@@DeathTollRacingLooking for the Locker install video on the 6.5 TD. I have a 93' 2500 TD and it would be a nice upgrade. Nice videos, very informative.
@@WhatRonDoes I need to get this done. I have it, but I've been building an addition on the shop and haven't had any time to do it. Thanks for the reminder!
In regards to the fuel system, there is no reason to keep the factory ffm when you install a superior water separator/filter system so removing it is the right choice, it would only be a point of restriction and possibly leak later on, the factory ffm is leak prone. The tap is not for removing water it is a bleeder for exactly what you're using it for, it's for after a filter change to bleed off air. The fitting on the top of the injection pump can be changed for a proper 3/8 fitting, it's a -4 orb that can be adapted to an, pipe or hose barb. The factory lift pump is definitely a problem, they do not put out enough fuel in stock form, if you ran a fuel pressure gauge before switching to the air dog you would have seen the pressure start at a low 5-6psi drop to or nearly 0 when free revving which only would be worse underload. Switching to an air dog, Carter, fast etc. pump will definitely increase reliability, both because as you stated less aerated fuel and also having enough fuel to not starve the injection pump with the added benefit that the excess fuel pumped by these pumps helps cool the injection pump. Also to note with your 95 keep an eye on your coolant temps, for reliability it is advised to switch to the 99+ water pump as it flows 130gph vs 80gph and it feeds both sides 50/50 vs 30% to the passengers side and 70 to the driver's side which as you can guess will typically warp the passengers head and blow a head gasket more frequently. While you're at it swapping to a Duramax fan isn't a bad choice either. When it comes to doing front wheel bearing I have found that in my case (I also have a 95) it was the same money to swap to the gmt800 knuckles with new bearings, lower control arm bushings, ball joints, calipers, pads and rotors as it was to replace the factory bearings, I would highly advise taking this route as the brakes are far superior and will definitely help especially if you plan to tow. Lawrence "LT" Tolman does a pretty good video on his channel. He mentions using LD 2500 parts but i have used 2500HD/3500 parts when doing mine, only real difference is it uses different outer tierod ends, i used MOOG ES409RT.
Last year I bought a 95 k1500 with a 6.5 and I’m just now getting around to fixing it. Working on the body right now but I appreciate all of this info. It has 187k miles and still has the pmd in the original location. Good video, thanks. I’ll be making a video of mine.
I looked at a 6.5 k2500 Suburban a while back that the guy used the old AC condenser for an oil cooler. He used compression fittings after cleaning it out really well.
The 6.5 run very cold in -35 C There is a lot of covering to keep the temperature up. The problem is that the coolant coming from the heater is plumbed back into the rad. Redirect that hose so it goes back into the water pump inlet. With that done the engine will maintain operating temperature at - 40c without covering the rad.
That is a nice truck. I had a 98 GMC K1500 and I did the manual boost upgrade and the chip upgrade from Heath, when I took my vacuum pump off the pump was okay, but the hose was bad, so I was not getting any boost. I did the PMD relocation on mine, installed the upgraded lift pump with the wiring to take it off the relay, I re-sealed my oil filter adapter, and I installed the bigger battery wires as yours has. I loved that truck, but I did have the PMD fail on me a couple times, and with life changing I sold it to get a more reliable and newer truck. I still miss that truck. I look forward to your work on this truck.
Thank you. One will fall in your lap at some point. I believe my pmd is currently starting to go. It randomly shuts off for a split second sometimes just long enough to notice. I’m going to swap it out and hope that’s the problem. Only does it once or less per trip, but I don’t need a ghost haunting me.
I'm currently researching the 6.5L GM Diesel engine because I have found a step side van I need for my small business - it's a 1997 GMC P3500 Utility Van with only just over 55K original miles - seems like a really good price (only $5800) in "ready to work" condition - being somewhat ignorant, this information helps in the decision making process; Thanks a lot!
Having had extensive experience with the 6.2 in the 80's and the 6.5 in the 90's, the number 1 thing is to refrain from "hot rodding" them. The failures are no worse than the failures of the present day Cummins, Duramax and the Powerstroke.
They are really proud of them. And in all reality, a new stock one would be just fine for another 100k. There's really nothing wrong with the oe balancer until they separate.
@@DeathTollRacing I had a Fluid Damper on a small gasoline V8. It ran great. For this current 6.5 Diesel which has 280K miles, I think I will go with the factory type balancer. In ten years, the truck will be 34 years old, and in much need of interior work, and probably a new engine and transmission. It gets good care but also does lots of work, every week.
Have you heard of the harness coming loose from fuse block? Working on a96 , with a no start condition, went through multiple conditions, ending with providing power directly to the 87 terminal on fuel pump relay. Truck started almost immediately afterwards. Parts new are, lift pump, relay
that can happen, and also the fire wall they sometimes corrode. One bolt right in the middle pulls the connector while you uscrew it and you can clean and put some dielectric grease on it and plug it back in. easy project that wont hurt even if it's not the issue.
Wow! It must have been in a colder climate! I haven't seen one in a while with it still under the intake. Next replace the balancer. If the fluidampr is too expensive (they are pretty proud of them), a stock replacement will get you another 100k. I've personally never had one survive the balancer failure (broken crank).
@DeathTollRacing dude my vac pump went, when inspecting it I noticed the dampener was walking around the rubber was shot. I replaced them both already good to know about the fluid one lol.
@@dylanspilak231 Im so happy to hear you caught the balancer. I don’t know why they are so problematic on these. They are built the same as every other one, and it’s not like these engines rev faster. Maybe the work more because of the diesel rattle. 🤷
I have a 6.5 suburban its a 96 and im about to do the water pump and AC compressor. Luckily the underneath of mine is extremely clean and almost zero surface rust. Have to address my coolant leak and AC fixed then might do the shock and rebuild the brakes
Great detail and straight to the point, I've done pretty much the same things as what you did to your truck. Looking forward to your intercooler install. Would it be possible to get some EGT #'s before and after intercooler install?
Thanks! I actually have a dual reading iat gauge so we will be able to see pre and post intercooler temps simultaneously live. My first attempt of products for intercooling was a no go, so I need to come up with another design. I'm trying to do it with off the shelf stuff so it can be easily duplicated. We will see.
@@DeathTollRacingI have a 94, purchased new. I have also done most of the upgrades to combat the weak links. Most interested in what sort of IAT's you're seeing. Particularly if you do the snorkel as that will provide real ''cold'' air and might be enough that an intercooler may not be necessary if there is a significant drop from the stock setup.
@@JREACHER1954 yes that’s a good idea to test before and after. I bought a bunch of stuff to add an intercooler, but my idea wasn’t going to be as bolt on simple as I hoped. So I’m coming up with something different
@@DeathTollRacing Yeah, I've seen a few and space is the big hurdle. If the addition of an intercooler can get you all the way down to near ambient temps and the snorkel can reduce IAT enough to be a 30 or so degrees Fahrenheit difference, is it worth it? I have a fender scoop that feeds the air filter and I'm seeing intake temps about 30-40°F above ambient at 3psi of boost at 60mph. My highest, under heavy acceleration, has been well below 200°. Unless you're doing a lot of towing or chasing for more power, an intercooler may not be all that beneficial to a stock setup. Just my 2¢.
@@JREACHER1954I think I will test before and after snorkel and reassess. I know my twin turbo crown Vic sees almost 300* on the dyno. But that’s stagnant air. I have been running water meth on it to cool it, but I’m adding an intercooler to it now.
I have a 96 crew dually. Nice truck, has all the reliability mods...however anyone that wastes too much time on this engine obviously never tried a cummins ...once you do all diesels will suffer by comparison
@@DeathTollRacing no, I don't feel like I wasted my time either, I enjoy driving my 6 .5 they have their own special feel, reminds me of bb gas. I'll check out the cummins swap vids for some tips.
I have a 98 gmc sierra 6.5 and it runs but will shut down when it gets warm and I replace all the main fuel and mechanic parts but I think it's in the fuel filter housing area
Nice video!! Thanks! So much black some is normal? I have my 95 6.5L suburban from factory and no black smoke at all. Its true that the car is not very powerful.
They are tough to find in a manual for sure. You’ll find one eventually. You could also manual swap an automatic one. A bit of a project though, but it does open up possibilities…
Really enjoyed this! I picked up a 96' Suburban a few months back, 97k miles and untouched. Factory PMD in the factory location! So NOW you can say that they have all been relocated. That's how I knew it was unmolested!! Does the Air Dog have a fuel heater since the FFM heater is now gone?
Your coment on them all pdms relocated made me laugh! I have had 2 of those trucks both had the factory location under the intake, and yes they both failed and left the funny throttle issues, unfortunatly they were not worth fixin so got scraped (rust belt). I have only seen one truck that had the pdm relocated.
I had 99 C2500 Sub that I sold for $500, minus the drive train. Saved that to replace the 460/C6 in my C class E350 RV which gets a whopping 5 mpg. Looking forward to a better range with it. Are there different injectors that aren't pretending to be marbles in a can?
Unfortunately not. I feel like the marine injectors do quiet it down a little, but I don't think it's enough to notice since it will probably lower your mpg if that's what your end goal is. Also running a quart of atf in with your diesel at fill up also seems to quiet them down a tiny bit, and will help your injection pump live a long life.
The Achilles heal of those clanky old turds is the entire engine! Swap in a Cummins 12 valve! Those old 6.5 were not the best. lol known for blowing the head gaskets out cause there’s not enough bolts holding the heads on, not enough clamping force. Ya you could prolly do some arp head-studs and being the heads but I don’t know why you would want to throw any money at one of those turds or machine shop time. Not when a 12 valve Cummins will fit right in there and bolt right up to that nv4500 with little to no modifications. There’s even companies that make motor mount kits and radiator/ intercooler mounting solutions, that bolt right up, for ford OBS, Chevy OBS and square body chevys, all sorts of stuff. Keep it even simpler and do a NON-inter-cooled 12 valve with the VE rotary pump. Thats what we did on my buddies 1 ton square body suburban on 40” swampers. Used a non inter-cooled 12v with the Bosch VE rotary pump, there just as reliable and can still be capable of 600-700hp, the Bosch p7100 215 hp pumps are getting to hard to find these days. I wanna p pump swap my 24v vp44 truck, but if I can’t find any good p pumps anywhere to build I’ll settle for a ve swap, and still be capable of 500-600 reliably. There simple motors, they are an over build industrial grade motor! Now Detroits diesel collaborated with GM on the 6.5l but it was such a dog turd, abortion of an idea. It didn’t catch on, and they sucked, everyone opted for gas motors, or big block gassers. And to think in those years your only other options for diesel pickups was the ford 6.9L IDI turds, or the earlier 7.3l powerstroke as before they came the inter-cooled 7.3 direct injections, or a Cummins 5.9L, the Cummins killing the competition all the way up until really GM debuted the duramax, or durajunk as I call them. Not a fan. The earlier ones, the LB7 I guess wasn’t that bad, mainly just cause it didn’t have any emissions crap on them. After that as years progressed they just got choked up with emissions garbage and more and more sensors and modules, dpf, def, egr, catalysts, urea piss injection. I’ve worked in a Gm dealer turning wrenches for years and years. Been there done that seen it all. They are a light duty diesel engine. They are not fun to work on. Everything engineering design is such and after thought. Poorly designed, nothing is easily accessible or easily serviced. I’ve done several motor R&R’s and they sucked. But what I’m getting at is back in the day, you had three choices for a diesel, the GM 6.5l, the ford 6.9l IDI or a Cummins 5.9l non inter cooled / inter-cooled. Cummins owned the market and ruled! The non inter-cooled 12v motor actually had bigger injectors OE and I believe also had the marine bowl pistons to, than the inter cooled version. H1C and WH1C turbs, an hx35-w from a 24v 2nd gen makes a great upgrade and improvement, I’ve heard of guys running an holder he351 from a 3rd gen 24v with great results. The 6.5’s were so under boosted, with the stock OE turbo had a max of about 12 psi of boost. They couldn’t handle much more, Anymore and ‘pop’ there goes the head gaskets lol. And that really limits how much you could turn them up, because more air means more fuel, more fuel means more air, equals more power, it’s a vicious cycle. Any stock 12v Cummins be a VE rotary pump or p pump version with an hx35 and a few little screws turned and adjusted will be capable of 25-30 psi all day long, up hill while towing. Any more than 40 psi and head studs should be considered as an upgrade! Which are easily done without pulling the head or really anything but the individual valve covers to access what head bolts are underside. Head studs on any Cummins either 12v or 24v is a very simple easy upgrade, easily done in an afternoon without removing the head with hand tools and a torque wrench. Try that with any 6.2L/6.5L or durajunk, or 6.9l IDI, 7.3l IDI or 7.3l powerchoke! Nope, you’re talking a full pull down and disassembly of everything on top, and the front of the motor, major surgery. Ha the newer trucks not only is it easier, but it’s required that you pull the cab and lift it up! Must pull the cab to work on the motor. Screw that! I’ll keep my ‘02 24v HO 6 speed , or swap a 12v Cummins into something newer!
Under full throttle they say 12psi is max. If you go mechanical Wastegate like I did you will see higher boost at part throttle and that’s fine because the cylinder pressure under part throttle isn’t very high and that’s where the problems come from. Injection timing is also critical, too much advance and it will again make higher cylinder (combustion) pressure and could blow gaskets.
Links for all the parts are in the description of the video. I use the fluid damper because I’ve had 2 failures of these engines over the years and both were due to a balancer separating and the crank breaking.
They are good. I’ve had a few of them now on different rigs. The 1/4 inch is fine with my setup. I’m not sure if there’s every a reason it wouldn’t be, even with bigger injectors I think it would still be okay. I prefer fass systems in general, but these are good too.
All of this is fact, but should replace the stock turbo with a larger non-wastegated turbo. Will need to reflash the ECM for a performance tune and so it won’t trigger the Check Engine Light. Larger turbo will flow more air and reduce back pressure in the engine, resulting in cooler temps. You will not need an after cooler with a larger turbo.
@@DeathTollRacing nope, your lack of knowledge on the 6.5 is quite apparent. No one keeps the POS OEM turbo with wastegate. Bill Heath over in Ellensberg, WA has forgotten more on the 6.5 than you have ever known. I can tell by your shop that you’re a hack schlepping used cars to the unknowing.
@@stephenmras8519 hahaha. The jokes continue. And please don’t reference bill heath to give you credibility. I’d like to use this opportunity to warn all viewers to use extreme caution in taking advice from the comment section.
@@DeathTollRacing Let’s see, you admit to breaking the crank on two 6.5s from failed HBs. I have two 6.5s, a ‘94 with 295K miles and a ‘99 with 240K miles. Unlike you, I don’t learn by failures. You truly are a clown show. I’m still laughing at your Caprice of shit and the Geo Tracker😂
Thanks for the video! I wound up swapping my oil cooler as well with the blue ribbon kit and I see what you mean. Any concern with the cooler lines touching up against exhaust manifold?
All the concerns about that! The lines stress me out. I really need to replace them something else. I think I’m going to do -an fittings and braided line. So frustrating they made them so short. Literally 1” longer and it would be acceptable. (Yes, I’m still talking about the oil cooler lines) 😂
@@DeathTollRacing It’s like they just eyeball the length, I don’t know if you would make a whole video about swapping out the lines but if you did, I know at least one person who’d watch it!Keep up the great work!
Sorry, I missed that one. It’s below this and I added it to the video description. Be patient with it. It’s not particularly easy. It turned out great though, but I really need to do a video on one now that we have it figured out a little. amzn.to/4cJp7AG
Not yet. If you do you can up the boost. It just had the head gaskets done when I bought it, so theoretically I could do the 1 at a time swap out on the bolts
Id soona buy one of these old trucks spent 30k on body and engine rebuild than spend 80k on a new pos that is buildt crappy and with parts that are so expensive and difficult to repair.
Simple green aviation, pressure wash, repeat 3x or so. Then I use “aluminum brightener” on the aluminum parts after (like mag wheel cleaner, napas Mac’s aluminum brightener or similar).
I have a 95 Chevy 1500 with the 6.5 diesel, seems strange a 1500 would have the 6.5. Anyone know how common it is to have a 6.5 in a 1500? Also, lately after about 25 minutes of driving it starts to stall, I coast for 15-20 seconds and it starts back up for a couple miles and this cycle continues until I get home. Very frustrating, any advice/ideas would be much appreciated. No the PMD has not been replaced/relocated. I keep thinking it's a drop in voltage but it only happens when I drive so I can trouble shoot it.
I think that’s the pmd. They actually made a decent amount of 1/2 ton diesels. As well as suburban and even Tahoes. A 2 door 6.5 td tahoe is on my bucket list.
@@DeathTollRacing I'm going to check the cooler lines. I've been using high mileage oil additives made by Protecta and another by Extreme Green. Supposedly they keep the rubber from hardening and the hoses last longer. And less engine wear. A new balancer is next, then the Air Dog. Thanks for all the tips!
@@DeathTollRacingthey started leaking on mine, so i change out with cooler and lines from quadstar, you can buy stock lines much cheaper, but its a big job to change them
Can a pmd shut your truck will running and can it start few days later thats my case should i put a new pmd mine its old and was relocated on top of intake mainful @@DeathTollRacing
@@DeathTollRacing okay thanks I’m getting ready to install one on my 96 6.5 my mechanic was unsure about the fuel pressure settings did you adjust the fuel settings on the pump ? Or just ran it as is
In the next video I will. I'm doing an addition on my shop right now and haven't had a chance to work on this truck. But it's getting lots of real world testing!
I have a 93 6.5 with the 5 speed manual, bought it new. 450,000+ still running. No computers or electronics 😊
Yes!!! I plan on building one that way for another project.
Damn, I just got one with 350 K needs a little love, but I’m trying to get it going👍
Mine 489000
I have one as well ( 93 3500)...it will turn over but wont start .. any idea of what it can be??
@@christophermiller4642 Have you checked your fuel pressure and glow plug system?
What a beautiful truck. Looking forward to more videos on this.
Thank you!
@@DeathTollRacingwhere are you located
Makes me miss my 6.2 Silverado. Loved that old truck and it never missed a beat.
I had great luck with the 6.2 also. I sadly converted my k5 blazer 10+ years ago to a ramjet 350. I want to convert it back now. lol.
Greg, what model and year was your rig?
@@markthomas4083 1986 single cab shorty 2wd auto in apple red
@@DeathTollRacingLooking for the Locker install video on the 6.5 TD. I have a 93' 2500 TD and it would be a nice upgrade. Nice videos, very informative.
@@WhatRonDoes I need to get this done. I have it, but I've been building an addition on the shop and haven't had any time to do it. Thanks for the reminder!
In regards to the fuel system, there is no reason to keep the factory ffm when you install a superior water separator/filter system so removing it is the right choice, it would only be a point of restriction and possibly leak later on, the factory ffm is leak prone. The tap is not for removing water it is a bleeder for exactly what you're using it for, it's for after a filter change to bleed off air. The fitting on the top of the injection pump can be changed for a proper 3/8 fitting, it's a -4 orb that can be adapted to an, pipe or hose barb. The factory lift pump is definitely a problem, they do not put out enough fuel in stock form, if you ran a fuel pressure gauge before switching to the air dog you would have seen the pressure start at a low 5-6psi drop to or nearly 0 when free revving which only would be worse underload. Switching to an air dog, Carter, fast etc. pump will definitely increase reliability, both because as you stated less aerated fuel and also having enough fuel to not starve the injection pump with the added benefit that the excess fuel pumped by these pumps helps cool the injection pump. Also to note with your 95 keep an eye on your coolant temps, for reliability it is advised to switch to the 99+ water pump as it flows 130gph vs 80gph and it feeds both sides 50/50 vs 30% to the passengers side and 70 to the driver's side which as you can guess will typically warp the passengers head and blow a head gasket more frequently. While you're at it swapping to a Duramax fan isn't a bad choice either. When it comes to doing front wheel bearing I have found that in my case (I also have a 95) it was the same money to swap to the gmt800 knuckles with new bearings, lower control arm bushings, ball joints, calipers, pads and rotors as it was to replace the factory bearings, I would highly advise taking this route as the brakes are far superior and will definitely help especially if you plan to tow. Lawrence "LT" Tolman does a pretty good video on his channel. He mentions using LD 2500 parts but i have used 2500HD/3500 parts when doing mine, only real difference is it uses different outer tierod ends, i used MOOG ES409RT.
That’s one good right up.
Last year I bought a 95 k1500 with a 6.5 and I’m just now getting around to fixing it. Working on the body right now but I appreciate all of this info. It has 187k miles and still has the pmd in the original location. Good video, thanks. I’ll be making a video of mine.
Thank you! Good luck on your video!!
I looked at a 6.5 k2500 Suburban a while back that the guy used the old AC condenser for an oil cooler. He used compression fittings after cleaning it out really well.
I did something similar to that in high school for a transmission cooler. It unscientifically worked great for my daily driver with a 3000 stall.
The 6.5 run very cold in -35 C
There is a lot of covering to keep the temperature up.
The problem is that the coolant coming from the heater is plumbed back into the rad.
Redirect that hose so it goes back into the water pump inlet.
With that done the engine will maintain operating temperature at - 40c without covering the rad.
I can see that being an issue in that climate for sure!
That is a nice truck. I had a 98 GMC K1500 and I did the manual boost upgrade and the chip upgrade from Heath, when I took my vacuum pump off the pump was okay, but the hose was bad, so I was not getting any boost. I did the PMD relocation on mine, installed the upgraded lift pump with the wiring to take it off the relay, I re-sealed my oil filter adapter, and I installed the bigger battery wires as yours has. I loved that truck, but I did have the PMD fail on me a couple times, and with life changing I sold it to get a more reliable and newer truck. I still miss that truck. I look forward to your work on this truck.
Thank you. One will fall in your lap at some point. I believe my pmd is currently starting to go. It randomly shuts off for a split second sometimes just long enough to notice. I’m going to swap it out and hope that’s the problem. Only does it once or less per trip, but I don’t need a ghost haunting me.
I'm currently researching the 6.5L GM Diesel engine because I have found a step side van I need for my small business - it's a 1997 GMC P3500 Utility Van with only just over 55K original miles - seems like a really good price (only $5800) in "ready to work" condition - being somewhat ignorant, this information helps in the decision making process; Thanks a lot!
Having had extensive experience with the 6.2 in the 80's and the 6.5 in the 90's, the number 1 thing is to refrain from "hot rodding" them. The failures are no worse than the failures of the present day Cummins, Duramax and the Powerstroke.
Fore sure. I’ve had good luck with them
What do you mean by “hot rodding”? Making them faster? Adding extra parts?
I agree with the Blue Loctite. And Fluid Damper, ( but they are expensive for some customers).
They are really proud of them. And in all reality, a new stock one would be just fine for another 100k. There's really nothing wrong with the oe balancer until they separate.
@@DeathTollRacing I had a Fluid Damper on a small gasoline V8. It ran great. For this current 6.5 Diesel which has 280K miles, I think I will go with the factory type balancer. In ten years, the truck will be 34 years old, and in much need of interior work, and probably a new engine and transmission. It gets good care but also does lots of work, every week.
@@DeathTollRacing I just ran another oe on mine I just check them every 50000 miles in my maintenance log
Have you heard of the harness coming loose from fuse block? Working on a96 , with a no start condition, went through multiple conditions, ending with providing power directly to the 87 terminal on fuel pump relay. Truck started almost immediately afterwards. Parts new are, lift pump, relay
that can happen, and also the fire wall they sometimes corrode. One bolt right in the middle pulls the connector while you uscrew it and you can clean and put some dielectric grease on it and plug it back in. easy project that wont hurt even if it's not the issue.
Great mods and that exhaust sounds awesome.
Thanks. I like it a lot. For a cheap truck, it's pretty cool.
I have an 84 suburban with a mechanical 6.5 and a banks turbo. She's still not fast but was never meant to be, good people hauler.
That’s a fantastic people hauler!
Enjoyed your video you are a great instructor. U make it look easy. When u know your stuff.
😊 thank you!
I have a 6.5 dually that has bin loved before me and it needs a lot of these upgdades. First is that module harness kit lol. Mine is under the intake.
Wow! It must have been in a colder climate! I haven't seen one in a while with it still under the intake. Next replace the balancer. If the fluidampr is too expensive (they are pretty proud of them), a stock replacement will get you another 100k. I've personally never had one survive the balancer failure (broken crank).
@DeathTollRacing dude my vac pump went, when inspecting it I noticed the dampener was walking around the rubber was shot. I replaced them both already good to know about the fluid one lol.
@@dylanspilak231 Im so happy to hear you caught the balancer. I don’t know why they are so problematic on these. They are built the same as every other one, and it’s not like these engines rev faster. Maybe the work more because of the diesel rattle. 🤷
I have a 6.5 suburban its a 96 and im about to do the water pump and AC compressor. Luckily the underneath of mine is extremely clean and almost zero surface rust. Have to address my coolant leak and AC fixed then might do the shock and rebuild the brakes
Right on!
Mine was extremely reliable for 100k. Then at 250k miles, the block cracked. I had ALL mods done to make it reliable.
😢
Thanks for making some videos on the 6.5td. I’m thinking these trucks will be around for a while longer lol
With maintenance, I agree!
Great detail and straight to the point, I've done pretty much the same things as what you did to your truck. Looking forward to your intercooler install. Would it be possible to get some EGT #'s before and after intercooler install?
Thanks! I actually have a dual reading iat gauge so we will be able to see pre and post intercooler temps simultaneously live. My first attempt of products for intercooling was a no go, so I need to come up with another design. I'm trying to do it with off the shelf stuff so it can be easily duplicated. We will see.
@@DeathTollRacingI have a 94, purchased new. I have also done most of the upgrades to combat the weak links. Most interested in what sort of IAT's you're seeing. Particularly if you do the snorkel as that will provide real ''cold'' air and might be enough that an intercooler may not be necessary if there is a significant drop from the stock setup.
@@JREACHER1954 yes that’s a good idea to test before and after. I bought a bunch of stuff to add an intercooler, but my idea wasn’t going to be as bolt on simple as I hoped. So I’m coming up with something different
@@DeathTollRacing Yeah, I've seen a few and space is the big hurdle. If the addition of an intercooler can get you all the way down to near ambient temps and the snorkel can reduce IAT enough to be a 30 or so degrees Fahrenheit difference, is it worth it? I have a fender scoop that feeds the air filter and I'm seeing intake temps about 30-40°F above ambient at 3psi of boost at 60mph. My highest, under heavy acceleration, has been well below 200°. Unless you're doing a lot of towing or chasing for more power, an intercooler may not be all that beneficial to a stock setup. Just my 2¢.
@@JREACHER1954I think I will test before and after snorkel and reassess. I know my twin turbo crown Vic sees almost 300* on the dyno. But that’s stagnant air. I have been running water meth on it to cool it, but I’m adding an intercooler to it now.
Have a safe trip
Thanks!
I have a 96 crew dually.
Nice truck, has all the reliability mods...however anyone that wastes too much time on this engine obviously never tried a cummins ...once you do all diesels will suffer by comparison
I don't feel like I wasted my time, but I agree cummins are great engines. I'm in the middle of a cummins swap on the channel currently.
@@DeathTollRacing no, I don't feel like I wasted my time either, I enjoy driving my 6 .5 they have their own special feel, reminds me of bb gas.
I'll check out the cummins swap vids for some tips.
I have a 98 gmc sierra 6.5 and it runs but will shut down when it gets warm and I replace all the main fuel and mechanic parts but I think it's in the fuel filter housing area
I assume you changed your injector driver module? That would be my first guess, and the most common. Especially as you described with temperature.
Nice video!! Thanks! So much black some is normal? I have my 95 6.5L suburban from factory and no black smoke at all. Its true that the car is not very powerful.
No smoke is good. Black smoke is a side effect of the chip / tune and is not really desirable. I try to drive it accordingly to not have it do that.
You are driving my dream truck i been looking for one for abit now hard to find one with a manual but most of them are rusted out or way to far away
They are tough to find in a manual for sure. You’ll find one eventually. You could also manual swap an automatic one. A bit of a project though, but it does open up possibilities…
Cool truck man!! I dig it!
Thanks! I actually need to sell it to fund my next project. sad, I really like it.
Really enjoyed this! I picked up a 96' Suburban a few months back, 97k miles and untouched. Factory PMD in the factory location! So NOW you can say that they have all been relocated. That's how I knew it was unmolested!!
Does the Air Dog have a fuel heater since the FFM heater is now gone?
It doesn’t but there are options. We get pretty cold heat and it hasn’t been a problem though. May create some longevity issues though
Your coment on them all pdms relocated made me laugh! I have had 2 of those trucks both had the factory location under the intake, and yes they both failed and left the funny throttle issues, unfortunatly they were not worth fixin so got scraped (rust belt). I have only seen one truck that had the pdm relocated.
lol. That's funny. I haven't seen one under the intake in many years.
I had 99 C2500 Sub that I sold for $500, minus the drive train. Saved that to replace the 460/C6 in my C class E350 RV which gets a whopping 5 mpg. Looking forward to a better range with it.
Are there different injectors that aren't pretending to be marbles in a can?
Unfortunately not. I feel like the marine injectors do quiet it down a little, but I don't think it's enough to notice since it will probably lower your mpg if that's what your end goal is. Also running a quart of atf in with your diesel at fill up also seems to quiet them down a tiny bit, and will help your injection pump live a long life.
The Achilles heal of those clanky old turds is the entire engine! Swap in a Cummins 12 valve!
Those old 6.5 were not the best. lol known for blowing the head gaskets out cause there’s not enough bolts holding the heads on, not enough clamping force. Ya you could prolly do some arp head-studs and being the heads but I don’t know why you would want to throw any money at one of those turds or machine shop time. Not when a 12 valve Cummins will fit right in there and bolt right up to that nv4500 with little to no modifications. There’s even companies that make motor mount kits and radiator/ intercooler mounting solutions, that bolt right up, for ford OBS, Chevy OBS and square body chevys, all sorts of stuff. Keep it even simpler and do a NON-inter-cooled 12 valve with the VE rotary pump. Thats what we did on my buddies 1 ton square body suburban on 40” swampers. Used a non inter-cooled 12v with the Bosch VE rotary pump, there just as reliable and can still be capable of 600-700hp, the Bosch p7100 215 hp pumps are getting to hard to find these days. I wanna p pump swap my 24v vp44 truck, but if I can’t find any good p pumps anywhere to build I’ll settle for a ve swap, and still be capable of 500-600 reliably.
There simple motors, they are an over build industrial grade motor! Now Detroits diesel collaborated with GM on the 6.5l but it was such a dog turd, abortion of an idea. It didn’t catch on, and they sucked, everyone opted for gas motors, or big block gassers. And to think in those years your only other options for diesel pickups was the ford 6.9L IDI turds, or the earlier 7.3l powerstroke as before they came the inter-cooled 7.3 direct injections, or a Cummins 5.9L, the Cummins killing the competition all the way up until really GM debuted the duramax, or durajunk as I call them. Not a fan. The earlier ones, the LB7 I guess wasn’t that bad, mainly just cause it didn’t have any emissions crap on them. After that as years progressed they just got choked up with emissions garbage and more and more sensors and modules, dpf, def, egr, catalysts, urea piss injection. I’ve worked in a Gm dealer turning wrenches for years and years. Been there done that seen it all. They are a light duty diesel engine. They are not fun to work on. Everything engineering design is such and after thought. Poorly designed, nothing is easily accessible or easily serviced. I’ve done several motor R&R’s and they sucked. But what I’m getting at is back in the day, you had three choices for a diesel, the GM 6.5l, the ford 6.9l IDI or a Cummins 5.9l non inter cooled / inter-cooled. Cummins owned the market and ruled! The non inter-cooled 12v motor actually had bigger injectors OE and I believe also had the marine bowl pistons to, than the inter cooled version. H1C and WH1C turbs, an hx35-w from a 24v 2nd gen makes a great upgrade and improvement, I’ve heard of guys running an holder he351 from a 3rd gen 24v with great results.
The 6.5’s were so under boosted, with the stock OE turbo had a max of about 12 psi of boost. They couldn’t handle much more, Anymore and ‘pop’ there goes the head gaskets lol. And that really limits how much you could turn them up, because more air means more fuel, more fuel means more air, equals more power, it’s a vicious cycle. Any stock 12v Cummins be a VE rotary pump or p pump version with an hx35 and a few little screws turned and adjusted will be capable of 25-30 psi all day long, up hill while towing. Any more than 40 psi and head studs should be considered as an upgrade! Which are easily done without pulling the head or really anything but the individual valve covers to access what head bolts are underside. Head studs on any Cummins either 12v or 24v is a very simple easy upgrade, easily done in an afternoon without removing the head with hand tools and a torque wrench. Try that with any 6.2L/6.5L or durajunk, or 6.9l IDI, 7.3l IDI or 7.3l powerchoke! Nope, you’re talking a full pull down and disassembly of everything on top, and the front of the motor, major surgery. Ha the newer trucks not only is it easier, but it’s required that you pull the cab and lift it up! Must pull the cab to work on the motor. Screw that! I’ll keep my ‘02 24v HO 6 speed , or swap a 12v Cummins into something newer!
holy crap. The next 4 builds coming on this channel are Cummins.
please revise and shorten your statement
What would be the most that I would want to run boost at until I replace head gaskets and head studs in these. I’m looking for towing power too.
Under full throttle they say 12psi is max. If you go mechanical Wastegate like I did you will see higher boost at part throttle and that’s fine because the cylinder pressure under part throttle isn’t very high and that’s where the problems come from. Injection timing is also critical, too much advance and it will again make higher cylinder (combustion) pressure and could blow gaskets.
@death toll racing Great video, thanks for making it. What year is it? How many miles are on it when doing the upgrades?
1995, it’s around 200k. I’ve had these north of 400k and the truck falls apart before the engine usually.
I love the wall decorations, but where in the world did you get all those license plates 😂
Hahahaha. Friends all save them for me. It’s taken a lot of years, and sadly the wa plates don’t have very noticeable changes since the early 90’s.
Walking J Designs makes a kit called "feed the beast". It converts the 1/4 inch line to 3/8.
Ahh yes. Good call!
What's your total upgrade cost? Not counting the lights, lenses and tail gate handle.
Also, why the $600 balancer?
Links for all the parts are in the description of the video. I use the fluid damper because I’ve had 2 failures of these engines over the years and both were due to a balancer separating and the crank breaking.
How do you like the air dog? Does the 1/4 line keep up with the injection pump?
They are good. I’ve had a few of them now on different rigs. The 1/4 inch is fine with my setup. I’m not sure if there’s every a reason it wouldn’t be, even with bigger injectors I think it would still be okay. I prefer fass systems in general, but these are good too.
Do you really need and airdog fuel system or and new fuel system in general with these 6.5L diesels?
It helps the longevity of the injection pump. It’s also much easier to service. But, it’s pretty far down the list on essential.
Dude you are so knowledgeable and great vidjjaa!!!!
Thanks!☺️
All of this is fact, but should replace the stock turbo with a larger non-wastegated turbo. Will need to reflash the ECM for a performance tune and so it won’t trigger the Check Engine Light. Larger turbo will flow more air and reduce back pressure in the engine, resulting in cooler temps. You will not need an after cooler with a larger turbo.
hahaha. I hope this is a joke.
@@DeathTollRacing nope, your lack of knowledge on the 6.5 is quite apparent. No one keeps the POS OEM turbo with wastegate. Bill Heath over in Ellensberg, WA has forgotten more on the 6.5 than you have ever known. I can tell by your shop that you’re a hack schlepping used cars to the unknowing.
@@stephenmras8519 hahaha. The jokes continue. And please don’t reference bill heath to give you credibility.
I’d like to use this opportunity to warn all viewers to use extreme caution in taking advice from the comment section.
@@DeathTollRacing Let’s see, you admit to breaking the crank on two 6.5s from failed HBs. I have two 6.5s, a ‘94 with 295K miles and a ‘99 with 240K miles. Unlike you, I don’t learn by failures. You truly are a clown show. I’m still laughing at your Caprice of shit and the Geo Tracker😂
Thanks for the video! I wound up swapping my oil cooler as well with the blue ribbon kit and I see what you mean. Any concern with the cooler lines touching up against exhaust manifold?
All the concerns about that! The lines stress me out. I really need to replace them something else. I think I’m going to do -an fittings and braided line. So frustrating they made them so short. Literally 1” longer and it would be acceptable. (Yes, I’m still talking about the oil cooler lines) 😂
@@DeathTollRacing It’s like they just eyeball the length, I don’t know if you would make a whole video about swapping out the lines but if you did, I know at least one person who’d watch it!Keep up the great work!
Really great video. You know anyone in Chicago that works on these?
Not off the top of my head.
Where's the steering wheel re-cover kit at?? BTW, very nice clean truck. Nice find.
Sorry, I missed that one. It’s below this and I added it to the video description. Be patient with it. It’s not particularly easy. It turned out great though, but I really need to do a video on one now that we have it figured out a little.
amzn.to/4cJp7AG
What belt did you use? I didn't see it in the parts list.
Oh yes. I forgot to add that. I just added it to the list. Continental 4061010. I put a link below too.
amzn.to/3PBGQjB
Did you happen to change your head gaskets and studs too.
Not yet. If you do you can up the boost. It just had the head gaskets done when I bought it, so theoretically I could do the 1 at a time swap out on the bolts
Id soona buy one of these old trucks spent 30k on body and engine rebuild than spend 80k on a new pos that is buildt crappy and with parts that are so expensive and difficult to repair.
Awesome
Same and that’s exactly what I just did today.
How did you clean and de grease the entire bay, and engine?
Simple green aviation, pressure wash, repeat 3x or so. Then I use “aluminum brightener” on the aluminum parts after (like mag wheel cleaner, napas Mac’s aluminum brightener or similar).
@@DeathTollRacing thanks so much! I’ll be doing that. Need to put the cover on my air filter side
I love my 94 headache ;) 🤕
They definitely can be. 😂
@@DeathTollRacing I got it out of a pasture . Been sitting since 04 . Put 10k miles on her so far ! New heads now . Thanks for the info
@@scarsprospecting right on!
I have a 95 Chevy 1500 with the 6.5 diesel, seems strange a 1500 would have the 6.5. Anyone know how common it is to have a 6.5 in a 1500? Also, lately after about 25 minutes of driving it starts to stall, I coast for 15-20 seconds and it starts back up for a couple miles and this cycle continues until I get home. Very frustrating, any advice/ideas would be much appreciated. No the PMD has not been replaced/relocated. I keep thinking it's a drop in voltage but it only happens when I drive so I can trouble shoot it.
I think that’s the pmd. They actually made a decent amount of 1/2 ton diesels. As well as suburban and even Tahoes. A 2 door 6.5 td tahoe is on my bucket list.
Don't worry i used blue lock tight and I rebuild these motors. 😂
😂 thank you!
Why are you changing the oil cooler ?
It came with the kit and didn't need to be adapted for the new lines. It's really not necessary except for that.
@@DeathTollRacing I'm going to check the cooler lines. I've been using high mileage oil additives made by Protecta and another by Extreme Green. Supposedly they keep the rubber from hardening and the hoses last longer. And less engine wear. A new balancer is next, then the Air Dog. Thanks for all the tips!
@@tarquineous excellent! They usually will start leaking around the crimps before they completely let go.
@@DeathTollRacing Thanks greatly. Now I know exactly what to look for.
@@DeathTollRacingthey started leaking on mine, so i change out with cooler and lines from quadstar, you can buy stock lines much cheaper, but its a big job to change them
I have 1995 c1500 2wd 5x5 bolt pattern with a 6.5l diesel turbo how rare is this truck you think
I've seen a few. But not very many. I really want the 2 door tahoe that came with them. I used to see those fairly often, but not so much any more.
Can a pmd shut your truck will running and can it start few days later thats my case should i put a new pmd mine its old and was relocated on top of intake mainful @@DeathTollRacing
@@5809Alejandro yes. That’s usually what they do on the way out.
Red or Blue Loctite? What did the factory use? Nothing. So Blue is overkill and Red is just nuts.
Factory uses a thread sealer that's pre applied to the bolt.
@@DeathTollRacing Probably so, I don't remember it when I changed the old balancer. Thanks for the reply and the post.
Hi how is the air dog fuel pump working?
No problems so far. I’ve ran a number of these and haven’t had any issues before either.
@@DeathTollRacing okay thanks I’m getting ready to install one on my 96 6.5 my mechanic was unsure about the fuel pressure settings did you adjust the fuel settings on the pump ? Or just ran it as is
@@GmsrelentlesshopeinYahawashi it’s factory set. Not a bad idea to check it though.
Mine still has it on the side of the pump
right on!
Thanks for the info to
No problem 👍
Also do you turn the nut to tighten. The spring to increase the boost or turn it too the left to decrease the boost on the manual waste gate
Tighten increases boost pressure
How about some drive by footage and take off 👍future video of this pulling a load would be nice.
In the next video I will. I'm doing an addition on my shop right now and haven't had a chance to work on this truck. But it's getting lots of real world testing!
@@DeathTollRacing Awesome 👍
Looking at a suburban with a 6.5, it’s a late 90s model. I’d assume most of these mods will need to be done.
Maybe. Some may be done already.
P400 optimizer 6.5 is best 6.5 made
So I’ve heard. Lots of h1 hummer owners go that route for good reason.
Can you fix my
1:01 WTF. Since it's a diesel it should get terrible "gas mileage".
It gets around 20 hwy 16 in town
I have some questions is thier a way to contact you?
You just did.
@DeathTollRacing do you know where I can find the glow plug temp switch on my 6.2?
@@zendit570 drivers side rear of the intake.
Great advice!!!
Hope it helps!