Our new camper rig…1974 GMC

[squonk 41,151]

27 minutes ago, RandyLittrell said:

 

Worked at the service station a bit in high school and had a customer with an early diesel in a chevy pickup and it would barely pull itself up on the lube rack! Not the best idea ever! 

 

 

 

Randy

I used to work at an RV dealer. We took a rental unit to a Bills game once. Since I wasn't much of a drinker I was designated to drive. Imagine my disappointment when I saw 6.2 DEISEL on the side. One of the guys said if I could pass 1 car on the NYS thruway, he'd buy me a beer when we got back to Rochester. I managed to find an old lady in a Chevette! 

[ebinmaine 67,598]

1 hour ago, squonk said:

I used to work at an RV dealer. We took a rental unit to a Bills game once. Since I wasn't much of a drinker I was designated to drive. Imagine my disappointment when I saw 6.2 DEISEL on the side. One of the guys said if I could pass 1 car on the NYS thruway, he'd buy me a beer when we got back to Rochester. I managed to find an old lady in a Chevette! 

At least that wasn't the Oldsmobile engine.

You might have been lucky to make it back home without tossing a head gasket out...

Those first generation 6 2 Detroit diesels were very far from powerhouses but at least they would run for 80,000 or 100,000 miles in a row. 

 

 

I'd be some kind of wicked curious to know how this particular truck ever ended up with a 455 BOP engine

[squonk 41,151]

13 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

At least that wasn't the Oldsmobile engine.

You might have been lucky to make it back home without tossing a head gasket out...

Those first generation 6 2 Detroit diesels were very far from powerhouses but at least they would run for 80,000 or 100,000 miles in a row. 

 

 

I'd be some kind of wicked curious to know how this particular truck ever ended up with a 455 BOP engine

We would take bets on the Olds diesels. Connecting rod or crank broken in 2. We had one out of a pick up that 1 rod broke. The rod went thru the block and intake manifold, snapping the cam and injector pump in 2 then continuing around to obliterate the piston across from it! 

[Achto 27,601]

Did some research on the Olds 350 diesel. The 5.7L diesel was produced from 1978 - 1985 so I don't believe that this '74 truck was converted to a gas truck. Guess it will remain a mystery as to why a PO installed the 455 under the hood.

[squonk 41,151]

49 minutes ago, Achto said:

Did some research on the Olds 350 diesel. The 5.7L diesel was produced from 1978 - 1985 so I don't believe that this '74 truck was converted to a gas truck. Guess it will remain a mystery as to why a PO installed the 455 under the hood.

78-85 7 years too long! 

[WHX?? 48,828]

Looks like it hasn't got any rust on it!

There are guys around here that collect vintage campers. They all get together and go camping in them. 

[ebinmaine 67,598]

1 hour ago, Achto said:

Did some research on the Olds 350 diesel. The 5.7L diesel was produced from 1978 - 1985 so I don't believe that this '74 truck was converted to a gas truck. Guess it will remain a mystery as to why a PO installed the 455 under the hood.

If only those walls could talk.....

[squonk 41,151]

28 minutes ago, WHX?? said:

 

There are guys around here that collect vintage campers. They all get together and go camping in them. 

I thought they collected as many as they could find and pile them up in their hedgerows. 

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,314]

I honestly have no idea why they chose the 455. I know the original 350 would have been way underpowered for this rig, but why they chose a 455 over the more common and easier swapped in 454 Chevy is a mystery to me as well. It does run well, with plenty of power, but it is a 55 mph truck. She's low geared enough and with the 4 speed behind her at 55 she's running right at 2900 on the tach. 

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

5 minutes ago, ClassicTractorProfessor said:

at 55 she's running right at 2900

 

"Stump Puller" !

[ebinmaine 67,598]

4:56 gears maybe. 

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,314]

3 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

4:56 gears maybe. 

If I was to guess I'd say your probably right...I'll be under there this afternoon doing some maintenance i will look and see if there is still a tag on the rear

[Pullstart 62,906]

I’m gonna go against the grain here.  Surprised?  I had an ‘81 Olds Delta 88 5.7 Diesel and loved it.  Sure, I was beat in a parking lot race one time and the other competitor was on foot… but it was super reliable.  I still miss that car.  It could fit a small block Chevy oil pan to carburetor in the trunk and still close the deck too!  It got good fuel mileage and there was only one on-ramp to the expressway that was too short to get to 50 before merging that I knew of.  

[ebinmaine 67,598]

36 minutes ago, pullstart said:

I’m gonna go against the grain here.  Surprised?

No, but that's why you're awesome. 

 

 

 

37 minutes ago, pullstart said:

there was only one on-ramp to the expressway that was too short to get to 50 before merging

Thems was some looooongg ramps ehh?

 

 

 

[Pullstart 62,906]

13 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

No, but that's why you're awesome. 

 

 

 

Thems was some looooongg ramps ehh?

 

 

 

We took it to the drag strip once.  Pulled the 1/4 mile trap at 45 mph!  

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

6 hours ago, pullstart said:

1/4 mile trap at 45 mph!

 

Rollin' Coal ?  That would have been awesome!

 

[8ntruck 7,016]

Which drag strip?  U.S. 131, Mc Bride, Onindega?

[wh500special 2,187]

Rolling coal…

 

You guys reminiscing about the Olds 5.7L diesel V8 and its problems reminded me of that other Olds diesel, the 4.3L v6.  They put that one in the Ciera and some Buicks. 
 

I get the impression the v6 wasn’t as horrible of a machine as the V8 (faint praise), but still better as a boat anchor than as an engine.  
 

I remember coming up behind a Cutlass Ciera Brougham on a modest incline one time.   It was smoking so profusely it looked like a pile of smoldering tires.   On the trunk lid: Diesel. 
 

I think the old woman driving it had her foot to the floor.  The exhaust soot was so heavy it stuck to my windshield.  
 

THAT was rolling coal the Oldsmobile way. 
 

steve 

[ebinmaine 67,598]

4 minutes ago, wh500special said:

Olds diesel, the 4.3L v6.

Well there's a new one to me. 

[Pullstart 62,906]

2 hours ago, 8ntruck said:

Which drag strip?  U.S. 131, Mc Bride, Onindega?

Mid-Michigan, isn’t it?  Right by you?

[8ntruck 7,016]

21 minutes ago, pullstart said:

Mid-Michigan, isn’t it?  Right by you?

If it is in Mc Bride, it is about 6 miles up the road.

 

Funny thing, I've been coming to this area since the mid '70s, but have never been to that drag strip.

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,314]

10 hours ago, pullstart said:

I’m gonna go against the grain here.  Surprised? 

We wouldn't expect anything different out of you

 

I personally have never had any experience with the 5.7 diesels, but I know an old fella here in town that has one in a half ton Chevy pickup, and he absolutely loves it. He bought it brand new and completely restored it a few years back. 

 

Now the 6.2/6.5 diesels I have had some experience with, and while most people hated them as well I really liked the ones I've owned. Yeah they weren't a huge powerhouse by no means, but for something that was dependable and economical they did pretty well. We still have an 85 GMC 3500 out at the farm for a feed truck with the 6.2 and had the transmission not went out I'd probably still be feeding cows with it today. And probably the one truck I've ever had that I regret selling was my 94 Chevy 2500 with the 6.5, that thing got great mileage running down the highway, and never gave me any major issues

[squonk 41,151]

Any 5.7 Olds diesel that went over 20,000 miles is the exception rather than the norm. The owner of our dealership had a beautiful 1980 98 diesel as a demo. 2000 miles the crank broke in 2

[stevebo-(Moderator) 8,330]

I am liking this one!

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,314]

Just came in from loading all of our gear that was originally in the pop-up into the GMC. Heading to a small lake about 25 miles from home tomorrow evening after work for a weekend trip. Was hoping to be able to take the camper to the National Two Cylinder Show in Fairview OK next weekend, but I don't think it's gonna be ready for that long of a trip just yet. One thing I need to do is build a heavier duty rear bumper and hitch before hooking our trailer behind it, and I also noticed yesterday while doing some routine maintenance that although the tires on it look brand new, they are 18 years old. I don't mind taking a 25 mile trip down county roads at 35 mph on them, but definitely want to get some new ones on it before we venture 100 miles from home with a tractor and trailer in tow.