I had an M1009 (Military Blazer) with the 6.2L Detroit, and found it to be a great vehicle. The diesel was backed up by a TH400 and 308 gears. Since it was emissions exempt, it was rated at 155hp & 240lbft of torque. It would return 22mpg no matter what I was doing with it: 50mph, 70mph, loaded, light, towing. . . It didn’t matter, always 22mpg! Great truck!
"Pray to more than one diety." A priceless comment about these trucks, Adam -- I love it! I knew (and know) many people who have driven pickups since before these diesel-powered versions were introduced. They were not popular at all when new, and my guess is that they are rare indeed today. A great overview.
Correction. The 6.2 diesel that came out in 1982 was designed and built by Chevrolet. Not a completely clean sheet of paper either - it shared a lot of design with the Big Block - Mark IV - gas engine. First year had head gasket problems too ... I fixed quite a number of them. The leak occurred at either the right front or left rear of the engine from a cooling passage that sat OUTSIDE of the head bolt circle. Gaskets sourced from Fel-Pro was the fix. I put a lot of shoes on my kids' feet thanks to the Oldsmobubble 5.7. I got pretty good at fixing their quirks.
@working_country ___ Hey w_c. They were okay ... later years better for sure. Once they launched a head gasket, they seemed to repeat over and over. The sealing ring would etch a groove into the cylinder block and not hold after that. On a whim, I checked the local parts house and discovered that Fel-Pro offered a .030 & .060 oversized gasket. I bought a set of .060 over gaskets and - bingo - problem solved! I ALWAYS replaced the head bolts! Not sure what parts are available these days - could be a problem. If you could find an Olds 307 or 350 gas motor from a rear-wheel-drive car, they make a good swap into an otherwise really nice car. Those engines were excellent!
Those early square bodies were absolutely horrible for rust! Back home in Minnesota, after about five years of driving on salt-strewn roads, it was common to see the sheet metal on mid-70’s versions of this vehicle completely missing about 12” - 18” up from the rockers……😮 This “feature” gradually improved over the long production run of the square body trucks……🛻
Even in ice-free California, the bodywork was prone to rusting. My brother had a '74 C-10 that he took fastidious care of for several years with washing/waxing, albeit it was parked outdoors. But after 10 years of attention, didn't bother anymore with wash/wax. Ah! 10 years later, making it 20 years in California weather, the roof of the cab was rusting away. For quality comparison: My 2000 Toyota Tundra has been washed three times over the past 22 years, been parked outdoors 24/7, and there's not a hint of body rust to be found. BTW: White paint on vehicles is marvelous, for the most-part, to obscuring dirt on the body. Where I live the rain does a good job with rinsing the truck's bodywork.
@@bloqk16 A friend of mine has a 2003 Tundra and the frame rusted out completely. There was a recall for this issue and he fought with Toyota to fix it via the recall to no avail. He finally snapped the frame in half a year ago crossing a set of railroad tracks and ended up buying a frame from a wreck out of Tennessee for $500. What a job and a half it was for him to transfer everything over.
@@bloqk16 My frsh out of high school neighbor across the street bought a brand new '74 Camaro and it started rusting immediately, and within about four or five years, is was rusted out - and even had rust holes in the top of the dashboard, at the base of the A pillars.
In the early 90s I was looking for a work truck and was looking at square bodies. I lived in Southern CA and I found a bunch of rusty ones there. I finally located a 76 350/350 that was a retired Pepsi service truck. I drove that thing for years, it was quite solid and reliable, ignition module notwithstanding.
I actually found the diesel 350 easy to convert to gasoline keeping the same short block if it was an injection pump, injector or head gasket failure. Mondello Olds sold an inexpensive kit that had several plugs and caps in it. You yanked off the diesel top end, grabbed a set of reman 403 heads, SBO gas intake, GM Q-Jet and Olds HEI. Fitted the plugs and caps into place which could be done without even removing the short block. The diesel cam was a roller cam as well. You ended up with a flat top piston 350 gas engine with a roller cam that had big block mains and all the extra cast iron that got left out of the blocks of the 307s, later 350s and 403s. No windowed mains on the diesel blocks and the main webbing was 2x as thick as a gas block. The diesel pistons and rods were a bit heavy but the diesel cam was done at 4,500 rpm but had a boat load more power running on gas. I did 5 of these conversions nearly 20 years ago. 3 trucks, an immaculate Cadillac and a Buick.
I had a 85 4wd suburban with the 6.2. It was a good engine. Never had any real problems. Just keep on top of maintenance, I’d say power felt like it was between a 305 and 350 but that 7000 lbs slug got 25mpg!! GM designed these engines for MPG The diesel power wars wouldn’t show up till the mid 90s
I liked your comment, but I must add that the horsepower wars started in 1989 when Dodge started putting the 5.9L Cummins in thier trucks. Both GM & Ford were caught with thier pants down.
After Dodge borrowed the Cummins Ford finally borrowed the 7.3 Navistar. Ford blew everyone away until they tried to build their own diesel. Poor dodge or Ford could never get it right.
Wow Adam....you switched gears on us here. Tapping into the truck market is brilliant. The demand for trucks is huge today. So why not add them to your menu of automotive delectable tales of the past. 👍🏻
Bad and Good memories. My Dad bought a 78 C-10 short bed Scottsdale trim with the diesel. It croaked at 40,000 miles with heads cracked,cam lobes bad and it had at least three torque convertors go out. I was 17 years old in 1981 when he told me if I fixed it I could have it. I'm sure I contributed to its demise. I remember the governor limited it to 98 mph. I turned the breather lid over and man that thing would roar like the biggest 4-barrel you ever heard but wouldn't spin a tire. I pulled the Olds diesel out and put a 455 Olds gas hog in it place with a Holley 750 carb. All the accessory brackets were Oldsmobile, so you couldn't just drop in a Chevy. Now I had a truck, just needed a bigger fuel tank. I lived out in the country so when I went to town I had to gas up before I went home or I wouldn't have enough to get back to town!
I bought an Oldsmobile Delta 88 diesel at an abandoned vehicle police auction and discovered the torque converter sheared off all the welded fastening points. After replacing that, I found it smoked under acceleration, which stopped after the injector pump was rebuilt. It ran great but I soon tired of the drooping headliner and the smell of diesel so I sold it. I’m glad I didn’t experience any of the head issues they’re known for.
Back in the 80s, my family had Cutlass with this great engine.. Also, the torque converter failed and it had a lot of random issues, but the engine itself did not grenade - it got passed before that.
Have a collection of 5.7 powered vehicles, two Olds full size, Caddy Seville, Eldo and the rare one, a 85 Fleetwood d' Elegance, half year model went to front drive 85 1/2. Has a unique injection pump, 85 only. 80 C-10 w/72k miles, barn find and guess what, blown head gasket. Replaced the short block w/a 81 DX, valve job, fresh injection pump she runs like a top and is actually pretty quick, on parr w/a 305 gas. 78/79/80 had pencil injectors hp was as stated 120. Late 80 on dropped the hp to 105/ two stage injectors, quieter operation and less smoke. The answer is ARP studs or bolts to secure the heads, however in the case of the C-10 I chose to use the late model GM head bolts, just to see how it would go, so it's going. Have a couple of 6.2 square pickups too, turbo'd them both, run pretty well that way. All that being said, first experience w/a 5.7 was a 81 Pontiac Bonneville Broughm bought in 82 for my wife, had it 10 years, lost an intake valve @ 52k, fixed it and ran it to 100k, it had a 200C transmission, needed a torque converter, due to decell check valve failure that caused a converter clutch shutter, other than that it was a reliable car, wife favorite, less trouble than the 91 Olds Touring sedan that followed, or the 98 Buick Regal GS sourced new that stopped on the freeway due to fuel pump relay failure that was an issue w/the super charged models. It's sad that the engines weren't treated to better head bolts and proper fuel filtering, they are good economical engines if properly applied. Prior to the Pontiac diesel we had a Pontiac Grand Am sedan, 10 mpg on the wifes commute, the diesel: 21.
That is so sad... an opportunity squandered. This was the beginning of people being turned off by diesels in the United States back then. If GM had got this right back then, just think where would be now. They eventually got the diesel right in the trucks, but then Volkswagen was caught up in as diesel scandal not too long ago. Diesel fuel is expensive too. I guess that is why they are supercharging smaller engines now. A lot of people converted the Oldsmobile 350 V8 to regular gas engines. Sad but good video Adam. Thank you again.
I had a 1978 chevy pickup with a 5.7 diesel and I loved it it run great and yes they did some head issues and some bottom end problems but they got great fuel milage and by 1981 they had those engines figured out the 20/20 and the 60 minutes reports basically killed the engine. Yes they weren't designed for heavy pulling or hauling but we would pull a 26ft fifth wheel with ours you had to run it in second gear but it was geared high enough to do so and that way you could keep the ram's up at operating level and have no issues. The two biggest problems was GM didn't do enough R&D on the engine before it was brought out and the other problem was to many people buying them that had no business owning a diesel. And to the gentleman how said chevy designed and built the 6.2 he's incorrect Detroit diesel designed and built both the 6.2 & the 6.5 for General motors.
I remember vent panes that worked about 10 times, then the latch sprung. After that, it whistled at highway speeds. You had to slam the doors really really hard.
I have great memories of this engine...or one similar to it....but was from an 81 Olds. A GIANT diesel engine. Changed the oil religiously. .. let those glow plugs warm, again no matter how cold it was sitting there....and accelerated carefully. it never let me down and sounded like a fire engine. loved it. i'm sure it's been to the crusher long ago. heavy, big, and awesome.
My dad had an Olds with that 350 diesel. 3 motors later he tossed it. He owned several Olds from the 50's to 60's. His 64 Dynamic 88 with the 396 was the longest lasting and most reliable
I remember when I was a young lad growing up in West Virginia, I worked for a family-owned coal company that bought a large number of these Chevy and GMC trucks along with some Oldsmobile cars that were powered by these 350 ci V8 diesel engines. I was an auto mechanic student at a local vocational school as well and I did regular scheduled oil, lube and filter servicing along with keeping the air filters and fuel water separators changed out. I also cleaned and detailed all of their company vehicles. I enjoyed doing all that and for the most part, all of them but one truck held up well. It was a black short wheelbase Chevy truck that the guy who normally drove it, ran it pretty hard and he was too impatient to let it cycle through for glow plug and engine warm up especially on cold mornings. Eventually, it got an engine swap at Jasper Engines and they reassigned the truck to someone else who would run it right. As long as you pampered these engines, they would keep going.
Like all of your videos, I enjoyed this one. Kudos for getting into trucks, Adam! I grew up with square body Chevy's on our farm, a few of which are still quietly sitting idle on the back forty. I recall visiting Hall Chevrolet in my burg of Prosser, Washington in 1978 at the age of 13 with my dad to have service performed on our '75 K20 Silverado. Elevated on a hoist in the service bay was a beautiful new C10 Silverado Diesel. The engine had been removed; and we asked what had happened. The service manager explained that the purchaser attempted to tow his 6,000 lb. travel trailer on vacation (in complete and purposeful disregard of the 2,000 lb. maximum rating allowed with those diesels). On his first trip out, he blew the head gaskets. I will say, however, that I used to love the sound of those 5.7 Oldsmobile (and the later 6.2's) at idle.
I have been watching your videos for a few months now. I found the information to be spot-on when compared to my knowledge base (at least as it pertains to 70's-90's GM). I didn't know how to read you at first. I wasn't sure if you were attempting to deliver in a verbose and slightly antagonistic way. It is good for me that I ignored my incorrect first impression. Now, I am eager to watch every new upload. Keep up the great work!
The strengthen Olds 350 diesel block did make a good starting point for a healthy gas engine. Many were used that way. Many of those trucks ended up with a gas engine swap. We can thank GM for getting Gale Banks into turbocharging diesels.
I remember we had a few of these in the Air Force. Don't know if it was the torque curve or the gearing or a combination of both, but when empty these things would light up the tires with almost no effort. It was a lot of fun as long as you didn't get caught.
Awesome!! You know... while I'm not certain as to the availability; another option that a high school buddy took (back in '92, mind you) was pull that horrendous 350 diesel out, and slide in a 455 Olds! In fact, I think we swapped the engine and transmission both! The poor 6.2L was just an attempt to provide an alternative to the small eights for fuel economy purposes, if I recall correctly. My '85 CUCV Chevrolet D30 still has my screamin' 6.2 Detroit Diesel still tight as a drum. No power, lots of commotion and gets 15+mpg. Thank you for the video!
Wonder if anyone ever tried to convert an Olds diesel into a gasoline engine. If heads from an Olds 350 would fit, I can't imagine how much else would have to change. If the parts existed to make such a conversion work, it would have been nothing more than a fortunate accident .
@@pcno2832 Racers have built up the diesel blocks, but it's not the most practical. The "big block" Olds engine isn't that much larger externally, and the gasoline "small block" Olds is plenty strong for what most people are going to do with them. Some of the diesel upgrades like the larger head bolts and roller camshaft did get backported to the last couple years of the gasoline Olds 307. In the 1980s/90s, there were lots of rusted-out 1960s/70s Oldsmobiles with good-running gas engines, so it was easier to start the swap there. Or even just find a Chevy donor car and convert all the way to a Chevrolet powertrain (different transmission, wiring harness, and everything else - still could be worth it because the Chevy engine itself is so much easier to get parts for).
I loved these engines. I repaired the injector pumps and did other engine repairs and was busy and raking in a lot of money for several years. I did a lot of work on 6.2s when they came out too. I think calling the 6.2/6.5 family a Detroit is a stretch. There was some engineering done but they were low cost weight limited engines so they could be fitted in half tons and not break the front suspension. Their diesel pumps were crap when they added electronics to the pump and put the circuit in the pump cover.
@working_country ___ The division was originally called just "GM Diesel" until the late '60s or early '70s, when GM changed the name to Detroit Diesel - which is said to have occurred in order to facilitate more sales of GM's diesels in other makes, such as Ford. You could get a GM/Detroit Diesel factory installed in a Two Story Falcon. I believe Chrysler sent new trucks out the door with GM/Detroits as well, not to mention the other large truck manufacturers.
Adam, you talked about the MB diesel and you are right on about them. My dad had a 78 300D which living in upstate NY winters would never start when it was really cold out. He put a heater in it but it still didn’t help. An old mechanic told my dad to mix the diesel fuel with kerosene. This solved the problem.
I put some miles on a Caprice wagon with the 350 diesel and a 4 speed auto (200 4 R?) back in the 80's, we joked that we had a high compression small block with a 4 speed in a woody wagon 🙂. Of course, it later blew up and was replaced with a 307 Olds, and served for many more years.
Had to start somewhere! I recall decades ago everyone believed that the days of high HP cars was over due to mandated emissions but luckily that was short lived 😊
These trucks were the best ones to look out for driving around town because you could pick them up super cheap usually after not long and just swap in a sbc and a th350-400 and have awesome truck for cheap.
just drop in a 350 olds rocket motor out of an old cutlass or something and they were plug and play bolted right in the place of the diesel and would make the truck run like a scalded cat way better than any small block Chevy unless it was something special like a LT1 or some high HP one but stock 350s out of ordinary cars and trucks the olds motor performance was far and away better than the Chevy the torque was a lot higher and they stock were about 300 HP whereas the Chevy was way less the olds and Pontiac and even Buick motors in stock configuration always out performed the small block Chevy unless like I said the Chevy was a special one or had been built and someone spent a lot of money on and even then a lot of times my old junk yard Pontiac motor made them look sick or something lol oh and the junkyard motor I paid 200 bucks for btw grand prix motors and cutlass supreme motors w the four barrel were getting it put in something light like a nova or a something similar Camaro firebird they weren't that light but compared to a grand prix they were
@@glennmanchester5696 I own a matching numbers 68 RS/SS Camaro 350 4 speed it was modestly rated 295 hp and made well over 300 after being properly tuned and mine with very little done to engine on a refresh still original block heads crank rods and I can beat new SS Camaros handily. My first truck was 73 Chevy truck with 350 and it would smoke everything in my high school and it was stock. I guess it’s all how you tune them but they leave alot on the table if you know how to take it. Plus SBC most produced engine ever so parts are cheap and abundant and my first memories are helping my old man build 700hp SBC for late model dirt cars so 35 years later I can find my way around one decently myself lol.
@@glennmanchester5696 Waste Management had one of these trucks here for general use, and after the head gaskets went and were fixed finally the crankshaft broke in two and destroyed the engine. Brother in law worked there and swapped in gas Oldsmobile engine and truck was trouble free for years until it was wrecked at a highway intersection that literally tore the rear axle loose.
I just bot a 1981 Bonneville 2 door slick top in San Francisco. I'll be driving it across the country the end of April. It's the upgraded DX block and running great. I've only seen a couple, a 250 6cyl 3 on the tree, and when I worked for Chev Olds Cadillac in Spring '81. Many 5.7s came back with a hole in the block. I drove my managers new '81 Cutlass Brougham and it was certainly peppy. I recently saw a Cadillac 2 door with a 5.7, it was prolly DX block, and running well. We'll see how my Bonny 5.7DX trip goes end April
I always wish they would have made an extended cab Chevy truck of this era like Ford and Dodge did. You had to settle for the 4 door behemoth for extra interior room.
A buddy in high school had a Chevy diesel. Actually, his dad did. My friend was learning diesel mechanics.i remember riding 30 miles to the class in the truck where a gas swap was done. It was a beautiful truck. I learned to drive in a gold 74 Chevy Custom Deluxe 2500 pickup.
I will say it’s funny he mentions Mercedes. The OM617 diesels are some of the best ever built and deserves a video of its own. Some of my favorite engines. The Mercedes W126s are amazing cars. I grew up with many of em. I will say I’d love to own a diesel like that myself someday if they are around just to see how different they were compared to today. Amazing videos and keep up the great work.
Hey Adam - Seeing this just reminded me of going with my uncle to the local GMC dealer in 1980... He ended up buying a highly optioned long bed truck, it had everything you could get in one, including power windows and the tilt column, A/C and the works... But it had the I-6 under the hood. If I remember correctly, he didn't pay much more than seven thousand for it, BRAND NEW. I miss those days. Anyhow... It served him well for about 12 years, then he wound up selling it. Cheers!
Just another nail in GM's coffin. I'm sure most owners simply had to abandon these vehicles because there really was no "fix" for all the design flaws. Vehicles equipped with the diesel certainly didn't bring decent trade in values, I'm sure many car agencies probably wouldn't even take them on trade.
Back when I worked in an auto parts store, whenever someone came in asking for any engine part, I made it a point to ask what year the engine was as opposed to what year the truck was.
I find your analysis of these trucks hilarious. I have never seen any vehicle rust out more than the 1973-1991 Chevy Truck because of that corrugated sheet metal.
I agree, I have a 1969 C/10 with the 250/6 and 3 on the tree. It was my first truck in the mid 90’s. It still sits over at my Dads house and although it has a little rust it’s not bad considering it spent it’s whole life in the Midwest. The metal on the bodywork seems much thicker than the trucks that came later. It was a great truck. I only paid $250 for it and it earned that much money for me in a few months hauling wood. It’s a long bed which is how most people ordered them back then. It was very rare to see a V8 or a short bed as most people ordered them stripped to the bone.
Adam, I think these may have begun as Army contracts. As a veteran, I remember these all too well. These diesels in Blazers replaced jeeps. They were never meant for civilian driving, and there was always a motor pool nearby, just waiting to service them. Then came the hummer, and the guys driving those always had smiles plastered to their faces!
It seems the best idea would be to put the C truck 5.7L Diesel in the garbage bin and install a proper 5.7L gasoline engine. In fact, a lot of people did go this route and their trucks were much better afterward. They'd get way more power and they'd start when the weather was cold, too!
I bought a 1978 Olds Cutlass with the 350 ci diesel engine from a coworker for $150 because of a broken head bolt. The engine in the car had been replaced under warranty by Olds when the car was driven by the previous owner. I replaced the head bolt and used the car to commute to work. Some of problems were the car would turn off at a stop light during idle and wound not restart for several minutes. It may have been because of the water in the fuel. I let the car go after a starter bolt broke off inside the block and just didn't want to repair. One of the positives was that the car did not have to go through the yearly emissions check.
Another gearhead and former tech giving ya a "high five"! Another great one. Absolutely love the C and K Chevy, but ugghhh the early 80s were a rough time for em trying to figure out emissions... The TBI's were amazing and reliable as anvils, the best thing they ever did to those old motors!
Nothing to do with the Chevy pickup, but with the 5.7 diesel. Had an evening out in 1985 tooling around in an Oldsmobile Toronado with the 5.7 & 4 speed automatic trimmed with every option, including BOSE. Tried climbing Dexter Avenue in Seattle, and it took that car 3 light cycles to make it through the intersection. We got a lot of stares being in our early 20s driving such a high-end POS that weekend. Black with a Camel colored roof and interior with a trail of soot a 1/4 mile behind it. Good times.
I greatly revere your videos! I have a bit of history with this truck, and the later 6.5 turbo diesel version. In 1977, my friends dad bought a new one the 6 cylinder. At the same time dad had had older dodge slant 6, 60's ers, i drove regularly, both of us being 17 years old, much comparisons ensure. One day my very heavy 1965 Cadillac Calais died on the side of the road, , it's a long and acrimonious story, but to the point I needed to tow a few blocks back home. My friend offered to do this with the chevy and while I steered the Cadillac. The chevy tires were kinda balloon sand tires and would not bite in the grass shoulder, so went and got the dodge, which just had passenger style tires. To our surprise, the od Dodge griped and pulled me home with no issues-- made a strong impression on my friend about the Dodge's capabilities, no matter how homely it was. (more on this later) However I liked the chevy styling better, (possible to do a truck design video?) Many years later I a friend had owned the same chevy model for 10 years as a contractor's truck, was very tempted to buy, but just too worn. Now again twenty years later, another later model with a 6.5 turbo diesel was introduced, the shop used it to deliver RV's. It was noisy but decent torque. I have often thought of getting a later diesel and still can't rationalize the draw to this idea, other than having a domestic diesel pickup novelty. So today along comes your video on this truck, which I was not aware had the diesel option. Maybe some viewers can comment or you on these miscellaneous ideas viability, as I am again in need of a truck. ON your oil change interval, there is a sub-micron oil filter canister setup. I use Gulf coast filters brand, Motor Guard makes one also, both have a toilet paper style media.Worth a look IMO instead of 2k oil changes. Second miscellaneous, thank you for identifying the head bolt issue on cold engine, I am very sensitive this on my watercooled vw van engine! I would consider retrofitting head bolts with modern , ARP products worth a look. Third just install the 6.5 diesel of the later turbo motor or graph the turbo set-up. The saga of pulling chevy vs dodge, seems to me, I would like to hear you comments, the dodge was a long bed and the chevy was a short bed, does this make a difference in traction? seems counterintuitive.
I worked at a service station that had truck with one of these diesels... they removed it and stuck in a 500 CID Cadillac engine. That truck became the shop favorite! :D
Adam, You are so spot on concerning this engine and the 200 THM that GM would mate to this oil burner. My Dad had a 1980 Cadillac De Ville with this combination. After rebuilding and finally replacing the engine, the transmission started to fail. After three transmission overhauls he finally called it quits and sold that POS. I used to tease him as April would approach each year that his annual transmission overhaul was due. Nevertheless, he loved to brag to his friends that he could get 30 mpg!
I have an 81 Bonneville with the original diesel and th200c transmission. Its fairly low mileage at 95k but neither the engine or trans have ever been apart. It drives great and gets 27mpg on the freeway at 80mph. Ironically its probably my most reliable car
We had an Olds Delta 88 with a 5.7 Olds lol, we did not enjoy that engine. I actually liked the sound of it , it was loud, clattered a lot but was really gutless , good luck merging on the freeway with the AC on 😂 .
Remember R.E. Olds loved diesel engines and helped develop some diesel technology. Of course Mr. Olds died in 1950, well before Oldsmobile was given this 5.7 diesel project.... Great Video!!!!
Some had good luck with these. Later 6.2 and 6.5 are good. Rust rot was the main issues. I have a 1989 2500 4×4 never dies so reliable cheap to fix. GM did own Detroit diesel Allison
What we sometimes lose sight of today is that the gas crises of 1973 and 1979 held sway in the the thinking to offer economical diesels in passenger cars. Dropping one into a C-10 was even better, since pickups were even heavier than cars. But they were not designed to be like the super powered tow vehicles of the current era., which is why the 454 engine was GM's towing leader until the Duramax arrived in 1999. But even in 1978, many pickup buyers probably envisioned Cummins-like power when you mentioned diesel and truck in the same sentence.. Those who did so would be sadly disappointed
Good to learn that they changed, for the trucks, to Detroit Diesel in 81. Was going yo mention that 81-85 the diesel was much improved, and the first 3 years were troublesome. 78-80. Great point that you did not say the Olds 350 was a gasoline conversion.
In a way it kind of was a conversation. They took the design of thier gas engine and converted it to diesel, making the necessary changes along the way.
When I bought my first truck in 1980 I almost bought one of those diesels, the dealer had a loaded out K-10 LB By the time I went back it had been sold so I bought a 2WD LB Scottsdale with a 305 in i they had on the lot. I had that truck until 86-87 and it was a very reliable truck , other than a dead battery or two it started every time i ever turned the key I drove that truck cross country more than a few times. Dual tanks and 55MPH speed limit you could drive an easy 8 or 10 hours at a time.
In '82 a buddy bought a chev 4x4 with one of these Detroit diesels in it. It was loud and stinky but hey, a kid with a diesel was pretty cool back in the day.
The same pitfalls as the olds diesels but i would buy faithfully any gm diesel that came after ! i had 2 1993 3500's with a combined 1,700,000 miles on em !
Very interesting Adam, thanks! I remember when these came out and I always wondered why GM chose the Oldsmobile 350 for this conversion and not a Buick, Pontiac or Chevrolet engine? They all built a 350 cubic inch V8,, so why the Olds? Was this a stand-alone Oldsmobile project, with little to no feedback from the General? Or, was there something inherently different about the Olds block that would make it more suitable for a diesel conversion?
It has only been in the last five years ever since the dumbed-down "square body" lingo has come to rise that there is some fondness for these oil-burning, oil-leaking rattle boxes. For those of us who owned these clunkers back in the day they aren't so fond to remember. I had a 1980 Silverado that by the 90s burned and leaked more oil than it consumed gas. Not to mention this truck had rust issues behind front and rear fender-wells and also leaked power steering fluid and had radiator issues.
Hi Adam , Really liked your video on Chevrolet pick ups thank you . I’m in the Uk and I nearly bought a Chevrolet C10 with a diesel back in 79 for a friend’s farm Thankfully he changed his mind and we Bought a 78 Chevrolet Caprice Classic with a 350 with 9c1 police package options . This proved , with hindsight to be a wise move. Interestingly My Son Just bought a 1979 Ford F-150 custom pickup that came from California and is in lovely rust free condition, I was AMAZED at the amount of factory galvanised panels !! NOT something one associates with Ford . Perhaps you could do a video on the Ford F-150 since they seem to be such an American 🇺🇸 icon . 👍🇬🇧🇺🇸
If one were to come across such a truck in overall good to very good condition now another option to seriously consider doing is a gasoline engine swap such as to a SB Chevy V8 (305, 350, etc.). Pretty much a bolt-in operation. Since all of these 5.7 Oldsmobile Diesel powered trucks are now over 40 years of age that shouldn't be an issue when it comes to emissions compliance (unless you live in certain states/provinces). Where I live they do not emission test anything over 25 years of age but no doubt that is since you do not see many vehicles from that era still on the road (other than some Toyota's and Honda's + the odd Big 3 pickup). Really enjoy all your content Adam. Keep it up.. 👍
If you found one of these in good condition a sbc swap would be a disgusting thing to do. With how rare these have become any surviving nice ones should stay survivors
@@isaakwelch3451 - Totally understand but disagree. I've not seen a running example of an Olds 350 diesel powered Chevy pickup in a couple decades. The main reason I brought the subject up was the availability of spare parts for the Olds LF9 + someone willing to work on them. Thinking along the lines of repairing/rebuilding injection pumps and such.. That said, you do whatever works for you & best of luck.
@@AB-pl1ko Parts are still easy to find and any half-decent diesel shop can work on them. They aren't that different from a 6.2 diesel honestly. Your point that you havent seen one in decades is exactly what I mean: they're not common anymore, and any surviving ones should be preserved. I rebuilt my cars pump with the help of my local diesel shop. They had all the parts on the shelf because the stanadyne db2 pump is the same one used in Ford IDI diesels.
@@isaakwelch3451 - I'm glad you were able to keep yours on the road as it was built back in the day. I'm not one of those people who wants to swap modern engines (like an LS) into an older vehicle. Far from it.. To be honest I prefer seeing them as they were originally designed & built - one of the many reasons I like Adam's channel so much.
Used car lots were full of GM diesels. Olds and Cadillac's. You couldn't give them away. Except for the pickup. The diesel engines went out so quickly that the pickups were in excellent condition. It was worthwhile to do a gas engine swap. Cars not so much. They went straight to the salvage yard.
I own a 73 Cheyenne super c30 3+3 camper special skyline blue leaded fuel 7.4l th400 straight cut gears 9' box dual tanks I can pull my 61 caddy series 62 6 window on a 3500lb all steel trailer and still do burnouts against all odds that truck always go's A to B but i did a motor swap about 11 yrs. ago to a 68 LS6 7.4 out of a vette I love everything about it from the trans wine to the 21' long body and coast only 1st gear unless i want to roast tires i have had lots of offers to buy it but i cant let go no matter what trucks are on the road that truck is always the star.
When I was a second year apprentice, at school we had to fully rebuild an actual "customer" engine. Guess who got stuck with the 350 diesel in a big Buick(or was it an Olds)???... This was back in 1993, and the Buick's owner had SIX! other engines for parts in his shed... Fun times...
Heavy Duty trucks, Suburbans, and full-size Blazer didn't change to the new body style until 1992. Also, you idiots that call the 88-98 "Old Body Style" don't make any sense. Just as stupid as the guys that call 94-01 Dodge trucks "2nd gen". Excuse me? 2nd generation? Go back and count the generations of Dodge trucks from the beginning. Idiots
Edit... C10 pickup 250 6cyl 3 tree, and When I worked for Parkway motors in 1981, we had a 2 wheel drive K5 blazer with a 6 cylinder automatic. Really more of a mail truck, to be honest
I love the Olds Diesel engines!!! "Once you go Olds diesel, you never go back to one again", they say, but I say, "once you go Olds Diesel, you'll never go back to anything else".. Olds Diesel for life!!!
After watching nearly all of your videos, it seems that General Motors sold a lot of vehicles that were certainly not proven before hitting the showroom. It is a wonder that they are still in business. I bought an 86 Silverado new. Powertrain was OK but the side molding fell off in the first few years, the went window howled with leaks at any speed above 40 mph and the pancake compressor regularly leaked all of the freon out. It seems that every aspect of that truck was built as cheaply as possible, which is probably because it was.
G'evening Adam ☕☕ 😀 . One of my favorite Chevy trucks & tough as nails. Although I like the 98' - 03' Chevy trucks, xlt tahoe suburbans & tahoe's a kil' more with fuel injection, Vortec mills & hei ignition before they went to all the plastic crap 😀
VERY VERY easily to make these engines super strong, but GM ruined a good thing with substandard head bolts and no proper water fuel separator. I put 125K on one of these after these 2 simple upgrades and the new owner has since gone another 70k with no issues. And they weren't loud at all... Some of the info here is a little skewed
I recognized the same black 78" pickup in the thumnail as my uncle Gene's out in L.A. Born in 80' I was shuttled around in it on visits. That thing ran like sh*t even after 3 deisel engines and finally a gas 350 that would vapor lock every time My dad and I borrowed it to get around LA on a visit as a kid. Me and my dad wanted that truck pushed off a cliff. He was well to do, but he still kept that truck to heap kids in the bed with the topper and trip off to the Palm Springs house. God I hated that black truck, so many times we thought we'd be dogmeat merging from short LA onramps as the wimpy engine would sputter and gasp when you called up all three beans threatening to stall, or did stall.
Why GM never went to Detroit Diesel whom they owned at the time to develop a light car/truck diesel engine from the beginning we’ll never know. Just cutting corners to save cost.
![[Sub Thai] APT. - ROSÉ & Bruno Mars](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/bYjhzP8x_uc/mqdefault.jpg)
Love the styling on the ‘73 to ‘80 chevy pickups.
I agree Max, they are good looking.
I had an M1009 (Military Blazer) with the 6.2L Detroit, and found it to be a great vehicle.
The diesel was backed up by a TH400 and 308 gears. Since it was emissions exempt, it was rated at 155hp & 240lbft of torque.
It would return 22mpg no matter what I was doing with it: 50mph, 70mph, loaded, light, towing. . . It didn’t matter, always 22mpg!
Great truck!
"Pray to more than one diety." A priceless comment about these trucks, Adam -- I love it! I knew (and know) many people who have driven pickups since before these diesel-powered versions were introduced. They were not popular at all when new, and my guess is that they are rare indeed today. A great overview.
You beat me to it. Adam might need to take that act on the road!
That is a great line - caught me by surprise but I love it.
Poly-dieism, works for me!
@@kenttalsma7906 at first, I read your comment as "poly-dieselism". 😀
@@martinliehs2513 that works too.
Correction. The 6.2 diesel that came out in 1982 was designed and built by Chevrolet. Not a completely clean sheet of paper either - it shared a lot of design with the Big Block - Mark IV - gas engine. First year had head gasket problems too ... I fixed quite a number of them. The leak occurred at either the right front or left rear of the engine from a cooling passage that sat OUTSIDE of the head bolt circle. Gaskets sourced from Fel-Pro was the fix.
I put a lot of shoes on my kids' feet thanks to the Oldsmobubble 5.7. I got pretty good at fixing their quirks.
The 6.2 was marketed as a Detroit Diesel product however.
Manufactured by Detroit Diesel (a division of General Motors at the time).
@working_country ___ Hey w_c. They were okay ... later years better for sure. Once they launched a head gasket, they seemed to repeat over and over. The sealing ring would etch a groove into the cylinder block and not hold after that.
On a whim, I checked the local parts house and discovered that Fel-Pro offered a .030 & .060 oversized gasket. I bought a set of .060 over gaskets and - bingo - problem solved! I ALWAYS replaced the head bolts!
Not sure what parts are available these days - could be a problem.
If you could find an Olds 307 or 350 gas motor from a rear-wheel-drive car, they make a good swap into an otherwise really nice car. Those engines were excellent!
I learned about the 82 cylinder head anomoly, fortunately it was on the test stand and not the truck.
The 6.2 had absolutely NOTHING in common with any Chevrolet Big Block or Small Block, other than the bellhousing bolt pattern.
I loved my 77 with the 250 and 3 on the tree. That thing was indestructible
It amazes me that this channel doesn't have more subscribers. It's one of the most interesting car channels around.
So true and the videos are very well done too.
I agree. The subjects of every video are always very interesting.
I actually had an 81 diesel and it did me well. I wish I still had it
Those early square bodies were absolutely horrible for rust! Back home in Minnesota, after about five years of driving on salt-strewn roads, it was common to see the sheet metal on mid-70’s versions of this vehicle completely missing about 12” - 18” up from the rockers……😮
This “feature” gradually improved over the long production run of the square body trucks……🛻
Even in ice-free California, the bodywork was prone to rusting. My brother had a '74 C-10 that he took fastidious care of for several years with washing/waxing, albeit it was parked outdoors. But after 10 years of attention, didn't bother anymore with wash/wax.
Ah! 10 years later, making it 20 years in California weather, the roof of the cab was rusting away.
For quality comparison: My 2000 Toyota Tundra has been washed three times over the past 22 years, been parked outdoors 24/7, and there's not a hint of body rust to be found.
BTW: White paint on vehicles is marvelous, for the most-part, to obscuring dirt on the body. Where I live the rain does a good job with rinsing the truck's bodywork.
@@bloqk16 A friend of mine has a 2003 Tundra and the frame rusted out completely. There was a recall for this issue and he fought with Toyota to fix it via the recall to no avail. He finally snapped the frame in half a year ago crossing a set of railroad tracks and ended up buying a frame from a wreck out of Tennessee for $500. What a job and a half it was for him to transfer everything over.
You have to assume in Michigan the engineers and executives were humiliated by the rust performance of their cars
@@bloqk16 My frsh out of high school neighbor across the street bought a brand new '74 Camaro and it started rusting immediately, and within about four or five years, is was rusted out - and even had rust holes in the top of the dashboard, at the base of the A pillars.
In the early 90s I was looking for a work truck and was looking at square bodies. I lived in Southern CA and I found a bunch of rusty ones there. I finally located a 76 350/350 that was a retired Pepsi service truck. I drove that thing for years, it was quite solid and reliable, ignition module notwithstanding.
Your videos are soooo great. Love the lack of BS
I actually found the diesel 350 easy to convert to gasoline keeping the same short block if it was an injection pump, injector or head gasket failure. Mondello Olds sold an inexpensive kit that had several plugs and caps in it. You yanked off the diesel top end, grabbed a set of reman 403 heads, SBO gas intake, GM Q-Jet and Olds HEI. Fitted the plugs and caps into place which could be done without even removing the short block. The diesel cam was a roller cam as well. You ended up with a flat top piston 350 gas engine with a roller cam that had big block mains and all the extra cast iron that got left out of the blocks of the 307s, later 350s and 403s. No windowed mains on the diesel blocks and the main webbing was 2x as thick as a gas block. The diesel pistons and rods were a bit heavy but the diesel cam was done at 4,500 rpm but had a boat load more power running on gas. I did 5 of these conversions nearly 20 years ago. 3 trucks, an immaculate Cadillac and a Buick.
I had a 85 4wd suburban with the 6.2. It was a good engine. Never had any real problems. Just keep on top of maintenance, I’d say power felt like it was between a 305 and 350 but that 7000 lbs slug got 25mpg!!
GM designed these engines for MPG
The diesel power wars wouldn’t show up till the mid 90s
I liked your comment, but I must add that the horsepower wars started in 1989 when Dodge started putting the 5.9L Cummins in thier trucks. Both GM & Ford were caught with thier pants down.
After Dodge borrowed the Cummins Ford finally borrowed the 7.3 Navistar. Ford blew everyone away until they tried to build their own diesel. Poor dodge or Ford could never get it right.
Wow Adam....you switched gears on us here. Tapping into the truck market is brilliant. The demand for trucks is huge today. So why not add them to your menu of automotive delectable tales of the past.
👍🏻
Most people back then swapped in a 350 gas engine and at least those from the factory with gas engines were very reliable
Bad and Good memories. My Dad bought a 78 C-10 short bed Scottsdale trim with the diesel. It croaked at 40,000 miles with heads cracked,cam lobes bad and it had at least three torque convertors go out. I was 17 years old in 1981 when he told me if I fixed it I could have it. I'm sure I contributed to its demise. I remember the governor limited it to 98 mph. I turned the breather lid over and man that thing would roar like the biggest 4-barrel you ever heard but wouldn't spin a tire. I pulled the Olds diesel out and put a 455 Olds gas hog in it place with a Holley 750 carb. All the accessory brackets were Oldsmobile, so you couldn't just drop in a Chevy. Now I had a truck, just needed a bigger fuel tank. I lived out in the country so when I went to town I had to gas up before I went home or I wouldn't have enough to get back to town!
I bought an Oldsmobile Delta 88 diesel at an abandoned vehicle police auction and discovered the torque converter sheared off all the welded fastening points. After replacing that, I found it smoked under acceleration, which stopped after the injector pump was rebuilt. It ran great but I soon tired of the drooping headliner and the smell of diesel so I sold it. I’m glad I didn’t experience any of the head issues they’re known for.
Back in the 80s, my family had Cutlass with this great engine.. Also, the torque converter failed and it had a lot of random issues, but the engine itself did not grenade - it got passed before that.
Have a collection of 5.7 powered vehicles, two Olds full size, Caddy Seville, Eldo and the rare one, a 85 Fleetwood d' Elegance, half year model went to front drive 85 1/2. Has a unique injection pump, 85 only. 80 C-10 w/72k miles, barn find and guess what, blown head gasket. Replaced the short block w/a 81 DX, valve job, fresh injection pump she runs like a top and is actually pretty quick, on parr w/a 305 gas. 78/79/80 had pencil injectors hp was as stated 120. Late 80 on dropped the hp to 105/ two stage injectors, quieter operation and less smoke. The answer is ARP studs or bolts to secure the heads, however in the case of the C-10 I chose to use the late model GM head bolts, just to see how it would go, so it's going. Have a couple of 6.2 square pickups too, turbo'd them both, run pretty well that way. All that being said, first experience w/a 5.7 was a 81 Pontiac Bonneville Broughm bought in 82 for my wife, had it 10 years, lost an intake valve @ 52k, fixed it and ran it to 100k, it had a 200C transmission, needed a torque converter, due to decell check valve failure that caused a converter clutch shutter, other than that it was a reliable car, wife favorite, less trouble than the 91 Olds Touring sedan that followed, or the 98 Buick Regal GS sourced new that stopped on the freeway due to fuel pump relay failure that was an issue w/the super charged models. It's sad that the engines weren't treated to better head bolts and proper fuel filtering, they are good economical engines if properly applied. Prior to the Pontiac diesel we had a Pontiac Grand Am sedan, 10 mpg on the wifes commute, the diesel: 21.
Great video, really enjoyed!! 👍👍🙂
That is so sad... an opportunity squandered. This was the beginning of people being turned off by diesels in the United States back then. If GM had got this right back then, just think where would be now. They eventually got the diesel right in the trucks, but then Volkswagen was caught up in as diesel scandal not too long ago. Diesel fuel is expensive too. I guess that is why they are supercharging smaller engines now. A lot of people converted the Oldsmobile 350 V8 to regular gas engines. Sad but good video Adam. Thank you again.
I had a 1978 chevy pickup with a 5.7 diesel and I loved it it run great and yes they did some head issues and some bottom end problems but they got great fuel milage and by 1981 they had those engines figured out the 20/20 and the 60 minutes reports basically killed the engine. Yes they weren't designed for heavy pulling or hauling but we would pull a 26ft fifth wheel with ours you had to run it in second gear but it was geared high enough to do so and that way you could keep the ram's up at operating level and have no issues. The two biggest problems was GM didn't do enough R&D on the engine before it was brought out and the other problem was to many people buying them that had no business owning a diesel. And to the gentleman how said chevy designed and built the 6.2 he's incorrect Detroit diesel designed and built both the 6.2 & the 6.5 for General motors.
I remember vent panes that worked about 10 times, then the latch sprung. After that, it whistled at highway speeds. You had to slam the doors really really hard.
best truck i have ever owned.....550,000 kms when i sold it and bought a 6.2,,,,,should have kept it
I have great memories of this engine...or one similar to it....but was from an 81 Olds. A GIANT diesel engine. Changed the oil religiously. .. let those glow plugs warm, again no matter how cold it was sitting there....and accelerated carefully. it never let me down and sounded like a fire engine. loved it. i'm sure it's been to the crusher long ago. heavy, big, and awesome.
My dad had an Olds with that 350 diesel. 3 motors later he tossed it. He owned several Olds from the 50's to 60's. His 64 Dynamic 88 with the 396 was the longest lasting and most reliable
394
That would be 394. Chevrolet built the 396 starting in 1965.
Totally different engine.
I remember when I was a young lad growing up in West Virginia, I worked for a family-owned coal company that bought a large number of these Chevy and GMC trucks along with some Oldsmobile cars that were powered by these 350 ci V8 diesel engines. I was an auto mechanic student at a local vocational school as well and I did regular scheduled oil, lube and filter servicing along with keeping the air filters and fuel water separators changed out. I also cleaned and detailed all of their company vehicles. I enjoyed doing all that and for the most part, all of them but one truck held up well. It was a black short wheelbase Chevy truck that the guy who normally drove it, ran it pretty hard and he was too impatient to let it cycle through for glow plug and engine warm up especially on cold mornings. Eventually, it got an engine swap at Jasper Engines and they reassigned the truck to someone else who would run it right. As long as you pampered these engines, they would keep going.
Like all of your videos, I enjoyed this one. Kudos for getting into trucks, Adam!
I grew up with square body Chevy's on our farm, a few of which are still quietly sitting idle on the back forty.
I recall visiting Hall Chevrolet in my burg of Prosser, Washington in 1978 at the age of 13 with my dad to have service performed on our '75 K20 Silverado. Elevated on a hoist in the service bay was a beautiful new C10 Silverado Diesel. The engine had been removed; and we asked what had happened. The service manager explained that the purchaser attempted to tow his 6,000 lb. travel trailer on vacation (in complete and purposeful disregard of the 2,000 lb. maximum rating allowed with those diesels). On his first trip out, he blew the head gaskets.
I will say, however, that I used to love the sound of those 5.7 Oldsmobile (and the later 6.2's) at idle.
I’d like to see a feature on International Harvester trucks, Scout, and Travelall…
I have been watching your videos for a few months now. I found the information to be spot-on when compared to my knowledge base (at least as it pertains to 70's-90's GM). I didn't know how to read you at first. I wasn't sure if you were attempting to deliver in a verbose and slightly antagonistic way. It is good for me that I ignored my incorrect first impression. Now, I am eager to watch every new upload. Keep up the great work!
Thx!
The strengthen Olds 350 diesel block did make a good starting point for a healthy gas engine. Many were used that way. Many of those trucks ended up with a gas engine swap. We can thank GM for getting Gale Banks into turbocharging diesels.
I remember the Olds 350 gas engines being a hot commodity back in the '80s. When the diesel blew up the fix was to throw the gasser in.
@@BadWolf762 307, 403, and 455 as well! Hopefully nobody used a 260 :/
Thanks for doing a truck!!!
Would love to see more trucks and station wagons
I remember we had a few of these in the Air Force. Don't know if it was the torque curve or the gearing or a combination of both, but when empty these things would light up the tires with almost no effort. It was a lot of fun as long as you didn't get caught.
Awesome!! You know... while I'm not certain as to the availability; another option that a high school buddy took (back in '92, mind you) was pull that horrendous 350 diesel out, and slide in a 455 Olds! In fact, I think we swapped the engine and transmission both! The poor 6.2L was just an attempt to provide an alternative to the small eights for fuel economy purposes, if I recall correctly. My '85 CUCV Chevrolet D30 still has my screamin' 6.2 Detroit Diesel still tight as a drum. No power, lots of commotion and gets 15+mpg.
Thank you for the video!
Wonder if anyone ever tried to convert an Olds diesel into a gasoline engine. If heads from an Olds 350 would fit, I can't imagine how much else would have to change. If the parts existed to make such a conversion work, it would have been nothing more than a fortunate accident .
@@pcno2832 You would have to at least change the pistons as well.
@@pcno2832 uhm....maybe research before you declare stupid shit on the internet. The blocks were used in lots of high HP gas engine builds back then.
@@pcno2832 Racers have built up the diesel blocks, but it's not the most practical. The "big block" Olds engine isn't that much larger externally, and the gasoline "small block" Olds is plenty strong for what most people are going to do with them. Some of the diesel upgrades like the larger head bolts and roller camshaft did get backported to the last couple years of the gasoline Olds 307. In the 1980s/90s, there were lots of rusted-out 1960s/70s Oldsmobiles with good-running gas engines, so it was easier to start the swap there. Or even just find a Chevy donor car and convert all the way to a Chevrolet powertrain (different transmission, wiring harness, and everything else - still could be worth it because the Chevy engine itself is so much easier to get parts for).
I loved these engines. I repaired the injector pumps and did other engine repairs and was busy and raking in a lot of money for several years. I did a lot of work on 6.2s when they came out too. I think calling the 6.2/6.5 family a Detroit is a stretch. There was some engineering done but they were low cost weight limited engines so they could be fitted in half tons and not break the front suspension. Their diesel pumps were crap when they added electronics to the pump and put the circuit in the pump cover.
@working_country ___ The division was originally called just "GM Diesel" until the late '60s or early '70s, when GM changed the name to Detroit Diesel - which is said to have occurred in order to facilitate more sales of GM's diesels in other makes, such as Ford. You could get a GM/Detroit Diesel factory installed in a Two Story Falcon. I believe Chrysler sent new trucks out the door with GM/Detroits as well, not to mention the other large truck manufacturers.
@user-lx6kq2ml4e Chrysler used the Nissan inline 6 turbo diesel, which is another anemic PITA in the diesel saga.
@@working_country___8973 Only the 6.2. Chevrolet took over production by the time the 6.5 came around.
Adam, you talked about the MB diesel and you are right on about them. My dad had a 78 300D which living in upstate NY winters would never start when it was really cold out. He put a heater in it but it still didn’t help. An old mechanic told my dad to mix the diesel fuel with kerosene. This solved the problem.
Finally some truck videos. Thanks
I put some miles on a Caprice wagon with the 350 diesel and a 4 speed auto (200 4 R?) back in the 80's, we joked that we had a high compression small block with a 4 speed in a woody wagon 🙂. Of course, it later blew up and was replaced with a 307 Olds, and served for many more years.
Had to start somewhere! I recall decades ago everyone believed that the days of high HP cars was over due to mandated emissions but luckily that was short lived 😊
These trucks were the best ones to look out for driving around town because you could pick them up super cheap usually after not long and just swap in a sbc and a th350-400 and have awesome truck for cheap.
just drop in a 350 olds rocket motor out of an old cutlass or something and they were plug and play bolted right in the place of the diesel and would make the truck run like a scalded cat way better than any small block Chevy unless it was something special like a LT1 or some high HP one but stock 350s out of ordinary cars and trucks the olds motor performance was far and away better than the Chevy the torque was a lot higher and they stock were about 300 HP whereas the Chevy was way less the olds and Pontiac and even Buick motors in stock configuration always out performed the small block Chevy unless like I said the Chevy was a special one or had been built and someone spent a lot of money on and even then a lot of times my old junk yard Pontiac motor made them look sick or something lol oh and the junkyard motor I paid 200 bucks for btw grand prix motors and cutlass supreme motors w the four barrel were getting it put in something light like a nova or a something similar Camaro firebird they weren't that light but compared to a grand prix they were
@@glennmanchester5696 I own a matching numbers 68 RS/SS Camaro 350 4 speed it was modestly rated 295 hp and made well over 300 after being properly tuned and mine with very little done to engine on a refresh still original block heads crank rods and I can beat new SS Camaros handily. My first truck was 73 Chevy truck with 350 and it would smoke everything in my high school and it was stock. I guess it’s all how you tune them but they leave alot on the table if you know how to take it. Plus SBC most produced engine ever so parts are cheap and abundant and my first memories are helping my old man build 700hp SBC for late model dirt cars so 35 years later I can find my way around one decently myself lol.
@@glennmanchester5696 Waste Management had one of these trucks here for general use, and after the head gaskets went and were fixed finally the crankshaft broke in two and destroyed the engine. Brother in law worked there and swapped in gas Oldsmobile engine and truck was trouble free for years until it was wrecked at a highway intersection that literally tore the rear axle loose.
I just bot a 1981 Bonneville 2 door slick top in San Francisco. I'll be driving it across the country the end of April. It's the upgraded DX block and running great. I've only seen a couple, a 250 6cyl 3 on the tree, and when I worked for Chev Olds Cadillac in Spring '81. Many 5.7s came back with a hole in the block. I drove my managers new '81 Cutlass Brougham and it was certainly peppy. I recently saw a Cadillac 2 door with a 5.7, it was prolly DX block, and running well. We'll see how my Bonny 5.7DX trip goes end April
How did the Bonneville hold up?
I always wish they would have made an extended cab Chevy truck of this era like Ford and Dodge did. You had to settle for the 4 door behemoth for extra interior room.
A buddy in high school had a Chevy diesel. Actually, his dad did. My friend was learning diesel mechanics.i remember riding 30 miles to the class in the truck where a gas swap was done. It was a beautiful truck.
I learned to drive in a gold 74 Chevy Custom Deluxe 2500 pickup.
Always lube the hood hinges or the hood will bend.
I will say it’s funny he mentions Mercedes. The OM617 diesels are some of the best ever built and deserves a video of its own. Some of my favorite engines. The Mercedes W126s are amazing cars. I grew up with many of em.
I will say I’d love to own a diesel like that myself someday if they are around just to see how different they were compared to today. Amazing videos and keep up the great work.
Hey Adam -
Seeing this just reminded me of going with my uncle to the local GMC dealer in 1980...
He ended up buying a highly optioned long bed truck, it had everything you could get in one, including power windows and the tilt column, A/C and the works... But it had the I-6 under the hood.
If I remember correctly, he didn't pay much more than seven thousand for it, BRAND NEW.
I miss those days.
Anyhow... It served him well for about 12 years, then he wound up selling it.
Cheers!
Just another nail in GM's coffin. I'm sure most owners simply had to abandon these vehicles because there really was no "fix" for all the design flaws. Vehicles equipped with the diesel certainly didn't bring decent trade in values, I'm sure many car agencies probably wouldn't even take them on trade.
Back when I worked in an auto parts store, whenever someone came in asking for any engine part, I made it a point to ask what year the engine was as opposed to what year the truck was.
I find your analysis of these trucks hilarious. I have never seen any vehicle rust out more than the 1973-1991 Chevy Truck because of that corrugated sheet metal.
I agree, I have a 1969 C/10 with the 250/6 and 3 on the tree. It was my first truck in the mid 90’s. It still sits over at my Dads house and although it has a little rust it’s not bad considering it spent it’s whole life in the Midwest. The metal on the bodywork seems much thicker than the trucks that came later. It was a great truck. I only paid $250 for it and it earned that much money for me in a few months hauling wood. It’s a long bed which is how most people ordered them back then. It was very rare to see a V8 or a short bed as most people ordered them stripped to the bone.
Adam, I think these may have begun as Army contracts. As a veteran, I remember these all too well. These diesels in Blazers replaced jeeps. They were never meant for civilian driving, and there was always a motor pool nearby, just waiting to service them. Then came the hummer, and the guys driving those always had smiles plastered to their faces!
It seems the best idea would be to put the C truck 5.7L Diesel in the garbage bin and install a proper 5.7L gasoline engine. In fact, a lot of people did go this route and their trucks were much better afterward. They'd get way more power and they'd start when the weather was cold, too!
I bought a 1978 Olds Cutlass with the 350 ci diesel engine from a coworker for $150 because of a broken head bolt. The engine in the car had been replaced under warranty by Olds when the car was driven by the previous owner. I replaced the head bolt and used the car to commute to work. Some of problems were the car would turn off at a stop light during idle and wound not restart for several minutes. It may have been because of the water in the fuel. I let the car go after a starter bolt broke off inside the block and just didn't want to repair. One of the positives was that the car did not have to go through the yearly emissions check.
Another gearhead and former tech giving ya a "high five"! Another great one. Absolutely love the C and K Chevy, but ugghhh the early 80s were a rough time for em trying to figure out emissions... The TBI's were amazing and reliable as anvils, the best thing they ever did to those old motors!
Nothing to do with the Chevy pickup, but with the 5.7 diesel. Had an evening out in 1985 tooling around in an Oldsmobile Toronado with the 5.7 & 4 speed automatic trimmed with every option, including BOSE. Tried climbing Dexter Avenue in Seattle, and it took that car 3 light cycles to make it through the intersection. We got a lot of stares being in our early 20s driving such a high-end POS that weekend.
Black with a Camel colored roof and interior with a trail of soot a 1/4 mile behind it. Good times.
I greatly revere your videos! I have a bit of history with this truck, and the later 6.5 turbo diesel version. In 1977, my friends dad bought a new one the 6 cylinder. At the same time dad had had older dodge slant 6, 60's ers, i drove regularly, both of us being 17 years old, much comparisons ensure. One day my very heavy 1965 Cadillac Calais died on the side of the road, , it's a long and acrimonious story, but to the point I needed to tow a few blocks back home. My friend offered to do this with the chevy and while I steered the Cadillac. The chevy tires were kinda balloon sand tires and would not bite in the grass shoulder, so went and got the dodge, which just had passenger style tires. To our surprise, the od Dodge griped and pulled me home with no issues-- made a strong impression on my friend about the Dodge's capabilities, no matter how homely it was. (more on this later) However I liked the chevy styling better, (possible to do a truck design video?) Many years later I a friend had owned the same chevy model for 10 years as a contractor's truck, was very tempted to buy, but just too worn. Now again twenty years later, another later model with a 6.5 turbo diesel was introduced, the shop used it to deliver RV's. It was noisy but decent torque. I have often thought of getting a later diesel and still can't rationalize the draw to this idea, other than having a domestic diesel pickup novelty. So today along comes your video on this truck, which I was not aware had the diesel option. Maybe some viewers can comment or you on these miscellaneous ideas viability, as I am again in need of a truck. ON your oil change interval, there is a sub-micron oil filter canister setup. I use Gulf coast filters brand, Motor Guard makes one also, both have a toilet paper style media.Worth a look IMO instead of 2k oil changes. Second miscellaneous, thank you for identifying the head bolt issue on cold engine, I am very sensitive this on my watercooled vw van engine! I would consider retrofitting head bolts with modern , ARP products worth a look. Third just install the 6.5 diesel of the later turbo motor or graph the turbo set-up. The saga of pulling chevy vs dodge, seems to me, I would like to hear you comments, the dodge was a long bed and the chevy was a short bed, does this make a difference in traction? seems counterintuitive.
I worked at a service station that had truck with one of these diesels... they removed it and stuck in a 500 CID Cadillac engine. That truck became the shop favorite! :D
We had a 78 and an 81. The 81 had a few more horses than the 78 but both only reached about 70,000 slowwwww miles.
#1 thing to make your Olds Diesel C10 reliable and usable, either swap to Gas or an actually good Diesel engine like an M51 or OM606
Adam,
You are so spot on concerning this engine and the 200 THM that GM would mate to this oil burner. My Dad had a 1980 Cadillac De Ville with this combination. After rebuilding and finally replacing the engine, the transmission started to fail. After three transmission overhauls he finally called it quits and sold that POS. I used to tease him as April would approach each year that his annual transmission overhaul was due. Nevertheless, he loved to brag to his friends that he could get 30 mpg!
Too bed he didn't replace that Olds diesel with an Olds gas engine, and the type 200 with a type 350 or 400 trans. Would have been a nice car then.
I have an 81 Bonneville with the original diesel and th200c transmission. Its fairly low mileage at 95k but neither the engine or trans have ever been apart. It drives great and gets 27mpg on the freeway at 80mph. Ironically its probably my most reliable car
It's also something how small these trucks are compared to the new ones. New pick-ups are enormous.
I love your hannel Adam.I wish your videos were longer.
We had an Olds Delta 88 with a 5.7 Olds lol, we did not enjoy that engine. I actually liked the sound of it , it was loud, clattered a lot but was really gutless , good luck merging on the freeway with the AC on 😂 .
Pray to more than one deity. That's hilarious! Love it!
Remember R.E. Olds loved diesel engines and helped develop some diesel technology. Of course Mr. Olds died in 1950, well before Oldsmobile was given this 5.7 diesel project.... Great Video!!!!
Some had good luck with these.
Later 6.2 and 6.5 are good.
Rust rot was the main issues.
I have a 1989 2500 4×4 never dies so reliable cheap to fix.
GM did own Detroit diesel Allison
What we sometimes lose sight of today is that the gas crises of 1973 and 1979 held sway in the the thinking to offer economical diesels in passenger cars. Dropping one into a C-10 was even better, since pickups were even heavier than cars. But they were not designed to be like the super powered tow vehicles of the current era., which is why the 454 engine was GM's towing leader until the Duramax arrived in 1999. But even in 1978, many pickup buyers probably envisioned Cummins-like power when you mentioned diesel and truck in the same sentence.. Those who did so would be sadly disappointed
Good to learn that they changed, for the trucks, to Detroit Diesel in 81. Was going yo mention that 81-85 the diesel was much improved, and the first 3 years were troublesome. 78-80.
Great point that you did not say the Olds 350 was a gasoline conversion.
In a way it kind of was a conversation. They took the design of thier gas engine and converted it to diesel, making the necessary changes along the way.
All the gas trucks should have 3k oil changes as well.
When I bought my first truck in 1980 I almost bought one of those diesels, the dealer had a loaded out K-10 LB
By the time I went back it had been sold so I bought a 2WD LB Scottsdale with a 305 in i they had on the lot.
I had that truck until 86-87 and it was a very reliable truck , other than a dead battery or two it started every time i ever turned the key I drove that truck cross country more than a few times. Dual tanks and 55MPH speed limit you could drive an easy 8 or 10 hours at a time.
Lmao. I about pissed myself laughing about the "pray to multiple diety's, not just one" comment. Good one Adam.
In '82 a buddy bought a chev 4x4 with one of these Detroit diesels in it. It was loud and stinky but hey, a kid with a diesel was pretty cool back in the day.
The same pitfalls as the olds diesels but i would buy faithfully any gm diesel that came after ! i had 2 1993 3500's with a combined 1,700,000 miles on em !
Very interesting Adam, thanks! I remember when these came out and I always wondered why GM chose the Oldsmobile 350 for this conversion and not a Buick, Pontiac or Chevrolet engine? They all built a 350 cubic inch V8,, so why the Olds? Was this a stand-alone Oldsmobile project, with little to no feedback from the General? Or, was there something inherently different about the Olds block that would make it more suitable for a diesel conversion?
Yes, it is widely known the Olds block was cast from a higher nickel iron. Lots stronger the the rest of the GM blocks.
@@bigtrucklittlerv7969 100% Olds by far had the most robust of the GM small blocks
I had one of these with a 6 cylinder, three on the tree. It took everything I threw at it.
It has only been in the last five years ever since the dumbed-down "square body" lingo has come to rise that there is some fondness for these oil-burning, oil-leaking rattle boxes. For those of us who owned these clunkers back in the day they aren't so fond to remember. I had a 1980 Silverado that by the 90s burned and leaked more oil than it consumed gas. Not to mention this truck had rust issues behind front and rear fender-wells and also leaked power steering fluid and had radiator issues.
Hi Adam , Really liked your video on Chevrolet pick ups thank you . I’m in the Uk and I nearly bought a Chevrolet C10 with a diesel back in 79 for a friend’s farm Thankfully he changed his mind and we Bought a 78 Chevrolet Caprice Classic with a 350 with 9c1 police package options . This proved , with hindsight to be a wise move. Interestingly My Son Just bought a 1979 Ford F-150 custom pickup that came from California and is in lovely rust free condition, I was AMAZED at the amount of factory galvanised panels !! NOT something one associates with Ford . Perhaps you could do a video on the Ford F-150 since they seem to be such an American 🇺🇸 icon . 👍🇬🇧🇺🇸
If one were to come across such a truck in overall good to very good condition now another option to seriously consider doing is a gasoline engine swap such as to a SB Chevy V8 (305, 350, etc.). Pretty much a bolt-in operation. Since all of these 5.7 Oldsmobile Diesel powered trucks are now over 40 years of age that shouldn't be an issue when it comes to emissions compliance (unless you live in certain states/provinces).
Where I live they do not emission test anything over 25 years of age but no doubt that is since you do not see many vehicles from that era still on the road (other than some Toyota's and Honda's + the odd Big 3 pickup).
Really enjoy all your content Adam. Keep it up.. 👍
If you found one of these in good condition a sbc swap would be a disgusting thing to do. With how rare these have become any surviving nice ones should stay survivors
@@isaakwelch3451 - Totally understand but disagree. I've not seen a running example of an Olds 350 diesel powered Chevy pickup in a couple decades. The main reason I brought the subject up was the availability of spare parts for the Olds LF9 + someone willing to work on them. Thinking along the lines of repairing/rebuilding injection pumps and such..
That said, you do whatever works for you & best of luck.
@@AB-pl1ko Parts are still easy to find and any half-decent diesel shop can work on them. They aren't that different from a 6.2 diesel honestly. Your point that you havent seen one in decades is exactly what I mean: they're not common anymore, and any surviving ones should be preserved.
I rebuilt my cars pump with the help of my local diesel shop. They had all the parts on the shelf because the stanadyne db2 pump is the same one used in Ford IDI diesels.
@@isaakwelch3451 - I'm glad you were able to keep yours on the road as it was built back in the day. I'm not one of those people who wants to swap modern engines (like an LS) into an older vehicle. Far from it.. To be honest I prefer seeing them as they were originally designed & built - one of the many reasons I like Adam's channel so much.
Used car lots were full of GM diesels. Olds and Cadillac's. You couldn't give them away. Except for the pickup. The diesel engines went out so quickly that the pickups were in excellent condition. It was worthwhile to do a gas engine swap. Cars not so much. They went straight to the salvage yard.
I own a 73 Cheyenne super c30 3+3 camper special skyline blue leaded fuel 7.4l th400 straight cut gears 9' box dual tanks I can pull my 61 caddy series 62 6 window on a 3500lb all steel trailer and still do burnouts against all odds that truck always go's A to B but i did a motor swap about 11 yrs. ago to a 68 LS6 7.4 out of a vette I love everything about it from the trans wine to the 21' long body and coast only 1st gear unless i want to roast tires i have had lots of offers to buy it but i cant let go no matter what trucks are on the road that truck is always the star.
Some 4L80E have straight cut planetaries in them, sound just like an old TH400 🥰
When I was a second year apprentice, at school we had to fully rebuild an actual "customer" engine. Guess who got stuck with the 350 diesel in a big Buick(or was it an Olds)???... This was back in 1993, and the Buick's owner had SIX! other engines for parts in his shed... Fun times...
I never even suspected they put that Olds diesel in pick-ups.
Wow engines have come so far My new f150 with the 3.5 6 cyl is 400hp 500 ft lb torque and a steady 60 mph on the highway gets me 29 mpg
i had an 81 5.7 diesel,if a cloud went over it wouldn't start!! It had str8 pipes,THE LOUDEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD!
I had a 1978 C10 with a 350 Gas and turbo Transmission, great truck but I kept having to replace Trans Mounts? No Coal burner for Me...
Square Body pickups were produced from 1973 to 1987. First year OBS piickups 1988.
Heavy Duty trucks, Suburbans, and full-size Blazer didn't change to the new body style until 1992.
Also, you idiots that call the 88-98 "Old Body Style" don't make any sense. Just as stupid as the guys that call 94-01 Dodge trucks "2nd gen". Excuse me? 2nd generation? Go back and count the generations of Dodge trucks from the beginning. Idiots
The best part of the 5.7 Diesel is the Gas 5.7 uses the same motor mounts
It was remarkable that the TH200 transmission was later beefed up and used behind the Buick Grand National.
I never knew TH200 and the 2004R was more less the same transmission. Thanks for the info.
Edit... C10 pickup 250 6cyl 3 tree, and When I worked for Parkway motors in 1981, we had a 2 wheel drive K5 blazer with a 6 cylinder automatic. Really more of a mail truck, to be honest
The MB 300D's OM617 5cyl diesel engine has 22 (!) 12mm headbolts 😄 (and 4 auxilliary 6mm bolts)
I love the Olds Diesel engines!!! "Once you go Olds diesel, you never go back to one again", they say, but I say, "once you go Olds Diesel, you'll never go back to anything else".. Olds Diesel for life!!!
If you own a 77-82 C10 with a running 5.7L Diesel, sell it to me. 😊
After watching nearly all of your videos, it seems that General Motors sold a lot of vehicles that were certainly not proven before hitting the showroom. It is a wonder that they are still in business. I bought an 86 Silverado new. Powertrain was OK but the side molding fell off in the first few years, the went window howled with leaks at any speed above 40 mph and the pancake compressor regularly leaked all of the freon out. It seems that every aspect of that truck was built as cheaply as possible, which is probably because it was.
G'evening Adam ☕☕ 😀 . One of my favorite Chevy trucks & tough as nails. Although I like the 98' - 03' Chevy trucks, xlt tahoe suburbans & tahoe's a kil' more with fuel injection, Vortec mills & hei ignition before they went to all the plastic crap 😀
VERY VERY easily to make these engines super strong, but GM ruined a good thing with substandard head bolts and no proper water fuel separator. I put 125K on one of these after these 2 simple upgrades and the new owner has since gone another 70k with no issues. And they weren't loud at all... Some of the info here is a little skewed
I recognized the same black 78" pickup in the thumnail as my uncle Gene's out in L.A.
Born in 80' I was shuttled around in it on visits. That thing ran like sh*t even after 3 deisel engines and finally a gas 350 that would vapor lock every time My dad and I borrowed it to get around LA on a visit as a kid. Me and my dad wanted that truck pushed off a cliff. He was well to do, but he still kept that truck to heap kids in the bed with the topper and trip off to the Palm Springs house. God I hated that black truck, so many times we thought we'd be dogmeat merging from short LA onramps as the wimpy engine would sputter and gasp when you called up all three beans threatening to stall, or did stall.
They should've put a 2 stroke Detroit in it! 😃
Too smoky and stinky. Maybe if the EPA hadn't have been invented, that would have been done.
I like the 6.2, even more than the 6.5 turbo.
Excellent.
Why GM never went to Detroit Diesel whom they owned at the time to develop a light car/truck diesel engine from the beginning we’ll never know. Just cutting corners to save cost.
Yes and no. They always had electrical issues but that 350 would run on 6 cylinders. The transmissions seemed to need some help a lot.
Awesomeness Again!!!
GM owned Isuzu - why not put in an Isuzu heavy engine with intelligent gear ratios...1970s Isuzu Diesels are still working to this day.
This is what happens when you convert a gas engine to diesel. "Like a Rock" really applied to these trucks as they ended up being a paper weight