I have a 1986 Ford F-250 4x4. The truck has a 460 and 4spd in it. The motor is running on borrowed time and I would like to replace it with a diesel engine. The easiest and most seen swap is the 5.9 Cummins conversion (I even helped my dad drop one in his 1887 F-250) but I would like to try something different. What would be some possible choices? Cat: 3208, 3126 Cummins: 5.9, 8.3, V-8 International: 466 Perkins, John Deere, Detroit........ I know some of these engines would require beefing up the front end. I would just like some input.

 

The Cat engines would be a really tight squeeze. I have heard about a Detroit 4-72 in a Ford truck, but again, it's a tight squeeze. A Mercedes 6-cyl diesel would make an interesting swap, but you'd have to crank up the boost a bit. Have you considered swapping in a well set up 7.3 Powerstroke? That may be the easiest swap, aside from the Cummins 5.9.

 

The PowerStroke is waaaaaay too much wiring.... It's worse than swapping in an EFI engine.... It's throttle by wire, needs the 94 up diesel instrument cluster(won't run without it, and, it doesn't just need the PSOM), VSS, etc, it's an absolute total nightmare to swap into anything but a truck that had one.

Anything longer than the B5.9 is going to require firewall modifications, and, it'll require beefing the front end a bit on it's own, 1200 LBS or so, while a 460 is about 740(dry.)
I'd just dump in the Cummins, most everything else that's a worthwhile swap(I don't see a 2 stroke Jimmy being a great swap.... Not exactly an efficent engine... LOL) is too big to fit without serious sheetmetal work, and extremely heavy.
Good luck
Evan

 

I'm curious: what is it exactly that the engine needs inside the cluster? I've got one opened up & taken apart, and I didn't see anything other than the normal gauges and a special tach.

 

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Ummm....if you aren't gonna do anything with your old 460 I could take it off your hands for you

BTW...i agree to go with the 7.3L, but that is just me!

-Jason-

 

Maybe a built up 6.9? It would be simple enough as long as you had the donner truck the motor came out of.

 

I would really like to go with a bigger engine. I would be nice to have a very strong (high hp) motor and not have to worry about it melting down with a tweaked smaller comparable motor. There was a guy on the turbo diesel register web site that stuffed a 8.3 liter Cummins in a Ford. I would love to do something like this with my truck. Another question if I put a Cummins in my Ford (5.9 or 8.3, I think that the bellhousing will fit both) what kind of manual trans should I look for. I would like to keep my 4x4 and run at farely low rpms on the highway.

 

Steve: I haven't investigated quite that far, but, I believe it may be the tach itself, all I know for sure is that the only one I've played with(a 95) wouldn't start or run with the cluster unplugged,a nd, I only tried that after I'd been told that the cluster was needed.
Evan

 

A reliable, stout tranny with good hwy manners is the Ford ZF 5 or 6 speed...I have never experimented with mixing a zf and a cummins 5.9/8.3 so I have no idea about whether or not it will bolt up, but it is ford .
(the 7.3L and ZF 6-speed bolt up...no problems)

Someone please back me up on this!!

Happy Wrenching
-Jason-

 

An NV4500 5-speed would be a good answer, as there are bellhousings to bolt that to a Cummins. You could use the Chrysler AOD, they are decent, or a Clark 5speed. Some of these were an overdrive, but I don't know the model number.

 

I posted on this topic about a Centurion F-350/Bronco conversion doing a diesel conversion at: http://www.fordtrucks.com/forums/sho...613#post935613

Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums > Older, Classic and Antique Trucks and Vans > 1980 - 1986 F-Series Trucks / E-Series Vans > Egine swap 460 to a diesel...Can I??