It's sad really, i just put a new edelbrock intake and carb on my 302, but now that gas prices have skyrocketed, i'm thinking about converting to deisel, more specifically, biodeisel with a 40gal tank. Are there anybody out there that have done that? Anybody with any tips or anything? i'm looking for like 20mpg and enough power to tow a small trailer or maybe some motorcycles and stuff.

 

I know of a local guy who put a cat diesel in his 70's Ford. I know there's a couple guys on here who've converted too. Anything is possible with enough patience and work. Run a search in this forum for "diesel" and you'll come up with some good info.

 

yeah, i ran a search for "diesel conversion". But didn't get alot of relavant info. I want a pretty easy swap, i'm also planning on converting to 4wd soon. Possibly with a TTB from A newer ford.

 

diesel swap and easy don't fit in the same sentence.... It can bedone, for what you seem to be looking for you would be best served with a 4 cylinder over the six or 8's. If you have a half ton, that also factors in, as the frame is weaker, and the suspension not as ready to take on the weight. You can find 4 cylinder Cummins motors from bread trucks and such to do the swap with, and they also had adapter plates that will bolt to your 302 bell housing. The adapter plates were made factory stock, so if need be you could possibly get one from Cummins if the motor didn't come with one. The other option is generally a GM bell. Of course there is the Dodge bell as well.

 

Now, how much power does a 4cyl cummins put out? I want it to be able to tow and such. It should at least match the 302 in HP.

 

I doubt it will match in Hp, but it may in torque. The 6 cylinder weighs in about 1000 pounds or so, so that is a big consideration. The 4 cyl is basically the same as the 6 with 2 less cylinders. The 6 is so far underated it's not funny, the motor is tuned down to keep the trans together on the Dodges. I'm sure the 4 cylinder can be cranked up all the same.

 

I have looked at a Cummins conversion for my '74 F250, using the Fordcummins adapter and an early Dodge 12v 5.9L motor. In an F250 it's a doable, but expensive, swap - running the numbers with the folks at Fordcummins we figured one might could do it at home for about $5000 with a used motor & transmission. It requires a fair amount of fabrication. Remember those early motors make decent torque but not big HP numbers - your 302 can easily make more HP. If you use a newer, electronic motor, have an auto trans, etc., the cost will easily get over $10k.

All that being said, I wouldn't even think about putting that motor in an F100 - just look at the GAWR for your front axle and then take into account that the 5.9L motor weighs, as noted above, more than 1000 lbs. Add to that the fact that your frame, brakes, driveline and rear axle are simply not set up to handle either the torque or vibration, and you've got a problem. The 6.9 or 7.3 International motors have the same problem - there's a reason why Ford didn't put them in a 1/2 ton truck.

A 4BTA (3.9 L four cylinder) Cummins would be a good choice if you can find one, but remember you're probably talking about 105-125 HP, and 300 or so FT/LBS of torque. Geared right it could be a good motor, give fantastic mileage, and even tow a little, but it's not going to drive like your 302. The 3.9 Cummins isn't particularly smooth, either. If you could find the electronic version of that motor, which makes around 170 HP and has balance shafts, that would be fantastic, but my guess is that you'd spend $10k for the motor alone.

Other choices? If you can stand the shame, a 6.5L GM diesel (not the early '80's 5.7 gas conversions) might be a decent choice, they were commonly available in 1/2 ton trucks and weren't bad motors. It would require some fabrication, however. There are small Nissan diesels like the one's put in IH Scouts in the late '70's and early '80's - not powerhouses but they give good mileage. Once again - how good are your fabrication skills?

The long and short of it is there isn't an easy alternative to go diesel in a '70's F100. One thought, however, would be a well-tuned 300 6 cyl motor, the right gears, and a overdrive transmission. I had a '86 full-size Bronco with the 300 and a 4spd OD trans with 3.55 gears. It would give me about 14 around town and 15-16 on the road. Good luck.

 

The 3.9l cummins is easy to get more power out of.
Read here
http://www.turbodieselregister.com/f...d.php?t=128302

 

i'm going to just go propane.

 

Saw a guy last weekend that had a 71 or 72 Crewcab 4x4 with a powerstroke. He said he can pull almost anything with it. Didn't ask how much it set him back, but it couldn't be cheap.

Ryan.

 

It would be harder to actually fabricate the mounts,strengthen the frame(if you've got a half-ton),etc,etc then the actual idea of making it work. I'd use the powerstroke....for the obvious FORD reason......I've seen em with Cummins motors,it just isn't the same for me. All the wiring and the controls for the 6.0 and 7.3 is contained on the motor.

 

Just did a 6bta swap into a '78 F250 4x4. See gallery.

 

A 74 F250 would not need an adapter at all... both 2 and 4wd can easily use the Dodge tranny.