6.2 / 6.5L Swap Advantages
Low weight
Will fit anywhere a small- or big-block Chevy V-8 goesHigh rpm capability, 3,600 rpm redlineRepair-part costs are low and availability is highDonor engines are less expensive than Cummins, Duramax, or Power StrokeOnly diesel offered in a 1/2-ton pickup or SUVCan be configured to run naturally aspirated, turbocharged, or intercooled
Possible 6.2 and 6.5L Swaps Candidates
'00-and-earlier model year rear-wheel-drive GM trucks or cars that came with gas V-8sApplications where fuel economy and/or diesel emissions compatibility is importantJeep Grand Wagoneers and Cherokees (fullsize)Toyota Land Cruiser (fullsize)Jeep Wranglers or older CJs'80s Land Rovers or Range Rovers with Buick V-8sSpecialty construction vehicles, "kit cars," that require a dieselInboard engine boats that can package a GM V-8
Fuel Economy
The 6.2 and 6.5L engines were intended first and foremost for fuel economy. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (www.fueleconomy.gov), an '85 Chevrolet two-wheel-drive 1/2-ton pickup equipped with a manual transmission and a 6.2L diesel was rated at 20 mpg city and 23 mpg highway. That meant it got better fuel economy than the 5.0, 5.7L, 7.4L gasoline V-8s-and even the 4.3L V-6 engines!
As the diesel power wars heated up in the early 1990s, General Motors needed to be competitive with the larger Ford 7.3L and the turbocharged 5.9L Dodge Cummins offerings. Diesel fuel economy took a back seat to horsepower. The 6.2 and, later, the 6.5L power levels were raised accordingly. Output peaked at just over 200 hp and approached 450 lb-ft of torque. Fearing the 6.5L indirect-injection architecture wouldn't be enough to claim best in class performance (along with the promise of new diesel technologies) eventually led GM to pursue a clean-sheet, direct-injection, common-rail diesel design that we know today as the Duramax.
 We'll back the 6.5L with a...  We'll back the 6.5L with a 4L85E automatic overdrive transmission and mate it to an NP205 transfer case to feed the Dana 60 front and 14-bolt rear axle. Before we get started on any of that, we'll have to evict the varmints that have set up residency under the K5's dash. Stay tuned... |  We shouldn't have been surprised...  We shouldn't have been surprised when the gas engine we had in the truck blew up-twice! The last time was on Interstate 40 going westbound in New Mexico. After a very expensive tow bill back to California, we've officially learned our lesson. |  For the last two years, our...  For the last two years, our K5 has been sitting without an engine and almost suffered the unthinkable, a parts-car death sentence. Our plan is to update the whole truck to support the new 6.5L engine over the next few months in the pages of Diesel Power. |