i am looking into doing a 350 diesel conversion, i have a 4door blazer and a little s10 that i roasted and beat out the iron duke, i have a 350 gas engine, carb'd its all ready to be droped in and just make the brackets, but. i dont wanna put just a 350 in, everybody does that, i like the idea of diesel. but i dont wanna put a 6.2 or 6.5, cause the bell housing is different. i started looking for a 5.7 oldsmobile diesel motor, ( the worst diesel motor to ever come out) befor technology and modifications, the closest one i can find is 3/4 across the country, and its 500$ itd cost me 5 times that to bring it home. im wondering 3 things. 1 anybody have a 5.7 diesel 350 motor,( even the block) dead or alive on here? 2, does anybody know where there is any in nova scotia? and finally, is it possible to convert, a regular 350 gas motor over to a 5.7 diesel? i know that the heads are all different, and the pistons hold the combustion chamber, glow plugs were screwed in the sparkplug holes, and it just sounds like a regualr diesel to me, but i dunno if the blocks are the same or not? anybody know?
i do know that race cars used the 5.7 diesel block, striped them, put the gas parts on them and ran them cause the blocks were tougher, but might be a myth...
but anyways, im on the hunt, 5.7 diesel in a 1989 gmc s15, 5speed. obviously its gonna get a turbo, and have a stack coming out of the hood or fender, haha

 

Rule of thumb...

never try to turn a gas engine into a diesel.

GM learned this in the '80s and '90s.

 

As AJBert stated, DO NOT try to convert a gas engine into a diesel. The block is not designed to handle the compression of a diesel. Compression ignition engines require much higher cylinder pressures than spark ignition engines.

 

yeah, i know thats basic knowledge for all gas engines but i was wondering because its a 350 diesel if it was possible.
ive decided to put a 6.5 turbo diesel in my s10, i have a borgwarner t5 tranny and it will bolt riight up, might aswell even tho its 2wd, the tranny and motor combo can go into a 4x4with no problem, just the output shaft changes which is nothing todo,
il probably end up putting it in my 85 shortbox after the guts have been roasted from that. i just wanna put it in my s15 to see some people look twice with black smoke coming from the hood stack

 

you might as well put it in s15. i have a 1940 chevy 2dr sedan that is getting a duramax in it. like you said== everyone puts small block in 'em

 

Do you really think the clutch and tranny will take that torque? Its not horsepower that rips up mechanical parts, its torque and that 6.5 turbo will have more than 2X the torque the 4.3 had.

My 6.2 "ate" the 700r4 twice, the big 10 bolt rear end once, universals in the draft shaft 5 times over the years - and I didn't drive it hard.

If you do the diesel conversion you may find yourself also swapping in heavy duty driveline parts later.

 

yeahh, i havent really decided yet, i found a nice short box 4x4 with a 6.2 in it for 1200, i might just replace the ironduke, use that as a daily, and build up the shortboxhave 2 trucks, and the blazer on the go,

and yeah the clutch and tranny could take it, its a brand new clutch, and rebuilt t5 tranny and another that i just need a bell housing, if it doesnt, id just put the iron duke back, and put the diesel on the stand for a rebuild, couple projects on the go, just need to get em started up