6.5 Engine Changes and Years

[PT217]

Hello all,

Looking at a parts truck to pull the engine and trans to rebuild for my truck, without taking my truck off the road.

My truck is a 94, 1500 light duty with EGR. The truck I'm looking at "might" be a 97 or a 98. I intend to get a chip flash to remove the EGR functionality as well as a number of other modifications. The sensors and IP will all be transferred to the new longblock, to keep OBD1 (unless someone can give me a compelling reason to swap?).

I heard that the 98s had an updated block with piston squirters (which I absolutely want), so does anyone know what year they came in? Any idea if the block casting is otherwise improved structurally in these trucks?

The new truck has an external oil cooler, but strangely the panel-style air cleaner. I thought the cone filter came in 1996, so maybe I'm wrong?

The truck is a mutt, but the price is right and all I need is a decent core for the rebuild.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[JeepSJ]

There is some information here -

http://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/showthread.php?t=34961

The design changes in 97 with squirters and the large outer bolts made those more crack-prone. My 97 also had low oil pressure, which was due to the large squirt ports.

[PT217]

Thanks! I've taken a read through that.

Looks like I might not be in good shape with that block.

If it were to be crack free, does anybody have a feel for whether a bolt-on girdle will protect it down the line?

Might have to do some math on the oil squirter diameters...

[Swamp thing]

Stay away from the girdle kits, they're just 2 pieces of angle iron with 6 ARP studs. I had the 93 common block & the cheap chinese head's steel pre cup came apart, tore up the cylinder, piston & bent the rod. The girdle was bent pretty good but no cracks in the block, it does more harm than good by improper main cap torque. If you happen to get 97 or earlier Heath diesel sells an ARP main cap stud set, it will only fit the earlier blocks though.
Other than that just stick to tty bolts, that's all I can use with the Optimizer block that I've got as well.