I may be able to use the short box of my CC with this body swap. I'll see after I get the cab mounted. Wheelbase is only 2 inches longer on the Dodge ext cab so I may be able to make it work. It's getting a dump flatbed eventually so even a small gap between the cab and bed won't matter for long.

 

Check my gallery. I am running the Dodge components on a plate welded to the original '78 pedal brackets. Just looking at it, my guess is that you could also mix and match components off of an 80's Ford diesel.

 

I pretty much copied Scot on my hydraulic clutch conversion. It truly was one of the simplest problems to solve in the conversion. Check my gallery as well - mount the master cylinder to the firewall (reinforce with some 5/16" plate or thicker) in the place where the master pushrod can be actuated by the stock ford return spring arm. Weld a tab to that return spring arm for the master cylinder pushrod eyelet to fit. Don't put that master cylinder any lower on the firewall - it makes the pedal push way too hard (I know!). The rest is just bolting the reservoir to the firewall, and installing the slave in the tranny. I got the master/slave that I used off a 1991 Dodge truck with a gasser in it - a Dakota in the late 80's, early 90's works too. The tab for the master cylinder eyelet can come from either of those trucks pedal clusters as well. I think I did the whole thing for $30, the Pull-and-Save around here is pretty inexpensive.

ChaseTruck - to put that NV4500 on your first gen, you will need the adapter housing that fits between the block and the bell housing from a cummins that had 5spd. It will fit - 1st gen folks blow up that getrag and put nv4500's back in them. Then you will need the flywheel, clutch, pressure plate, bolts for the flywheel, pilot bearing, throwout assembly etc. Maybe easier to find a complete donor without the engine so you have all those little parts. Or go with the tranny your donor came with for now. Ford ZF's will work here as well - though might not be as strong. Unless you are towing, the 6spd is not worth the cost and the gear rowing.

jon.

 

Any opinions on the automatic transmissions? I understand the 727 was strong but the others with overdrive weren't much good. When did they quit using the 727?


Were there both 3 speed and 4 speed automatics with overdrive before 98?

 

Thanks for the very helpful info guys!
I know I had a long list of parts to find. I would love to find a complete donor, but we'll see.

My truck will not be a daily driver and it will see towing duties, so that's why I had mentioned the 5600. That is only if I come acorss one for a deal I can't pass up though, and right now I don't see that happening...

 

Someone with more Chrysler/Dodge knowledge chime in - but the 727 3spd trannies were used through 1992 on the Cummins equipped Ram trucks. In 1993, they had a 3spd + OD non electronically controlled auto, but I don't recall it's model # nor how stout it was.

In 1994-1998.5 the autos were 47Re, pretty sure these are 3spd plus OD, electronically controlled trannies. The 48Re might have snuck in there late in the game too. They were grenades, especially if the power was turned up. Different folks have been able to build them quite stout, however, BD and ATS to name a couple.

A C6, with some sort of smooth functioning gear splitter to provide the overdrive, is sounding pretty good right about now! Not sure if a US Gear or Gear Vendors solution works or not, but on paper it sure sounds good!

jon.

 

Yeah a turbo 400 or c6 with a gear vendors unit and a manual valve body sounds like the deal if you want an auto.
That's a lot of $$ though.

I think you're right on the 47 and 48's, but those on www.cumminsforum.com will know for sure.

 

On the clutch install I was going to tell you to check out Scot and jnordby's gallerys. I wasn't sure if I should do it so I'm glad they chimed in. I shamelessly copied their ideas, but added one of my own. On my donor truck I removed the bracket that the master cylinder twists into (the more or less square hole Scot mentioned). I cut what I didn't need from the bracket and welded it to the 1/4" plate I used to reinforce the fire wall. It set the bracket back about the same distance from the fire wall that it was in the Dodge. I cut the piece the master cylinder push rod connects to from the donor and welded it to the Ford clutch pedal arm. I thought this was going to be hard, but like Jon said, it was one of the simplest parts of the install. If I ever get time I'll add some pictures to my gallery.

I have a 1st gen engine with a NV4500 transmission. What I understand from one of the dodge/cummins forums, it sounds like there are two ways of doing this. Advanced Adapters makes a bell housing that lets you use a 1st gen starter and clutch linkage, or you have to use a 2nd gen bell housing, starter, and linkage. Other parts may be involved. My transmission was installed by the PO using 2nd gen parts.

 

those are some very good gallery pics and descriptions. I'm glad you guys take the time to do that. It answered some questions I had, and brought up more I will deal with later.

1 question that did come up - do you "have" to run a body lift to fit the motor? I saw JNordby did, but didn't see Scot mention it.

Also - JNordby seems to be running the stock ford vaccum booster and master cyl. Does the cummins create enough vacuum to run the booster properly? I was thinking of using the stock dodge vacuum pump and booster, or a hydroboost setup.

 

I did not use a body lift.

I ended up using a hydroboost. These trucks never had good brakes, even when new. The booster does not make enough pressure. I upgraded to the 1 ton vacuum booster and then hydroboost in short order.

 

I didn't use a body lift, and had plenty of room. I did use a bar to do some custom body work on one of the lips on the fire wall where it was close but not touching. I'm using the stock Ford vacuum booster and have at least as good brakes as I did with the gasser 460 that used to call my truck home.

 

You guys are awesome not using a body lift! I am ashamed to say I need the room for slop in my install! Once I got it all in and situated I'm wishing I spent the time to leave the body off the 2" pucks - I had to remove some leaf springs to bring the rig back to a managable height. FYI - went from 6 springs to 4 up front, and removed 1 in the back. It rides *really* nice, on washboards, and large bumps, though the single KYB's up front should be doubled up I suspect. I have some 1-ton overloads from the 1979 F350 donor installed if I load the bed or tow heavy with it.

jimlj - nice move on taking that entire master cylinder twist bracket - that makes this conversion even simpler and probably made that rubber gasket fit nice! This bracket is the same in a lot of trucks folks - at least the Dakota's and Gasser Dodge pickups in the late '80's and early '90's, so take your sawzall to the junkyard and grab it too!

For brakes, I ran a line from the Cummins/Dodge power steering/boost pump to my Ford brake boost and they work fine. As Scot said, these things are marginal from the factory - not towing anything I am having no vacuum assist issues at all. Towing and using the brakes harder might change things - dunno.

jon

 

good to hear on the no body lift neccessary. That was making me nervous as this thing sits high enough as it is on 35's. Plus I hate body lifts... I'd much rather do some firewall "bodywork" than add a body lift.

Looks like the hydroboost will be my answer for the brakes. As was said - these trucks had crappy brakes from the start and since I will be towing I need to be able to stop!

Off to the junkyard tomorrow. I'll see what I can score for clutch setup stuff.

Thanks for all the info guys!