I have an 86 K2500 and want to put a diesel in it. Currently it has a chev 350, sm465. I am wondering how difficult a +94 6.5l TD swap is being that they have the electronic injection pump. If its a real bear I would lean towards a 6.2 or 92-93 6.5l TD. I would prefer the power of a later 6.5l however a running truck is better than one that isn't.

Any suggestions would be very helpful in my decision.

 

Well, the electronic pump would qualify as "a bear". Do able, but no fun for sure.

Tank, fuel system, lift pump and wiring, engine, exhaust, intake, engine bay wiring, cab wiring, PCM, Electronic throttle pedal, and a whole slew of other stuff I'm probably forgetting.....

Then you have to try and make it all work with the minimal wiring that's in your truck right now or try to run your chassis on the 6.5 wiring stuff. You're going to end up with a blend of both either way....

Much easier to get a 93 6.5 TD with the mechanical DB2 and swap that in. One wire to the fuel shut off, one wire to the starter and you're off. Cable throttle also.

If you're just looking to build a daily runner, stick with the mechanical DB2 pump engines.

With either swap, you're going to also swap over the hydroboost brakes. No vacuum on a diesel to run the stock vacuum assist brakes. Or any other vacuum run components. That's why later 6.5's with EGR and vacuum wastegate systems have a belt driven vacuum pump.

I can't offer any advice on the transmission swap/interchange.....although a standard transmission should just be all hard parts swapping/altering to make it work.

 

Well put Great White. I installed a '94 6.5 in my '85 S10 several years ago and went through pretty much everything that you mentioned. Just have a complete donor truck there if you do it and you'll have everything to pull it off. I just used the entire under hood/in cab harness and installed it into the S10, the column plugs are the same, so it was basically a plug and play. I don't still have the 6.5 in it now because I upgraded again, but having done it and having used it for a few years with the 6.5 in it, I'd would do it again.

 

DieselS10 you mentioned column plugs. I am pretty sure when you swap a duramax you need to swap the steering column also or be tech savy enough to bypass the security within the computer. Is it the same situation with an electronic pump on a 6.5. If so did you swap over the whole steering column or is there some chip you can pull out and swap over. Thanks again.

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Great white, you mentioned hydroboost brakes. Is that driven off of the power steering pump? What entails swapping this over. I'm sure I'll figure it out once I have a donor truck sitting in front of me but I am curious.

 

Yes I swapped in the full-size '05 column, cluster, harness, fuse blocks, BCM, etc., for the Duramax swap. On the 6.5 swap I justed used the '94 cluster and harness, it all plugged right in to the '85 S10 column with no mods and worked.