question on a 6.2 chevy suburban

[84cucv1ton]

My friend found this.

here is what he has to say:
Good evening, I was strongly advised by my mechanic that it is a very bad idea to try and start the truck with 8 year old diesel fuel that is probably gelled up. This WILL mess up the injectors. Thus tank must be drained, hoses blown out, fuel filter changed and new fuel. Furthermore, oil has not been through the motor in years, it needs to be properly primed with new oil and a new filter. I'm stuck in the middle here, the best I can do is 2000 as is, I will not attempt to start it unless he does all the work then, I will have to add his bill to the price. I just want to get rid of it the way it is, as was my original plan. Thank you.


Not trying to sound like a jerk here. this truck is very clean, but he will not let us start it. sounds like a bunch of crap to me and he is trying to hide something. crazy to lay out 2k on something you cant try to start. i know fuel can gel. doesn't that take WAY longer then 8 years? you guys on here know way more then i do about this. so i thought i would ask.

hes only 19 this is his first chevy and im afraid he is going to end up with pos.

so what do you guys think.

 

[dm22630]

Is your friend wanting to buy the suburban off of someone that wont let him start it?



I am confused.....

 

[84cucv1ton]

yes what you just said. sorry i didnt make that clear

 

[dm22630]

The guy is trying to hide something.

Tell your friend to keep looking.

 

[84cucv1ton]

thanks thats what i was thinking

 

[84cucv1ton]

to think of it, is what he saying true?

 

[Crash_AF]

What year Suburban is this? It is a 1/2 or 3/4 ton? 2wd or 4x4?

I paid $1800 for a 1983 1/2 ton 4x4 Suburban with a nearly new Banks Sidewinder kit on it that didn't run. Put a fuel pump on it and a new filter and it runs great (although it has a nasty rear main leak).

Unless it's CHERRY inside and out and you hear it run, I would walk away from it and find another one.

Later,
Joe

 

[Recovry4x4]

As far as I'd be concerned, offer moneys for a truck with no engine. Dude must be crazy!

 

[84cucv1ton]

it has a motor, just does not want us to start it.

its a 86 3/4 ton 4x4. i have a 1/2 ton 4x4 burban. sorry i bought it. found a ex military 91 3/4 ton suburban for myself. has a 350, really want a 6.5 turbo or 6.2.

 

[hobie237]

Right, so you assume that it's FUBAR'D and make your offer as if it had no engine. That's standard procedure for the "it won't start" bit. You assume the worst.

 

[84cucv1ton]

is what he saying true at all? could it mess the truck up? whats about the fuel gel thanks

 

[hobie237]

It's possible, at least in theory, for the diesel fuel to break down over time, just as gasoline, motor oil, and about every other petroleum distillate will do with exposure to oxygen and time. I wouldn't worry about the whole "drain the tank and blah blah blah" crappola, though. I mean, the mechanic may be saying this, since it is true that this is the only way to be 100% sure that all the bad fuel is out, but from experience starting older vehicles with bad gas/diesel in them (or at least gas/diesel old enough to be suspect), if you dilute the bad stuff with some good stuff, you should be fine. If the tank is completely full, then yeah, you should drain out at least some of it to replace it with good, new fuel, and change the filter. As an added safety measure, change the filter at, say, 1000 miles, and then again after another, say, 2000 miles. Then resume maintenance as usual and you should be fine.

I mean, I guess you could ask how much the mechanic wants for this "service" and thus how much would be added to the asking price- may be worth it just so you can start and run the vehicle. Otherwise assume it to be in non-functional condition and offer $500. If he tells you to piss off, oh well, it's better to miss out on something that could have been a good deal than get stuck with a pile of headaches.

 

[appalacious]

I was under the impression that if diesel got cold enough, a portion of it would "precipitate" out of solution as a gel. This is definitely true with some blends of biodiesel, but dino-diesel performs better than bio-d in the cold. I'm just not sure how cold it would have to be for this to occur. But my understanding is that its not a question of how LONG a trucks been sitting, but rather how COLD it got while it was sitting.
I'd love to be corrected,
J

 

[84cucv1ton]

great way to put it thanks

 

[84cucv1ton]

thanks for the replys. he walked away from it. going to look at a 88. small lift and all. was a 6.2 now is a carbed 400. for 1500. not as nice as the one i started this thread about.

 

[hobie237]

Honestly, for most purposes, the a gasser is a better engine choice. The diesel is a sorta fuel-efficient/economical choice that makes okay power, or it would be if diesel wasn't so blasted pricey, but it comes with all the drawbacks of an old, non-turbo diesel. Gassers typically have cheaper parts, start better in the cold and make better power.

The only reasons I'm planning to keep a diesel in my truck are that 1. I plan to put in a turbo 6.5 that actually makes decent power and 2. I like the idea of mechanical injection/no ignition system for off road usage- if it's running, it WILL stay running unless something severely goes wrong, like submersion of the intake or loss of a fuel line. Given the choice for a road vehicle, though, I'd take almost any gasser over the 6.2.

 

[84cucv1ton]

never thought of that. i see what your saying. when it warms up im doing my turbo.

he bought the suburban. was well worth the 1500. never saw anyone flip the money so fast. he said he had a beat old rusty work truck he wanted gone. got the suburban and put the good running gear in there. rusty old truck was a 86 k30. 1500 bucks he a got a running and driving k30 suburban. 4" lift. 35 " bfgs 4.10 gears. didnt look to good in the pics. but it was pretty clean. i think he did pretty good

 

[kennyw]

I would be more worried about mold growing in the 8 year old fuel than it being gelled. Worst case for either one is a plugged up fuel filter at first, then eventually IP damage as you running more and more and the filter starts to bypass.

 

[jag7720]

I'd be worried about the rings rusting to the cylinder wall over 8 years....

 

[hobie237]

Meh, a little oil in each cylinder combined with a good breaker bar to turn the engine over by hand would take care of that OK.