Cat engine swap
Guest
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,988
Likes: 55
From: north west new jersey
i know you guys are going to say some thing bad . but in my driveway right now is a 1980 chevy 1500 powered by a 4 cylinder cumapart goosed out to 300hp and bolted up the a 4r700 trans. at my shop is a ranger same cummins motor stuck into it. i'll stick a shot in my gallery .
and yes i saw another poster say it.yes a 3208 sits very nice in a super duty and a few posters have done it.. me if deisel fuel comes down in price my v10 is going to become a 4 cylinder cat
and yes i saw another poster say it.yes a 3208 sits very nice in a super duty and a few posters have done it.. me if deisel fuel comes down in price my v10 is going to become a 4 cylinder cat
Last edited by captchas; Oct 8, 2006 at 04:50 PM.
Hotshot
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,170
Likes: 5
From: The hills of No. Calif.
Charlie! Good to see you here. What brings you around these parts? Doing a little trolling? 
Oh wait, I mentioned some GM stuff in this thread too, I guess I don't have any room to talk! 
Oh wait, I mentioned some GM stuff in this thread too, I guess I don't have any room to talk!
Cross-Country
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 90
Likes: 0
The DT466 idea is what I'm doing with my 74 crew cab. Still doing the body work, so I haven't gotten to do the mechanical part of the swap yet. It will fit, but the firewall will have to be chopped. Should be an awesome combo when I'm done, just slow going right now.
Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,341
Likes: 5
From: Sacramento
A 3208 can be nice in a pickup too, but they are hard to get parts for, expensive used still, not too fuel efficient, and dont burn very clean(no running with stax, people would likely call EPA on you). The bright side, they're pretty quiet for a 10+ liter diesel, big on torque, and power potential is pretty good(up to 475hp).
Hotshot
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,170
Likes: 5
From: The hills of No. Calif.
Yeah, that land yacht GMC I posted about earlier in the thread gets up and moves pretty well, and it's not even turboed.
The other downside to them is the weight. A motor that weighs close to a ton is awful hard on front end components. Don't think I'll put one in my Ranger any time soon...!
The other downside to them is the weight. A motor that weighs close to a ton is awful hard on front end components. Don't think I'll put one in my Ranger any time soon...!
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New User
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
I am currently putting a 1995 catapillar 3116 into my 1995 ford f150 king cab long box. The engine has an allison 4 speed behind it. I bodylifted the truck 4 1/2 inches to clear the bell housing and try and get the hood to close over the giant intercooler lines on the cat motor.
Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,341
Likes: 5
From: Sacramento
I am currently putting a 1995 catapillar 3116 into my 1995 ford f150 king cab long box. The engine has an allison 4 speed behind it. I bodylifted the truck 4 1/2 inches to clear the bell housing and try and get the hood to close over the giant intercooler lines on the cat motor.
Junior User
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 90
Likes: 0
From: mostly in trouble
I have a friend in Oregon who I used to haul with.... we both pulled RV's from the Mfg's in IN to dealers all over. He blew up the 7.3 in his 99 F350SD and ended up buying a 3116 Cat engine and trans assy out of a medium duty ford truck and built mounts and installed it in his pickup. The Cat3116 is a inline six, mechanically injected and is slightly longer than a cummins B series. The best things about it were... it's available in hp ratings up to 330 horsepower, long life, huge torque at low rpms. The downside is it's heavier than the navistar engine and mounts had to be fabricated cause it mounts in front to the timing cover area and in back on either side of the bellhousing... the ford engine mounts on the sides of the block.
Once he got the swap done... it was one AWESOME truck. He could haul butt up hills in high gear that I was down in 4th in my 99 powerstroke... both of us pulling 37foot Carriage fifth wheel campers.... the Cat/6speed Allison would run 75 mph at about 250-300 rpm less, than I was running with the 6 spd manual in my truck. I didnt have a prayer of keeping up with him when loaded if he chose to run off and leave me...especially in mountain country.
The 3116 was replaced a few years ago when Cat came out with the 3126 for epa reasons. The 3126 is an electronic controlled engine with the same basic fuel system as the Ford/Navistar 7.3 ( in fact ford bought the rights to use the design for their engine from Cat). The 3116 is the better choice for swaps due to the fact you don't need a computer.... but there is a little work involved in mounting one.... if ya got the money... they are pricey... a good one will bring better than 5K from a salvage yard
Once he got the swap done... it was one AWESOME truck. He could haul butt up hills in high gear that I was down in 4th in my 99 powerstroke... both of us pulling 37foot Carriage fifth wheel campers.... the Cat/6speed Allison would run 75 mph at about 250-300 rpm less, than I was running with the 6 spd manual in my truck. I didnt have a prayer of keeping up with him when loaded if he chose to run off and leave me...especially in mountain country.
The 3116 was replaced a few years ago when Cat came out with the 3126 for epa reasons. The 3126 is an electronic controlled engine with the same basic fuel system as the Ford/Navistar 7.3 ( in fact ford bought the rights to use the design for their engine from Cat). The 3116 is the better choice for swaps due to the fact you don't need a computer.... but there is a little work involved in mounting one.... if ya got the money... they are pricey... a good one will bring better than 5K from a salvage yard
I am currently putting a 1995 catapillar 3116 into my 1995 ford f150 king cab long box. The engine has an allison 4 speed behind it. I bodylifted the truck 4 1/2 inches to clear the bell housing and try and get the hood to close over the giant intercooler lines on the cat motor.
New User
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
is there a way i can talk to you to find out more info on the cat swap. i would like to do the same thing. i can put my hands on a 3116 for no cost. i will need to rebuild it, but i would really like to do that if i can
New User
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
I realize some of these posts are older ones. I have done the 3208 swap in a '92 F 250 and kept the 4 wheel drive. As far as weight - the Cat wasn't a lot heaier than the 7.3 IDI. It was my brothers truck - we used a Fuller/Clark direct 5 speed and a "divorced" NP case. I would use a Fuller 6-speed OD if I did it again -- better mpg that way. We had to make the mounts and use a thin flex fan but it was not that big of a deal to do. Obviously we had to use a natural engine -- would rather have turbo but no room for the turbo to live. No real firewall modifications were needed -- no extending the hood -- etc. We did have to remove the front side-mounted fuel tank to have room for the transfer case. Parts for the 3208 are NOT that expensive - in fact the ones we got were actually as cheap or cheaper than Navistar 7.3 parts.
I have also thought about the 3116 swap -- talk about one awesome truck
. If anyone knows if the 3116 uses the same flywheel housing as 3208 please let me know.
I have also thought about the 3116 swap -- talk about one awesome truck
. If anyone knows if the 3116 uses the same flywheel housing as 3208 please let me know.