diesel swap

[sw85]

I've been thinking of doing a diesel swap on my 1991 v2500 Suburban. It currently has the original 350 gas motor, but the mpg is terrible and the motor is old and tired, leaks and burns every fluid, barely passed smog last time, and should at least be rebuilt soon. Not to mention the intake and exhaust are toast too. The odometer stopped sometime last decade and lord only knows how many miles it has. Since I'll have to pull the motor and rebuild it anyway I was thinking of doing a diesel swap, with either the 6.2L or 6.5L.

Does anybody have any idea the costs involved, at least a rough figure? I know besides the motor I'll have to change the fuel tank (full of rusty Mexican gas anyway) and somebody told me I need a different transmission. Is this correct? Also has anyone dealt with the CA DMV and the process of doing a swap to a motor that doesn't go through the smog check process?

 

[crazy4offroad]

If you have smog testing in your area the diesel will fail. Your VIN shows the vehicle has a gas engine, and the pollution the diesel will make will count against you, since they will be testing it as though it were a gas engine. Now if the vehicle had a VIN for a diesel engine and you swapped it for a gas engine that eventually started smoking, burning oil or whatever you would be exempt from smog test since it is originally supposed to be a diesel.

 

[sw85]

The gas 350 is original to the vehicle. I know you can swap motors but it has to be from the same maker of your vehicle and the same year or newer. I'm just not familiar with the process of changing to diesel, and was asking if anybody is familiar with turning a gasoline vehicle that gets smogged in CA to diesel, and pretty much if the state makes it too much of a pain in the ass to be worth it. If that's the case I might just get a crate 350 with a quadrajet and new smog equipment.

 

[crazy4offroad]

Yeah I had missed that part. Hopefully some people chime in soon, I've seen many on here who have either done the swap or considering it and could tell you top to bottom what to expect. I think Blackdog3 has done it at least once but not in the state of CA.