DT 360 swap - the planning stages

[bike-maker]

So as many of you know, I just picked up a DT360 this past weekend.
Let me start by saying that I don't plan on stuffing it in my truck any time soon; my current financial situation isn't going to allow it. And I'm not into the bench racing thing, so you won't hear me saying that it will happen and make X amount of power and how badass it will be.
I've seen evidence of 1 other truck with a completed swap; pipewhiner over on psn put one in a 99 super duty. Most of us have probably read the mile long thread on it; it is a good thread, but it left out a whole bunch of details.
He used his stock auto trans, had a custom adapter plate machined that used a PSD starter, moving the tranny back about 3"-4". There's pics of the adapter, and pics of the engine bay with the engine installed, but that's about it. He payed someone to do the conversion, so all of the small detail stuff was done by someone else. I'm not interested in cutting a $10k check to get this done.
The more I research this project, the more I see it being similar to a typical cummins swap.
So if I do make it down this road, I want to try to document all the little stuff involved in putting a DT 360 into a 80-97 3/4 ton or 1 ton Ford.
So first things first; what trans to run.
I do a lot of driving on the interstate, so some form of overdrive is pretty much a must.
I would really like to use the existing ZF5 in my truck, but that leaves me making my own adapter plate and flywheel (yes , I know I can just buy one - but that is about $1400).
Option 2 would be a bona -fide medium duty trans like a RTO6610 and a divorced NP205. The tranny would bolt right to the engine using the SAE #2 adapter I already have, using a clutch that I know could handle the torque. The down side would be adding about 500 pounds of steel to the truck.
I think cost wise would be about a wash - judging by the price I've seen the medium duty trannys go for. And the amount of fabrication involved would be somewhat equal as well.
I have a nice mill and lathe at my disposal, as well as fabrication tools.
So what do ya'll think?

 

[92F350CC]

Sounds like an awesome rig. You'll be a pioneer for sure if it works out. Anybody know what the power potential is from these DT360's?

 

[rjjp]

Sounds like an awesome rig. You'll be a pioneer for sure if it works out. Anybody know what the power potential is from these DT360's?

Stock is similar to an IDI, but more torque.

 

[mabc926]

According to Hypermax 3000HP.

 

[92F350CC]

Was browsing through Pipewhiner's thread. On page 43 he posted some dyno sheets. Was in the 400 hp and 600 tq range.

The downside was that he has to wind it up to make the tq, north of 2500 rpm.

 

[paulb3]

Hey Bike-Maker do you mind me asking where and how much it was for your DT360.

 

[bike-maker]

Craigs list

Found it about 20 miles from home. Guy I bought it from works on school buses for the local school district. This particular one was starting to get some excess blow-by, and they had a fresh rebuilt one sitting in the corner, so they swapped it out. They sold it to this guy for scrap value. He got tired of tripping over it in his shop, and sold it to me for essentially scrap value because he thought it was going to be a cool project.
So the one I have could use a rebuild. The kit including liners and everything goes for about $1000, and being a wet sleeve design, I can rebuild the whole works right here in my garage (try that with a Cummins)
It's fairly complete, just missing the turbo, water pump, starter, and a hand full of banjo bolts for the fuel system.
I wasn't necessarily looking for one right now, but for the price, I couldn't pass it up.
I paid $150

 

[pennsylvaniabo]

wow so with rebuild like $1200 nicely done

 

[Diesel_brad]

Subscribed

 

[pennsylvaniabo]

To throw some tech up Carson Stauffer Diesel does make adapters for these motors to any ford trans. The adapters run $895. They can also provide a custom flywheel to use a ford clutch etc, for $500. And you would need a clutch to hold up to 500 hp, for $600.

This would be if you kept a zf6, or auto

 

[TWeatherford]

I would really be interested in seeing some proven numbers on DT360s. The post above suggests 400 hp and 600 ftlb torque, thats a start. I can't find very much info at all on the 360, except lots of people complaining how gutless it is. I search youtube and can't find a single DT360 in a pulling truck or tractor, which makes me wonder if its really this 1000-3000 hp monster I've heard claimed. Am I looking in the wrong places?

 

[92F350CC]

I think he had it only mildly modded, since it was intended to be a daily driver.

The bottom ends on these are supposed to be twice as stout as a 6bt cummins, and the top end is built to handle tons of boost in stock form.

 

[pennsylvaniabo]

would an rto6610 be synchro'd? this will have to be driven by other ppl besides me lol

 

[bike-maker]

6610 is a 10speed. I believe they are fully synchro'd. High and low range are built in to the trans. So you shift through 5 speeds, then flip a lever on the shifter to go into high range, and go through 5 more gears.
Having that many gears would be pretty cool, but I see it as more of a novelty.
Grossing about 18k with my underpowered IDI, I would use every one of those 10 gears, but with the DT; If I needed that many gears, it wasn't making enough power yet.

I've been leaning towards sticking with the ZF5, but no one has really tried to persuade me one way or the other.........

 

[bike-maker]

Without going through the entire thread again, this is what I remember;
Pipewhiner ran a S300 turbo, and P pump from a cummins. He had pushrods made and installed stiffer valve springs so he could increase the RPM upwards of 4500RPM.
I believe everything else was stock. I don't think he even opened the thing up except for the valve cover.
It made about 60 psi boost and dyno'd at about 400hp and 800ft. lb.
And it was built to be his daily driver / tow rig.
I'm thinking of just putting a bigger turbo on it (it's missing the turbo anyway), turn up the pump a little and see how it runs. I'm more interested in getting it in the truck and running than trying to make a bunch of power.