New guy with some questions!

[Schnabel]

New to the site; seems to be very informative!

Anyways, I'm a complete newbie to diesels in general. I know nothing about them. I know the chevy's 88-98 pretty well, but just with the 5.7

Sooo, looking into the bigger trucks, k3500's with reg cabs, and see a few with the 6.5td. Main reason for the switch to diesel would be MPG. That would actually be the only reason I would see reason to switch. I do light towing and also plow snow in the winter. It will not race or any of that stuff.

Questions:

How else is a diesel better besides torque and (possibly) MPG?

What MPG are you realistically seeing out of your stock 6.5td?

How have they changed through the years up until they switched to dmax's?

Is the turbo diesel better than the non-turbo? Which gets better MPG?

Thanks!

 

[buddy]

Welcome to the site.

If fuel efficiency is the only goal then losing money on a trade or purchase isnt a good start if you already have a good gas truck. MPG can be 16mpg around town and 18-23mpg on the highway, but thats not consistent and some guys never get that much. Its highly dependent on the truck gearing, wheels, weight, engine condition, ect...

If diesel fuel was on par or less than regular gas like it should be then the switch is worth it, but when gas starts going up diesel jumps over premium gas.

The real efficiency comes under load, or sustined idle, so towing or plowing perhaps is more efficient if going at it for many hours at a time.

The 6.5s dont come nearly as strong as the DMax trucks. Pre-94 they were mechanical fuel injection, 94-95 were OBD1 electronic fuel injection, and 96-2000 is OBDII. There are block differences and cooling and intake differences through the years as well.

NA diesels are more efficient, usually because they arent tuned as high and they have better flowing exhaust. NA diesels wont make nearly the power as the turbo diesels.

 

[great white]

New to the site; seems to be very informative!

Anyways, I'm a complete newbie to diesels in general. I know nothing about them.

Here's a quick read on diesel/gassers I wrote for someone on the general differences:

http://www.thetruckstop.us/forum/sh...olled-in-6.5td&p=330437&viewfull=1#post330437

That should at least get you started on the basics....

I know the chevy's 88-98 pretty well, but just with the 5.7

You're half way home already then....

Not a lot of differences in the 6.5 GMT400's. A bit in the electronics areas, but not nearly as much diffrence as in the gasser from 88-98...

Sooo, looking into the bigger trucks, k3500's with reg cabs, and see a few with the 6.5td. Main reason for the switch to diesel would be MPG. That would actually be the only reason I would see reason to switch. I do light towing and also plow snow in the winter. It will not race or any of that stuff.

My first thought is why a 3500 then? Seems a 2500 would suit you uses just as well. Get the right 2500 and it will have all the goodies a 3500 has, just a bit less payload. The 3500 comes in a crew cab 4 door though, could be a plus depending on what you're after.

Questions:

How else is a diesel better besides torque and (possibly) MPG?

Better?

Torque and MPG, that's about it.

Well, just MPG if you're comparing it to the 454 in the 3500's.

Heavier running gear (full float rear axle, bigger front diff, 4L80E trans, etc) in the 2500/3500's is a plus, depending on how you use it. But you could get the same stuff in a 3500/2500 gasser too.

The 454 available in the 3500 is nice for towing heavy (higher tow rating than the diesel), but you do need fairly deep pockets to feed it.

The diesel trucks tend to have longer useful lifespans (assuming the 6.5 doesn't check out early) and they do retain a bit more resale than a gasser.

They can be a bear to start when cold if the glow plug system isn't up to snuff and/or it's not plugged in. Important to know if you plan to plow for money....

Oh, parts are cheap compared to newer diesels as well.

What MPG are you realistically seeing out of your stock 6.5td?

1998, K2500, 6.5 TD, 4l80e, 4:11 gears - 13-14 MPG. For the most part, it's stock but with over 410,000 kms on it. That's a year of fuel logging in combined driving, maybe a bit more bias towards city.

How have they changed through the years up until they switched to dmax's?

Not much. Mechanical injection pumps in the beginning, changed to electronic controls with OBDI, then OBDII latter on. Vin "F" (RPO code L65) and Vin "S" (L56) trucks have different HP and Troque ratings and emmisions controls. Other than that, they're all essentially the same for the TD's.

Is the turbo diesel better than the non-turbo? Which gets better MPG?

Well, better is a matter of opinion. TD's are better for power, not quite as good for MPG and vice versa for non TD's.

Final gearing plays a big part in the MPG equation.

But if you're thinking 3500, you're probably going to be around my 13-14 MPG figure as my K2500 is the "biggest" 2500 available (8600lb GVWR) and it has most of the running gear a 3500 will come with (in that year).

Just rememebr, the 6.5 is a "light duty" diesel. Use it as such and you'll be happy with it.

Thanks!

Hope that helps.

 

[bk95td]

:welcome3:
BUddy and gw only forgot 2 things. The smell and sound of a diesel is better than any gasser:agreed::hello:

 

[Crankme69]

Welcome aboard...

I likes the rattle sound myself!

 

[turbonator]

Welcome aboard...

I likes the rattle sound myself!

x-2 on the rattle thing... and welcome to the site....:hello:

 

[WarWagon]

More to cost and your bottom line than just MPG. Reliability, parts need and costs, maintenance, and special tools also add to the profit or loss line. 6MPG gas vs. 7.5 MPG Diesel towing heavy is hard to justify. Unloaded 13 MPG gas vs 15 MPG for diesel is also hard.

Cost of Diesel vs. Gasoline is a good point. Diesel is more expensive than gas and you need to run an additive with diesel for these old injection pumps starting at $4 per tankful for 2 stroke TCW oil, ULSD is dry vs. the high surfer diesel these pumps and injectors were designed to run on.

You need to change the oil more often and there is more oil to change than a gasser. Fuel filters get changed more often. Injectors around $500.00 a set only last 100K miles and IP's need work around this age as well. PMD's are a $400.00 part...

Sure there are cheap parts. But these are 10+ year old trucks and tend to need lots of parts. Some failures ruin the entire engine and the $800 turbo.