Cat 3208 in a Ford

[caterpillar]

Anyone seen it done? I would like to make my truckmore unique by doing a heart transplant and putting a cat 3208 v8 diesel in, I've thought about supin up this engine but maybe i could just stick a CAT logo on the pickup with the enine under the hood , how hard would this be, anyone know? Thanks Mike.

 

[icanfixall]

A 4 inch body lift and some firewall bending. May as well add some heavier springs up front or something in the 10 lug axle setup.

 

[Diesel JD]

How much is the length and weight of the 3208 motor...the IDI is pretty big and heavy too. Some 450 springs might do the trick... Dave Haven from the other site has a truck that is converted to 3208, unfortunately his late uncle actually did the conversion. It can be done...but I bet its not easy. l

 

[Diezel_Cowboy]

A 4 inch body lift and some firewall bending. May as well add some heavier springs up front or something in the 10 lug axle setup.

A 3208 isnt any bigger or heavier than the engines in our trucks

 

[BROWNIEBOY525]

they dont make to much more power either

 

[82F100SWB]

A 3208 is 37" long, 35.8" high, 36.7" wide, weighs 1450 lbs, and in an on road app maxes at 260hp. I think in marine apps they went to 435 horse.

 

[caterpillar]

82F100SWB what are the specs on the 7.3 IDI? I'm not to worried about how many ponies are under the hood, I just think it'd be neat to go up to the guys with their pimped out Powerjunkers and Giant Tampons(duramax's) and be like check this out don't ya think? Just my two lincons

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

Around my neck of the woods, way back before anyone put diesels in small trucks, there were several home-made 3208 CATs in Ford ton trucks, mostly of the 1970-1979 years.

The overall length of a 3208 is somewhat longer than the Internationals and required either pushing the radiator way forward, or cutting the firewall way back.

I still have a 1978 K-20 Chevy, that, at one point in time, I was seriously considering swapping in a 3208.

I went as far as almost buying a wrecked LN Ford, that had an ??1160?? CAT in it (I may have the numbers wrong; but, they were designated 11somethings way before being called 3208s.).

They were available as naturally aspirated 3208, 3208T with a single turbo, and the 3208TT with twin turbos.

 

[Diesel JD]

Probably you could have a remote radiator or a doghouse?

 

[jauguston]

Why ruin a nice truck just to be different. After you do all the work and spend all the money to do the swap the truck likely won't be worth as much as it is now and for sure it will drive way worse with the extra weight on the nose.

I am very familiar with the 1160, I worked in a Ford dealer truck shop when they came out in '68 and went to all the Cat training on them. A 1160 is 225 hp at 2800 and it has 636 cu in. The power didnt get higher until later when they added a turbo. The engine has no sleeves. If the cylinders get worn you have to bore them and get oversize pistons.

Jim

 

[Diesel JD]

My understanding is that they were real popular in marine applications, so much so that folks would dry sleeve them rather than toss them when they got worn out...as Jaugston said parent bore, no sleeves. Dave Haven's uncle started with the N/A 3208 but added a turbo from a scraper. His F350 looked almost like a motorhome/mobile shop... big truck.

 

[Agnem]

I remember that truck. It was a nice conversion.