cummins swap
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Freshman User
Joined: Feb 2008
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cummins swap
Hey guys and gals!
Been awhile since I have been on here and not sure if anyone else has posted this but here it goes. I have been thinking about swapping a 12valve cummins B series out of a dodge ram into my 79 F-150. It has a 400 with granny 4sp and a 205 transfer case and was thinking about swapping complete drive train(minus the transfer case for the obvious reasons of different side drive front axle) into the old boy for something different and because even though I am a trained Ford technician and a trained medium and heavy duty truck and bus technician. The problem is that I am not sure if I really want to "hack up" the old dent side for the swap or just leave it alone! Any ideas, thoughts, questions, comments?
Been awhile since I have been on here and not sure if anyone else has posted this but here it goes. I have been thinking about swapping a 12valve cummins B series out of a dodge ram into my 79 F-150. It has a 400 with granny 4sp and a 205 transfer case and was thinking about swapping complete drive train(minus the transfer case for the obvious reasons of different side drive front axle) into the old boy for something different and because even though I am a trained Ford technician and a trained medium and heavy duty truck and bus technician. The problem is that I am not sure if I really want to "hack up" the old dent side for the swap or just leave it alone! Any ideas, thoughts, questions, comments?
More Turbo
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 641
Likes: 25
From: Port Charlotte, Florida
Seems like every time I turn around Im hearing about someone doing this swap. I bought all of my L&L 460 conversion parts from a guy that decided to do the cummins swap insted. From what Ive read it seems to be a good idea to have a whole donner truck for parts and the guys that have done it, love it. Good luck with your truck.
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 756
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I don't see how it's "hacking" when you're adding to the truck's useful life without really altering the appearance. Of the many great features of our old rigs, the 400 was not one of them. At any rate, you're going to have a weight problem getting the 5.9 into a half-ton. You either need more truck or less motor, like the 3.9 4bt. Check http://www.4btswaps.com/
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Freshman User
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thank you for the website, I will check it out. I know the 400 is more of a "boat anchor" than a "powerhouse" and being around diesels my whole life would be very cool to do this swap. I already thought about the weight issue and think that I could use 3/4 or 1 ton coils up front. I found another website that offers kits and manuals for the swap and they had performed the swap in a 4wd f150 and a chevy k5 blazer, but I also have a rancho 4" lift and not sure if the aftermarket coils would hold.
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 756
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thank you for the website, I will check it out. I know the 400 is more of a "boat anchor" than a "powerhouse" and being around diesels my whole life would be very cool to do this swap. I already thought about the weight issue and think that I could use 3/4 or 1 ton coils up front. I found another website that offers kits and manuals for the swap and they had performed the swap in a 4wd f150 and a chevy k5 blazer, but I also have a rancho 4" lift and not sure if the aftermarket coils would hold.
Looks like it will be a great rig.
Elder User
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 534
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From: Northern Minnesota
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Freshman User
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haha, sounds like it will be a great swap then! 
what I am reading about the nv4500, sounds like that would b the way to go for the drive train. i think this is good, gonna check into some engines that a friend of mine has and get the ball rolling! Didnt take much convincing me on this one guys! thanks to all that replied. I will be taking pics and notes and posting them on here for all to see!
what I am reading about the nv4500, sounds like that would b the way to go for the drive train. i think this is good, gonna check into some engines that a friend of mine has and get the ball rolling! Didnt take much convincing me on this one guys! thanks to all that replied. I will be taking pics and notes and posting them on here for all to see!
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Elder User
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 756
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haha, sounds like it will be a great swap then! what I am reading about the nv4500, sounds like that would b the way to go for the drive train. i think this is good, gonna check into some engines that a friend of mine has and get the ball rolling! Didnt take much convincing me on this one guys! thanks to all that replied. I will be taking pics and notes and posting them on here for all to see!
what I am reading about the nv4500, sounds like that would b the way to go for the drive train. i think this is good, gonna check into some engines that a friend of mine has and get the ball rolling! Didnt take much convincing me on this one guys! thanks to all that replied. I will be taking pics and notes and posting them on here for all to see!
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,061
Likes: 2
From: London, Ontario Canada
you could always get front springs with a lift in them like a 4 inch lift or something like that, and make sure they are thick springs, i think the extra weight would counter act the lift in the front coils, i am not sure if that will work, but i know that you can not put f-250 front coils in because to my knowledge f-250 use leaf springs up front? i don't know if f-150 lift springs would work, but in my mind the 4 inch lift would be compressed to normal height, i am not sure if 4 inch is enough, but its just my two cents, please correct me if i am wrong, just a idea i had that's all, other than that the f150 frame should be able to handle the extra weight. and good luck with your project.
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,993
Likes: 15
From: Costa Mesa, CA
Many people have done this swap. I'm in the middle of mine right now. I've got a thread running in the motor swap forum here as well as this one on a cummins site.
1974 Ford Cummins Crew cab - Page 10 - Dodge Cummins Diesel Forum
That cummins site has a wealth of info by the way.
As for the transfer case - it ISN'T a problem as the 205's on these trucks are divorced. Get a 2wd tranny out of a dodge and it will have the fixed yoke tailshaft which uses a U-joint instead of slip shaft. Just shorten your middle/short driveshaft and go...
1974 Ford Cummins Crew cab - Page 10 - Dodge Cummins Diesel Forum
That cummins site has a wealth of info by the way.
As for the transfer case - it ISN'T a problem as the 205's on these trucks are divorced. Get a 2wd tranny out of a dodge and it will have the fixed yoke tailshaft which uses a U-joint instead of slip shaft. Just shorten your middle/short driveshaft and go...
Post Fiend
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 5,181
Likes: 3
From: Across from the neighbors
You worried about hacking up your truck for the cummins? Ha. Ive got a 79 f-350 crew longbed that rust free im swappin a cummins into. And doing a 4wd conversion. Build thread in the 4wd forum
