ford cummins swap - hammering firewall

[GRU]

how much room exactly is there to hammer the firewall in? seems theres not much room with all the climate control ducting. but ive never heard this mentioned as a problem when people say to hammer it back 2 inches. i can see now why everyone suggests a 2" bodylift too! this truck wasnt engineered for a cummins! im having trouble shoehorning it in there. might lift the front of the cab off the frame til i get it fitted. comments or suggestions??

 

[Darrin Tosh]

Yup it takes some serous massaging! there is nothing behind the dash that you will effect. Ron slammed my firewall back for a while with a sledge hammer, then once it was in we had to finish it off with an air hammer.

Kinda hard to see in this pic:

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[GRU]

seriously? a sledge? wow! i guess i can get to wailing on it then. that oughtta help my clearance issues a good bit. thanks darrin.

 

[perk]

Mine was not hammered at all. I went to a powerstroke radiator to gain clearance at the front. You can also get the fan mounting bracket, fan and pulley from a first gen to pull the fan closer to the block to get added clearance.

What did you do for rear discs?

 

[Countryboy07]

Why don't you run some electric fans? That is what I am going to do on my truck when I start the swap, along with a 6.0 Intercooler and a 7.3 Radiator. I live in IN, so granted it doesn't get super hot here during the summer, but I've got a friend that ran flex-a-lite fans on his converson and said they were great! Gave him the extra clearance that he needed to make the converson look factory.

-French

 

[FordGuy100]

Mine was not hammered at all. I went to a powerstroke radiator to gain clearance at the front. You can also get the fan mounting bracket, fan and pulley from a first gen to pull the fan closer to the block to get added clearance.

What did you do for rear discs?

What year powerstroke radiator? I know our IDI radiators are big, but didnt think it would clear up that much room.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

>>> JACK 'ER UP <<<

Go ahead and put a 2-inch body-lift under there before you go to jumping through hoops trying to find room.

The two-inch lift made everything else about my whole truck so much easier to access, plus giving two more very important inches ABOVE the engine, making it so much easier to add big air-intakes and various belt-driven accessories.

I don't see why so many are all negative about boosting the cab height a measly 2-inches; the same cabs are used on F-650s and such standing at least a foot taller than ours do.

If one didn't know there were risers under my cab-mounts, no one would even suspect.


Probably the best thing about a body-lift is it will force you to toss that rotten worn-out never-was-really-good steering-shaft and install a Borgeson or Flaming River .


The body-lift and steering-shaft will cost much less than a bunch of radiator and fan swapping, and you will have a better install and overall better truck for it.

 

[perk]

It was an OBS powerstroke radiator, which I think they were all the same. I think the one that I have came from a '95.

 

[Exekiel69]

When I did mine I used a body lift I believe per MNR advise and have lots of room never moved a thing, however i still have the steering shaft that came with the truck.

 

[GRU]

sorry guys i got slowed up on the project. soon as i realized there was no way i wa getting it done in time for the rally i switched to getting Blue ready to go. im getting back into it very soon, my 60# valve springs just came today. what i did since the front clip is off i just unbolted the front bodymounts and jacked up the front of the cab a couple inches. i dont know, ive always hated body lifts so bad. it may end up being a necesary evil tho. i havent set the front clip back on yet to know for sure but measuring a good as i can it looks like factory dodge fan should clear the IDI radiator. will know in a couple weeks!

 

[Darrin Tosh]

Cool, Get back at it!

My fan cleared the radiator by maybe 1/2 inch. I have had no problems with clearance.

 

[GRU]

awesome! by the way, you dont have to hoard ALL the cummins converted fords you know!! hehe...