Diesel to E85 conversion

[SuperBuickGuy]

Over 8500 gvw rated 148, apparently (at least in the 1989 G series). the bus I saw the ad for was a 3500. dually

165 hp / 330 ft lbs for the non-EGR trucks. Believe it or not, they aren't terrible in larger vehicles. I had an Itasca class A with a 6.2 and under 65, it was about the same as a 454 in acceleration.... got a whooping 12 mpg (which was better then a similar 454 that got 7 or 8). That said, a turbo was all they needed. 250 hp and 450 ft lb torque. With that said, DB is right - a 350 or 400 got similar mileage as the diesel and actually could climb hills at faster then a brisk walk.... unless turbo, then you'd dust the gassers

[cstmwgn]

.... unless turbo, then you'd dust the gassers

Need to be careful - those could be fighting words for Jim

[DanStokes]

A Diesel w/o turbo (or some form of charged intake air) is like a day without sunshine. Diesels NEED charged air, so much so that in LSR there is no penalty for using a turbo or blower in Diesel classes. They recognize that it's just SOP to make a Diesel go anywhere - and, of course, so many come from the factory with one. Can't figure out why GM didn't build these w/turbo in the first place.

And Dan B - no reason to be "not a Diesel fan." They make great power, are amazingly stout, and generally get better MPG than a similar gas engine. They don't need to be smokey or stinky if built right (the new ones are not). I'd guess you just aren't familiar with them but you weren't born knowing all about gas engines, either.

Dan

[SuperBuickGuy]

A Diesel w/o turbo (or some form of charged intake air) is like a day without sunshine. Diesels NEED charged air, so much so that in LSR there is no penalty for using a turbo or blower in Diesel classes. They recognize that it's just SOP to make a Diesel go anywhere - and, of course, so many come from the factory with one. Can't figure out why GM didn't build these w/turbo in the first place.

Dan

It's 1982, GM, draw-through turbos. Detroit diesels used blowers. But I see your point, after all, why didn't GM come out with the LS motor in 1955 - because CLEARLY it's better then the Gen 1.

Come on Dan, you too?

[squirrel]

Detroits didn't use the blower to make boost...but some of the later ones had a turbo to make boost (in addition to having the scavenging blower).

As much reliability trouble as they had with the 5.7 and 6.2 without boost, I think it was wise not to have turbos on them!

[DanStokes]

I WANT MY TURBO!!!!!!

Dan

[SuperBuickGuy]

Detroits didn't use the blower to make boost...but some of the later ones had a turbo to make boost (in addition to having the scavenging blower).

As much reliability trouble as they had with the 5.7 and 6.2 without boost, I think it was wise not to have turbos on them!

for the zillionth time. the 5.7 and 6.2 are completely different motors. Of course, if you don't know that basic fact, it makes me wonder why you're weighing in at all on it....

as for the 6.2s.... I've turbo'd 2 of them, how many have you turbo'd?

[squirrel]

of course they're different motors....everyone knows that.

I haven't turbo'd any of them. Do you still have the ones you did?

[SuperBuickGuy]

You put the 5.7 and the 6.2 in the same 'no turbo' bucket.... so you're saying that you've found that they aren't the same? whoa, google is good.

You missed the current Suburban? the one I put an oversized turbo on?

Or are you saying that if I sell the turbo truck or suburban that I forget all I learned with them.... not sure I'm following you. Or I because I sold several that those new owners transferred the knowledge to you?

Heck, I've owned enough turbo 6.2s that I can talk about my experience with all of the available (and no longer available) turbo options. Banks, ATS, GM....

[SuperBuickGuy]

with a drill and a tap, you might be able to get a spark plug in there? But that's a hell of a lot of compression for even E85. I expect there's enough meat on the tops of the pistons to take some metal off and drop it down to 13, maybe?


neat idea!

so why don't you point to where you'll be removing the glow plug and installing the spark plug

[SuperBuickGuy]

With a 5.7 - the Oldsmobile motor - you simply bolt gas heads on, pull the vacuum pump out and replace it with a Oldsmobile distributor.

not so with a 6.2 because there is no gas head for them and if you look at the head above - those little eyebrows are where the glow plugs reside. They do not enter into the combustion chamber - so if you were to put a spark plug in there, the spark would have a terrible time igniting the mixture because it'd have to somehow get up and into that chamber. The chamber is designed to protect the glow plug from the combustion because if it gets too hot, it'll melt the glow plug, drop the end into the motor and bad, bad things happen next (picture dropping a nut in a motor for similar damage).

again, there's not cheap way of making a 6.2 into a gas motor

[squirrel]

I was just curious to know if the turbo 6.2 was something worth keeping around for a while.

[SuperBuickGuy]

no more or less then any other old vehicle. I like cheap, the 6.2 gets that in spades, cheap to buy, cheap to operate, cheap to maintain. There's so little that can go wrong with them, however, like anything else how they're treated does affect longevity.... never overheat them and it'll last a long time

[squirrel]

cool.

[Dan Barlow]

A Diesel w/o turbo (or some form of charged intake air) is like a day without sunshine. Diesels NEED charged air, so much so that in LSR there is no penalty for using a turbo or blower in Diesel classes. They recognize that it's just SOP to make a Diesel go anywhere - and, of course, so many come from the factory with one. Can't figure out why GM didn't build these w/turbo in the first place.

And Dan B - no reason to be "not a Diesel fan." They make great power, are amazingly stout, and generally get better MPG than a similar gas engine. They don't need to be smokey or stinky if built right (the new ones are not). I'd guess you just aren't familiar with them but you weren't born knowing all about gas engines, either.

Dan

I don't hate them , don't mind others having them , I just don't want one . If I were to want to go diesel , it have to be one without all the electronics. As far as any car I fool with , no computer is the way I plan to roll .