Back when I was in high school automotive class, someone brought in an old Chevy pickup (1985 or so) with a 4 cylinder Cat engine in it. He had all the expected issues with that type of motor...rear ends, driveshafts, etc. I have seen a website that sells parts to put a Dodge Cummins into a Ford but was wondering anyone here has put a Cat engine into a Ford truck.

 

there have been many a ford pickup converted from gas to diesel using a 3208 cat.

 

That's a pretty beefy motor for a pickup truck! That would be pretty cool to see!

 

I've always maintained that if Ford went to a Cat motor they would OWN the heavy PU truck market. Does anyone know of any successful attempts to put a 3208 Cat in a Super Duty? Does anyone make bell housing adapters or kits to put in a Dodge Cummins engine into one of these trucks? Would love to hear aboutt that!

 

The heavy Cat, Cummins and Detroit diesels share a common bellhousing pattern. No adapters needed to swap engines from brand to brand. I'd be surprised to hear that the Dodge/Cummins was different. I used to run a logging crew back in the late 80's and one of the Ranger Skidders we had used the same Cummins engine that Dodge was using. Mated to an Allison transmission.

 

ford has a CAT engine option in the f650/750's

 

I almost hate to even mention this since it's a (gasp!) GM, but a guy I know mid-mounted a 3208 Cat in his GMC crewcab dually...after he stretched it:

(click on photos to enlarge)


This is after paint:

 

That's what I call----dedication, with a good dose of enginuity mixed in.

 

Those are SAE bells. Unfortunately, light trucks do not use them, they use sometimes even transmission specific adapters from the motor to the bell housing. To adapt them from the Dodge to the Ford trans, they actually do away with the Dodge adapter from the motor, and replace it with one made for a Ford. I wish it was as simple as make sure it was the same # bell like the SAE bells are...

 

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

 

You can get a mechanical DT360 or DT466 for as low as $1500 from what I've seen. About the same size as the Cat 3116, and you'd have to cut into the firewall. Power potential is amazing though. With the measuring I did yesterday, I could put a DT466 in my 67 F100 without an intercooler, if I cut the firewall & set it into the cab 3". Not that I'm going to do it to my commuter truck, but it's a dream I have to do a 466 swap in a pickup.

 

Interesting, I've been looking at the DT466 myself lately. Seems they came in various versions, from 210hp/520tq. up to 300hp/860tq. Dry weight is 1425lbs. which is still heavy but a little easier on front end components then the 3208's 1700+.

The stretched GMC in the above pics is the second one he built using the 3208. He went mid-engined because the first truck couldn't handle the weight of the 3208 in the engine bay, and kept destoying front end components. Not to mention it steered like a tank...

 

So, maybe we should have a diesel drag truck project for the Nor Cal chapter. Powered by a twinned 466, tube frame, full roll cage, hitting the 9's!

Dry weight is 1425 with all the accessories, dump the compressor & other junk & it'll get lighter.

 

Well, that's a little different project from the one that we've been tossing around, but still sounds like fun. Although, I suppose we could power our other truck with the DT466. You got one laying around?

 

No, but we can sneak in the bus yard and snag one before Monday morning.