Opinions/Advice Needed For Build Please

[DieSly]

Hey gang. I'm still trying to help my '94 6.5 become reliable as it will one day hopefully become my expedition rig! My aim is to have a truck that will take me down the highway to trails and camp sites in remote areas... At the same time though, I want to be able to tackle tough challenges when I get there and remove the light-weight camper... water crossings, rock crawling, snow flingin, muddin, etc. I will be swapping in a Dana 60 sometime this year if I can overcome the issues I am currently having with the motor. It stalls like the rest... :rolleyes:

The economy has slowed me down but I will be taking it to a mechanic this week for diagnosis so maybe I am jumping the gun asking these questions right now... BUT I have read several posts regarding the mechanical injection conversion and there is so much tech it plainly confuses me. My truck has the NV4500, BTW...

What are the pros and cons are for this conversion?

What price total can I expect to see?

What parts need to be swapped out?

How much fab work is required?

Would it make sense to try locating a '93 instead of trying to convert my '94's system?

Can an electronic setup be made as reliable as a mech setup because of the options available?

Is it worth it?

Is cruise control functionality retained? (I get tickets without cruise.)

I need to upgrade the cooling system and oil lines and harmonic balancer (plus who knows what) but I don't want to order anything until I get a better grasp of what route to take regarding injection and what not. I simply need a very reliable rig and if something DOES go wrong in the boonies, I want to be able to fix it.

Thanks for any help! :)
Justin

[JohnC]

Since you have a manual transmission, the barriers to mechanical conversion are nearly all gone. You'll need a cruise control setup, but that's about it.

If you need a '93 throttle pedal, I happen to have one...

[DieSly]

Since you have a manual transmission, the barriers to mechanical conversion are nearly all gone. You'll need a cruise control setup, but that's about it.

If you need a '93 throttle pedal, I happen to have one...Well that's good news! I'm sure it is still a fairly involved process but thanks for comforting me! :D

[arveetek]

Agreed...since you have the manual tranny, the major hurdles are not existent. With an auto tranny, you still need a computer to control the shifting. Since you don't have that, you don't need a computer at all.

If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't hesitate at all to convert to mechanical injection. I would do it on my '95 if it weren't for the auto tranny and the extra expense that entails.

Casey

[DieSly]

I have put some more thought in how to make this work out for me. Since I have two 6.2's waiting in the wings and not enough money to buy all new stuff to convert the '94 to mech injec... is it feasible to take the injection pump and what-have-you off the '84 and use it in the '94? That would save me a wad of dough and may in theory make parts scrounging easier to accomplish for any future repairs. Any thoughts?

[6.5 Detroit Diesel]

if you are planning on making power out of that engine, get a proper 6.5 IP. shouldn't be to hard to find, and not terribly expensive.

[Bobbie Martin]

What are the pros and cons are for this conversion?

Pros - Great running truck, no worry when the PMD or other DS4 maladies will crop up.
Cons - You don't get to join in the discussions of the "best" place to mount your PMD to keep it from failing (again).



What price total can I expect to see?

Hard to say, but with a manual trans, the pump is the biggest expense, after that maybe a couple hundred dollars at the most.


What parts need to be swapped out?

For you, the pump, lines, pedal, throttle cable are the biggest things.


How much fab work is required?

Unless you have twin thermostats, very little. The cruise cable is would be the major fabrication issues for you.


Would it make sense to try locating a '93 instead of trying to convert my '94's system?

No, I wouldn't go that route, its not that hard to convert a 1994


Can an electronic setup be made as reliable as a mech setup because of the options available?

I don't think so, how many DB2 owners you heard of get stranded due to pump failure? Know of any DS4 owners that did?


Is it worth it?

Only if having a truck you can depend on is of any value at all to you.


Is cruise control functionality retained? (I get tickets without cruise.)

Yes, with a little additional work. Unfortunately GM discontinued the factory DB2 cruise control cables so you have to get one from a junkyard and adapt it to the DB2. Its not a big deal as there are dozens of different cables out there, its just a matter of adapting a cable end and modifying the cable end. I have done it, it really is not a huge deal.


Thanks for any help! :)
Justin
No problem. I wouldn't use a 6.2 DB2, but it will work. You will be happier with a DB2 from a 6.5 and there are plenty of them out there. The difference is the fuel plunger size. 6.2's use a .029", 6.5's use .031". Thus the pump you want is a DB2831 XXXX. You should have DB2829 XXXX pumps.

If only there was booklet to guide you through the process, it would be a very easy swap. ;)
Say something like "The DB2 Conversion Guide". That would answer all your questions.

[Robyn]

All great advice.

A good 4911 DB2 pump is pretty much all you need. Also will need a complete set of injector lines that go with the DB2. (DS4 lines are different)

Pretty straight forward swap.
As mentioned the cruise issue must be dealt with unless you dont care about cruise control.

The throttle pedal is useable from any of the 88 and later rigs with the 6.2 and 6.5 trucks up through 93.

Even a 6.2 J code IP will work but its better to get a 4911 IP.

Get any used pumps checked out by a qualified standyne shop and put into good order.

Have fun

Robyn

[More Power]

A local friend is converting a 1994 K2500 to mechanical fuel injection (I helped him install the engine/trans a couple weeks ago). His truck has the NV4500, so the conversion was relatively easy, and he's been driving the truck for about a week. The cruise control is the last step, and he's working on that now. Fortunately for him, he also has a 1993 6.5 truck (too far gone) to scavenge for the parts necessary for conversion.

At the present time, he's allowing the '94 PCM to control the glow system - it glows about 10 seconds. Except for upcoming cruise control system and a constant check engine light, it works great.... :)

Jim

[Robyn]

Check engine light is an easy fix, REMOVE THE BULB ;)

With the stick shift there is nothing on the truck that you really need the puter for once the engine is fueled with the DB2 pump.

Have a friend here that did the same thing to his truck.

Works real well.

Missy

[Bobbie Martin]

Check engine light is an easy fix, REMOVE THE BULB ;)

With the stick shift there is nothing on the truck that you really need the puter for once the engine is fueled with the DB2 pump.


I wouldn't remove the bulb, there are other ways. I suggest you cut the wire at the computer and keep the light as an option for other uses, such as maybe a low fuel pressure light.

Unless you do a lot of rewiring, you do need the computer. For one, it controls the glow plugs. It also may feed signals for other components, such as the speedometer and ABS system. Best to leave it as is and let it do everything except the trans & injection pump.

[Bobbie Martin]

A good 4911 DB2 pump is pretty much all you need.

The throttle pedal is useable from any of the 88 and later rigs with the 6.2 and 6.5 trucks up through 93.

I recommend against a 4911. Most of them have worn out head & rotors by now and its cheaper to buy a new pump than have one repaired properly. Just about any DB2831XXXX for a 6.5 will work fine with minor adjustments. Peninsular sells a new DB2833 which is a marine pump and will put out plenty of fuel for a little over $1000.

On the gas pedals, you don't have to limit your search to Diesel trucks. Every gas truck made has the pedal you need and will work perfectly. Junkyards are full of them and trust me, they are not a high demand item, so the price is cheap.

[DieSly]

AWESOME! Thanks everyone, for your input! I can't log into the Member's Section anymore for some reason to view the swap guide. I'll have to check up on that... Otherwise, I was considering giving up on this truck because of the large expense. Guess I'll have to look a bit deeper...