Cummins Swap this Spring, Looking for input from those who have done it.

[matt-jenkins]

So, I have come across a 96 P pumped 12 valve cummins, fully rebuilt sitting on a pallet at my friends shop for $2000 and I'm planning on doing the swap this spring! Now, I've been looking at fordcummins.com and destroked.com I'm trying to sit down and figure out my total cost of the project, I'm still unsure of what route to go for a tranny, I'm currently running an E4OD which im told has an ATS converter and Valve body. The adapter plate and new computer for my tranny is going to cost me almost as much as the motor its self. Would I be better off keeping my tranny and buying the conversion parts or finding an NV4500 or dodge auto?
Also any other parts I should be aware of swapping out before I dive into this, Motor mounts are going to be fabbed up by a friend.
What type of intercooler should I be searching for? and What else needs to get modified on my truck to make this happen? I have been reading threads on here as well as a few other sites but the information is so spread out, Sorry If I am asking duplicate questions.

 

[jonathan]

i would change trans and sell me that tq convertor

 

[Agnem]

You've got a few miles on that 7.3. I'd say it has served you well.

 

[hesutton]

"Darrin Tosh", "aleinturtle", and "Exekiel69" are the three guys that come to mind right off hand. They will be along shortly to give you some more insight.

Heath

 

[FordGuy100]

I'm going with fordcummins motor mounts, and destroked tranny adpater plates (I hear Fordcummins are junk).

Mine's happening after the wedding, just dont have enough income coming in each month to spend on both of em.

 

[hesutton]

I'm going with fordcummins motor mounts, and destroked tranny adpater plates (I hear Fordcummins are junk).

Mine's happening after the wedding, just dont have enough income coming in each month to spend on both of em.

Justin, I didn't know you were planning on a 6BT repower. Another one bites the dust.

Heath

 

[FordGuy100]

Justin, I didn't know you were planning on a 6BT repower. Another one bites the dust.

Heath

Sorry my friend, got a great deal on a VE'ed Cummins ($450 ). I drive the black truck (88 F350 CC 2wd IDI) Almost daily though, so I still have an IDI

 

[Rot Box]

If you want a manual now is the time to track one down. If I were doing the swap I'd go with the 7.3-6.0 intercooler (people here are fitting these in our trucks successfully and they can be had fairly cheap). Then I'd find a 24V 98.5-98 intake horn because they are cheap, easy to fit pipes to and they flow a lot more than the 12 valve horns. I would make the motor mounts if you have the tooling. That's what I'd do though there are really no rule to follow I have done two Cummins swaps (one in the 85 F350 and one in a 91 C/K series GM) and they both turned out pretty nice. At first I thought I'd be opening a major can of worms, but it turned out everything really falls together once you figure out what trans you want. These trucks fit the motor very well imo

I'm going with fordcummins motor mounts, and destroked tranny adpater plates (I hear Fordcummins are junk).

Mine's happening after the wedding, just dont have enough income coming in each month to spend on both of em.

....................... Way to drop the bomb!

 

[alienturtle]

Hello. Ill get started with the motor itself. you will like that p pump. that pump is a hot ticket item for some serious ponies if you were to ever want to run down that road. I myself love my VE pump.. but that's beside the point. make sure the valve lash on the motor has been checked and set before you install the motor. you will not be able to get the last valve cover out unless you take the last 2 injector hard lines out and then wiggle it around the firewall.

The firewall will need some tweaking with a big hammer. its not hard.
The weld seams that run along the bottom of the firewall will need to be folded back. (just like we do with the turbo installs on the ford.)
As far as the adapter plates go. You want the destroked plate as you wont have to modify the bell housing of the tranny to get the starter to fit. I have a different setup as mine uses the dodge starter.

as far as motor mounts go. i think its easir to make your own mounts with the ford 460 motor isolator flipped upside down. I made mine out of 1/4 in plate.

If you want to use the dodge a/c system you will have to notch the passenger side cross member for it to fit.

In my case i used my zf5 tranny which pushed everything back 2 1/4 inches. this meant i had to lengthen the front drive shaft and shorten the rear. The tranny cross member is easy just align and re drill the holes. because everything moved backwards you will have to extend the rod for the 4x4. i just used a piece of plate and welded. works great and solid as a rock.

I used the dodge alternator. you will have to get yourself a mopar external voltage regulator and wire everything up..again super easy. but when i say mopar i mean get the mopar one! the kragen one is just a tin box. (learned the hard way)

Throttle linkage is easy i just cut the bracket off the ford one that held the cable and welded it on the dodge bracket. just popped the ball on the dodge linkage.

that's all i can come up with right now

 

[82F100SWB]

The Dodge alternator will actually work just fine with a Ford external regulator, Dodge guys do swap them in now and then...
Personally, I'd skip the whole adapter step and just use a NV4500 or Dodge auto and 94+ t-case. Cheaper and easier to reposition/build the crossmember and mount in my book.
That said, if I had the adapter, my PSD wouldn't have a PSD in it...

 

[BigRigTech]

I'm doing this swap sometime this spring/summer as well using a 92 D350 for a donor. I'm going to make my own motor mounts and trans adapter to save some money...I will be scrapping the dodge this week so I can sell all the dodge junk to re-coup my $1200 investment ....So far I've made $475 back selling the Dodge parts....Lots of good stuff left to come close to breaking even or I may even make a few bucks and get the 12V for free.

 

[mabc926]

When I do my Cummins swap I'm just gonna use a NV4500, there's nothing wrong with using a NV4500 at all, some people say they are weak, others say they are batter than the ZF5, bout the only thing you might have to do is the bolt on 5th gear, very easy fix, then all you would have to do is make a cross member.

And as for the T-case a divorced NP205 would be my pick, I don't know if the NP205 will bolt on the NV4500 or not, so if it can bolt onto it then great, and if it can't then divorce it.

As for engine mounts, over on PSN a few people that have done a Cummins swap have said that fordcummins.com's engine mounts aren't worth sh*t and will bend/break so I'd just make my own.

 

[93fordturbo]

I have been contemplating the idea of a cummins swap also. I just wonder that with a cc dually and everything even with 300 hp after some mods... will it really make my truck move along well? I want to be able to turn some tires and get up and go. Or am i better off leaving the 85 stock and finding another truck to put a cummins in or just buy a dodge cummins. i just know that i would like a cummins in this truck. But i dont want it to be slow because of how heavy it is.

 

[mabc926]

I have been contemplating the idea of a cummins swap also. I just wonder that with a cc dually and everything even with 300 hp after some mods... will it really make my truck move along well? I want to be able to turn some tires and get up and go. Or am i better off leaving the 85 stock and finding another truck to put a cummins in or just buy a dodge cummins. i just know that i would like a cummins in this truck. But i dont want it to be slow because of how heavy it is.

By friends dad has a stock 12V Cummins in a dodge ext cab dually, and he did a burnout with it and blew up the clutch.

 

[93fordturbo]

I think with having a manual it will never be super fast though