I've got a 2000 F250 V10 and just bought a 2001 F350 with the 7.3 Powerstroke with a smashed cab. I want to swap my cab off of my V10 and put it on the chassis of the 7.3. Has anyone done this? I haven't been able to find anything about it online. I appreciate any help you all can give.

 

While the "bare" cab (the sheetmetal - no wiring/dash,etc..)should be the same, and fit, you may have legal issues. Here in NJ, and many other states, the vehicle IS the cab. In other words, the VIN# and title you would have to use would be the one for the cab.

Presumably, you have the title for both vehicles so that's fine, except that you would then have a 7.3L diesel chassis/drivetrain that is legally a V10 gas truck. Inspection/emissions laws could be a problem, as well as insurance.

I'm not sure about how your state does it, but here in NJ, the V10 gas truck would be subject to emissions inspection, whereas a 2000 or 2001 diesel truck is not. So if its registered as a gas truck, the state is going to get upset when you don't show up for inspection, and possibly revoke the registration.

From a Federal perspective, it may be considered tampering, since they will view it as you removing all the emissions equipment from the 2000 V10 truck and installing a diesel powertrain. It might be ok, since the diesel is a 2001, so you're putting a newer motor in the older truck, or maybe not.

If you were in CA, I would say just forget it. Maybe where you are you can "get away with it"?

You say the cab of the '01 7.3 is smashed. How bad? Because you'll need a lot stuff from it, to put in the "good" cab, such as the cluster, wire harness, etc... It might be better to sell your gas cab (or the whole truck if its running/driving), then find a good, complete diesel cab. Or, find a nice diesel truck with a bad motor, and put the '01 you have in it.

 

actually no. if you buy a cab from any salvage yard in New Jersey, you get a cab with no VIN plate on it and have to use the VIN plate off the old cab. the VIN is not the cab, the VIN goes with the frame.

to swap the gas cab onto the diesel truck, you will have to also use the complete diesel electrical sytem including computer and dash cluster. so it would almost be easier to just strip both cabs to bare metal and use the complete dash out of the diesel

 

WRONG. That may be the way its being done, but it is very illegal. The state police will NOT be happy if they find out you are swapping vin tags. Also, it is a FEDERAL felony. There are legal ways to do it, that involve inspections by the state police, where THEY rivet a replacement vin tag on after being satisfied everything is legit. But takes time and money.

And again, in NJ, whether you think so or not, the CAB is the truck/vin/title, NOT the frame. Call the state police to confirm if you'd like.

 

whatever.
i have done over 100 cab swaps and not once did the state police ever say anything about the VIN plate being changed when the trucks were recertified. the proof is in the paperwork presented at the time of the inspection.
ford sells the VIN plate rivets for a reason.

 

A re-constructed vehicle title will cure all ills.

 

My brother-in-law got stopped by the Iowa highway patrol A few years ago after he put together a Chevy 80's truck from a 4x4 K5 Blazer, 2wd 6.2 Diesel truck and a four-wheel-drive truck frame and ended up with a 4x4 6.2 Diesel powered truck that looked like it just rolled off the assembly line. After he explained why he had a registration for a K5 blazer and 2wd truck, insurance for a 2wd truck and three different addresses for the registration insurance and drivers license he drove away from that with a small speeding ticket and a verbal warning to update his current address on all the info.

There are definitely many nanny States in our Country that would love to give you big fines or even throw you in jail for something stupid like this....

 

I've got the legal stuff covered in my state, did my homework on that, and there's no issue. I just have to put the vin from the diesel on my cab. I do have the titles for both trucks so its no big deal.

Just the drivers side is smashed, all of the instrument cluster, ect. is in good shape. I've never done a cab swap though and can't find any info on it online so if you guys could give me some tips to help me out I'd appreciate it.

 

unbolt the nose and take it off. unbolt the cab and take it off. remove the complete dash and wiring harness from the gas cab and throw it in the bed. finally remove the VIN plate and put it in or on the gas frame so you still have it. remove the dash and wiring harness from the diesel cab. remove the VIN plate from the diesel cab and install it in the gas cab, then put the diesel dash and wiring harness in.
then bolt cab on frame, bolt nose on frame and hook all wires up.