900 on the clock and drove very well on my test drive. The CEL came on but I did not notice any issues or noises at any speed, in town or on the highway.

Is there anything I should be wary of regarding this truck insofar as my daily usage? I have read not to let them get too hot, and that the PMD wants to be moved if it hasn't been already.

I know that the truck has new injectors and fuel filters, new brake lines, and a couple other new things that I forget.

I guess my main thing I am asking is 1) what should I look for/avoid while I drive, and 2) what maintenance items are common or should be done preemptively for a diesel?

Thanks a
It seems you have the most important stuff down. Watching the coolant temp and moving the PMD.

Something else to consider is that these injection pumps were designed when ULSD was not a thing. The pumps can use a little help with lubrication by using a diesel additive or a quality 2 ****** oil when filling up.

At 120k miles the next concern could be the injection pump if it has not already been replaced.

1. Its a light duty diesel, don't expect Duramax performance.
2. These early IDI diesels are don't have extreme maintenance. Oil changes and filters like everything else.

Inspect the turbo for excessive shaft play and make sure the vacuum pump and solenoids are working if they haven't been deleted.

I have an early model without the electronic injection pump. So that's about as far as I can get you.
Bought my wife a 97 cclb dually with the 6.5 in it. She loves her truck and loves the 6.5. I know there are a lot of haters out there but if you get one that’s been well taken care of you’ll have no problems. I’ve seen some videos of guys pulling 20k lbs with these like there’s nothing there. Ours has around 220k on it and it runs like a champ. No blow by whatsoever. And doesn’t use any oil whatsoever with 3-4000 mile oil change intervals. I did a water pump on it and the timing gears look as if they were brand new. Super clean compared to ones I’ve seen in the past.
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Don’t see them often on the road anymore and they have a one of a kind sound when you open up the exhaust with some 4 inch pipe and that’s what’s so great about having one. Everyone you see around my area is a basic 454. I’m not a big fan. good luck and I hope you enjoy your 6.5 the way we enjoy ours.
 

89obsSB

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Bought my wife a 97 cclb dually with the 6.5 in it. She loves her truck and loves the 6.5. I know there are a lot of haters out there but if you get one that’s been well taken care of you’ll have no problems. I’ve seen some videos of guys pulling 20k lbs with these like there’s nothing there. Ours has around 220k on it and it runs like a champ. No blow by whatsoever. And doesn’t use any oil whatsoever with 3-4000 mile oil change intervals. I did a water pump on it and the timing gears look as if they were brand new. Super clean compared to ones I’ve seen in the past.
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Don’t see them often on the road anymore and they have a one of a kind sound when you open up the exhaust with some 4 inch pipe and that’s what’s so great about having one. Everyone you see around my area is a basic 454. I’m not a big fan. good luck and I hope you enjoy your 6.5 the way we enjoy ours.
Everyone has there own opinions with the 6.5 and everyone has had either good luck and love them or terrible luck and hate them. I on the other hand love the 6.5. Some people just buy garbage that’s not been taken care of and beat like a 4 banger Honda with a fart can. Some get lucky and get one that’s been owned by an old man that’s taken very good care of his rig since it was almost new.

like forest said. The 6.5 is like a box of chocolates. You never know what your gonna get.
 
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