I have a 73 F-250 with a 390, but I would like to put in a 3208 Caterpillar engine or a cat engine that will out pull a newer Cummins diesel. I figured since they put the 3208 in a lot of semi trucks so it should be more then enough for a full size truck. I'm pretty sure the size of a 3208 is a little bigger then a cadillac 500 V8 so it should fit my truck, given a sutible motor mount can be made. Could someone give me some info on fitability, if it will out pull a Cummins, and anything I could learn about this kind of swap.
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been asked a few times. the short answer is no. the 3208 weighs in at 1450 lbs dry add the tranny , clutch,flywheel and other junk you are close to 1800 lbs. the 390 weighs 650 lbs. the truck will not be able to stop or handle well. you will have to much front weight and it will dip in turns.

 

ok just did a google search the 3208 weighs 1,704 lbs plus the tranny and other stuff so 1,958 lbs. almost 1 ton

 

My F-250 is a 4x4 and i have a beefy custom made rear bumper and if i filled it with lead would that start to equal out the extra weight of the 3208? The front secion of the frame is boxed, is that sufficient or would i have to redesign it with bigger boxed C-channel? As far as axles go would a dana 60 for a 78 1 ton with dana 70 outer stub shafts be strong enough for the weight of the CAT, or would i have to upgrade to narrowed Unimog or Rockwell axles? Does a 3208 have any special computer components to run?

 

I want to put in a Cat of some kind which of the Caterpillar engines would you suggest putting in?

 

the 3208 is a prehistoric beast no computers. maybe rockwell axles if you are serious about this. there is no way to add 1300 lbs of lead to a bumper. besides lead is expensive almost 1.20 a pound

 

one of there smaller inline 6's .

 

If it wasnt for the weight penalty of the 3208 could it physicly fit under the hood of a mid 70s F-series truck? And if so how much bigger would the frame have to be to support this engine? Do you think advanced adapters could make a adapter to mate the NP435 trasmission to the engine even though id rather use a industrial 6 or 7 speed. i love my truck and i want it to easily out pull a brand new hopped up Cummins diesel. Any info would be appreitated.

 

i have a chance to buy a '53 GMC military 6x6 and the old 6 cylinder is hard to find parts for and so is the transmission would a 3208 fit better under the hood of this machine with a industrial manual transmission? just curious on your opinion

 

The driveline will be more problems than making it fit.
2150 RPM and tons of torque are hard to harness in a pickup.

A guy here did have a 3208 in an 80 something F250 truck.
He used the bell housing and transmission out of a dump truck behind the motor.
After that he made a driveshaft to go from the truck transmission to a divorced transfer case input shaft.
The rest of the driveline was stock Ford truck stuff from many different years an models.
He said it was a lot of fun to drive, but every time he put his foot on the throttle something broke.

After blowing many transfer cases, drive shafts and rear ends due to the extreme torque he took it back out.
Also another big hurdle was the fact the 3208 redlined at 2150 so the top end was not where it needed to be.

Dana 70 front axle and extra springs took care of the weight problem.
The frame was not a problem for him.
Also since he has built a monster truck, a V-8 trike and several other hot rod creations getting it to fit was not a problem. Welders and cutting torches with a large selection of hammers can make anything fit.
He also

 

You might be better off taking the cab and bed of your beloved truck and fitting it to a medium duty frame with the engine, trans, etc already installed.

 

that would be the easy way, but he wants 4x4

 

Where do you get 2150rpm? They can go up to 3200(no load) without a problem. Yes, a 3208 has been done, but I'd go with an F350-550 axle & springs under it. It may be easier to get an F6-800 nose clip to fit it easier. Take a look at how easy it is to up the power:
http://www.geocities.com/kaufmanns@s...rformance.html

 

Howdy,

I remember reading in a pickup magazine several years ago an article where someone installed a 3208 coupled to an AT-540 transmission in a early 70's F350 2 wheel drive truck.

They also installed twin turbos too....It dynoed at about 350HP(rear wheel) if I remember correctly. They called it a "Stump Puller"

I can't remember the magazine but it looked pretty cool. (If you like CAT that is) The 3208 is a very heavy engine that will cost a fortune to rebuild. A diesel mechanic friend of mine told they are "throw away" engines since they cost so much to rebuild you're better off buying a rebuilt /new one. He said that in the 1970's. It's probably not true now. But I'll bet a new one would cost more than a house!

My plan is to install a Cummins 6BT + 47RH transmission in my 55 F-600..... much cheaper and much lighter. The cummins will make every bit as much HP as the CAT and will smell much better! (Cats stink!)

HP = money. if you throw money at either engine they will make lots of HP. There's FAR more cummins engines available to buy on the used market. EVERY wrecking yard has several 6BT's to choose from for about $2K. you can also do a lot with a Cummins. go to http://www.cumminsracing.com/mainpage.htm

The 3208 is a pretty cool engine. It's gonna be a LOT harder to make it fit though.



Regards,

Rick

 

to give you a idea of the size of this beast

that powers a water pump

a rebuilt 3208 runs 7,000.00