Intro! Tell me about the GMT400 K3500- looking at a 4-dr. Chevy 6.5L turbodiesel 4x4

[peneumbra]

I have a '94 3500HD 4x4 with the 6.5 TD; while some things are similar to the regular 3500s, some things are very different. GM didn't directly make a 3500HD 4x4, but, if you wanted one, the dealership would sell it to you and GM would ship one off to Tulsa Truck, or someone like that, to do the conversion.

The 3500HD has a Dana 70 (straight) front axle, and a Dana 80 rear. The cab is pretty much the same, although I've replaced my bench seat with a pair of buckets from a Grand Cherokee. Wheel size on mine is 19.5, with large disc brakes all around, and the frames appear to be much heavier than the standard 3500. The HDs sit very high off the ground, with a GVW of 15,000 lbs.

I've had little trouble with the 6.5, although it does smoke a lot. This weekend, I'm putting in an upgraded and relocated PMD (electronic module that controls the injector pump) because my old one is shot and has been throwing codes for over a year now. The new one is from SS Diesel back east - one of the few sources I've found for 6.5 upgrade parts. I'm also installing a set of 40-HP marine injectors from SSD, to give it a little more pop here at 7,000 feet of altitude.

So we'll see how things go with the improvements. I've removed the stock exhaust and muffler, and run a straight pipe into a vertical 5" chrome stack, and boy, it sounds GREAT! Well, it's LOUD and GREAT, but you can get away with that kind of thing up here in the wilds of northern AZ.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. If I don't know the answer, I'll just make something up, OK?

Regards,

 

[Sentinelist]

I vote you keep the wheels you have, toss on some 285/75R16's in a chunky mud terrain tire and be done with it. Why spend money you don't need to? Your rims are fine for that size tire. Very common sized tire on those rims, just watch your tire pressure and rotate often. I rotate every 5000 miles, or 6000 if I was doing a 3000 mile oil change interval. I would look into a Bypass Oil Filter setup for getting the soot out of the oil. I had one in my 96 F-350 and extended my oil changes by quite a bit. http://www.fs2500.com/

Looks like a clean truck. Kinda Jealous. Nothing like the sound of a mechanically injected diesel.

-jorge

Much appreciated- I'm growing closer to this beast by the day. Enjoyed driving it all over today, and got lots of compliments on it at the shop when I took in in for the various fluid changes. When explaining all my plans for it and why I picked this one, the techs were like, "Yeah! $%&# yeah!". The sound is fantastic, and the mileage still makes me laugh.

Maybe so with the tires, I just love the idea of the H1 wheels with my H1 engine. The beefy engineering should be robust enough for what I want to do, and they're period correct to look the part as well. I think I could probably come out more ahead if I sold my current running gear (still very useable tread left), and put that into the H1 wheels and new tires. Actually it'd be about the same. But they would really be that 'pièce de résistance'.

EDIT: I really like the idea of an additional auxiliary oil filter for an old diesel. Fresh oil change today is probably already black. Will add that to my list, thanks. And I'm now looking a bit more at tires at the size you recommended. I think the winter rated E1 Goodyear DuraTracs are finalists in my book, with 3750lb. weight ratings and can hold 80psi.

 

[Sentinelist]

Thanks, penumbra- I've never heard about this 3500HD from our era before. Sounds like a real champ! Any photos? The seller of mine was a big fan of SSD and the engine seems to have been washed with its catalog- already have them bookmarked. It explains the engine that feels like it runs at a fraction of its 276k miles. Very thankful for his smart efforts- I could have done so much worse on this thing. I realized that even more as I was getting the interior prepped for a pro-detail tomorrow... the headliner is PERFECT! Whenever I get around to swapping out the interior with a newer model's later, I may just leave that in place and dye it.

I appreciate the info offer and will take you up on it later! Guesstimates OK.

 

[Sentinelist]

Leaning towards keeping my wheels. I found another set of identical ones. To get around the logistics of wanting to powdercoat mine while mounting new tires (I doubt Discount Tire will hold my truck on the lift for a day while I take the wheels somewhere to paint... and my driveway is too steep to leave this truck on jacks), I'll likely buy these, have them done up properly, mount them in a new set of DuraTracs, and then just sell the existing set I'm currently running afterwards.

I should probably start my build thread before I get further carried away.

 

[Larry]

Leaning towards keeping my wheels. I found another set of identical ones. To get around the logistics of wanting to powdercoat mine while mounting new tires (I doubt Discount Tire will hold my truck on the lift for a day while I take the wheels somewhere to paint... and my driveway is too steep to leave this truck on jacks), I'll likely buy these, have them done up properly, mount them in a new set of DuraTracs, and then just sell the existing set I'm currently running afterwards.

I should probably start my build thread before I get further carried away.

Now you are thinking….. The ’01-’06 PYO wheels like you have now are the nicest looking OEM truck wheel GM ever made. I personally cannot get my head wrapped around the trend as of late where so many people install H1 wheels on something other than an H1. Yeah, they’re bead locks…yeah, they are very heavy duty, blah, blah, blah…..but they are HEAVIER than hell and will likely never balance. I could see H1 wheels on a dedicated rock crawler or something but not on the average pickup or even Overlander. Stick with your OEM wheels.

Neat truck BTW! 1993 is the best year of 6.5L engines that is for sure. The mechanical injection pump can cause the engine to run like caca if you drive from TX to the Continental Divide in Colorado but they are dirt reliable! I often cruise CL just to find an early 6.5L rig to pick the engine from for a project someday but never have any luck ever finding one.

 

[dragogt]

I have a '94 3500HD 4x4 with the 6.5 TD; while some things are similar to the regular 3500s, some things are very different. GM didn't directly make a 3500HD 4x4, but, if you wanted one, the dealership would sell it to you and GM would ship one off to Tulsa Truck, or someone like that, to do the conversion.

The 3500HD has a Dana 70 (straight) front axle, and a Dana 80 rear. The cab is pretty much the same, although I've replaced my bench seat with a pair of buckets from a Grand Cherokee. Wheel size on mine is 19.5, with large disc brakes all around, and the frames appear to be much heavier than the standard 3500. The HDs sit very high off the ground, with a GVW of 15,000 lbs.

I've had little trouble with the 6.5, although it does smoke a lot. This weekend, I'm putting in an upgraded and relocated PMD (electronic module that controls the injector pump) because my old one is shot and has been throwing codes for over a year now. The new one is from SS Diesel back east - one of the few sources I've found for 6.5 upgrade parts. I'm also installing a set of 40-HP marine injectors from SSD, to give it a little more pop here at 7,000 feet of altitude.

So we'll see how things go with the improvements. I've removed the stock exhaust and muffler, and run a straight pipe into a vertical 5" chrome stack, and boy, it sounds GREAT! Well, it's LOUD and GREAT, but you can get away with that kind of thing up here in the wilds of northern AZ.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. If I don't know the answer, I'll just make something up, OK?

Regards,

I'm going to stop you right here. IF haven't bought the parts from SSD Do Not do it.

The intake kit isnt much better than than OE and 2nd the injectors are Not balanced and are made with crap parts..

Get a bumper relocation kit for the pmb and it will be much happier, and as far as injectors go Heath comes to mind but I know there's a couple of others that have good parts also I just can't remember of the top of my head.

Also seeing as you have a ds4 pump look up Feed The Beast as well as the ATT Turbo that will make you think you have a new truck

Sent from my T-Mobile Galaxy S4 using Tapatalk 4

 

[Sentinelist]

Now you are thinking….. The ’01-’06 PYO wheels like you have now are the nicest looking OEM truck wheel GM ever made. I personally cannot get my head wrapped around the trend as of late where so many people install H1 wheels on something other than an H1. Yeah, they’re bead locks…yeah, they are very heavy duty, blah, blah, blah…..but they are HEAVIER than hell and will likely never balance. I could see H1 wheels on a dedicated rock crawler or something but not on the average pickup or even Overlander. Stick with your OEM wheels.

Neat truck BTW! 1993 is the best year of 6.5L engines that is for sure. The mechanical injection pump can cause the engine to run like caca if you drive from TX to the Continental Divide in Colorado but they are dirt reliable! I often cruise CL just to find an early 6.5L rig to pick the engine from for a project someday but never have any luck ever finding one.

Thanks for the support, Larry! I'm sticking to the OEMs. Hoping to pick up that set next weekend and get a few things powdercoated afterwards, so I'll get some photos and start my build thread then. It does seem to be a pretty unique truck, and I've been driving it everywhere the last few days amazed at its performance. It's actually rather fast for what it is! Loving it so far.

More info welcome in the meantime, folks.

 

[Sentinelist]

dragogt- I'll duly note that if my engine starts running poorly, though SSD seems to be otherwise held in pretty high regard. Am I wrong?

 

[dragogt]

Sorry but yes, Not all of SSD's parts are bad but there is better options available for the main engine parts..

I have a FFM from them that I got before I knew about rockauto and the like, that's still holding up...

Have you checked out TTS link I posted a while back?

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[dragogt]

Some reputable 6.2/ 5 vendor's in no order..

http://leroydiesel.com/#2754

http://heathdiesel.com

http://www.kennedydiesel.com

http://walkingjdesigns.myshopify.com

http://www.ptwiringsolutions.com

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[Sentinelist]

Thanks for these- bookmarking to check out soon.

 

[dragogt]

No problem, but that's all the homework I'm doing for yall.. lol

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[chilliwak]

Thanks, Chilli- sounds like similar mileage to this one. Does yours have the turbo as well? I figure if the mill was robust enough for the military to put in the original H1, it's probably good enough for my needs, if properly maintained for sure. I like that they have redundant batteries- this one has new DuraLast gold tops from a year or two ago. I hope this one doesn't leak, mainly because where I would park it, is a freshly poured slab of concrete...

The mileage I'm looking to do annually is really just weekend Home Depot, family hauling help runs, and a couple long-distance regional roadtrips. Reliability is everything.

Yes the truck does have a turbo. Runs well and like you say if it was good enough for the military it is probably more than good enough for our use!:Wow1:

 

[Sentinelist]

Good deal. Well so far, I've taken it on two 2-hr. journeys just outside of the metroplex where I live and the thing runs like a champ, even briefly at 80mph. So thankful I didn't get a problem child, knock on wood. Nothing but 'RAWR!' and 'whoosh!' when I goose it. Cruise works too. I haven't tried pushing it beyond that due to its rotting tires. It'll do 85mph I think, which is generally about as fast I go on interstates, so that'll suffice.

Regardless, I committed to the 'same wheels' school of thought today and bought an identical set from a kind gentleman off Craigslist to powdercoat. They, a new rear bumper, and the existing front bumper, go in for powdercoating on Monday (satin black). I'll get them back Friday when I'll also get the new DuraTracs mounted and balanced. Having some family over next weekend who have no idea about the rig, so I'll have to have it somewhat setup for an unveiling then- I'll take some pics then. And start my build thread...

 

[Sentinelist]

I forgot to update my initial checklist from earlier...

Add coolant- level is at the bottom of the bottle but zero overheating, also has a new thermostat and housing I learned. Done, no problems.
Power spray the bed out- all sorts of crap in the nooks and crannies back there, but it does have a bed liner in serviceable condition. Done, no problems.
Wash, claybar, basic polishing wax, vacuum the interior, and have the inside professionally steamed to look and feel as clean as reasonably possible. Done, but skipped the clay- this is very basic and only decent-at-best paint. Had the inside professionally detailed and steam-cleaned... you guys won't believe how clean it is now. Pics soon.
Toss the blue plastic GM floor mats and find some decent contrasting dark gray ones (blue interior), front and back- need a sunshade too. Done, replaced with a set of $40 Goodyear mats from AutoZone, sunshade later before the spring.
Change the oil with Mobil1 Delvac plus filter- full dipstick but already pitch black after ~3k mi from a change last winter. Done, no problems.
Flush the rear diff, maybe front axles and brakes? Basically all the fluids to get a fresh baseline except the trans- that was just done incl. the filter and seal a couple months ago. Done, front diff clean, rear diff dirty, left brakes as-is this interval.
Replace the wiper blades and find a plastic tailgate handle pocket replacement. Done, and I actually swapped tailgates with the guy I bought my new rear bumper from to get rid of the silver 'plaque' style for the black 'script' decal style I wanted for free!
Mount up an awesome Ranch Hand full brush guard that I haggled into the deal since he had no other vehicle to put it on, possibly respraying it black first, though it may be good as-is. This was actually a 2000MY 1500 guard- FTL. I sold it to a guy at the shop when I had the fluids flushed for $100 cash, now shopping for a new guard.
Find its owners manual on eBay to 'complete' the stock package. Done, brand new manual in the glove box.
Order my ExPo sticker to keep motivated. Done and done! Black script logo both sides on the tailgate right above the '4x4'. Looks good.
Random solo trip/maiden voyage to a buddy's ranch this weekend to build a bonfire and catch up with some friends. What perfect timing for this acquisition! Rain delay, two weekends in a row. Booo. But two equal Craigslist journeys for parts. All is well!