6.2/6.5 Cylinder Block Date Code

[More Power]

The last digit in your date codes are an "8", which indicates a year that ends with an "8". It must be 1998.

Jim

[OL 45]

Hi Guys & gals,
I have been reading with interest the info about age of blocks. The numbers on my old girl are: K137

From what I can gather the K indicates 2003. And I am thinking it is the 13th of 07 (July).

I have noticed some of the other block numbers are configured differently ie: 0137 L (permalink #14)

It doesn't take muck to confuse me as you can see.
Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers Greg

[More Power]

Your block date code indicates GM's earlier code sequence (pre-2001), so a K137 would equate to August (K) 13, 1997. I don't think the letter "I" is used in the sequence because of a possible confusion with the number one. Regardless, the last digit in the 4-digit code indicates the year.

Jim

[OL 45]

Your block date code indicates GM's earlier code sequence (pre-2001), so a K137 would equate to August (K) 13, 1997. I don't think the letter "I" is used in the sequence because of a possible confusion with the number one. Regardless, the last digit in the 4-digit code indicates the year.

Jim

Thanks for the info Jim, I got a little excited when I figured the block was a relatively new one. (wrong again). Am I right in thinking this year is in the range when there were some potential dramas with the cracks.

Are there any phisical indicators to tell if the block has oil squirters or do we know the blocks from years x to years y were fitted with oil squirters.

many thanks
greg

[Robyn]

All Blocks that were produced for the 97 production 6.5TD engines had squirters. (And later)

The early squirt blocks (97) were notorious for failures.
These blocks used 12mm outer bolts all the way through and they had larger diameter oil passages for the squirters than later ones.

The issues were, the normal cracks in the center main outer bolt
holes as well as a new twist. The main saddles would crack through the squirt holes and then proceed up into the lower part of the cylinders.

Once the crack hits the water jacket it was game over.

The 1997 506 Block (Good Wrench) that was in my DaHooooley did this very thing.

I would not touch one of these early 97 blocks on a bet.

For all the heart-ache I would either look for a good 599 or a 929 block or I would buy a new block from Cearwater cyl head and then move forward.

The 506 Blocks that were made by Navistar are supossed to be good ?????????

The new stuff by AMG/GEP are good iron but ya can't buy just a block.

The cost of a complete P4 or an optimiser is WAYYYYYYYYYYYYY to spendy $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[Robyn]

Any replies to this post can be made on the 6.5 forum, lets keep this thread short and clean (MISSY)

Here is the real deal on the late 6.5 Block date codes

POST 2000

Starting in the 2001 year, GEP/AMG had taken over production of the 6.5 from GM

The date codes are a tad bit different 00 00 * letter code

The new codes start with H which is 2001 and the I is skipped due to its easy of confusion with the number 1

H=2001
J=2002
K=2003
L=2004 and on in the series

The first two digits are month
The second digits are the day
The last digit is the year

06 10 J would be June 10 2002

The late blocks also have the <> diamond in the valley towards the front

There is also a flat pad (drilled or not) for the rear turbo mount if used.
The LH side of the block has a slightly different machined pad configuration around the motor mount area.

All the bolt holes are metric as in the last few years of GM engines.

The casting numbers end with 506
The oil cooler ports are 5/8 pipe thread
The oil squirters and such are the same as the late GM blocks.


Also of interest

I scrounged up one of the 2002 GEP Blocks recently, this block is the same casting that is used in the Optimizer 6500

These blocks I am told by GEP folks were not supposed to be sold, but that some got loose from Navistar in 2002 and wound up in the general publics grasp

There is a very limited number of these blocks out there and the current attitude of GEP is that only complete long engines will be sold.
************************************************** *****
The other stories about the CAST IN CANADA blocks and such are all just BS according to the GEP rep.

These aftermarket blocks are all "CHINESE", cast and machined.

The testing that was done I am told on these blocks revealed that some of them have "CORE SHIFT" and some cylinders may be 3/8 thick on one side and 1/8th thick elsewhere.

Some seem fine they said, and others are just scrap iron.

If a chinese block can be ultrasound tested and if it has no appreciable core shift, they may well be fine, but without knowing this info, they could be a BOMB too

I also learned that GEP has in its hands a Direct injected 6.5 engine.
This was done using a standadyne pump and pencil injectors.
There were at one time (2) TWO OF THESE, one has since met its demise and the one test engine left is at the GEP plant being used as a test bed.

There is I am told an ongoing project to refit the P400 with a common rail direct inject head using piezo injectors.

How and when this will come to fruition, I do not know.

I was told that with the P400's strength that the direct inject setup will show some serious power increases.

The information I got, was that a optimizer 6500 can handle 225 HP easily.

With what More power accomplished with the "Power Project" its my feeling that the Navistar block equiped with a good crank (Scat or a forged one) could easily handle far more than 225 HP and live well.

Sooooo, if you stumble onto a Navistar block thats priced right, BUY IT

Missy

[DieselDobro]

I bought a Michigan K3500 Dually truck ($1200) in Nov/ 2011 that was Michigan rusted and rusted some more......BUT ...found out through digging into previous owners service records that the engine was replaced in 9/2003 at the Chevy dealer.

They spent 8k on just the engine. The truck has had 34k miles put on it since. Thinking AM/ GEP engine here.
I can't wait to see the date code when that badboy gets yanked out. I'm planning on dropping into a '01 3500HD dump truck.

Mark
'96 K2500, stock (so far) 98k miles
'01 3500HD 15k GVWR
'96 K3500 SRW
'97 K3500 DRW

[Robyn]

The AMG date code is XX-XX-Letter (H,J,K,L and so on)

(Example) 06-10-J)

H is the first year that AMG was in full control IIRC its 2000
I was not used as it looks like a 1
J is the next letter and so on
The letter indicates the year.

A GM installed engine in 2003 might well be an AMG built engine, BUTTTTTTTTTTT it might be an old stock GM engine too.

The date code layout will certainly show the story.

[Gunfreak25]

My 6.2 surplus engine has the common 14022660 casting. I know this falls under the "82-91" category but the engine also came with a permanently glued rebuild plate in the intake valley.

It is a Military rebuild tag from 2004 but it gives the engines serial number as "5HUM911" I am assuming HUM means HMMWV

On the left of the bellhousing flange there are no numbers or markings. However on the right there is a 3 or 4 digit code. I can post it tomorrow.

There has got to be documentation out there listing specific years for the common 660 blocks.

[Robyn]

The idea of "Any good" is subjective.

If the engine runs good then it's OK
If you are going to rebuild it....then it's a matter of checking out the block for cracks in the main webs and possibly the number 8 cylinder near the top rear for cracks

What are your plans ?????