The Chevy 6.5L Turbo Diesel Specifications
by Matt Wooddy
The General Motors company is an automobile and parts manufacturer, founded in 1908 in Detroit, Michigan. By the early 1980s, GM produced the 6.5-liter "detroit" diesel motor, available to light- and heavy-duty trucks and sport utility vehicles.
Performance
GM developed the 6.5-liter, 397-cubic-inch engine in 1992. First versions of the motor showed increased performance over the previous 6.2-liter, advertising output at 190 hp and 380 foot-pounds of torque. Eventually, the motor saw an increase in power in select applications, and output performance was advertised at 215 hp and 440 foot-pounds of torque.
Design
Built with cast-iron block and head material, the 397-cubic-inch motor was turbocharged. With a two-valve, overhead valve, the camshaft is positioned inside the cylinders. The 6.5-liter also features a larger bore x stroke dimension over the 6.2-liter, with 4.02 inches by 3.82 inches measurements.
Applications
In the beginning of its production life, the 6.5-liter diesel engine was paired with the Chevrolet/GMC heavy-duty pickup trucks and Suburbans. In 1994, the diesel motor became available to the Chevrolet Blazer/Two-door Tahoe, GMC Yukon and AM General Civilian/Military Hummers. GM continued using this engine in light-duty trucks/SUVs until 1999. In 2000, the 6.5-liter was only available in the Chevrolet/GMC 2500 and 3500 series, heavy-duty trucks. The following year, this engine was only made available to Chevrolet/GMC 3500 series trucks. After 2001, the AM General Hummer H1 series vehicles became the only consumer automobile to include the 6.5-liter turbo diesel. A marine series 6.5L engine is available for boats.
References
Writer Bio
Matt Wooddy has been a freelance writer since 2006. His work has been featured in local and national audio magazines. Aside from graphic design and illustration work, he has also taught several classes on painting and drawing basics. Wooddy is also a DJ and technical engineer.
