86 blazer with 6.2 and 3 speed auto

[DanMcG]

I hope to look at this truck tomorrow, but I'm clueless when it comes to diesels, any issues I should be looking for? what tranny is the 3 speed in 86? and I thought all the diesels came with 3/4 ton axles but this on appears to be 6 bolt 1/2 tons, was it just military k5's that used the 3/4's?
Thanks for any insight you can offer.

[VileZambonie]

M1009 should be 10 bolts with a TH400

[82silverado]

Exactly. I have worked on those things on the job for years. Anyone that needs to know about them, feel free to ask.

[DanMcG]

So if you guys were to rate a 6.2  and a 400 tranny on a 1-10 scale where would it fall as far as desirability ... I'd like to use it foe a plow truck next winter. I see its rated for a 140 horse which seems odd to me, i thought it would more houses the a 350 gas motor.

[VileZambonie]

Some people love them. I personally think they are noisy slugs that aren't enjoyable to work on or drive and they typically get problematic in the cold. I would prefer a nice smooth running 350 gas engine. That being said if all you are doing is pushing around snow and it's in good shape, it may be a perfect fit for what you are looking for.

[82silverado]

As far as the transmission goes, that is a rock solid unit. The 6.2 is not desirable to me. That is why I dropped in a BB in the 82 I own thatcame with a 6.2. But if I was only going to use it for plowing, Then Vile Zombie hit the nail on the head.

[DanMcG]

thanks for the opinions guys, I appreciate it..
 I'l see how bad the body is and go from there. The truck was a local municipality vehicle with only 38,000 miles on it.
Does the 6.2 offer any benefits for a work truck over the 350, I notice it lists only has about 140 horses but I'm not sure if that matters for comparing power/torque.

[1967KaiserM715]

The 6.2/5 platform is geared for economy not power, so they are slow, and while they can get a load moving, going up inclines slow them considerably.

If it was a municipality truck, it is very likely the military M1009. 10 bolts front and rear, rear has locker. 3.08 gearing.

I like the 6.x platform, but it's not for everyone.

Edit:military Blazers were exempt from emissions, so it would be a J-Code, probably rated closer to 165 horses; just a little FYI

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DanMcG]

thanks for the info 1967KaiserM715

[Captkaos]

If it makes a difference the 350 in those years were no more than 165hp..  So....
The Diesel you can get 20mpg out of, where the gas you cannot.

[fitz]

Did you buy the truck?

[DanMcG]

Did you buy the truck?

No the owner was out of town until today, so I had a lot of time to think it over. The more I thought about it, the more I realized a diesel might be to big a learning curve right now.

[fitz]

As others have pointed out, it sounds like a Military CUCV M1009. 
These trucks fall into the category where you love them or hate them.  I personally love them ( I own 1 nice clean rust free 1 and 3 rusty parts trucks M1009's).
They are as bare bones truck as you can get in that era (no air cond, radio, etc).  They also came stock with a 24 volt starting system that takes some time to understand how it works.

[Captkaos]

I switched the K5 I converted to 12V.  Only part of the system was 24V which adds to confusion.

Chris Lucas
73-87chevytrucks.com
squarebody.biz