'95 F350 Engine Swap

[dieselM715]

Hi guys, I've been hanging around here for awhile, great site.
Now it's time for me to ask for your wisdom and advice on an engine swap.
The truck in qusetion is a 1995 F350 cew cab 4x4 5.8/ZF5spd/4.10 gears.
Here's what I'm looking at doing.......

1) I have a 88(?) 351 sitting in the garage, rebuild and make a stroker 393 out of it.This would be the cheapest and easiest way to go.

2) Swap in a 6.9/7.3 . I've found two 6.9's one is in a junkyard, it's been there awhile and I belive it's locked up and would have to be rebuilt.
The other is in a 1986 F350 4x2 that is a running truck. Both trucks are 4spd trans.

3) Try to find a 12V Cummins and swap that in $$$$$$

I use the truck for everything from daily driver to tow rig. I do tow up to 8000# from time to time, I don't do every day. If I go diesel, I'm looking for reliability,the same or better milage than I'm getting now (12-15mpg) Being able to hold 60-70 on the highway while towing a load and about the same or better performance as the 5.8. I want to keep this truck manual trans, I just don't like autos for towing.

The biggest problem I see with a diesel conversion is gettion it to work with the computer system on my truck.

One more thing, I'm a diesel ******, I know very little about them, just what I've read on gert sites like this one.

Thanks for your input

Tom

 

[Exekiel69]

If You choose to do the diesel option then the 6.9l, 7.3l and the cummins (any of them from 89 to 98) are reliable engines. The early cummins are supposed to get better mileage but I can't confirm that yet since I need to tow some more with My cummins/ford truck but I heard very good things about mpg with this ones. You can tow at 60-70mph with both engines just don't expect to do it on long grades with too much weight for that speed.

The IDI are excellent engines as well as the cummins. I can not say about the computer on the 95 but I do know both diesel engines don't need much to run more than a wire with 12v to the injection pump and a starter of course.
Transmissions I choose the getrag 5spd My self bc it is easy to rebuild and I like it so far but I heard even better things about the nv4500 although I haven't used them Myself, now the zf-5spd (the one on IDI's) is a very good transmission and I would recommend it to anyone even for towing but I would not put it behind a cummins Myself. Hope this helps.

Also the swap for a cummins isn't expensive if You do all the work Yourself.

 

[GoodB0Y]

Your right a diesel swap would be much more difficult and costly for your truck, mostly because it a gasser ... but it's not impossible and might be a pretty cool project especially if you go with a cummins...thats what I'm planning to do to mine. I love my idi and its been a great engine and has lasted a long time but in IMHO the cummins is a better engine for what I want it to do. Parts are much more readily available as well as the fact that you can get more power outa them easier, cheeper and more reliably than an idi.

The computer controls the engine and emissions equipment and the transmission on auto's ( as far as I know), and if you go with a diesel swap (or any engine for that mater) I wouldn't think it too hard to get the gauges, ignition/starter to work... there's even a couple of company's that sell bushing kits and electronic adapters to help. You would also have to change the fuel system, senders/pumps/tank switching valves if any.

The other thing that comes to mind is the fact that a fully dressed 7.3/6.9 or a cummins will weigh in excess of a 1000#'s... diesel F350's have heavier springs, but you could do an add-a-leaf and fix that... and you'll have to get a tranny/clutch ect... new exhaust...I've heard that 4:10's might be too low for a cummins engine so you might need/want a gear swap and theres allot more! lol

I went and looked at a truck that a guy had put a cummins into and he had a total of 10,000$ into it and over 200hrs... but he also did a real nice job and had a bunch of extra stuff that he did at the same time. I've put a rough estimate together to swap a cummins into my truck and ( i think) it'll cost me about 5 grand plus the engine!!! and my truck is allready a diesel and I'm keeping my zf (unless I find a good price on a nv4500)... but dam if I dont really like the truck and plan on keepin it till I die... lol

All three of your choices are good ones I think... the thing that you have to decide is how much time and money do ya want to spend and how much of a benifit for the price is a each one...whaver you decide the guys around here are very knowledgeable and helpfull!

 

[nukinfuts]

If your looking for gas mileage, that stroker you built would MAYBE get 8-10 MPG. Been there done that.

 

[92F350CC]

Yeah, but you would have one hell of a fun time driving it.

 

[dieselM715]

If your looking for gas mileage, that stroker you built would MAYBE get 8-10 MPG. Been there done that.

I did some towing last weekend, I hauled 8000# of gravel on my car trailer. The 5.8 was working hard doing it. My mailage was around 9-8 mpg. On the way to where I was going, I used back roads and keeped my speed down to 45-50 mph. When I was done I still had about 3000# on the trailer, I tried the freeway, there was a few times I had the gas peadel on the floor to hold 65. But I don't haul loads that big very often.
I'm leaning to doing the stroker, unless I can find a diesel parts truck.

Thanks for you view on this.

Tom

 

[Exekiel69]

I'm leaning to doing the stroker, unless I can find a diesel parts truck.
Tom

Keep You eyes open and check the IDI forum here, there are excellent deals on IDI's and cummins engine lately.