83 6.2 upgrades?

[wiccantoy]

im sure this has been asked a thousand times but im kinda new to the older chevy diesels. i have a 83 k20 6.2 with 109k miles on it . just looking for options of what i can do to beef up the performance a bit on the older diesels. prefereably would like to start with bolt on items for now and not internal mods.
thanks for any help that can be offered

[83Blzr62]

Easiest and cheapest would be get better intake and exhaust and turn up the injection pump. You can get a J code intake for fairly cheap on ebay. It will probably be 50 bucks or so. A custom exhaust would help. You would get much more power with a turbo, but depending on the condition of your engine you might need a rebuild. 6.2 diesels are not power houses like the new ones, diesels. However, they will last forever and get great gas milage if treated right.

[wiccantoy]

how do i know what model i have ? it is a k20 p/u 4x4

[83Blzr62]

If it is a J code it will not have an egr in the intake, if that is what you mean by model. Here is a link to a picture of a J code intake. http://chevy.tatraplan.se/J_intake.jpg

[wiccantoy]

ok that pic isnt mine . mine you can see the egr as soon as you pull off the cover to the air filter. and the oil fill is at the front of the engine. which one would that one make it?

[Subzilla]

You would then have the "c" engine (with EGR). Put on the "j" version and get rid of the GM baffle leading up to the air cleaner. It will put out a little more air intake roar but it will lead to more power. If you also open up the exhaust, you can slightly turn up the fuel metering screw of the injector pump. BUT, before you do this, invest in a pyrometer (aka exhaust temperature guage). You would be amazed at just how hot the exhaust gets when heavy footing it. Adding more fuel through the IP will add some more degrees so you need to know where to stop so as not to damage the engine.