6.2 in 97 Yukon

[BiggZach]

Hey All,

Quick question. I have an 83 Sierra with a 6.2 that has some issues non-engine or tranny related. Also have a 97 Yukon gasser with engine issues.

How hard would it be to put the 6.2 in the Yukon? I'm not new to engines ( im a diesel tech) but have never done a swap before.

I am getting ready to pull the 6.2 for some minor work and would really like to put it in the Yukon if possible.

Thanks in advance.

[argo]

Doing the swap would be simple. However, if you live in an area that does OBD-II scans for emissions testing, then you can't do this swap. The OBD-II Guidelines require all 1996 and newer gasoline and 1997 and newer diesel vehicles to be OBD-II compliant, meaning that the mechanically injected 6.2L won't talk to the computer, therefore it is not legal.

However if that is not a concern, you need the following:

Diesel Specific fuel pickup for the tank.

Inline electric fuel pump.

Either a non-electronic transmission or a stand alone transmission controller.

A Diesel specific converter (either transmission) and a diesel specific governor for an non-electronic transmission.

[BiggZach]

Thank you for all the info Would it be possible to use the transmission from the Sierra? The 700R4?

[argo]

Yes. If the Sierra is a 2wd, I do not know what you need to worry about to swap it to 4wd. Also, if you have an electronic transfer case in the Yukon, I don't know if the transfer case will work without input from the gasoline engine computer, so you might find that you will have to convert it to a manual transfer case as well. There are folks on this site that know more about that than I do. If you need more input on that, I would suggest you post driveline questions in the 1982-2000 C/K Truck and SUV Chassis and Drivetrain forum.

FYI: I did a 6.2L diesel conversion to my 2wd 1993 Suburban, and it turned out great. It gets 27 MPG on the highway, and 22 MPG around town. My ABS works as well, but in 1993 they had not integrated the electronics into a networked system. I don't know if your SRS and ABS will need input from the engine computer.

[Edahall]

You'll also need a serpentine belt setup from a 96 or newer 6.5L truck if you want to run the A/C setup that is in your Yukon. However, good luck on finding a setup. I was planning on doing nearly the same as you (82 Suburban to 99 Tahoe) but locating a serpentine setup is a major roadblock. Anyways, the plan is to stick in a $150 short block and be done with it. Also, with diesel being 70 cents more per gallon, the conversion makes less sense.

Are you having intake manifold issues with your Vortec? That's what killed the engine on my 99 Tahoe. Also, what kind of fuel economy were you getting with the Vortec? I'm hearing 21 mpg is typical on the freeway.

[BiggZach]

Thanks for the info Edahall,

The Yukon has 208,000 on it and is starting to ping really bad and the gas milage has gone downhill fast. We were getting in the 20mpg range but now see about 12-14mpg hwy.

We took it to the dealer about 2 years ago and they said it has a ton of problems in the engine and suggested to either replace or rebuild it. That was about 40,000 miles ago and she is still holdin together. This time of year with the cold temps she runs fine without pinging. When the weather warms up is when we really notice the issues.

The body is in good shape still and there really aren't any other issues. The Sierra has seen better days but still has a strong engine and tranny. I am in the process of replacing head gaskets, injectors, and glow plugs.

I was hoping it would be an easy (less that hard) swap but thinking it is going to be more than I am capable of with my limited resources and cash.



You'll also need a serpentine belt setup from a 96 or newer 6.5L truck if you want to run the A/C setup that is in your Yukon. However, good luck on finding a setup. I was planning on doing nearly the same as you (82 Suburban to 99 Tahoe) but locating a serpentine setup is a major roadblock. Anyways, the plan is to stick in a $150 short block and be done with it. Also, with diesel being 70 cents more per gallon, the conversion makes less sense.

Are you having intake manifold issues with your Vortec? That's what killed the engine on my 99 Tahoe. Also, what kind of fuel economy were you getting with the Vortec? I'm hearing 21 mpg is typical on the freeway.