Just making a joke.

 

Just want to say as I eventually plan a similar swap in the future (4bt or 6bt which ever I can pick up on the cheap when the time comes). I really appreciate the effort you are putting in to this to document it and can't wait for the build thread.

 

4BT is almost a bolt-in swap from a 300, if you can find one that had been used in a Ford chassis "step-van". Many of those started life with a 300, and were retro-fitted with a 4BT.
The cost of a good 4BT can be rather high. I've got less money in the 6BT and NV4500, than what I saw 4BT's going for around here......

 

Due to other items that came up, I haven't got to touch the truck this weekend.
The next few steps don't actually require having the truck in the shop anyways, as I want to replace the front/rear crank seals, and reseal the oil pan on the engine. Much easier to do these with the engine out.....

I think I'm just gonna order one of those "HD Headlight" harnesses from LMC. I've wanted to do the headlight relay conversion for a while, and I could build it myself, but I would just as soon have a ready made, plug and play harness. Much quicker than trying to locate all the needed plugs, considering I want to do this to 3 different vehicles with sealed beam lights......

Unless someone knows another source for that headlight relay harness. I haven't spent much time looking at other sources......

 

LMC's is about the price of others. But at one time theirs used only there relays.

 

I'm curious what you have in mind for a fuel/lift pump?

 

Planning to just use the stock pump on the side of the engine. I have an early VE rotary pump engine, and that pump only needs 7-8 PSI. Much more than that, and it can damage the injection pump.
These engines use a mechanical pump, much like an old school gas engine. Except it also has an external lever for manually operating it, when you need to reprime the system, like after changing the fuel filter.

More Information for AIRTEX 1407

 

Interesting. That makes it easier to use the factory dual tanks. Do you know if the P pump Cummins have the same requirements?

 

P=pumps have a bit higher fuel PSI needs. They use a different type of lift pump, but it mounts in the same location.

More Information for AIRTEX 73104

 

Stock single/dual tanks are easy. Of course, you do have to add a return line to the older carbed trucks that had the mechanical pump on the engine. Even if the tanks are already plumbed with a return line, it has to be modded a bit. With diesel, you want the return line to reach near the bottom of the tank, or the fuel will foam up inside the tank.

 

hey Rogue_Wulff,
What happens if you don't have the return line ?

 

Not sure exactly what you mean by this particular question.
If you're asking about having a truck that doesn't have a return line, well, you just have to add one.
If you're asking what can happen if a person doesn't add the return line, ugly stuff. The engine has a return line coming from the injection pump, and a series of return lines from each injector, which all tie back into the main return line. Without anywhere to go, this would cause overfueling, lots of excess smoke, fuel leaks, and a potential for a "runaway" engine. It can also lead to a much shorter injection pump life, and those things can run well over a grand to replace.
Experiencing a runaway is not fun, as the engine can potentially reach an RPM well over what the internals can handle, resulting in a blown engine.

Old time truckers used to clamp off the return line, in order to be able to exceed the engines rated power and top speed. This resulted in many engines and/or injection pumps needing replaced due to the damage caused from doing this.

 

Thanks for the info. I have been running this engine swap thing through my head over and over, trying to figure out if I want to do it. I think I'm going to give it a go, starting to look for trucks on craigs list to donate an engine.

Thank you for this helpful thread!

 

So, an 80-86 truck with the IDI would be an easier candidate for a 4 or 6 BT swap?

 

460 trucks have return lines whether they are mechanical or electric pumps.
The switch valve is on the frame rail.