I've got a 79 C-10 pickup (in my signature) currently sits with no engine. I have a 78 454 out of a suburban that I used to have that i plan to install (i got hit in it and it was totaled but engine and trans was fine and in great shape so i kept it). I dont have a garage or a shed so the engines been sitting in the back of my pickup truck-bed trailer under a tarp for probably 2 years now. As far as i know its never gotten wet and there shouldnt have been any water in it or anything to freeze up and bust anything so it should be OK. I REALLY want this engine in this truck but if for some reason it turns out to be junk (even tho it was in great shape when i pulled it, no smoke or anything. Only had 130k on it or so) i would seriously consider a 6.2 or 6.5 swap because im pretty thrilled with the 6.5 and would like another. A 6.2 with a turbo would be fine too. Not to mention the milage id get with it would be awesome. The truck is nearly rust free and is in NICE shape (came from texas) however it originally had a 250 I6 and a 3 on the tree manual trans. The 250 was gone when i got the truck somone swapped in a 350 but left the 3 on the tree in it. Now the 350 is gone i used it in another truck, then sold it and always wanted the 454 in this anyways. Im going to convert it to automatic probably, since i have the trans already. That would work just fine behind the 6.5 and i assume the 6.5?? I'd go for the mechanical injection, so, how hard would it be to wire up? I wouldnt switch the instrument panel or anything to the diesel one so id need an external light for the GP indicator and probably a momentary toggle switch to turn the GP relay on and off. Beyond that there couldnt really be too many wires to hookup to make it work could there? Any comments, suggestions, ETC would be appreciated. Id love to see what everyones got to say about this...

Get a Vortec 454

They make 290 horsepower and 410 torque and heard they respond to mods very well. I was thinking of buying one and just using a bunch or nitrous with it at the track. Is it true Bigblocks can take a mess of nitrous?

I have a 454 already. Its not vortec, but if i am going to buy an engine id buy a 6.2 or 6.5 to put in. I'm gonna try the 454 first. It may or may not stay. Ive kind of got an itch to see how a turbo 6.2 or turbo 6.5 would be in this truck. Id like to see some sort of reasonable milage so i could drive it more, too. This 454 made 10mpg at best with a 400 auto (no OD) and 3.73 gears in a burb. Od would help (there goes more $$$) and the fact that it is a lighter truck will help too, but ive heard the trucks that came with an I6 almost all had 4.10 gears... so that will hurt milage too. As for the nitrous on a big block i really dont know but i kind of doubt it. If it has cast pistons and its likly that most do, nitrous would probably kill it relativly easily. Id like to try a turbo on a 454, thatd be ballsy, but would require something other than cast pistons also.

I have all the 6.5 parts u need for your built pm me if interested

Older GM Trucks pretty much everything interchanges well. That said the chassis for my 83 was a gasser chassis and the diesel went in no problem. Just had to use all diesel accessories. The older trucks really were great to experiment with. You can do almost anyhting and it will work. 6.2 or 6.5 but yes stay Mechanical on the IP. It will be much easier to make work and more reliable. The auto trans must be for a diesel. For 2wd I'd recommend a TH400 Diesel version. The torque converor and valve body are different also you need a different detent cable . Some ealier ones did use vacuum off a control on the IP and a vacuum pump that looked like a distributor but those Vac Pumps were junk and I'd go cable. You really don't need the detent at all. I never had one. You'll need the bigger rad which shouldn't be too hard to fit in. An electric lift pump. ONe off a later 6.5 will work or I used to use the bellows type fuel pump but they are getting scarce. you don't really need a glowplug light. You can wire them up on a manual push button(That's how mine was). The only issues I could see is if you tried to use a 6.5 TD. The down pipe and crossover might have issues with older chassis.Motor mounts will be the same if you order them for mid 80 diesel in a 2wd. remember old school GM always works.:D

If the '79 has AC it will get in the way of the turbo on the 6.5. The AC stuff on the pass. side firewall would have to be relocated. I'm not sure where the 6.2 turbo kits mount, but that may be the better way to go.

Nick

if you are gonna go through all the trouble to convert it, why not use a cummins?

As long as you go N/A it's an easy swap.

ive heard the trucks that came with an I6 almost all had 4.10 gears...

My 1970 1/2 ton GMC came from factory with 3.73 in the rear end, behind the I6. And that was standard fare. With the "energy crisis" that soon followed, I'd bet your '79 is the same, or maybe even 3.42.

I'm not sure where the 6.2 turbo kits mount, but that may be the better way to go.

Nick

The Banks manifold mounts the turbo lower, and further forward in comparison to the 6.5 setup. I'm studying the use of a 6.5 turbo with the Banks manifold for my 6.2 swap into the '70 GMC.

'70 is a different body style i'm not sure if that would matter or not. I think my 72 had 3.73s also. I am honestly kind of hoping for a 3.08 or 3.42. 94k30, a cummins would be expensive, harder to wire up. require fabricated motor mounts, etc etc. A 6.2 or 6.5 will drop right down in there and will be cheap. Atleast a 6.2 will be cheap anyways. If i remember right, atleast according to banks, the 6.2 with a banks turbo makes marginally MORE power than a stock 6.5. Crank the boost and the pump up more and it could probably make even more. I dont know - if not are the 6.2 and 6.5 pumps the same? If they physically are the same but arent capable of the same output, i could use a 6.5 pump to get more fuel. Also, the truck is AC, but the previous owner did not put the hoses and compressor and drier back on so those are missing. That might give me the room i need. I can always do something about the AC later since im sure at some point i will want to make it work.

I'll give ya what I know, and maybe someone else can expand on it. Body style doesnt count for much when it comes to drivetrains. Speaking strictly factory applications here..... The 3.08 gears were pretty much reserved for the V8's with(non overdrive) automatics. You wont find an I6 application, manual or automatic with 3.08's. Not even certain about the 3.42's, but just guessing since by '79 fuel economy was a bigger concern than it was in '72. So, maybe? But if I had to put $$ on it, I'd say they're 3.73's.
Better be careful about cranking the boost, and fuel on a 6.2, blown head gaskets, and cracked heads are the likely result without some modifications, that turn the "cheap" engine into something a bit more expensive, fast. But you can go to that forum and learn all about it.
If you dont have a Banks setup, and want to use the factory 6.5 turbo setup, I understand, though I've never done, or seen it myself, that an AC setup from an S-10 style truck grafted onto the firewall of the '73-'87 style truck will give the necessary clearance for the manifold and turbo.
Time to hit the books!:)

I went and looked today and the sticker in the glove box says rear axle - standard, then below it it says rear axle - 3.07 ratio. Then below that it says 4.1L Engine.

Wow, never saw that before. I guess the two bbl carbys they were putting on the I6 by that time gave it the grunt it needed to get off the line with a 3.07. At any rate, I stand corrected.
That's certainly good news for you, especially if your'e going to use the 454.(BTW, check your PM)

I had to remove the heat & A/C unit from my firewall also. I'm gonna use a behind the dash Vintage Air unit in mine, so you could consider that. Kinda pricey though.

4.1 litre be a 250 CID. ATS turbo kit or Banks turbo will fit. You could get parts,such as the wiring harness ,instrument cluster from an Chev/GMC Olds Diesel powered truck made from 1977 to 1981.