Anyone Towing With a 6.2 Diesel?

[davo727]

Well ive done a lot of reading on coloradok5, dieseltowingresouce, dieselplace and they all say that adding a turbo to the 6.2 makes a huge improvement in towing power. So there is hope. Im going to put one of the 1992 6.5 turbo setups I have on my 1028. I will report back with pics and results.

 

[four_by_ken]

Are you done yet?

 

[Myk_n_Byk]

Towing With 6.2 diesel truck

In 1990 I cannibalized a 1984 M1008 that had been rolled to rebuild my 1976 suburban. I used the axles, the engine with related parts, and the transfer case. I added a 1983 700R4 tranny.
Since diesels like to breath, I ran straight 3” exhaust pipes for reduced back pressure. I also added a water injection system to the engine. I put 36” tires on it and could consistently pull 12,000 to 15,000 lb loads at 55mph through Ohio, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania. Loaded it would average 14 mpg and about 22mpg with no trailer.
My heaviest load(M51 Dump truck with 2 extra engines) was 31,200 lbs out of DCSC in Columbus, Ohio at a steady 45mph. I have had a couple of M1009s that were modified with water that towed well and got 26+mpg.
With modifications these trucks will tow about anything.

 

[deuce_09]

Engine mods will help alot but you can only do so much.you might sacrifice milage too. If it were me I'd go to pirate4x4.com or some other offroad sites and sell/trade those axles for axles with a 4:10 ratio. Every rock crawler out there wants low gears and lockers.
You might get lucky. I've sold a pair of 1ton axles(full floater dana60 front and 14bolt rear)for $1200. So if your lucky you could probably get around $2000-2500 for yours because of the rear locker and gears.

Or just put a 6bt in it...

 

[TedO]

I am towing a drag with my M1008 to groom a dirt strip runway. The drag can get up to a couple thousand pounds when filled with dirt. I pull it in 4 wd low range, in 1st gear, so I am going pretty slow. It doesnt seem like much of a load on the engine, but after about 45 min, I can feel my transmission getting hot. It feels to me that the coolant isnt getting hot, but the transmission is getting really hot. I think the issue may be that at the slow speed I am pulling at, I am not getting much airflow into the radiator. Should I be pulling in high range, driving faster? How much would an auxilliary cooler help this situation? Any suggestions how to set this up in the M1008? I need something that cools the transmission very efficiently at very low speeds. I am thinking maybe even disconnect the transmission from the radiator, and run some lines into the bed of the truck where I can have a big cooler bolted down.

 

[cucvrus]

I am thinking you may have some slippage in the transmission you are not aware of. I push snow and do the same dragging of an I beam on a 53 acre truck lot. I use a stock M1008 and it works hard but I have never overheated the truck in any way. What makes you aware of the transmission overheating? What signs does it give you? Do you have a gauge? The M1008 I drive at work has a fresh transmission in it about 3 months ago. I do tend to be hard on these trucks but as soon as I feel any slop between forward and reverse or any slippage. I take the truck to the transmission shop and have them repaired. I have spit a few cases by waiting to long and the drive to reverse became a sledge hammer shift. But I never had any heat problems that I am aware of. Did you service the transmission and the filter in the transmission. That would be a great place to start. Also if the transmission is still the 30+ year old unit. it is begging for some refreshing. I seen the seals and gaskets in these old units. Good Luck and report back on your results. I would probably not mount a transmission cooler in the bed of the truck. very dangerous to have the hot fluids traveling and with the flex of the frame, bed and cab. I see a massive failure eminent. Have a great day.

 

[TedO]

I dont have a gauge(where would I install a temp guage?), but it feels hot and it smells hot, hotter than its ever been before. Can you describe the slippage I should look for a little better? I go from drive to reverse, what should I be looking for? A delay and hammering?

I think I do have the 30 year old transmission. The fluid certainly still looks good. I will have a look at the filter.
Thanks.

 

[cucvrus]

If you have a delay between shifts from Drive to Reverse. That is a start of problems. But yes I would drop the pan and service the transmission and check the magnet inside the pan. Changing the fluid and filter would be a great place to start. After that I would just keep running it and keep the fluid full. Check the transfer case fluid also. If you get a chance snap a few pictures of the inside of the transmission pan magnet when you have it removed. I seriously never added a cooler to any of mine. I pull trailers and plow snow. I use the drag and on occasions I pull a 30 yard dumpster around that has wood scraps in it. I do dumpster pulling in low range 4WD. In icy snowy weather I use Big Red to push and pull alt of truck chassis.

 

[TedO]

Thanks. Will do.

 

[Ilikemtb999]

B&m (and probably others) sell trans coolers with an electric fan. That would certainly help with very low speeds assuming mechanically everything else is in check

 

[Skinny]

In 1990 I cannibalized a 1984 M1008 that had been rolled to rebuild my 1976 suburban. I used the axles, the engine with related parts, and the transfer case. I added a 1983 700R4 tranny.
Since diesels like to breath, I ran straight 3” exhaust pipes for reduced back pressure. I also added a water injection system to the engine. I put 36” tires on it and could consistently pull 12,000 to 15,000 lb loads at 55mph through Ohio, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania. Loaded it would average 14 mpg and about 22mpg with no trailer.
My heaviest load(M51 Dump truck with 2 extra engines) was 31,200 lbs out of DCSC in Columbus, Ohio at a steady 45mph. I have had a couple of M1009s that were modified with water that towed well and got 26+mpg.
With modifications these trucks will tow about anything.

I can't say because I personally do not know you or your rigs but I will say a few things in general here...

1) Your 12,000 to 31,200 lbs. of tow load on a CUCV is not only very dangerous, it is outside the envelope for its design, and is opening up anyone doing so to some serious liability if you ended up in an accident.

2) I'm positive that a 6.2 regardless of what injection you have with 36's and a 700r4 is not going to be happy nor return that kind of fuel economy trying to do what you are doing.

3) These trucks will not tow anything. I think the average user here would say that the K30 Cucks are good for 5k of normal towing and that 7k is probably starting to get one pretty far down in the slow lane on any normal grade. A new member to SS should do some due diligence first on knowing what the strengths and weaknesses are of a CUCV truck. These are quite the rugged workhorses and some bulletproof running gear but aren't made to do what you are describing in my opinion.

I guess the point I'm trying to make here is that I really don't care what you have or what you personally do with it but someone who is looking to buy or is new to owning one should know that you are way outside the envelope of capability here.

 

[Sharecropper]

i can't say because i personally do not know you or your rigs but i will say a few things in general here...

1) your 12,000 to 31,200 lbs. Of tow load on a cucv is not only very dangerous, it is outside the envelope for its design, and is opening up anyone doing so to some serious liability if you ended up in an accident.

2) i'm positive that a 6.2 regardless of what injection you have with 36's and a 700r4 is not going to be happy nor return that kind of fuel economy trying to do what you are doing.

3) these trucks will not tow anything. I think the average user here would say that the k30 cucks are good for 5k of normal towing and that 7k is probably starting to get one pretty far down in the slow lane on any normal grade. A new member to ss should do some due diligence first on knowing what the strengths and weaknesses are of a cucv truck. These are quite the rugged workhorses and some bulletproof running gear but aren't made to do what you are describing in my opinion.
I guess the point i'm trying to make here is that i really don't care what you have or what you personally do with it but someone who is looking to buy or is new to owning one should know that you are way outside the envelope of capability here.

well said skinny.

 

[CUCVLOVER]

i have pulled 45k lbs but that was the truck pull not the road. i could pull about 3-4k being my truck stock and kinda notice it, 6-7 and yes its there. now running the 454 i forget anything is back there all the time. Pulled a 16ft trailer with a big fourwheeler built for mud, and a polaris sidebyside 1200lb and never motcied anything.

 

[Recovry4x4]

In stock trim, the CUCV sucks at mild elevation and hills kill it. Towing 5000# in FL was doable. Here in the N GA mountains, 1500# sucks the life out of the truck. This has been my experience and I own more than one.

 

[cucvrus]

I tend to agree. I very much dislike towing heavy over a long distance with a CUCV. I have done it coast to coast several times. But it is very tiring and will be the most uncomfortable trip you ever will make. I tow a lot of wood locally and with a 10 X 6 trailer with 24" sides. It kills the M1009 just going up I 81 from exit 90 to Rausch Creek. I tow bar my Terminus with an M1009 and it is a challenge. So I like my new truck with the towing package and all the fancy towing package equipment. It will tow 3 times the weight and stop it 5 times faster with Cadillac comfort. The CUCV is very utilitarian in comparison. But then again follow the owners manual of the CUCV. It is not intended to tow great amounts of weight. For around the property hauling I use my Mini Mule. Or the Mule. These are handy little vehicles I created in my laboratory.

 

[The FLU farm]

A always use a stout tow vehicle and trailers that are well suited for the task. Except when it's quicker to utilize whatever is handy.

 

[TedO]

transmission magnet

Hello, here is a photo of the magnet. I didnt see any varnish, but there was sludge sticking to the magnet. I think it needed changing. Do you use dexron 3? I read a post where a guy was saying to use type F fluid. I checked the temp of the pan with an infrared temp sensor when I was pulling, ans it was 175F. It wasnt as bad as I suspected. I was smelling something that smelled like hot fluid, but maybe that is normal.

How do you install a thermostat in this system? In the pan? How do you route the wires out?

 

[TedO]

Hello cucvrs, I posted a photo of my transmission magnet, but it didnt append your message. It went to the end. Do you see it?

 

[TedO]

Here is the oil pan magnet. There was some sludge sticking to it.

 

[cucvrus]

That actually looks very good. I seen much worse on good running/operating transmissions. I would you Dexron 3-6 in that transmission. I buy/use 5 gallon pails of transmission fluid. It is universal fluid. But what you are showing looks great. Put the pan back on with a new filter and gasket and drive it like you stole it. Have a great day.