Kinda of newb questions for the Suburban guys.

[88Xj]

Well fella's my Xj doesn't have the space I want. I don't really need to seat 8 people..5-6 is more than enough but the added space would make things easier & hell I'm honestly tired of working about this unibody crap!

My questions/concerns, theres a bad *** burb out here & he wants a straight trade + 1500 on his side for my xj..but its a gasser. I would need a diesel..not for towing or anything but for mileage. So I'd stick to the 6.5 or 6.2 anyway. But what would I need to really do to register a previous gasser to a diesel? I'm in California btw. I know the obvious, full swap ect with emmisions crap..but being it a 82..and being diesels don't need smog until like 98' what all would this entail for me? Is it as simple as dropping it in, having DMV check it out & prove its a diesel motor? I need true FACT's here, but opinions are also welcome.
I know what it takes to swap a car legally here..but a older diesel like this I'm kinda lost. It seems to me that because these don't require smog or anything that I wouldn't even need to worry besides dropping in the motor? No Cali Bar crap to have them right it off as legal?


Also theres a 2x4 burb locally..102K original miles. But no motor/trans & again 2x4. Its registered as a diesel though & no fees on it or anything. So basically drop in a motor & trans/xfer & convert the front to a solid axle (4x4)

These are both old square bodies I'm talking about guys, 85-90 or 91 whatever the body changed at lol.

 

[redthies]

I could be wrong, as I only spend as much time as possible in Ca, but as long as the swapped in engine is newer than the original
(up to '98?), it is no problem. Get the gasser, and put in a 12 v Cummins. Not really an original idea, but still the best one...

 

[88Xj]

I could be wrong, as I only spend as much time as possible in Ca, but as long as the swapped in engine is newer than the original
(up to '98?), it is no problem. Get the gasser, and put in a 12 v Cummins. Not really an original idea, but still the best one...

That is the BEST option yes. But also alot of money & extra for what I'm doing. I don't ever tow much and if I do I would say deffinetly less than 4000lbs MAX. Its more of getting a burb for the size, security and space. My Xj is litterally the smallest thing I'll drive..**** my grandma's old areostar is bigger than my jeep. Even with my 3" and 31's her roof sits taller than mine lol..always find that funny.

Anyway I only want a diesel for the mileage & option to run bio-diesel. I would love to keep it a manual trans but it won't be the end of the world if not! From what I'm reading I can pick up any 6.2 & put it in because the trucks had them. And I won't/shouldn't have an issue because they are presmog anyway & again, already came in the exact truck!
This would be a daily driver which is why I could only afford the diesell. I'm traveling 201 miles a day 4x a week. About 800-820 miles for work in a week. I just want similar gas mileage to my current rig. About 18/22, around 20 combined. So I'm hoping with a diesel & a minor lift/33x10'5s I can pull 15/20 or so. And if I can run Bio 50/50 or whatever then I'll be saving, plus I'll have the rig I truely want! You don't get better than a sububran..big, robust, seats 8 if needed, 6bt swap will have you hauling anything you need!


Does that info sound about right guys? Because these came with a 6.2L I can just swap one in and not have to worry about being hassled too much? I'm going to call DMV and figure it out but I wanna get out of this jeep before I sink too much cash into it and then lose even more on it!

 

[bfdiesel]

Either a 6.2 or a cummins 5.9 is going to be the same in the eyes of the dmv. You are going to have to change your emmisions test from gas to diesel and I have know idea how that works in commy country. You would be better off looking for what you want without all the swapping if you want a diesel look for a diesel.

 

[bftank]

are you stuck with the suburban for any particular reason? from what you have listed you might be ahead to get an f350 crew cab diesel with a five speed. already has a diesel, isn't gutless, can fit 35's stock. gets between 15-20mpg. easily runs biodiesel. easy to swap a cummins into later if need be.

this would be a whole lot less work, and smaller chance of getting burned out on a project that won't get you the results you want without a lot of effort.

 

[Stoney126]

As far as i know you can not swap a diesel engine in place of a gas engine legally in cal.

 

[RockyMtnFamily]

I get 19mpg highway out of my Suburban, but that is stock and with Fuel Injection and Electronic Ignition so the 82 would likely not do as well. I had an XJ before and put in a third row seat (Wrangler rear seat). That made it carry the kids better but no storage space. Also my 1992 XJ was lifted on 33" tires and I still got 18mpg highway.

Kevin

 

[88Xj]

I get 19mpg highway out of my Suburban, but that is stock and with Fuel Injection and Electronic Ignition so the 82 would likely not do as well. I had an XJ before and put in a third row seat (Wrangler rear seat). That made it carry the kids better but no storage space. Also my 1992 XJ was lifted on 33" tires and I still got 18mpg highway.

Kevin

Ya my xj is not bad at all for the mileage. 3.55's, 31's, 5speed (ax15) 3" lift. Had my tires sticking out like 2" out oft he fenders..no flares and 3.75" of backspacing. I'mgetting around 17-18 city & 21-22 highway at 65mph. Its very decent for what it is. I go by gps for speed & distance lol.

Anyway I'm not stuck on a suburban at all. I would not mind a pickup..would actually kinda prefer a one. I was looking at the older crew cab chevys put have litterally seen 1. I've also come to mind with what I need to do & what I should do. Dmv says YES its legal to swap a diesel if the car had 1 as an option. But it also must be the same..so if you have a 3/4 or 1ton diesel in a 1/2 then its a no go! So I can drop in a 6.2L have a ref check it off and DMV with right up the new diesel title for it.
But yes if I get a burb I'll look at getting a diesel straight off!

The older f350 would be nice and theres a few out here. I would love the bed and still have plenty of space inside! Guess I should look into those as well.

 

[rxinhed]

I had an 87 K30 that was converted from 454-TBI gas to 6.2L diesel. The truck was taken to a Bureau of Auto Repair referee and confirmed that all the right pieces were moved from the donor truck to the K30, and that it operated and was drivable on diesel. I sold the truck to another after some difficulty on my part. The new owner tripped through his local DMV for the fuel type change. He had better luck with the 6.2 than I, but now has changed over to a Cummins.

I really wish that the K30 had been left as gas, then I'd have been able to fix and drive it. That truck was supposed to be a smog and fuel mileage fighter, too. Myself, I would look for a running truck rather than a project. I don't have time or $$, though. Loved the truck, but in the end wasn't one I needed.

 

[rxm6]

Gas to diesel is a real grey area in California smog law. The rules say no, but some people have gotten it approved, others haven't. The 2 main things are that the engine must come from the same year or newer vehicle and the engine must be from the same weight class (i.e. a cummins is classified as a medium-duty diesel, hence, illegal in a Chevy that came with a light duty. However, Dodge trucks are a light duty truck, which brings me to my next sentence). Sometimes the referee will ask for the vin of the donating vehicle, sometimes not (refer back to the cummins example above). It's just one of those things that's not black and white. There are variances depending on the ref you get, how you acquired the engine, if you have your ducks in a row, etc. If I were you, I'd trade for the nice burb; buy the diesel burb; swap vins and be smog exempt (or legally, take all the parts from the nice burb and transfer them to the frame of the diesel burb)

Additionally, a 3.9 cummins, 5.9 cummins, 6.2, and 6.5 will all net you somewhere between 18-21 in a Suburban. I averaged 21mpg with a 6.2 with a 4'' lift and 33'' tires driving 60mph. I now average between 18-20mpg with a 12v cummins, but I haven't driven it enough to give you an exact mileage figure. It should also be noted, I drive slowly.

Finally, search all around CA. There is a running diesel burb here in San Jose for $800. No one really wants them, to be honest. Plus, I've noticed that you tend to pay a premium for vehicles located in major metropolitan areas. If you're not afraid of a little road trip, there are really good deals to be had right in the middle of California, i.e. Fresno, Madera, Visalia, etc. Good luck.

 

[88Xj]

I had an 87 K30 that was converted from 454-TBI gas to 6.2L diesel. The truck was taken to a Bureau of Auto Repair referee and confirmed that all the right pieces were moved from the donor truck to the K30, and that it operated and was drivable on diesel. I sold the truck to another after some difficulty on my part. The new owner tripped through his local DMV for the fuel type change. He had better luck with the 6.2 than I, but now has changed over to a Cummins.

I really wish that the K30 had been left as gas, then I'd have been able to fix and drive it. That truck was supposed to be a smog and fuel mileage fighter, too. Myself, I would look for a running truck rather than a project. I don't have time or $$, though. Loved the truck, but in the end wasn't one I needed.

Thats a clean rig there! To bad on the outcome. I'm gonna wait and find the diesel burb I want, until then drive the current Xj! I love my Xj..inside its to small though. I'm 6'1 & I'm almost touching the roof in the darn thing lol. And in the back with my teenage brothers they complain about leg room and its certainly lacking. The cargo space in the rear is decent for daily stuff & even mild camping trips for 3-4 people but I could use more for hauling wood, or even longer camping trips. I need a rack for my Xj for sure! My Xj is getting decent mileage, with a rack I think I'll probably get similar mileage to a burb without a rack. I'd expect it to drop 1-2mpg honestly.

Just something about a burb with a mild 2-3" lift on some 33x10.5's ATs or 34x10.5' swampers..just a real simple clean look. 44/14ff, locked rear..All that extra space inside..should be decent for mileage with such a mild lift & skinnies, I'd love to end up around 15-16 city & 20 or so highway at 65mph..I don't ever travel faster & if I do its because I'm rushing and not being conservative anyway! Plus an actual frame, so no worries of wrecking my unibody, even though I have stiffeners, I'm still worried! Plus all the space underneath & between the rails, air tanks or AUX fuel tanks ect...you can't fit crap under the jeep like that which sucks. Sleeping in the rear of a burb would be much easier for me..I would only have 2 rows of seating, ditch the 3rd row for more space.

 

[Bushcoat]

Very nice, Did you build those front wheels? Are the rears stock?

 

[rxinhed]

No, wasn't responsible for the front rims. Stockton Wheel, and similar companies, offered these wheels in the mid-90s for folks wanting floatation tires on the front. The rear wheels are stock. All six wheels that were on this truck were dipped in black polyurethane. Kind of a cool treatment. The front tires here were 33x12.5-16.5s and the rear were 255-85-16s. I was going to replace the tires with 35" variety Swamper or Trxxs tires, never happened.

A gent came by with an enclosed trailer for trade. I subsequently sold the trailer and bought a Ramcharger.