89 to 93 cummins into a 88f250 4x4

[bigoilburner19]

ok so how or who do I have to talk to or find the info to swap a cummins from a 7.3L diesel and what trans should I use nv4550 nv5550 something I would love to have a 6 speed but I am reasonable maybe a 5 spd or 4 who knows

 

[GoodB0Y]

the best thing to do is search this site and others for "cummins swap"

I've been resurching this swap for my truck for just over a year using this site and others.... a google search will also come up with lots of info.

Like you I wanted to know how to swap a cummins into my truck... What I found was that there is no one way to do it. No two swaps are the same... they all have different parts used and different build/workmanship quality's. There are dozen's of ways to mount the engine, wire it up, cool it, fuel it, ect...ect... all of which depend on what parts you have and what you budget and goals are.

I originally wanted to use my zf5 speed tranny and after carfull consideration decided it would not hold up to the hp I'm hoping to achieve.

The nv4500 is a fine tranny and there is allot of aftermarket support for it so it can be built to hold almost any hp goals.

The nv5600 is also a great tranny and it to can be built but there is talk of the possibility of parts being difficult to find...now and in the future.

keep in mind that almost any tranny can handle a stock or mildly modded cummins. But once you start geting up in the #'s it get's expensive real quick...

hope that helps.....

 

[GoodB0Y]

dont know if I'm allowed but I'll try to give you some links that helped me:

http://www.4btswaps.com/forum/index.php?

http://www.autoworldmt.com/index.html

http://www.cumminsforum.com/forum/cummins-conversions-shop-talk-tools-fabrication/

http://destroked.com/

http://www.car-part.com/index.htm

 

[bigoilburner19]

hey thanks man thats a really big help

 

[88bigblue]

Also check http://fordcummins.com/

They have alot of good info.

 

[averagef250]

Many points covered are good suggestions however I strongly disagree over some transmission opinions in this thread.

IMHO (owning and operating a diesel tranny shop) the NV4500 is a last resort option for a swap, has terrible ratios and very poor quality parts support for the normal person's budget. Most NV4500 aftermarket parts are poor and cores are artificially expensive. New Venture doesn't exist anymore. There are no such thing as OE quality parts for them.

The NV5600 does not impress me, shift feel is the worst of any pickup tranny ever made and reliability is worse than the NV4500.

The ZF 5 speeds shift much better than a 4500 or 5600, but they will not handle stupidity as well as the 4500 will (crashing gears, rapid 1st-reverse shifts, etc). The ZF 5 speeds will handle any power a single disc clutch will as long as you don't treat it like a race car. ZF 5 speeds are cheap and very common. Far more diesel ZF's were made than NV4500's. The diesel ZF 5 speed ratios are perfect for a diesel- apples to oranges with NV4500 ratios.

The ZF 6 speed is a far better tranny than the 5600, it's shift feel makes it the only pickup six speed I would have in my own truck. it has a built in oil pump and runs on cheap fluid. These trannies will take a hell of a beating, their internals and bearings are atleast twice the size of NV4500 parts.