[RonnieMack85]

Hey guys I'm new on this forum so hope I'm posting in the correct place. Anyways I recently just had a 1998 2500 4x4 Silverado with a 6.5 fall into my lap by way of my grandfather giving it to me as a wedding present lol. It's in really great shape all around and he has replaced alot of things on it so far since he has owned it. The engine is stock with 194k on the clock. It was owned by a friend of his who purchased it new and never abused it so it's in relatively great shape. Hardly any scratches or dents as well. My grandfather has replaced the Injection pump, lift pump, oil pressure sensor, glow plug solenoid as well as new PMD with harness which has been relocated to behind the front bumper. The truck has sat a little over a year since the last time he drove it to Alabama from North Florida to go deer Hunting. The engine will fire but dies out after about 30secs to a min of running. Maybe the time of it sitting has clogged up something in the tank not too sure but I'm picking it up next weekend and taking it to a friend's diesel shop here in South Florida for him to get it up and running. Anyways besides all of that I was wondering what I could do with this engine to improve the performance and sound. Im not looking to have a coal rolling race truck just something I can daily drive and has a little better sound and performance. For right now I am thinking about keeping the turbo stock just because I'm sort of on a budget at the moment but with a stock turbo what else could I change or mod to get a little better power and sound out of it would like to hear the turbo whistle some more. Thanks for any and all insight, Ronnie...

 

[OkDually]

Welcome to DieselPlace

Try replacing the PMD with a "Known working" PMD and make sure a resistor is installed on the PMD pins.
Install a piece of clear fuel line on the return side of the Injection pump ( as shown in this link ) Question: - 1999 GMC Bluebird 6.5L TD - PMD &amp...
This will help locate any air in fuel isues.
Perform a lift pump test Reference Material: Lift Pump/OPS

For improvements try reading through this link: Info: - 6.5 NEWBIES - **START HERE**

 

[RonnieMack85]

Welcome to DieselPlace

Try replacing the PMD with a "Known working" PMD and make sure a resistor is installed on the PMD pins.
Install a piece of clear fuel line on the return side of the Injection pump ( as shown in this link ) Question: - 1999 GMC Bluebird 6.5L TD - PMD &amp...
This will help locate any air in fuel isues.
Perform a lift pump test Reference Material: Lift Pump/OPS

For improvements try reading through this link: Info: - 6.5 NEWBIES - START HERE

Thank you so much for the reply, I had a little time to jump on here earlier while at work. Haven't had much time since to get on and do some reading/research. I know the PMD is new and I asked him if he drove the truck after replacing it and he said yes, because I thought maybe he didn't know about the resistor already but he's pretty good with that stuff. He believes it's not getting adequate fuel pressure to stay running. We checked the lift pump and it's working just as it should be. I only had a few days to mess with it when I was there last and couldn't get it figured out in time. So next weekend I'm going up with my flatbed wrecker to tow it back down here to get it up and running.

 

[OkDually]

Thank you so much for the reply, I had a little time to jump on here earlier while at work. Haven't had much time since to get on and do some reading/research. I know the PMD is new and I asked him if he drove the truck after replacing it and he said yes, because I thought maybe he didn't know about the resistor already but he's pretty good with that stuff. He believes it's not getting adequate fuel pressure to stay running. We checked the lift pump and it's working just as it should be. I only had a few days to mess with it when I was there last and couldn't get it figured out in time. So next weekend I'm going up with my flatbed wrecker to tow it back down here to get it up and running.

A PMD can last 2 minutes or 20 years depending on the fuel system's health.. we always recommend that you carry extra "Known working" PMD's in the vehicle just for this type of issue.
The lift pump should produce 1/2 pint in 15 seconds. Apply a jumper wire to the lift pump relay and then open the T valve and let fuel flow into a container from the drain line.
If you don't see 1/2 pint in 15 seconds replace the lift pump.

 

[RonnieMack85]

Sounds good I'll definitely give that a try once I get to the truck next weekend. I have a 10hr round trip ahead of me next weekend lol. Any thought on the wicked wheel upgrade with the stock turbo does it help it spool up faster or is it just a waste of money if you have any insight pertaining to them? Im really just planning on doing 4" exhaust, the quadstar intake plenum and just the wicked wheel upgrade if it's even worth doing. I don't need a race truck just want it to run and sound better

 

[RonnieMack85]

Sounds good I'll definitely give that a try once I get to the truck next weekend. I have a 10hr round trip ahead of me next weekend lol. Any thought on the wicked wheel upgrade with the stock turbo does it help it spool up faster or is it just a waste of money if you have any insight pertaining to them? Im really just planning on doing 4" exhaust, the quadstar intake plenum and just the wicked wheel upgrade if it's even worth doing. I don't need a race truck just want it to run and sound better

I don't want to mess with the boost or doing any tuning. I did hear that a Carter lift pump from PT Solutions is a must as well for upgrading

 

[OkDually]

Sounds good I'll definitely give that a try once I get to the truck next weekend. I have a 10hr round trip ahead of me next weekend lol. Any thought on the wicked wheel upgrade with the stock turbo does it help it spool up faster or is it just a waste of money if you have any insight pertaining to them? Im really just planning on doing 4" exhaust, the quadstar intake plenum and just the wicked wheel upgrade if it's even worth doing. I don't need a race truck just want it to run and sound better

There are a few threads you can read on the wicked wheel by using the "Community Search" bar on the top of the page.
Depending on what you want to do with the truck you may want to install an HX40II Turbo.

 

[Tommygunner]

Without a tune. Doing any upgrades to the turbo, intake, boost are really not worth it.. A tune will bring all the mods together to work as a balanced unit.
Without a tune all you are getting is more air without fuel. You cant make power that way. The stock tune is weak in the fueling department. You are also limited on boost.
On a stock tune. The WW impeller should make the turbo spool faster. Building power sooner. But you really wont make much higher HP/Torque over stock. But it will come on sooner in the RPM band.
IMO the best place to start is 4" exhaust, also get the 2.5" crossover. My preference for muffler is Areo Exhaust. Good exhaust will wake up your 6.5.
Without a tune. I would not bother with air intake mods. The stock K47 intake on your truck is about the best made for the 6.5. But if you do want to get rid of it for aftermarket. You will find plenty of eager buyers here.
By moding the intake for more air.( Plentium,turbo,ect) You are just spending money for little results with a stock tune.
If you dont want to get a tune. Then spend money on making the engine dependable. With things like a Fluid Damper, Braided steel oil cooler lines and other mods that fix the common catastrophic problems in the 6.5 You will need them.
With 190K miles, If the injectors have not been replaced. There is another issue. They are at the end of their life cycle.
Also Glow plugs.

 

[RonnieMack85]

There are a few threads you can read on the wicked wheel by using the "Community Search" bar on the top of the page.
Depending on what you want to do with the truck you may want to install an HX40II Turbo.

Ok perfect I figured if it came to it that their would be a post on the wicked wheel. I'm not really trying to have a race truck which I know is a stretch for the 6.5 I just want to open it up t

There are a few threads you can read on the wicked wheel by using the "Community Search" bar on the top of the page.
Depending on what you want to do with the truck you may want to install an HX40II Turbo.

Yea I pretty much figured any and everything would be on here or has been asked lol. I may eventually upgrade turbos but for now i just want to keep it as a good running, sounding daily driver. I know it will never be a race truck or anything fast like a powerstoke or Cummins. I didn't want to mess with tunes or fueling just figured I could get away with just doing the intake,exhaust as well as lift pump and upgrading the wheel to pick up the performance some.

Without a tune. Doing any upgrades to the turbo, intake, boost are really not worth it.. A tune will bring all the mods together to work as a balanced unit.
Without a tune all you are getting is more air without fuel. You cant make power that way. The stock tune is weak in the fueling department. You are also limited on boost.
On a stock tune. The WW impeller should make the turbo spool faster. Building power sooner. But you really wont make much higher HP/Torque over stock. But it will come on sooner in the RPM band.
IMO the best place to start is 4" exhaust, also get the 2.5" crossover. My preference for muffler is Areo Exhaust. Good exhaust will wake up your 6.5.
Without a tune. I would not bother with air intake mods. The stock K47 intake on your truck is about the best made for the 6.5. But if you do want to get rid of it for aftermarket. You will find plenty of eager buyers here.
By moding the intake for more air.( Plentium,turbo,ect) You are just spending money for little results with a stock tune.
If you dont want to get a tune. Then spend money on making the engine dependable. With things like a Fluid Damper, Braided steel oil cooler lines and other mods that fix the common catastrophic problems in the 6.5 You will need them.
With 190K miles, If the injectors have not been replaced. There is another issue. They are at the end of their life cycle.
Also Glow plugs.

I appreciate the reply man, I'm coming into this truck from the gasser world so still trying to get a grasp on how to upgrade a diesel especially the 6.5. I knew if I ventured into the tuning department, then everything else to support the time would follow and my wife would leave me hanging by my nuts after seeing what it cost 🤣 I was just trying to figure out the best way to build a little power from a stock engine standpoint without having to upgrade everything to make some kind of power. I figured if I kept it mostly on the stock side. I could do the intake to help lower egt and the exhaust to let it breathe better and the wheel just to help it get up and move a little faster out of the hole but i guess the way I'm putting it together in my mind isn't making sense in the real world with this engine. Don't crucify me just yet,still on a learn as I go deal here 🤣

 

[RonnieMack85]

Without a tune. Doing any upgrades to the turbo, intake, boost are really not worth it.. A tune will bring all the mods together to work as a balanced unit.
Without a tune all you are getting is more air without fuel. You cant make power that way. The stock tune is weak in the fueling department. You are also limited on boost.
On a stock tune. The WW impeller should make the turbo spool faster. Building power sooner. But you really wont make much higher HP/Torque over stock. But it will come on sooner in the RPM band.
IMO the best place to start is 4" exhaust, also get the 2.5" crossover. My preference for muffler is Areo Exhaust. Good exhaust will wake up your 6.5.
Without a tune. I would not bother with air intake mods. The stock K47 intake on your truck is about the best made for the 6.5. But if you do want to get rid of it for aftermarket. You will find plenty of eager buyers here.
By moding the intake for more air.( Plentium,turbo,ect) You are just spending money for little results with a stock tune.
If you dont want to get a tune. Then spend money on making the engine dependable. With things like a Fluid Damper, Braided steel oil cooler lines and other mods that fix the common catastrophic problems in the 6.5 You will need them.
With 190K miles, If the injectors have not been replaced. There is another issue. They are at the end of their life cycle.
Also Glow plugs.

Im thinking that it's going to need injectors and glow plugs sooner or later if my grandfather hasn't changed those yet which I don't think he has. At 1st I was going to keep the intake stock and just put a wix drop in filter in it and then just do the exhaust and wheel but then I came across the quadstar intake and then I came across a post about upgrading the lift pump to A Carter from PT Solutions. But without the tune I don't see a need to upgrade the fuel system just yet. I would love to upgrade the Turbo, tune and fuel system to support it all but my wife is the goalie in the way lmao

 

[smdk2500]

but my wife is the goalie in the way lmao

Just tell her those things are broke and you have to replace them lol. Worked for me on a few ex- girlfriends.

 

[RonnieMack85]

Just tell her those things are broke and you have to replace them lol. Worked for me on a few ex- girlfriends.

Lmao I'll have to remember that !

 

[Screaminglibrarian]

You want a 4 inch exhaust - doesn’t even have to be a straight pipe - but if you want a straight pipe, look at a Diamond Eye - very affordable if you are handy - it will somewhat improve your performance and it’ll make your truck sound like a hot rod - the 90’s years of those 6.5s were are some of the loudest Diesel engines out there stock. Also, hop on YouTube and watch Jesse Pelkey’s channel. He is the 6.5L man for all questions.

 

[DieselPro]

Optic sensor bump will get you more fuel.