New owner of a 6.2, K5 Blazer

[nycxjeremyy]

Hey yall,

I'm new to the diesel scene, and I was recommended this place by a friend of mine, I'm hoping to gain knowledge on my motor to help prolong it's life

I own a 1990 Chevy K5 Blazer which has the 6.2 Diesel Engine in it, the motor itself was swapped out from a donor 1985 K5 and thus has relatively low mileage (75K)

The swap was professionally done by a shop, so it wasn't hacked together, it has a spin on fuel filter, new glow plugs, and it also has the ATS Turbo Kit on it. I also recently bought a fluidampr to take care of the harmonic balancer issue.

The only major thing I've done so far is replace the transmission as it went out on me, I had a custom one built by Gearstar, originally it was supposed to be a built 700r4, however issues arised on their end and im now getting a (custom built) stage 3 built 4L60E (which I can't link due to being a new user, but fairly easy to find on Google)

Below I'll show a photo of my engine bay, along with paperwork showing the work done on it but I hope to gain knowledge from this site on how to keep my motor running as it is my Daily Driver, any tips, advice, etc would go a long way! Again, thank you all!

 

[jrsavoie]

Nice rig

 

[Will L.]

Welcome,
Nice rig.
Never use starting fluid, temps of 220 and up ruin the engine.
A few more details to learn but start there.

 

[dbrannon79]

Very nice looking rig. one thing I would suggest, you say your having a 4l60E built. you might consider a 4l80E having it "built" they are stronger than the 60E's and will use the same controller you plan to use to make it shift.

 

[WarWagon]

originally it was supposed to be a built 700r4, however issues arised on their end and im now getting a (custom built) stage 3 built 4L60E

I don't follow why you are "Yeah give me the electronics" and all the changes that requires? It ain't that hard to build a 700r4. What's the full story?

What transmission oil they recommending?

X2 drop a 4L80E in instead as 6.2/6.5 diesels when they aren't eating their own innards like to lunch the transmission behind them. No a built 4L60E isn't better than a mere stock 4L80E. If a spag fails in a 4L60E it likes to spin the input drum at 2X engine RPM. This is a real FN problem when your redline is 6500 RPM like the Trailblazer SS has. The drum exploding at that RPM takes the top of the transmission clean off and makes you wonder why they didn't have a Kevlar blanket from the factory. The SS had a 4L70E, upgraded 4L60E. Didn't make a week hauling the cargo where a stock 4L80E did 50,000 miles. The aftermarket came up with a kit to stuff a 4L80E in the Trailblazer SS. Just saying if your spending the money there are better transmission choices out there.

May as well go through the transfer case while your are looking at as it's dessert...

 

[JayTheCPA]

I am a bit lost here in terms of what is going on.

Narrative indicates that the only major thing is the tranny. Except, the invoices show that the powertain is (or, was) also a mess. What is the current status here? Not sure I would have fixed a locked-up turbo, but rather go with a new unit.

While working on the driveline, IIRC, one more area to focus is the rear as it might not have the same strength gears as the pickup and Suburban. Will admit that I am not the best expert with history here, so just do some homework.

Photo shows the passenger side battery in an odd location. Is it secure?

How is this charged air system working from an airflow perspective? Photo indicates this is a custom setup where it is not clear how the charged air is getting from the compressor to the intake manifold. Related, what / whose exhaust manifolds were used?

 

[Paveltolz]

Welcome to the site. That’s a nice looking rig. Should serve you well in S.D.
Agree with the advice on transmissions. The diesels got the 4L80s and for good reason so, if there’s still time, might want to talk to the transmission shop.
JayTheCPA called it on the passenger side battery. It needs to be secured back to that tray like it was in this picture only, get an aftermarket battery tie down vs. the Zip Tie which is probably why its resting where it is now.


Other than keeping an eye on the temperatures and regular fluid changes:
Fuel System: Fuel Pressure Gauge and you’ll want to upgrade the Lift Pump and Filters. Also, add two stroke oil to the tank at each fill up to keep the IP lubricated. Lift Pumps weren’t designed to run on ULSD and the added lubrication will keep things happy longer.
Battery Cables: Larger gauge wires will help your system and improve starting performance.
Go over the grounds and ensure they’re clean and protected. Dielectric grease at a minimum. I use Noalox (Ideal product avail at Home Depot) which is a protectant AND contact promoter.