I like chevy trucks and am looking for one and would like to go with a diesel. I like the 6.2 but dont know much about the 6.5. Is this engine junk? I heard that the newer ones had electric fuel pumps that cause alot of greif. I would go easy on it I dont pull to many trailers but want to stay away from trouble. I figured by now you guys would know if these engines are garbage or not. I guess my question is should I look for a 6.2 or is a 6.5 a good engine as well? And if there is a problem with some what years should I stay away from? Thank for your time

The one you buy may be junk.
Have one with over 200,000 miles and never had a problem.
Ordered it like I wanted it and have towed with it more than
half the miles.
Heard a lot of sad stories about 6.5 but I don't have one.
Dewey

Junk?? I Wouldn't Say So...i've Had Mine For Several Years Now...never Had A Problem With It Until I Crossed 210,000 Miles. I Had A Bad Head Gasket That I Ignored Because It Never Caused Any Problems Other Than Coolant Loss....until.....one Day, I Overheated It And Cracked The Heads. Rather Than Just Replace The Heads, I Replaced The Engine. The Electronic Problem You Speak Of...it's Called A Pump Mounted Driver (pmd.) Roughly A $300 Dollar Part, But Takes Some Work To Replace It Without Relocating It With A Remote Driver Kit. Personally, I Love My Truck, And See Myself Owning It For Many Years To Come. I'd Be Extremely Careful About Buying Another, Though. Some Are Great, Others Give Their Owners H***.

JUNK = No
Require some knowledge and work = Yes
dependable = Yes with some brains
Same as 6.2 = pretty much yes
CHEAPER then the others to fix =YES +++

I just got my Suburban with a 6.5 Turbo Diesel last week. So far I love it. 142k miles, runs perfect, smooth, plenty of power, love the torque, doesn't stink, and I've done some basic preventative maintenance on it and for the most part is seems easy to work on and relatively simple. Parts are about as cheap as you'll find among any diesel engine.

The original owner, who put 141k on it the truck, said the only issues he's had with it was the electronic injection pump was replaced under warranty at 98k (common problem with these engines), and the oil cooler lines were replaced twice because of leaks (also a common problem). Other than that, no problems. That's not bad for the miles and age, and I would consider that pretty reliable, and not a piece of junk.

The 6.5 TD is a compromise engine - but that doesn't mean its bad - all engines have their pros and cons. You just need to decide if it is a good fit for your needs. Here's some of the pros and cons I've learned of the engine:

Cons:
- Not as powerful or durable under extreme use or abuse, such as cranked up boost levels, very heavy towing, etc. as some of the more modern diesels such as the Navistars, Duramax's, and Cummins.

- Prone to head cracking and/or block cracking if abused like above.

- Electronic fuel delivery system not as reliable as most diesels: PMD gremlins, and injection pump failure common around 90k-150k.


Pros:

- Common engine, used in military, and most GM full size SUV's, pickups, trucks, and buses. Means easy to find parts that are relatively inexpensive.

- Easy to work on and maintain for the most part.

- Reliable and durable if not modified or abused.

- Runs smooth and clean, and not too noisy, considering its not the most advanced diesel out there by a long shot.

The 6.2 is a similar engine, and is probably more reliable and durable than the 6.5 TD, especially with a mechanical injection pump, but its much less powerful, and isn't as clean running as the 6.5TD (again, which compromise do you want to live with?) .

I echo much of what Stingray says. If you how to run 'em, know what to expect, and know how to treat them, they will mostly treat you well.

Check out the FAQ's below in signature line. A lot of posts are repeated here, with same problems over and over again. Some are engine problems, and others are problems with mechanics who can't even work on a diesel.

A guy I worked with leased his 1996 3500HD (6.5, auto) and 40' goose neck trailer to the construction company we worked for for hauling skid loaders, trenchers, rollers, and pulling elevators for rock crushers. He hauled very heavy loads day in and day out. The 6.5 finally let go at 230,000 miles. He had very good luck with his 6.5.
On the other hand, a friend of mine bought a 1998 3500SRW 6.5, auto new. At 30,000 miles he was using 1gal of coolant for every tank of fuel. The engine was replaced under warrenty and has had no problems with the new engine, which as 75,000 miles on it.
I don't think the 6.5 is junk, but there have been some bad ones out there. Just like all the other diesels ever made.

Lets compare repair costs to the 7.3L Powerstroke.
HEUI injectors are about $200 each, x8 + labor is easily $2000 for a set of injectors.
Plus valvecover gaskets and pigtails burn out, Cam Position sensors are about $300.
High pressure oil pumps and IDMs aren't cheap. ICP, IPR, EBP sensors fail often too.
Turbos on these engines involve a LOT of labor (4-6hrs) and are considerably more expensive than GM-X's.

Now lets compare it to a 24V Dodge with Bosch VP44 electronic pump. If you buy a pump from the dealership your looking to spend $2000 or more. Rebuilt ones are about $1200 at best. Injectors are about $120 each, x6 + labor is close to another $1000. Supply pumps are one of the biggest problems, when they get weak, the injection pump starts to cavitate and destroys itself. Lots of PCM problems for about $1200. Turbos are still more expensive than GM-X's, but about the same for labor. Oh, and if your unlucky enough to have the dreaded '53' block casting, be ready because it will crack and you'll have to replace the block.

All of them have their own issues. And if you ask around, you'll find people who can list lots of reasons why not to own one or another.

Lets compare repair costs to the 7.3L Powerstroke.
HEUI injectors are about $200 each, x8 + labor is easily $2000 for a set of injectors.
Plus valvecover gaskets and pigtails burn out, Cam Position sensors are about $300.
High pressure oil pumps and IDMs aren't cheap. ICP, IPR, EBP sensors fail often too.
Turbos on these engines involve a LOT of labor (4-6hrs) and are considerably more expensive than GM-X's.

Now lets compare it to a 24V Dodge with Bosch VP44 electronic pump. If you buy a pump from the dealership your looking to spend $2000 or more. Rebuilt ones are about $1200 at best. Injectors are about $120 each, x6 + labor is close to another $1000. Supply pumps are one of the biggest problems, when they get weak, the injection pump starts to cavitate and destroys itself. Lots of PCM problems for about $1200. Turbos are still more expensive than GM-X's, but about the same for labor. Oh, and if your unlucky enough to have the dreaded '53' block casting, be ready because it will crack and you'll have to replace the block.

All of them have their own issues. And if you ask around, you'll find people who can list lots of reasons why not to own one or another.

Hey,

So how about injector prices and other costs for the 6.5? If I see a good used one, I don't have a problem buying it. Just curious..

Thanks.

Will

Set of injectors on a 6.5 varies a lot $300-500, depending on whether they new or rebuilt and where you get them from. But a LOT cheaper than the others.

Injection pumps vary a lot too, $800-1800, again, rebuilt or new, and varying quality/price of rebuilds are around.

Turbos are usually $500-800. The other big stuff is vacuum pump and supply pump. The rest is pretty cheap, WG/EGR solenoids, Oil Pressure Switch, Crank sensor etc.

set of 6.5 TD injectors cost $240 from www.accuratediesel.com (http://www.accuratediesel.com). These are rebuilt and you have to trade your old ones in to get this price. I also bought a fully rebuilt mechanical injection pump from him for $265.
I have a 6.5 NA, although i have only put about 11,000 miles on it i think it runs great. And at least 95% of those miles have been on (pre-filtered and heated) waste vegoil, not diesel.
Although i could easily be considered the village idiot of this forum (i never even really understood the difference between a gas and a diesel engine until about a year ago) i have since done a lot of research and learned to do most of the maintenance on my van myself, and i have also read a lot about the newer engines out there, and what i have learned has more or less made me decide i would never own a duramax, cummings or powerstroke - at least not the newer ones. Maintenance costs are far, far more expensive and it is much harder to convert these engines to run off vegoil than a 6.2 or 6.5, which is quite easy to do (that is if you are into free fuel and don't mind collecting and filtering some grease every now and again).
I am determined to get 500,000 miles out of my 6.5, even if it means taking a diesel class somewhere to learn how to rebuild it if need be somewhere down the line.
-Paul

I was talking only about the electronic DS pumps in 94 and later 6.5s.

Mechanical pumps are cheaper no doubt, but I would be leary about buying a 'rebuilt' pump for $265??? Having your pump rebuilt, even if it only needs normal wear and tear parts, nothing major should still be about $400.

Just to make things clearer the $300-$500 for 6.5 injectors TDG is quoting is for the set of eight where the $200 for PowerSmoke injectors are per each.

got one bought new in 93
its a 94 6.5
now has about 320,000 on it
running good for the age