Cummins conversion

65 CREW · Post by **65 CREW** » January 17, 2009, 4:55 am

Well I started my conversion a couple days ago. I picked the truck up last year. I t had a 460 and C6. It ran pretty good but got abysmal fuel mileage.

Yarded the 460 out and cut the middle cross member out. I am trying to get the motor mocked up with motor mounts by the end of the weekend.

36truck · Post by **36truck** » January 17, 2009, 10:21 am

That is a cool conversion.

I like to follow how things go so keep us posted.

Johnny Canuck · Post by **Johnny Canuck** » January 17, 2009, 10:34 am

I would think that conversion and home made bio-diesel would be about the only way I could ever afford to drive a crew cab
this should be interesting......

Hoofbeat Racer · Post by **Hoofbeat Racer** » January 17, 2009, 10:44 am

That's a project I always wanted to try. Good luck with it. Are you using a 12 or 24 valve, 5,6 speed or auto trans? Keep us posted

ICEMAN6166 · Post by **ICEMAN6166** » January 17, 2009, 12:04 pm

guess this weeks warm weather got you motivated.

be nice if you got done before next summer(2010) that way we could travel together to slickstock and up the count of Alaskans in attendance.

don morris II · Post by **don morris II** » January 17, 2009, 12:43 pm

looks good

65 CREW · Post by **65 CREW** » January 17, 2009, 12:53 pm

Yea ICEMAN6166 the warm weather had a little to do with it. At 40 below I don't feel like doing much besides keeping wood in the stove.

Hoofbeat Racer

I am using a 12 valve out of a 93 Dodge 2 wheel drive. It has a 5 speed manual overdrive. The 65 has a divorced transfer case so I was able to use a two wheel drive transmission. This was good because up here two wheel drive trucks go for a lot less than 4 wheel drive.

Johnny Canuck

I have some plans for some alternative fuels. The problem doing stuff like that in Alaska is the cold weather. 100% bio diesel gels somewhere around 15 degrees F.

I need the measurement of the radiator to the firewall. I dd not measure it before i took the front clip off.

ICEMAN6166 · Post by **ICEMAN6166** » January 17, 2009, 12:58 pm

i found this one on c/l, must be the same as the one you are using?
http://anchorage.craigslist.org/cto/996033011.html

i will get that measurement and post it later on.

65 CREW · Post by **65 CREW** » January 17, 2009, 1:06 pm

That is like the truck I am using, the one I have is an extended cab. That is a great price. I paid twice that. I am trying to sell the rest of the truck minus engine and tranny to a buddy of mine. He has a standard cab.

Thanks for getting the measurement.

Hoofbeat Racer · Post by **Hoofbeat Racer** » January 17, 2009, 1:10 pm

WOW

that is a great price. Those will still bring around 6k here. Everybody wants older 12 valves.

Anyway, you have a great project ahead of you. Me and Brian could use more members for our convoy to Iowa.

jakdad · Post by **jakdad** » January 17, 2009, 4:56 pm

Will you have to change axles and springs for the diesel transplant?
Good luck.............

semotrucker · Post by **semotrucker** » January 17, 2009, 5:27 pm

Cool conversion...I will be watching and waiting also.

Cam

65 CREW · Post by **65 CREW** » January 18, 2009, 12:44 am

jakdad wrote:Will you have to change axles and springs for the diesel transplant?
Good luck.............

The PO had already converted it to 4WD. It has a Dana 60 front and a Dana 70 rear. So I am good to go.

I am planning on upping the gear ratio. It has 4.11s I am going to swap to 3.55s. This will give me a little lower cruise rpm and hopefully more MPG. I won't do the gears until the motor is in and the truck is running though.

65 CREW · Post by **65 CREW** » January 18, 2009, 1:42 am

Today I made some motor mounts.

Here is what I have to start with.

I made a cardboard template of what I wanted to do. Also pictured is the polyurethane leaf spring bushing that will hopefully absorbed some vibration and flex.

I scribed the template onto a piece of 1/4 inch plate. Torched it out and ground the edges smooth.

I needed to make a cutout for the tube that will hold the bushings. The first one was made with the torch and grinder. The rest of them were made with a hole saw.

Here is the difference between the hole saw and the torch and grinder method.

I cut a piece of tube to fit the bushing. This is when I found out that I made a mistake. The tube and bushing needs to mount to the frame not the engine. Oops. So I made some more pieces following the method above.

Here is the final product of today's effort.

I need to get some measurements for the radiator clearance and then I will be welding the motor mounts in. I also need to figure out the angle of the motor.

Slick Fan · Post by **Slick Fan** » January 18, 2009, 12:29 pm

Looks like you're off to a good start, looking forward to future updates.

65 CREW · Post by **65 CREW** » January 25, 2009, 1:19 am

Here are my motor mounts installed on the engine, they will be boxed in later.

First I leveled the truck frame my garage floor is sloped towards the middle. I laid the motor back 3 degrees, and leveled it side to side.

The engine side of the mounts were bolted to the engine and the frame standoffs were measured. They were cut, then welded to the tube that my poly bushings fit.

The poly bushings were put in the tubes and tubes and standoffs were tacked to the frame.

After I was done I found out I did not measure good enough and the motor is off center at the transmission a inch or so. I will have to remove the passenger side mount and retack it.

DCarr · Post by **DCarr** » January 25, 2009, 1:34 am

Good progress 65Crew.

Lowell · Post by **Lowell** » January 25, 2009, 11:04 am

Nice project! Just wondering what the weight of the cummins engine is compared to the 460 ?

ICEMAN6166 · Post by **ICEMAN6166** » January 25, 2009, 4:19 pm

nice.

seems like you are moving along prety good.

must be all the tropical weather we have had recently.

ICEMAN6166 · Post by **ICEMAN6166** » January 25, 2009, 6:34 pm

forgot i had saved this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z2SjseHUUo