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1988 GMC 3500 4x4 6.2L

723 views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  gardnerteam 
#1 ·
I been getting more and more interested in diesels and there is a 1988 GMC 3500 4x4 automatic trans. with 6.2L motor advertised locally for what looks like a pretty good price, ($2,800). It's only got 98,000 miles and looks to be in good shape, with original paint that's very decent.

Since this would be my first diesel, can anyone give me an idea of what kind of things to look for. I keep hearing about injection pumps wearing out. This being the mechanical pump, it can be rebuilt, fairly inexpensively, right? What other things should I look for.

Also, if anyone has experience with the 3500, I'd appreciate hearing about it. I don't really need this much capacity, but if it's a nice truck, I can live with it. My only concerns are ride quality and fuel consumption. Will a 1-ton truck ride really hard? Will the extra weight of this truck hurt fuel economy considerably?

Thanks for any input you guys can offer.
 
#2 · (Edited)
The 6.2 was a very good motor...arguably better than the later 6.5. I've seen them go over 400k without a hitch. The mechanical pump is fine, and should last a lifetime. The 6.5 was the one with injector pump issues. The 6.2's have them, but much fewer and farther in between. The economy, in 1988 would be almost double that of a comparable gas motor. Ride quality is going to be an issue with the 3500 - it's a heavy duty truck, it will ride like a gravel train. If you can live with it, do it...if not, don't. Hope this helps!! Good luck.

Tom.

BTW - WELCOME to the forum!!
 
#3 ·
Thanks Tom.

I'm a little worried about the ride. I don't need a 1 ton truck. Also, it's been pointed out to me that an older truck like that will have a 5 digit odometer and that the real mileage might be 198K or 298K. I'll have to check it out thoroughly.
 
#5 ·
Thanks Tom.

I'm a little worried about the ride. I don't need a 1 ton truck. Also, it's been pointed out to me that an older truck like that will have a 5 digit odometer and that the real mileage might be 198K or 298K. I'll have to check it out thoroughly.
I had a 1985, one ton dually, 454. The speedo read 76K. It had 276,000 on it.
You should be able to tell by the rest of the truck.
Mine, the pedals were worn to the metal, the dash was cracked, the seat was shot. It looked old AND used.
Come to think of it, kind of like me.....
 
#4 ·
I may be wrong but I believe that the 85ish model years came with the first 100,000+ ODOs. Problem beings is if they had a problem with the original ODO or replaced it with 1 from another truck you would never know. However it is very possible that the 98XXX is true mileage. I have looked at many classic cars and trucks that show less than 100k on the ODO. Best thing to do is get all info on the truck as possible.
 
#6 ·
Add me to the list of saying the 6.2 was a great motor (except for very heavy towing) and has a long life if taken care of. The 6.2 had a lot of injector problems in 82 & 83, but cured them in 84. 6.2 injector pumps should last a long time, but still are easy and relatively cheap to rebuild. My son owned a 84 Blazer 6.2 for several years, sold it to one of my friends who drove it to over 800,000 miles, had it rebuilt, drove it another 200,000 miles before he sold it. Except for the additional power of the 6.5 turbo, I much preferred the 6.2 with a Banks turbo on it.
 
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