8.2 liter diesel in Chevy kodiak

[skylarkguy]

I ran across a 1985 chevy "kodiak" dump truck. The engine is listed as an 8.2 liter diesel. Does anyone know have any details on this motor? Is is a chevy engine or made by someone else? Generally reliable?
thanks

[Bigfoot62]

That's most likely going to be a Detroit.
If the truck is a single screw, it should be OK. If it's a tandem, it will be underpowered.

Detroits are like most everything else, "Some will swear by them, others will swear at them."

[JESSE1]

That engine was made by Detroit but it's a 4 cycle, not a 2 cycle. From what I've read about them, they tend to blow head gaskets, low on power and parts are hard or impossible to get.

[Diamondpilot]

I have never known a guy with a Detroit that did not cuss them. I would pass.

Chris

[KWentling]

We had one of those as a service truck loaded to the max. It is a Detroit and ours was turboed. Not sure if they all were or not. It actually had pretty good power considering the load, but we put two engines in it while we owned it. Don't think any of them made 60,000 miles. I don't recall what "broke" on them but they are throw away engines.

Kim

[JESSE1]

They had turbo and non-turbo. From what I've been told the non-turbo lasted longer just because it didn't put out as much power. These engines came on the market about the time GM introduced the 6.2 diesel for the pickups. I guess they were trying to get a more economical diesel on the market compared to a Cummins, Cat or two stroke Detroit Diesel.

[Hay Dude]

If it's just a basic work truck, then I'd make a low offer and see if seller goes for the bait. Sometimes you can get great deals on what the "experts" call "junk". Local junkyard here has used 8.2 drop-ins for like 2 grand, so if you lose the motor, it's not like you're paying 5 grand for a replacement.
Best medium duty truck/engine combo are the IH's with DT 360/466/530's in them.
Stay away from smaller CAT and Detroits. They are better at making large displacement diesels.
Best small/medium are IH DT's and Cummins 5.9/8.3L.

[rdbigfarmboy]

I bought a 82 2 ton that had a new 8.2 put in it, on an online auction for 2000 but it was ugly when I picked it up and sold it. I needed a good clean cab and decent truck for trips. It starts and runs good. It came with brake issues, it needed brakes and the parking brake was a hydraulic interlock that bled down. My brother in law has it now putting a grain dump on it. The engine was good fairly strong I think the spec was 170 Hp or so. It is an odd engine, but the rusty ugly cab was my reason to sell it.

[Peacock]

A C-series Cummins is an excellent medium duty workhorse engine. Find one with a p-pump.

[timswi]

I've owned one Detroit diesel and I had no complaints. Did everything I asked of it with no problems.