Maybe back in the game

[convert2diesel]

Despite my better judgement, I have acquired a 1999 K2500 shortbed extended cab truck....swore I would never drive a truck. Looks like life is conspiring against me.

However, the price was right. Truck is solid and and realitively rust free, except for where the PO fixed the passenger door and right rear box side. Other than that, it has no rust whatever. The issue is that it came to me with a revolutionary V5 diesel. Somewhere out there are the other 3 cylinders. From the sounds of it, it looks like the engine is toast.

My question(s) are surrounding the needed modifications to convert a perfectly good, 1989 6.2 with less than 100k on the clock over to electronic turbo, using the existing bits on the bad engine. The PO just replaced the pump about 6 months ago and I installed a Dtech behind the bumper for him at that time. Have ruled out these bits as a compression test revealed the true culprit. Three jugs left the building.

Will the turbo bits and pieces, pump and injectors, etc all bolt onto the 6.2? Additionally, is there any way of installing the reluctor wheel onto a 6.2 crank. Going to swap out all the front end parts and replace with the 6.5 stuff so the timing cover will be off. Just on spec, am going to replace the timing chain, front damper, water pump, etc. so will have good access to the front of the crank. Was thinking about just swapping out the crank but the 6.2 is a two piece seal and the 6.5 is the one piece. Anyone ever do this?

If i can keep the cost down on the swap and body issues, it may be worth bringing this old girl back to life. Is a true HD truck with the corporate axles and HD everything. Its only use will be as a tow rig for the RV and the occasional trip to Home Depot.

Any thoughts or assistance is appreciated.

Bill

[scottm]

There are differences in the injectors and fuel lines, sensors, cooling system, plus late 90s turbo engines have piston oilers and high volume oil pumps. Why not rebuild the 6.5? Chances are good the low compression is valve related.

[convert2diesel]

Rebuilding the current engine is just not in the cards. It is one of the very questionable engines and the fact that the PO was starting it using ether for the last 4 months of its life I really suspect the heads are toast as well. Jamie has a bunch of known good 6.5s in stock for less than a reasonable re-build. The 6.2 is free so that is my motivation.

The late 80s and early 90s engines (599 and its derivatives) have proven to be the most dependable of the lot made by GM and the one I have has less than 100K on the clock. Haven't checked for cracks but am not too worried. Going to rip it down and freshen up the gaskets, oil pump etc. anyways so that will give me a chance to check it out.

Only using the block and heads from the 6.2. The balance of the the bits will come off the 6.5 including the front timing chain cover, water pump intake etc. so all the sensors should work. The only issue I know I will have is the crank sensor reluctor wheel on the crank, behind the damper. I plan on keeping the DS4 (the hoops one has to go through to convert over to mechanical just isn't worth it) and carry spares of all the known troublesome parts.

My main question is there anything else I should be looking at to do the conversion? Additionally is there anyway to install the crank sensor reluctor wheel on a 6.2 crank? Have very little experience with the 6.5. My terms of reference is with the 6.2s.

Any help or advice is appreciated.

Bill

[Yukon6.2]

Hi Bill
It should be doable.If you get the timing gear set up,you can get it with or without the reluctor wheel.Therefore you should be able to either remove it from the 6.5 crank and install on the 6.2....Or get the timing gear set with the reluctor wheel.I'm 95 % sure that i have read about the 6.2 being used with the electronic injection trucks before.
Are you considering an inter cooler? It would offset the lack of piston coolers a bit.
Thomas

[convert2diesel]

Thanks Thomas. That's the kind of info I was looking for. Figured it would work but was unsure until I ripped everything apart.

The truck originally had an intercooler but it was removed to accommodate a plow mount. Have used the truck to tow my RV on occasion and noticed that boost rarely got over 5 lbs. and the EGTs never got over about 950 degrees. That was with the intercooler removed so that is well within the accepted norms for this engine. Before adding all the extra plumbing and the associated restricted access that entails, I am looking at water/methanol injection.

My reasoning is that the only time you need to address this kind of thing is on heavy pulls through the mountains and only for about 5 minutes at a time. Setting up a high pressure fuel pump feeding off of a 5 gallon container and triggered by a pressure switch should do the job well. That and keeping my eyes on the EGTs should do the trick.

Was never really sold on the use of oil cooling the cylinders on these engines. With the associated issues with block cracking I always felt that improving the coolant flow would be sufficient to handle the extra heat buildup. The 99 has the high output water pump and the dual thermostats plus the truck has a monstrous radiator (aftermarket) installed so again, I think I can get by with the older block. I believe that it also has the lower temp fan clutch installed. If not that will be incorporated into the build.

Thanks for the info

Bill

[Yukon6.2]

Hi Bill
There is a set in the classifieds at the moment.
Sounds like you should be good for cooling.I'd be interested in what you end up using for the water meth injection,was a plan for mine.....Still don't know when i'll ever get to it.If it dies then i'll do the swap,but so long as it keeps running it's on the back burner to fool with.So many projects...
Thomas

[convert2diesel]

Thomas:

The key to the meth injection system is the nozzles. Yes there's a bunch of companies out there with fancy nozzles, pumps, tanks etc. but a trip to your local greenhouse supply house or landscaping store will net you a selection of "misting nozzles", used to gently water your plants or create a fine mist for an evaporative outdoor AC system (surround an outdoor space with a fine mist to lower the temps). Available from .1/gal/hr to over 5 gal/hr.

They are designed to function with 50PSI water pressure and are available in various spray patterns. A submersible fuel pump from any modern gasser application should give you the necessary 50 PSI. Just add a bit of water pump lubrication to the water/meth to lube up the pump during operation. A 5 PSI pressure switch (oil pressure switch) installed in the upper plenum to turn the pump on and off, a bit of plumbing and wiring and you should be good to go.

Yes it screams red neck, but I have used this system a bunch of times in marine and stationary applications. Have even used it on older gasser cars with a timing, lean burn issue. If properly designed its a fill it and forget it system. Just remember to make sure you have secured the nozzle permanently into the plenum or intake. Don't want a piece of brass floating around the compressor or valve train.

Bill

[DmaxMaverick]

Thomas:

The key to the meth injection system is the nozzles. Yes there's a bunch of companies out there with fancy nozzles, pumps, tanks etc. but a trip to your local greenhouse supply house or landscaping store will net you a selection of "misting nozzles", used to gently water your plants or create a fine mist for an evaporative outdoor AC system (surround an outdoor space with a fine mist to lower the temps). Available from .1/gal/hr to over 5 gal/hr.

They are designed to function with 50PSI water pressure and are available in various spray patterns. A submersible fuel pump from any modern gasser application should give you the necessary 50 PSI. Just add a bit of water pump lubrication to the water/meth to lube up the pump during operation. A 5 PSI pressure switch (oil pressure switch) installed in the upper plenum to turn the pump on and off, a bit of plumbing and wiring and you should be good to go.

Yes it screams red neck, but I have used this system a bunch of times in marine and stationary applications. Have even used it on older gasser cars with a timing, lean burn issue. If properly designed its a fill it and forget it system. Just remember to make sure you have secured the nozzle permanently into the plenum or intake. Don't want a piece of brass floating around the compressor or valve train.

Bill

I've built/installed dozens of these "systems" for years. It really is that simple. However, I DO NOT recommend using a fuel pump, of any kind, for pumping water. They are not designed to pump water, and will very quickly fail. A better option, and less expensive, is an RV or sprayer pump. They operate on 12V, and are pressure adjustable. Actually, my current weed sprayer pump (replacement) is a former RV pump, converted to WMI pump, lastly recycled to weed sprayer duty. Lots of options available, online and many at local ag/hardware stores.

[convert2diesel]

The only thing that has ever screwed up for me when using fuel pumps has been the internal electrical parts. Solved the issue by incasing the pump in a thin layer of epoxy and shielding all the exposed wiring.

Agree with you on the use of the RV pumps. They work well except they are designed for volume, not pressure. These nozzles are spec'd for house water pressure (40 PSI or better). Never tried to crank one up, but my RV pump operates at 20 PSI tops. Makes taking a shower an adventure and washing dishes takes forever.

As long as the fuel pump is properly shielded and you are religious about the WP lube, they last a long time in my experience, and they are available cheap at any pick n pull. If you want to install the nozzles upstream of the turbo (non pressure side) than even a windshield washer pump and some low pressure nozzles would do. They are usually good for 5 to 10 gals/hour but insufficient pressure to overcome the upper deck pressure of a turbo'd engine.

Bill

[DmaxMaverick]

Most RV pumps have a simple spring-type pressure switch. I turned it up to 75 PSI and it's done fine for WMI, and it shoots weed spray 50'. Yours is either too small, leaking internally, or needs adjustment. Could also be a problem with electrical supply. Adding an accumulator (pressure tank) helps, for either use.

[arveetek]

Agree with you on the use of the RV pumps. They work well except they are designed for volume, not pressure. These nozzles are spec'd for house water pressure (40 PSI or better). Never tried to crank one up, but my RV pump operates at 20 PSI tops. Makes taking a shower an adventure and washing dishes takes forever.

Bill

The updated standard Shurflo RV water pump we have sitting on the shelf is rated for 3 GPM at 55 psi. I would check into your water pump's health. It should be putting out at least 45 psi at 2.8 GPM (the old standard).

Also, look into the Oxygenics BodySpa shower system for RV's. They do wonders for turning the drizzly RV showers into a more home-like experience.

Casey

[convert2diesel]

The updated standard Shurflo RV water pump we have sitting on the shelf is rated for 3 GPM at 55 psi. I would check into your water pump's health. It should be putting out at least 45 psi at 2.8 GPM (the old standard).

Also, look into the Oxygenics BodySpa shower system for RV's. They do wonders for turning the drizzly RV showers into a more home-like experience.

Casey

To be candid, I have very little experience with the Shureflo pumps other than installing the Vitron seal kit to use one as a fuel transfer pump.

No doubt my issues with my current RV pump are probably related to the fact that the OE pump was probably the cheapest one available at the time of manufacture. Don't even know if it is a Shurflo. Haven't even attempted to address the pressure issue as we usually go for full service sites and the rig is normally on city pressure.

The shower issue is really a non issue. At 300 lbs., me and the installed shower don't make for a good union. Tried it once and almost immediately headed for the comfort station. I use the outside shower occasionally but the one inside is now just a good storage area with a drain.

Regarding the use of fuel pumps for pumping water, to me it's just a factor of cost and availability. You can always find a cheap fuel pump but finding a Shurflo may be an issue if you're not close to an RV dealer or plumbing supply house. You can always find a junk yard.

Bill

[convert2diesel]

Okay, back to the original premise for this thread. Just spent the day taking the 6.2 apart to check things out. Turns out this is a real keeper. No cracks, very little wear, good clean heads with single dot cups. The pistons still have the black coating on them that Maule used. Am reasonably confident that this will be a good base for the swap.

Spent some time researching here on the injector angle difference between the 6.2 and the 6.5. Still a bit confused :confused:. Is this a game changer? The current 6.5 heads are probably toast as the PO had been using ether to start it for over 6 months. Suspect there is little or no pre-cups left in the heads.

Would really like to use the 6.2 heads, they are in great shape, but from what I have read, anything pre-90 would have a different angle on the injectors to clear the turbo set-up. Is this a serious difference, or can it be made to work by tweaking the lines, using a different injector etc?

Appreciate any info/advise.

Bill