Anybody familiar with chevy 6.5's?

[tneibling]

A diehard chevy buddy of mine finally decided it was time to get a diesel because his 92 chevy 1500 4x4 350 5spd with real low gears has a hard time pulling his skid loader. I have tried to talk him into gettin an OBS stroker but being the bowtie guy that he is he has found a truck he thinks is going to be a better pulling machine than the OBS. It's a 98 3/4 ton chevy ext cab shortbed 4x4 with the 6.5 turbo diesel with auto tranny that has around 115k and has been owned by an elderly couple who want $7000. He was told that the entire top end was recently rebuilt. He test drove it few days ago and he said that it was definitely not the fastest thing around but overall seemed to be a solid rig.
After he gets it he's wanting me to help him do the basics to it such as CAI and exhaust. I don't know much about the old chevy diesels or if the little things that can be done to the PSD's are even possible with them. Any info and advice would be much appreciated.

[colinmitchell111]

seriously tell him not to waste his $$ the 6.5's are turds.. my buddy had a 97 with full exhaust, cai, and a programmer of some sorts, anyways he bought a 12v cummins stock and it spanked that modded 6.5.. hell they even come factory with no i/c.. we towed a car with it, maybe 6k lbs total with his 6.5 and he had to floor it to get it to accelerate at 65mph to pass on the highyway.. i guess the only pro is, it got good fuel economy empty..

[tneibling]

I've tried to point him towards either the ford OBS 7.3 or a 12v but he's convinced that the 6.5 is what he wants which I think is due to his mindset that nothing can be better than a bowtie.

[Dave]

Oh god the chevy 6.5 is a worthless turd. Dont do it. Hell his 350 gasser had more power than that 6.5 does

[melmount]

at least have him look at and drive a duramax 2001

[Dave]

Originally Posted by melmount

at least have him look at and drive a duramax 2001

No kidding. If he's that set on a bowtie at least show him something worth buying. You can get Dmax's for less than 10k all over

[colinmitchell111]

Originally Posted by tneibling

I've tried to point him towards either the ford OBS 7.3 or a 12v but he's convinced that the 6.5 is what he wants which I think is due to his mindset that nothing can be better than a bowtie.

TypicaL chev morons.. has he at least rode in ur truck for some comparison?

[tneibling]

yea he has rode in it couple times...he admits that the 6.5 "isn't nearly as fast" as my OBS (which isn't fast) but then again he said "it isn't all about speed" so

I talked to him earlier and he is still pretty set on "atleast getting it and trying it out for a while".

Well after he gets it and he wants to race he can't say i didn't warn him.

[tneibling]

My buddy went ahead and got that truck for $7000 and let me tell you its a turd.

Today we went to his cousin's exhaust shop and when we put it on the lift, we found several issues...the front main seal is leaking pretty badly, rear main is starting to leak, tranny mount is broke, CV Joint boots on passenger side are cracked and throwin grease, there are several pre-turbo exhaust leaks, something is screwed up with the wastegate not letting it close back to make any boost which we think is the reason that it smokes alot and is only getting 11mpg
He talked to the lil dealer where he got it and they agreed that they would get him all the needed parts but the installation was up to him.

After we got back, we went back to town in my OBS and he couldn't believe how much quicker it was compared to his 6.5. He thinks that after he gets his wastegate situation fixed that it'll run like my 7.3.