'02 F150 diesel?

[fields_mj]

Been kicking around ideas for the wifes next vehicle, which will be a few years off yet. The perfect fit for her would be an '02 F150 crew cab 4x4 diesel, which doesn't exist. Has anyone tried dropping a diesel into something like that? Not sure how it could be done, but if it's doable, I would like to stay away from electronics. I've heard too many good things about the 12v ctd and the idi, and too many bad things about the psd.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[memphisrain]

Anything is possible with enough time/effort/money. I'm sure it could be done. It would be cool with a 4bt and would get great fuel mileage. However, no matter what you do, you're going to have to deal with the electronics in the truck. Also probably will have to figure out a stand alone computer for the transmission, if you want to keep it automatic. Also will have to figure out how to make the gauges in the cab work with the engine.

mR

 

[Feed Bunk]

4bt swaps are getting pretty common. We even thought about one in our 86 k10 chore truck. International made a v6 version of the powerstroke, but I think theres a lot of wiring invloved.

 

[funnyman06]

Yeah the V6 was used in the LCF trucks. I have been thinking about a similar thing, getting a 4bt and sticking it in like a 95 extended Cab F150, i dont really need a F250 for what i do, but with the diesel engine i get better mileage than if i had an F150 with a V8. People do cummins swaps all the time in newer f250s. So i see no reason why it could not be done.

 

[punkmechanic]

The v6 powerstroke is not an animal worth messing with. The computer coding and diagnostics is all ih and they are behind the times to say the least. I have used snap on, vw, and fotd diagnostics with no issues and cant get very far with the ih software.

The 7.3 stroke isnt bad and may be easier to get the trans and gauges functioning. Get an 02 superdutu thats wrecked and swap it all over.

Im sure there are kits to put a cummins in it (6bt or4bt)

punk

 

[Mat J]

why not just buy her an f250 with the same specs, will probably cost the same if not cheaper in the end.

 

[fields_mj]

why not just buy her an f250 with the same specs, will probably cost the same if not cheaper in the end.

I'm thinking a lot better fuel millage out of an F150 diesel. She doesn't need the extra size, and she drives 45 min each way for work. If I do an F250, then I'll probably get a 97 crew cab with a 7.3 psd, and start saving up to do a ctd swap depending on how much trouble the psd caused. This is all very new to me, so its all just day dreaming right now.

Oh, and my current truck takes a country mile to turn. A short bed would be better, but I'm guessing that a half ton would be even better yet. Just a guess though.

 

[Mat J]

yeah a 4bt should fit fine in it, getting all the vehical electrical down would be a little tricky but should be doable.

 

[Exekiel69]

there are many small diesel engines out there that will yield excellent fuel mileage, the 4bt is a very common swap and with that You have a plus for availability of parts.

 

[ameristar1]

There's a company that started doing 4bt swaps into the Ford F150 chassis, don't know where they are at right now, might have faded off the scene. At the time, to do the swap with the auto/od was $15k with the motor. They came up with a way to interface the electronics.
The thought that came to mind is to do a Brazilian Ford swap, which takes the MWM Sprint 4.07 TA (4 cylinder turbo intercooled) or 6.07 TA used in the Brazilian market Ford trucks (same chassis as the US version). These trucks are getting incredible mpg, and the engines are easily modifiable so you can get more power without sacrificing the mpg.
Here's an example; there's a guy in Canada that used a 6.07 Sprint motor and dropped it into a Chevy Suburban. It bolts right in with factory mounts and brackets (it's used in the full size Chevy trucks also), backed it up with a TH700R4 and 3.42 gears. Hp is at 180 with about 350 ft/lbs of torque. Performs just as good as the small block gasser that came out of it, yet (according to the owner) it gets between 37-42 mpg. I read about this in Diesel Power, and immediately wanted in. The problem is, finding the MWM Sprint is next to impossible in the US as a direct import, you have to go to the Canadians to get it. Old British Wheels is the one to talk to (big thanks RLDSL for the reference, so now the bleeding can stop temporarily), and then it's a matter of getting the equipment to put it in. Hopefully the smog nazis won't come after you, even though this engine compared to what we have here is a low emissions diesel. It's a nice unit; simple, 3 valves per cylinder, direct injection with either a rotary or inline pump, easy to work on and uprate. It's the Cummins B series of South America.
The other thing to consider, if your focus is mpg, is that the vehicles with the diesels we have can get the big numbers, if the trucks were geared right. I'm talking getting 3.08s or numerically lower gears for the axles, synthetics, skinny tires, lowered suspension, lightening things up. Most of the time, the fuel and timing curves on both the mechanical and electronic diesels are way off from what is optimum from the factory. Just getting those details together can get a truck to do 30 mpg or better.

 

[david85]

Not sure I believe numbers that high, but I would love to be proven wrong.

As for the 4 BT, it is a nice engine, but they do shake a lot more than an inline 6 or V8. Something to think about if your wife prefers a smoother ride.

 

[Diesel JD]

How about something like Matthias' Night Moose. It would probably be easier and if it's the wife's commuter it doesn't need to get sick HP. I don't know if she's a gear rower or one of these girls that will only drive automatic but a ZF5, F150 chassis, and a 6.9 with stockish fueling with or without a turbo you could probably get her into something with 20-25mpg around town and 30 or so on her commute.

 

[fields_mj]

Well, $15K is too rich for my blood. For that price, I could buy a second truck, and all the gasoline that I would ever use in both of them. The Brazilian version sounds like a good idea though. When I was in college they had just redone the dodge, and the 12v ctd was all the hype (rightfully so). We got one straight from Cummins for one of our dynos. I worked in the machine shop which supervised all the projects done with the dynos, so I got to see them run it a lot. With the numbers they were seeing, I figured it was going to be just a few years before they would HAVE to start putting diesels in half ton trucks. I waited for years for something like that to become available in the states. I've all but given up on that idea, and moved on to a 3/4 ton to get my feet wet. Putting my own Brazilian f150 together would be a great way to thumb my nose at all big oil, Government Motors, and all the others who think that I HAVE to do it their way because they said so.

My wife doesn't mind a manual, but she does like a nice comfy ride and a nice interior. That's going to rule out all the old stuff. She's commented that she doesn't like the looks of the late 90's f150s, but she likes my '93. If all else fails, I'm pretty sure that I can get her into a '97 F250 crew cab. With the horror stories that I'm hearing about the PSD, that idea just doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. I know the early 7.3 psd was pretty good, but the maintenance cost makes me dizzy...

 

[ameristar1]

Well, $15K is too rich for my blood. For that price, I could buy a second truck, and all the gasoline that I would ever use in both of them. The Brazilian version sounds like a good idea though. When I was in college they had just redone the dodge, and the 12v ctd was all the hype (rightfully so). We got one straight from Cummins for one of our dynos. I worked in the machine shop which supervised all the projects done with the dynos, so I got to see them run it a lot. With the numbers they were seeing, I figured it was going to be just a few years before they would HAVE to start putting diesels in half ton trucks. I waited for years for something like that to become available in the states. I've all but given up on that idea, and moved on to a 3/4 ton to get my feet wet. Putting my own Brazilian f150 together would be a great way to thumb my nose at all big oil, Government Motors, and all the others who think that I HAVE to do it their way because they said so.

My wife doesn't mind a manual, but she does like a nice comfy ride and a nice interior. That's going to rule out all the old stuff. She's commented that she doesn't like the looks of the late 90's f150s, but she likes my '93. If all else fails, I'm pretty sure that I can get her into a '97 F250 crew cab. With the horror stories that I'm hearing about the PSD, that idea just doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. I know the early 7.3 psd was pretty good, but the maintenance cost makes me dizzy...

I've had two, and depending on the mileage you may have to do an overhaul of the fuel injection system, and that is very expensive. I ran an Amsoil bypass filter and 15W40 oil and that one change made a huge difference. I also ran ProBlend Competition Formula and that dropped the temps and made it idle smoother. I never had to do the injectors, most of the time the things that crapped out were the cam sensors and glow plugs. An IDM went out on my first van. The harnesses under the valve covers get old and need to be replaced. But if things get replaced ahead of time, it doesn't hurt so bad. The motor itself will go over a million miles.

 

[Diesel JD]

I don't think I'd be too afraid of a 7.3 psd, especially a 94-97. You could probably drop in a diesel to a later 90s/early 2000s F150 with not too much more trouble than Mel and Matthias had with their conversion. After all the gasser that used to live there also had a bunch of computer controlled crap. Just a matter of stripping that stuff out, beefing up the front end and hooking it up to some tranny that will accept it. Probably not what came in an '02 F150 even if you have the adaption skills to make it fit it would probably die quick with all that torque compared to a straight six or a triton V8.