Hi all, my first post here. :)

I am considering a 1997 Chevy 3500 with a 6.5 in it. I have a Dodge RAM / Cummins, but I have no experience with the GM 6.5 diesels. I had a 1 ton van with a 6.2 once, frankly it was a nightmare of blown head gaskets and warped parts. Is the 6.5 any better?

Can I have your thoughts on 200K on the 6.5? Is this a lot for this engine, is it near end of life?

Also, does anyone have a link where I might find towing capacity on this truck? (1997 3500 crew cab, long bed 4wd, 5sp)

Thanks for your help.

John

Condition and general care during that 200k miles is key. If you know any of the history on this, it will help. Knowing if any major engine parts have been changed, etc. A VIN check sometimes will tell you the big ticket items.

Open the engine oil fill and see if you have smoke coming out during idle. That will help you determine if the engine has a great deal of blow-by (aka wear).

Checkout diagnostic checklist for all important things to look at.

6.5 is a light duty diesel. Good economy diesel, releatively inexpensive in the diesel community. It does have it's limitations, understand where they are, and it will treat you well. It's not in the same family as a Cummins by far. Hang out here for a while and you'll come to like 'em.

The 6.5 is probably less reliable than the 6.2. Funny you mention head gaskets. Mine's been down all winter with what I hope is only blown head gaskets. They're mighty prone to cracks in the cylinders, heads, and mains webbing.

As for towing capacity, my 99 is rated for 8000 lbs.

How much longer it will last depends on the care it received the previous 200,000 miles. I would proceed with caution and not buy it unless I factored in the cost of a new engine. 200,000 is a lot closer to the end of life for the 6.5 than it is the beginning. Cummins it ain't. Mine was replaced under warranty at 87,000 miles, which really isn't too uncommon in these. They don't hold up well to mistreatment.

That said, they don't cost like a Cummins to buy or to repair. I'm happy with mine, even though I've only been able to drive it enough since I bought it (November) to put one tank of fuel through it. We'll see how happy I remain once I get the heads off after the weather is nice and warm.

Depending on what has been done. Plan on $2K in parts for an update to where it should have been stock.

PMD relocation, exhaust, new IP if it is original, lift pump, turbo master, chip, air intake (optional), injectors, oil cooler upgrade, heater coupler upgrade, and some other misc stuff.

Oh at 200K you need a new timing chain as well.

Not trying to be a downer, but these motors just take some $ to un-GM them. I swear those boneheads used some sort of "planned obsolescence" on these.

The up side is that they purr like a kitten when right and deliver decent mileage for a big truck. Cummins and Powerstrokes are just to rattlie for me. If I towed heavy though I would go for a Cummins.

my '94 has 440 K (when I mean K im canadian EH??? heheh) on 'er and for sure it has been through everything. Just bought it last year and I bought it off a guy that lays brick, he bought it new, towed and hauled with it for his work. But ya, it puffs smoke out of the 'check oil stick'.
It runs and drives fine and has lots of power. It's only a 2wd, new tranny, lots of engine work done. Glow plugs and sh*t.....
This truck is solid, but I read that above there, and just cuz it puffs out of the 'oil stick'...does that define an internal problem or what? Or just a 'HIGH MILER' thing...

Its not the end of the world, it just means your rings are worn (Usually)

mine is just over 199K miles and running strong.

As said before...it just depends on the previous care that it was given the first 200k. I had a diesel mechanic look mine over and he gave me a few tips on what to look for when I was buying it. 200 thousand or not I've never heard that "200,000 is a lot closer to the end of life for the 6.5 than it is the beginning". These things are meant to run forever BUT with that said...they will still have to be maintained.

231,000 and counting here. 96 suburban. no oil consumption. factory injectors and glow plugs. 14mpg in town/22mpg hwy. PMD still on the pump. Factory exhaust too. No mods at all. It has had a glow plug relay and a crank pulley, and a few injector pumps but never any blown gaskets or cracked heads. Id expect many more miles out of mine. And it has pulled 8,000 pounds many many times in its life. Much of it through the mountains in Colorado. It does need a vacuum pump now, which will not be getting replaced, but rather getting a turbomaster instead, and it could use injectors and probably glow plugs and a new 4" exhaust would be nice as well as the relocated PMD... but its been fine for 231,000 miles and 12 years now...its been well cared for..and if its been taken care of like mine was... id expect it to go as long as mine has, and will continue. If you plan to pull 50 billion pounds like a semi at 80mph thru death valley and up mountains and all around then no the 6.5 isnt for you but most people dont need anything like that.

So where is this truck located and how much do they want for it? Not that I'd be interested.

So where is this truck located and how much do they want for it? Not that I'd be interested.

:D