Remove gas engine, replace with diesel engine.

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Mar 15, 2007 | 04:31 PM

watgad

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Remove gas engine, replace with diesel engine.

I have a 1988 single cab f-350 with 7.3 diesel engine. I also have a 1988 crew cab f-350 with a 5.8 gasoline engine. I want to remove the gas engine and replace it with the diesel engine. Is this procedure fairly painless, or are there complications between the diesel/gas exchange?

Thanks,

Watgad

Mar 15, 2007 | 05:28 PM

Winger235

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Joined: Dec 2006

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From: Byron New York

This is fairly painless but will take some work. My strongest suggestion would be to pull the front clip it will make a huge difference of putting that heavy engine in a different engine bay. Check to see if your radiator support is the same as the donor truck. The 5.8L gas support will take the 37 inch 3 core radiator no problem but won't accept the 4 core. It won't even fit in the valley. Keep the wiring harness from under the hood from the diesel don't cut any wires tape and mark everything from where they came from. That harness will plug into the Gas trucks firewall plug and work fine that vintage was wired for both. You will have to take the saddles from the diesel frame for the motor mounts. They will match up with only 2 of the holes in the frame might have to drill out the others or they are already there. The diesel transmission will have to come with the diesel nothing from the gas will fit. Your drive shaft should be able to plug back in to whatever you have there. Gas tanks need to be purged but as far as holding and reading fuel it was the same system. I recently did one similar to yours it wasn't too bad just need and engine hoist and a truck load of ambition.

Mar 15, 2007 | 05:39 PM

watgad

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Thanks for the advice and tips. Does not sound impossible but it does sound challenging.

Watgad

Aug 5, 2021 | 06:56 PM

TowWrecker23

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Joined: Jul 2021

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From: Camrose canada

Quote:

Originally Posted by watgad

Thanks for the advice and tips. Does not sound impossible but it does sound challenging.

Watgad

So revival of a dead thread? Less then a week ago I took on this same project, currently I have both engines (the 86 6.9 thats going into the 82 gas) removed and just waiting for my next days off to mount the diesel drive train in the gas... have you finished this build?! What were your biggest hurdles? So far mine had been determining if the engine mounts will just bolt up, or will work with minor fabricating.