Recycled military 6.5L engine.

[Patricmc]

A friend of mine is a part time junk man, and told me about a batch of used 6.5L diesel engines (Hummer) brought to a metal scrap yard from a military base near Barstow, CA. I stopped by the yard this afternoon, and sure enough, there are about a dozen "basic" long blocks in a large tub. Basic means "block, crank, pistons, and both cylinder heads minus pushrods, rockers and shafts. Everything else is gone.

My project truck is a 92 Chevy C2500 with a 6.2L, with a valve bured in the head, and one missing piston. I'm thinking of getting one of these long blocks, build it up with parts from my 6.2L, and installing it..

Does this make sense, or am I crazy?

Oh yes, I forgot to mention that the cost of the used engine is 25 cents a pound. The best I can figure, the engine should weigh in around 600 pounds. That being the case, the engine would be around $150.

These same engines are bought by rebuilders.

[JeepSJ]

Just be careful with those military surplus engines. You may get a great running engine, but you may also get something that isn't even rebuildable and you have no way of knowing until you get it home.

[hamold1]

I'd love to come across a deal like that. I'm looking for a rebuildible block in my area, no luck. i know these suckers are sitting out there and people don't even care about them. Trying to do an ecomomy build for a run around the farm truck. INDIANA OR ANYWHERE CLOSE BY, if anyone knows of a block out there and don't need it, just let me know and I'm there. Thanks

CHRIS

[Craig M]

Are you sure they are 6.5's? The military originally used 6.2's in the Humvees. They replaced many of the 6.2's with 6.5's. There have been manyhundreds of 6.2's selling at Government Liquidation sites all across the country. 6.2's were also used in the military Blazers and pickup trucks. As another member posted, without a detailed inspection luck is your main ally.

[Patricmc]

The code at the rear of the block is "12555506", which is supposed to be for the 6.5L engine.

I picked one up the other day for $130, and I'll be playing with it at a later time.

For those of you in so Cal, the company is:

A-1 Recycling
10651 E Avenue
Hesperia, CA
760 947-5522

[Robyn]

Here is my take on the MIL stuff after crawling through a pile of them last winter.
The stuff is usually junk (IMHO) The stuff I looked at had everything from broken cranks to scored cylinder walls.\
The need to check the main webs for cracks is very real on these engines and unless you can get into the bottom end and remove the main caps and do some looking it can be tough to impossible to know what you are buying.

The webs can be given a basic inspection using a can of brake kleen and a propane torch.
Wash the main webs off around the bolt holes and dry good.
Warm the area around the holes very good on both sides and watch for oil to bubble out of any cracks that may be there.

The cracks in these are not always visible to the naked eye just by looking.

The webs are machined so when they are clean the technique I have mentioned works real well.

Some MIL engines were replaced just because they were being updated and some of these can be a great find.

Sadly though a lot of this stuff is good for nothing more than door stops or boat anchors.

If the scrappy will let you pick and choose and tear into stuff you may very well be able to get some good pieces.

Good luck

Robyn

[Craig M]

Let us know what you find Patrick. I am close by and could pickup a few.

[GPChief]

Let me throw my two cents in on this. I am an Active Duty Warrant Officer (Maintenance Technician) in the Army, I have been working on and modifying HMMWV's for 20+ years:D. Once an engine is determined to be "bad" for us it is pulled and replaced. The old motor is crated up and sent to rebuild locations around world; these shops are usually run by civilian government workers. Usually these motors are put back into circulation.

Since the Military uses a fuel called JP8 (which is a kerosene based aviation fuel that burns hotter than regular diesel) mostly the engine failures are related to overheating) plus the average temps I see on HMMWV's in Iraq and Afghanistan is 220 to 240+ with all the additional weight. Mostly the damage is head gaskets or heat related.

Once and a while you'll find an engine ran with no oil, but that is rare.

Just some input, If I found an "used" engine I doubt it would be any good.