I think he was interested in converting to diesel... we wern't really doing a comparison of overdrive tranny behind a Cummins diesel to an FE with a four speed... We were just talking about the benefits of having an overdrive behind a diesel, in a formerly FE powered truck. I just mentioned the early mechanical injected Cummins B series because I've done it, it's realativly easy to do, fits well, makes better power and torque than the FE and that the savings to your wallet in fuel costs and maintenance costs are substantial once you overcome the initial layout to make the swap. The powerstroke would probably be just as good, but you need a heck of a lot more than an engine... you need a harness, an IDM, and a PCM, just for starters. An IDM and a PCM will set you back almost as much as you'll pay for a good used Cummins that doesnt need a computer. Also you have to have some electrical savvy to wire it all up.. You can be nearly brain dead and still get an early (89-95) Cummins to light up and run.

I'm not knocking the FE engine in any way... I have one, owned since new. But, when it was built, gas was .35 cents a gallon and who cared that it only got 8 mpg... it was a truck. It cost about $6.00 to fill it up back then from empty!! Today the same fill up is right at $45.00 with current gas prices.!!! I just did the swap on my brother in law's truck cause he drives it every day during the winter when the weather is bad. He's an air traffic controller at Indy and has to get there no matter the road conditions. He's owned the truck since he was a kid, it's near cherry body wise.... The swap cuts his fuel cost from about $30.00 per day round trip to something like $12-$15 a day..... kind of a no brainer huh?

 

hey RMPC did you ever get those pics? would really like to see them to get more ideas

 

Not to speak out of turn or anything.

But some of the older Cummins diesels from the '80s before electronic fuel injection was used only need one or two hot wires to run making wiring truly painless.

That is what I was told, may be an unfounded rumor.

 

Im in agreement with the red apples comment, that said i think the diesle would be sweet and really driveable. On the other hand a properly rebuilt and tuned 390 can make 16mpg and easily make 400hp and 400 ftlbs, the mileage can get even better with an aftermarket EFI and a good 5 speed tranny.

 

another good thing about the deisel that no ones said anything about is look at the engine life they have ive seen then with 3-400 thousand and still running strong no gas engine in general will get that kinda miles on them oh shure there a few but youll have better luck gettin 300,000 on a deisel than a gas