86 chev diesels any good?

[300EXer]

i was offered one for trade on my sled, plus hes throwin in a yz 125. its an 86 diesel 4x4 with a 4in body lift. how r theses babies on fuel? powerful? any info ont hese would be nice.

[spangman]

They aren't too bad, as long as you don't expect too much from them. It is "non-turbo", correct? They were basically converted gasoline engines. They have gotten a real bad reputation from the diesel community - but I have a friend that has one and he hasn't had any major problems, and I think the thing is a TANK (4X4, lifted, swampers etc.)

[nosliw]

what kind of diesel? 6.2L? 6.5L?

either way, they are great reliable engines. in my experience they have all been pretty gutless and barely any giddy-up, but they get you where you want to go and don't complain. should get decent mileage, but i dont have any numbers for you. go over to dieselplace.com, they have forums for the 6.2L and 6.5L diesel engines

[300EXer]

i'd plan on putting some time and moeny into it for things like exhaust, suspension and tires. Is it too guttless to push big tires? and i heard somehwhere that the tops speed for these are about 65 mph. woult it be a 6 speed?

[hemi operator]

Run away. Fast. Those diesels can be kept going fairly well by someone who doesn't mind working on them a bit. They are NOTHING like today's "light" truck diesels. On the other hand, you could yank it out and convert it to a gas set up and drop a decent 350 or something in there for a few grand, if it's a nice truck.

[represent618]

i had a 83 chevy with a 6.5 diesel, it was a turd, i ripped it out and put in a built 455 Oldsmobile, plenty of room in those big trucks for the big block and a nice set of headers, plus i didnt even have to switch the motor mounts on the frame because this particular model diesel was an oldsmobile gas block converted to a diesel. but i got tired of that and put the big block in a cutlass, then put a 350 rocket in the truck and sold it, they are tough *** old trucks though, just prone to rust.......