Although you asked for info from people who have done the swap I thought I'd chime in on what I know. I've been researching this swap for about 6 or months now... I have a real good understanding of the different ways it can be done and an idea on how I want to do mine.
The biggest problem is going to be having a realistic budget and obviously the money...lol. I've had the chance to look at two trucks locally and even drove one of them ( super nice guy I met on another site) and both had about 10k and about 200hrs into the swap. The swap and all the problems and solutions that go along with it depend on what engine and tranny you want to use and the quality of the job you want to end up with. You can use any ctd engine and tranny combo you can think of and can weld, past, glue and bolt it all together in Any fashion you want. I've looked at hundreds of picts of different swaps ( and two up close in person ) and have seen some swaps that look like the damned engine was a factory install... and I've seen a couple who if it was me I would be embarrassed to drive the truck let alone post picts of it... lol.
The other thing is what do you want to use your truck for after the swap? Is it a daily driver... sled puller... or a light 4 wheelin rig? once again the answer will lead you to kind of parts that best suit "your" swap... and give you an idea on how much work and the kinds of things your going to have to figure out.
The thing I have learned is that no two swaps are the same... every one has different parts and build quality's. From what I've read and heard people usually wish they had used the dodge trans and transfer-case just for the ease of install and the fact the starter is on the drivers side away from the exhaust down pipe, ford zf5 and 6 tranny's put the starter on the pass side. Most would say that buying motor-mounts is a wast of money as there way cheaper to fab your self if you have the skillz. take a ton of measurements!!! this swap is a real tight fit and can cause a whole bunch of problems if you dont sit the engine right (watch your fan to rad /engine to x-member clearance). The rad from a 460 or a diesel (hd cooling only) is usually the choice but do require some fab work to get the hoses to work. Some have used the dodge rad with good results. The dodge or ford intercoolers will work, just make sure they fit around the sides of the rad your going to use. The alternator is a personal decision.... stick with the ford and find a pulley and make a mount or use the dodge and figure out how to wire it into your truck. And the adapter plate of choice seems to be the de-stoked but there are others that you might want to look at too. There are a bunch of fuel related issues that come with a diesel swap into a gasser and you'll have to look into the different ways to overcome them.
There is nothing wrong with using any tranny as far as I'm concerned as long as it meets your requirements and can handle the power output of the engine your putting in... most stock 12v's have the same hp as the ford diesels and any ford diesel trans will handle a mildly modded cummins. And all of the cummins engines including the 24v's are an easy swap... dont be fooled by people who say it's too hard to swap a computer controlled cummins into your truck... they don't know what there talking about and it's easier than you think. And lastly you will not find one person who is at all unhappy with there swap... most are ridiculously happy.
here are some links that helped me:
Cummins-Conversion.com • Index page
DESTROKED: Cummins Conversions
fordcummins.com - Increase Horsepower with Ford Cummins Diesel conversion kits
Photo Gallery - Main Index - Powered by PhotoPost
ford cummins swap pictures and videos on Webshots
Cummins Conversions - Shop Talk - Tools - Fabrication - Dodge Cummins Diesel Forum
Auto World
Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market