Accidentally bought a GM V8 Diesel

[will@montlaur.com.au]

G'Day all,

Well, after three years of driving an Isuzu rangie and collecting bits for the upgrade, I accidentally bought an 88 rangie with a GM V8 diesel in it.

Now I know a lot of people out there think the GM diesel is a POS but it hauls **** and anyway it's too late so wish me luck. If it craps out on me I'll be sure to let the forum know so you can remind me how well all the isuzus out there are still running.

Anyway to cut a long story short my 82 rangie with the NA isuzu and the 93 Vogue SE that I bought to transfer the drive train over to now need a new Isuzu Landy enthusiast to take over the project! (complementary earplugs included)

The aulro markets section seems to be having some issues at the moment but I'll post up an ad as soon as it's calmed down.

PM me if you'd like a bit more info (I'm in Melbourne).

Cheers,

Will

[Camo]

Any pics of the new beast?

Camo

[rovercare]

PM sent:twisted:

[Dougal]

How's the fuel economy of that chev?

[will@montlaur.com.au]

PM sent:twisted:


Any pics of the new beast?

Camo

No pics yet Camo - will try in the next couple of days. Getting a bit of due diligence done.

W

[will@montlaur.com.au]

How's the fuel economy of that chev?

Hi Dougal

Well it certainly doesn't feel like it's working that hard. Chap selling it reckons it got 11ltr/100km last trip. If it gets anything like that consistently I'll be chuffed.

W

[Dougal]

Hi Dougal

Well it certainly doesn't feel like it's working that hard. Chap selling it reckons it got 11ltr/100km last trip. If it gets anything like that consistently I'll be chuffed.

W

I hear figures around 14-16 litres/100 with these engines in landcruisers. The rangie is a little more slippery than a cruiser though.
Indirect injection is the real mileage killer.

[Slunnie]

I recken Good on ya Will! Screw the knockers!

I'd love to see a pic of the new beast.

Chev V8 diesel...... :cool:

[dobbo]

Hi Dougal

Well it certainly doesn't feel like it's working that hard. Chap selling it reckons it got 11ltr/100km last trip. If it gets anything like that consistently I'll be chuffed.

W


I'm getting that out of my 110 regardless of whether I'm in high or low range, even better on the freeway. Why are these engines supposedly a POS?

[isuzurover]

Why are these engines supposedly a POS?

Not a pos exactly, but some of them have a few problems. I hope John (Bush65 doesn't mind me quoting him from another forum:


All but the last of the 6.2 are prone to cracking the centre 3 main bearing webs from the outer bolt holes for the main bearing caps. The castings were beefed up when manufacture of the 6.5 started. This block (casting no 10149599) was used by both 6.2 and 6.5 in 1992-93 (6.2 was not produced after 1993).

Piston oil spray cooling was introduced in 1996, and the 1996-99 were prone to cracking the webs due to machining for the spray nozzles. This was solved by better metallurgy in later engines produced by AM General for Hummers.

They crack heads, but can be fixed by reaming water passage and fitting a sleeve (doesn't repair crack, but stops the leak). Caused by pockets of steam forming in the rear of the heads. This was eventually cured by fitting a high volume water pump (which could flush out the steam). These pumps can not practically be retrofitted to earlier engines because the rotate in the opposite direction (serpentine belt).

The vee belts have a reputation for short like - only Gates belts are recommended.

They tend to break the starter housing, if the extra support bracket is missing.

Their firing order causes impulsive torque loads which cause problems with the harmonic dampener. If the crankshaft bolt is not torqued properly, they flog out the keyway in the crankshaft. When the rubber element (of the dampener) degrades (replace dampener if the rubber shows signs of bulging out), they are prone to breaking the crankshaft.

The torque impulses would show up weakness of lightweight gearboxes (like LT77).

The best of the injection pumps was the non-electrical controlled DB2-4911 fitted to the 6.5 in 1993. The later electic controlled pumps (DB4) have a reputation for poor life. this pump with Lucas/Delphi injectors for the 6.5 will give worthwhile performance improvements when fitted to a 6.2 engine.

There were so-called, heavy and light duty engines. This does not relate to robustness, but instead to power and torque. The light duty engine has smaller valves and EGR for emmissions in some US States. Avoid the light duty engines.

They don't have a vacuum pump, so you will need to find an alternator with a vacuum pump.

I was set to buy a 6.5 NA engine for my bushie (hence name Bush65) but saw the light just in time and bought a 3.9 litre Isuzu (4BD1-T) which is a lot more reliable, with better power and torque than the 6.5 NA chevy.


Will - hope yours is trouble free!

If you get 11 I will be amazed. I got 12.4/100 from my 4BD1T the other weekend. 600k trip, but it had some sand driving ane low range work, and I was driving it HARD to test the turbo conversion.

[Blknight.aus]

I'm getting that out of my 110 regardless of whether I'm in high or low range, even better on the freeway. Why are these engines supposedly a POS?

From what Im hearing....

they overheat the back of the donk...

most repowers that have used them are giving them the bad rep...

squeeze it into too small an engine bay with too small a radiator with the aircon heat exchanger in front of it and while the numbers just sort of match up when you add the latent heat coming up off of the pipes its enough to make sudden applications of power cook up the back end of the donk prior to the cooling system catching up to it....

the one I have personally seen failed failed due to oil starvation... the hack who did the install reshaped the pan and oil pick up and when it was operated up a steep hill the oil pressure dropped while up near max revs. The oil frothed from getting splashed by the crank and the pick up that was now too high in the oil grabbed the frothy oil instead of the nice neat oil and that was all she wrote for that one.

[Vern]

11's:eek:, well i got around 15-16's in mine (6.5, 4.11, T700, 35's):(

[rovercare]

11's:eek:, well i got around 15-16's in mine (6.5, 4.11, T700, 35's):(

Mine was 16l on road and 22l "driven":angel: in the bush 6.2l, 33's, 4.11's and 1.003:1 Tx case

2 things I DO miss, it sounded like a V8 out the exhaust, unlike my fart in a can IZOOZOO and the torque AT idle was awseome, but other than that, well......................:angel:

[Vern]

squeeze it into too small an engine bay with too small a radiator with the aircon heat exchanger in front of it and while the numbers just sort of match up when you add the latent heat coming up off of the pipes its enough to make sudden applications of power cook up the back end of the donk prior to the cooling system catching up to it......
They overheat big time in a rangie, only way i fixed mine was with a BIG aluminum 2 core, 80mm thick radiator, and Ford AU fans. In the end i got scared to drive it and just parted it out:(

[Tote]

And here was I reading the thread title and imagining a 6v71 in a rangie :twisted:Then I saw it was an 8 not a 6.

Regards,
Tote

[Vern]

Mine was 16l on road and 22l "driven":angel: in the bush 6.2l, 33's, 4.11's and 1.003:1 Tx case

2 things I DO miss, it sounded like a V8 out the exhaust, unlike my fart in a can IZOOZOO and the torque AT idle was awseome, but other than that, well......................:angel:
Agree totally, but after driving your izoozoo, it felt like it was reliable, unlike the chev

[rovercare]

Agree totally, but after driving your izoozoo, it felt like it was reliable, unlike the chev

Apart from having rattled the breather to bits and cracked the 3" pipe I had fitted on the air filter:eek:, they're all miged up now but:D................but for how long:confused:

[DRanged]

After every trip in ours I always find a screw on the floor out of the dash somewhere. One day it will show me where it belongs;)

Justin

[will@montlaur.com.au]

If I could interrupt the detroit diesel bagging session for a moment - out of interest, what was the setup on the gearbox/transfer/diffs that you chaps out there used behind the GM diesel?

This thing has a 5 speed 'truck box' but I've got no idea what it came from originally. It's certainly solid.

W

[Vern]

Mine was a Turbo 700, Lt95 combo with taper roller kit.
Matts was a LT77/230 combo.

Not bagging them, just don't think they are worth all the hoo har. Great torque off idle, but for 6.5 litres, you'd expect a bit more. honestly don't think it was much quicker than our 300tdi.
I hope yours is good to you though, good luck:)

[Blknight.aus]

hey, I just realised something... we're all missing the more important question...



How the Hell do you accidentally purchase a 6.5l lump of diesel engine?

[will@montlaur.com.au]

OK it was more an impulse than an accident.

I'd been planning the 82 into 93 isuzu transformation for a year - done all the research and was pretty convinced it was the best way to go about getting a diesel in a range rover.

The chap who was about to do the work suggested I have a look at this 88 GM powered thing. I said OK more to prove to myself that the Isuzu was the way to go.

So I had a drive - you can actually have a conversation at highway speed, the conversion is very neat, it's great to drive and has heaps of go.

And here I am with three range rovers.

Will it cope with heat?
Is the fuel consumption acceptable?
Is the engine durable enough to trust?

Answer to all these presumably is - 'if it's set up right and treated right then it should go the distance' - so I'm putting my faith in the workmanship of the conversion.

We'll see.

W

[Vern]

Was speaking to Andrew Richmond a few years ago about one he did for a customer, it was an 88 with a 5 speed (could have been a nissan box) for some guy in Murrumbeena, might be the same one

[Blknight.aus]

Will it cope with heat?
Is the fuel consumption acceptable?
Is the engine durable enough to trust?


my monies on

no
maybe
no

[rovercare]

my monies on

no
maybe
no

Based on?

[Blknight.aus]

on the surface it sounds like (and Im only making semi educated guesses here) its one of the earlier ones so it may still have the overheating heads and water pump (until I read the post quoting bush65 by isuzurover i didnt know they'd changed the water pump setup, Ive only seen the older engines) on it by now the radiator is probabley a little long in the tooth and in my books that pushes up the odds of an overheat.

acceptable fuel consumption varies from person to person.... I could live with 12l/100km but I like 10l/100 much better, IF it is an early version with the mech pump in it It should be able to run good quality BIOdiesel without hassle.

GMs IMHO generally have a nasty reaction to overheating, almost as bad as the TD5...

If he can keep it cool and sipping good oil It should do quite well.

[Bigbjorn]

Well, it is 6.5 litres in a two tonne car and the obvious reason for installing it is to improve performance. I assume that this means it will get booted along hard. Therefore fuel usage would be high. If you are not fed then you won't work either.

[Dougal]

my monies on

no
maybe
no

These guys seem to agree with that.:(
6.2/.5 chevy. what are they really like ? - Cummins 4BT & Diesel Conversions Forums (http://www.4btswaps.com/forum/showthread.php't=2554)

[will@montlaur.com.au]

Was speaking to Andrew Richmond a few years ago about one he did for a customer, it was an 88 with a 5 speed (could have been a nissan box) for some guy in Murrumbeena, might be the same one

Its a small town..From what I know that's probably the one Vern. Although it's had a few things about that conversion resorted since. Might give LRA a call on Monday and see what the provenance of the parts used was.

The box doesn't feel like the nissans I've driven but I'd be happy enough if it was. (I was actually fumbling for the gear lever a bit being used to the arms length throw on the lt95)

Cheers,
W

[rovercare]

You got them pics of the other 2 for me yet?:)

[will@montlaur.com.au]

You got them pics of the other 2 for me yet?:)

pm sent

[Dougal]

Well, it is 6.5 litres in a two tonne car and the obvious reason for installing it is to improve performance. I assume that this means it will get booted along hard. Therefore fuel usage would be high. If you are not fed then you won't work either.

It won't be the usage causing high fuel consumption (my 4BD1T puts out more power and torque, I use it all), it's the poor efficiency of an old IDI engine.

[rovercare]

Sold:)

[rovercare]

Well, picked it up, body is rougher than I hoped:angel:, but that was me, no fault of Wills:), great to deal with;)

Runs like a clock, Quieter than both my other 4BD1s:confused::eek:

PTO winch, maxi rear, LT95, factory LR bellhousing, not adaptor plate, reg till september next year, No RWC of course, I'll sort that, On board air

All for a large sum of.........$3200:cool:


https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/11/699.jpg
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[EchiDna]

I thought he was floggin the GM V8??

good buying :)

er where is the fresh air intake coming from? behind the guard? back corner of the bonnet?

[abaddonxi]

Noice.

Cheers
Simon

[rovercare]

I thought he was floggin the GM V8??

good buying :)

er where is the fresh air intake coming from? behind the guard? back corner of the bonnet?

I take it you didn;t read the whole thread?:p

Wish him luck with the chev, sounds like its all good, chev truck box to LT230:cool:

Sorry, didn;t catch your edit in my quote, it ends practically where you can see it, just towards the scuttle panel

[Rangier Rover]

Ah Pics:D I wondered if was a Ph 1 or Ph2. Has P1 Eleco been revamped:eek:
Looks good for its age. Has aircon as well. That 4BD1 looks like its ment to be there. It would pull well with the trolley tires on:twisted:
So what are the plans for it?

[rovercare]

Ah Pics:D I wondered if was a Ph 1 or Ph2. Has P1 Eleco been revamped:eek:
Looks good for its age. Has aircon as well. That 4BD1 looks like its ment to be there. It would pull well with the trolley tires on:twisted:
So what are the plans for it?

Pull well?:burnrubber::Rolling:

A mate came with me and drove mine home, it was hosing this thing at half throttle, with 35's, and the same gearing:cool:

Plans? old man has first option tomorrow, after that????????

[Rangier Rover]

Pull well?:burnrubber::Rolling:

A mate came with me and drove mine home, it was hosing this thing at half throttle, with 35's, and the same gearing:cool:

Plans? old man has first option tomorrow, after that????????

Hair drier and fridge on the list:twisted:

[rovercare]

Hair drier and fridge on the list:twisted:

Well, he is used to driving a chipped 1HD-FTE:twisted:

But drives it like an old woman most of the time:D

[isuzurover]

Quieter than both my other 4BD1s:confused::eek:

Good buy - does it have extractors???

If you play around with (retard) the timing you can get often get them a bit quieter.

[rovercare]

em

Good buy - does it have extractors???

If you play around with (retard) the timing you can get often get them a bit quieter.

Yea, got extractors:D

When I get a chance, I'll check/compare/adjust pump timing on them all, must do valve clearances afer changeing my head gasket to:angel:

[will@montlaur.com.au]

G'Day Matt,

glad the old coral glow's turned out to be a good buy for you; she was bl**dy rattly but never let me down. Keep us up to date with the project - you're always welcome to try and sell it back to me. With a turbo maybe...

I've run a couple of tanks through the GM powered '88 and she's hovering around the 12/13ltrs per 100 mark so far. That's a mix of city and highway so I'm happy enough there.

Now I just need to flog it up some sand dunes on a 45 degree day and see if it copes with that..

cheers,

Will

[rovercare]

G'Day Matt,

glad the old coral glow's turned out to be a good buy for you; she was bl**dy rattly but never let me down. Keep us up to date with the project - you're always welcome to try and sell it back to me. With a turbo maybe...

I've run a couple of tanks through the GM powered '88 and she's hovering around the 12/13ltrs per 100 mark so far. That's a mix of city and highway so I'm happy enough there.

Now I just need to flog it up some sand dunes on a 45 degree day and see if it copes with that..

cheers,

Will

Good to hear Will, you've factored in for any odo inaccurancies? I'm sure you have:)

I'd be more than happy if they are correct figures and so long as the heat isn;t an issue, you'll be laughing for some time yet