6.5L TD + NV4500 for project vehicle

[trbankii]

I was a member a few years ago as I was looking into my project, but let my membership lapse for awhile due to some other priorities in my life that kept me from working on things.

I'm back and looking for some information to swap a diesel into a project vehicle that I am working on. What I am looking at is a 6.5L TD backed by a NV4500 manual tranny.

Specifically, I'm looking for some information to guide me towards picking a donor vehicle. Best case would be to pull the engine, tranny, harness, etc. out of one vehicle. Were the NV4500 transmissions available behind all years of the 6.5? I read through the article on the '97 year model upgrades to the 6.5, but am curious about other modifications along the 6.5 timeline. Are there advantages to particular years of the 6.5 that should be considered?

[patrick m.]

pick a '93 model, (mechanical injection) get rid of the turbo, find a GM-8 turbo, get a clutch, bolt up the NV4500. and happy dieseling ;)

i suggest 93 because you can get a 300hp pump when its time :cool:

[trbankii]

Can the single piece flywheel be adapted to replace the earlier dual-mass flywheel? And is that a worthwhile conversion?

[ogrice]

There are single piece flywheels for that application. I remember buying mine as a whole kit, flywheel, kevlar clutch disc, pressure plate, etc. You should find it around the sites that are just for diesels. I think that I got mine from Bill Heath diesel. Been told by a GM mechanic that the dual mass setup should not be re-used. If the dual mass should fail while driving, the chunks will fly through the car or truck.

Unless your bell housing is titanium.

[moedog]

OGRICE, HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR JETTA DIESEL. I PUT A 100,000 MILES ON AN 81 WITH GREAT LUCK, THINKING ABOUT ANOTHER ONE

[ogrice]

attn moedog:

I've taken it cross country and back. Seattle to Los Angeles to Jacksonville to Detroit to Los Angeles. Still bone stock, best tank of gas was 47.7 mpg. Bought it in 03 w/ 45k miles on it. Now has 80k. Going to put some bolt on mods shortly, see if the mileage goes up closer to 50. If you can find one, find a 2.0l tdi with a dohc. Mine is the 1.9l tdi sohc. Read that the dohc output is +25hp/+45lb tq over the sohc for the same mileage.
Its nice to fill up every 560 miles for only 12.3 gal of fuel.