So there's an abandoned 1998 K3500 at the medium duty truck shop at my job...

So there's an abandoned 1998 K3500 at the medium duty truck shop at my job. It was a highway hauler for an exotic animal transportation company, but the 6.5 diesel apparently has a harmonic balancer problem that eats the crank when it goes. So it's in perfect condition other than the grenaded engine, looks much like pic related. No rust, all the bushings are in good shape, and the interior is immaculate. Only downside is it's been sitting for like 5 years.

I can probably talk the owner into selling it to me for $1500-2k. I'm thinking of dropping a brand new 6.5 into it and using it. Any downsides?

THE 6.5 IS THE DOWN SIDE. UPGRADE TO A DURAMAX LBZ OR LB7.

LS Swap

/thread

Put a 454 in it

Isuzu diesel frim GMC boxtruck

Junkyard Vortec 454 from a 96-00 2500/3500. Even in stock form it's got more HP and more torque then the diesel.
Towing cam, shorty headers, and a tune will do wonders for power.

LS is good for making top end power, but lacks in low end. Not good for a truck truck this size. In this case it would be a more involved and more expensive swap for something that doesn't perform as well in this application.

.>converting diesel to gas

Don't generalize.

Converting a 6.5 Detroit to a BBC is a lot different than converting a Cummins to a Magnum.

In this case you've got a relatively unreliable underpowered diesel with no potential and a reliable, powerful gasoline engine with tons of potential that's pretty much bolt in.

Diesel tax assures that swapping in a replacement diesel would negate the low purchase price.

this
isuzu or cummings

just put in a 12v cummins with a manual
the 6.5 is a pig ive worked on plenty of them
also if you swap a gas engine into a truck that big like everybody is saying youre going to have shit MPG and be really slow

>saying BBC and Magnum in the same sentence

...

Its cummins you fucking normie

>you're gonna be really slow with more power, more torque, and a wider power band

It would take a decade or longer for the difference in fuel economy to catch up to the cost of a Cummins swap. If you invest the savings then the Cummins swap would never catch up.

Whats your point

I would ask the same of you.

Any gas engine is better than a 6.5

No, whats the point in Posting that picture. I know People on here dont post pics because they are interesting, they always imply something, please explain.

One of those projects where you will spend $8k in the car, parts, and your own labor if you price that conservatively to have a truck that's worth $6k. Even if your time isn't valuable you can put the effort into a better project.

buy it, put a modern diesel and transmission in it. modernize everything you can while keeping it looking original.

This. Fucking piece of dogshit Cummins W250 did the same to me and it still has wiring issues 12k in fixes later. REEEEEEEE!

but he'll have a nice truck. unlike all those 2000 and later trucks that started becoming SoccerMom Mall Cruisers.

>Muh Ferd is duh best cuz they don't make em ike dis anym'ore.
Keep telling yourself that.

but that's a chevy

Not true. The W250 you fucked yourself on because it's old and parts just aren't available for it. Anything engine related is going to be diesel taxed to death thanks to the Cummins badge.

The K3500 on the other hand has extremely common dirt cheap parts. The 6.5 can be swapped to a 454 for around $500 if you've already got tools.

>Not true. The W250 you fucked yourself on because it's old and parts just aren't available for it.
MFW you're absolutely right.