considering 6.9 swap
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Freshman User
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 28
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considering 6.9 swap
I am considering buying a 82 250 4x4 with a 351/400m and manual trans. I would like 2 swap in a 6.9. Would it bolt up 2 the trans. or is their a heavier trans. for the diesels? Also what is their in the way of aftermarket? Obviously their is a turbo kit but i cant afford 1. Can i get bigger injectors or propane injection? I know i can turn the injection pump up 1 flat or so. Any 1 know a good place 2 find a 6.9 or used/rebuilt turbo setup. What exhuast system setup would you recommend?
Lead Driver
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 6,900
Likes: 3
From: Campbell River, B.C.
Transmission is diesel only, a big block bellhousing will not work unless you hack it and know what you are doing (not recommended).
I would wait for a nice diesel truck and simply buy that instead, but if you really like this 82, then you will need to get a diesel transmission for the diesel engine and toss the gasser powertrain.
A used turbocharger kit can be had for $500 on average, and is easily the best bang for your buck for a power upgrade.
I would wait for a nice diesel truck and simply buy that instead, but if you really like this 82, then you will need to get a diesel transmission for the diesel engine and toss the gasser powertrain.
A used turbocharger kit can be had for $500 on average, and is easily the best bang for your buck for a power upgrade.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 21,285
Likes: 15
From: Nutter Fort, WV
With a manual tranny in the truck now, all you need is a diesel bell housing.
The T 19 is the only transmission you can use on both diesel and gas engines since it uses a seperate bell housing.
Automatic (C6 or E4OD), ZF 5 and ZF 6 transmissions all have integral bell housings, so they are engine specific.
Without more air into the engine, bigger injectors will just increase smoke and decrease MPG.
Once you have enough fuel to produce black smoke, the engine is getting all the fuel it can burn with the amount of air in the cylinders.
So to increase power, you need more air in the cylinder.
That is the reason a turbo is the biggest power mod you can do.
Although some people say propane adds power, it is just more fuel, so once again without more air the increase is very small if any.
Several also say they notice an MPG increase with propane, but all that is really happening is they are using less diesel and replacing it with propane.
Best exhaust, 3" free flowing exhaust and muffler.
The T 19 is the only transmission you can use on both diesel and gas engines since it uses a seperate bell housing.
Automatic (C6 or E4OD), ZF 5 and ZF 6 transmissions all have integral bell housings, so they are engine specific.
Without more air into the engine, bigger injectors will just increase smoke and decrease MPG.
Once you have enough fuel to produce black smoke, the engine is getting all the fuel it can burn with the amount of air in the cylinders.
So to increase power, you need more air in the cylinder.
That is the reason a turbo is the biggest power mod you can do.
Although some people say propane adds power, it is just more fuel, so once again without more air the increase is very small if any.
Several also say they notice an MPG increase with propane, but all that is really happening is they are using less diesel and replacing it with propane.
Best exhaust, 3" free flowing exhaust and muffler.
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,789
Likes: 5
From: Sand GAp, KY
If you want this truck to be a diesel it will take a lot of work. The radiator core support from the gasser will not work (not deep enough). You will need the motor mounts and trans crossmember. The fuel filler neck needs to changed out as well as the gasser is smaller dia. opening. You will also need the front leafs as the 6.9 is alot heavier ( maybe even the whole front axle if this truck just has the 8 lug dana 44). If you want to do this swap you really need a complete donor truck like I did when I converterd my 88 Bronco over to diesel. I know that you can use an 83 thru 91 or so. The hardest part is swapping the front axle ( if going from dana 44 to 50) as the mounting holes don't match and have to be relocated. Also the core supports are the same from 80 to 86 then 87 to 91 because of the grille/headlight sytling and are impossible to find after market (don't believe lmc truck when they say they have it they will send you a gasser not a diesel one). So unless you can do all this type work yourself like I did you would be better off buying a truck that is already a diesel.
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 302
Likes: 0
Last summer my cousin and I swapped a 6.9 from and 83 f250 to another 83 f250 with a blown 351. All we did was redrill the holes for the diesel motor mounts and swap the wiring. Other then then that we didnt swap anything else. If memory serves me right, the radiator hooked right up and we swapped the fuel lines and tanks. It was a pretty straight foward swap, started at 8:00 and had it primed and running by 11 that evening.
Lead Driver
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 6,900
Likes: 3
From: Campbell River, B.C.
You might get away with reusing the gasser rad, but you won't be able to pull with that truck as hard as if you had the actual diesel radiator. It depends on what kind of rad you have in there, but the diesel rads are usually huge. If replacing one, I always go for a quad core.
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,789
Likes: 5
From: Sand GAp, KY
In most of the "small" gassers the front end was a dana 44 with 8 lug hubs and the springs are not rated for an engine the wieght of that 6.9 diesel.David85 is right on the rad also. The four core cross flow that was in my Bronco would have hooked up to the 6.9 but I do pull with this beast (we haul our own water around here, all cisterns) and figured it best to have the extra cooling.
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Senior User
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 302
Likes: 0
The truck was special ordered with upgraded front springs and had a plow on the front, so its anyones guess what radiator it had.
The thing lasted another year hauling scrap, pulling trailers and a season of plowing snow. It met its demise when it was driven through a lake while playing in the mud. Dont really know how much water it sucked down, but after that it would start. (Not my truck, I dont normally treat my this bad)
The thing lasted another year hauling scrap, pulling trailers and a season of plowing snow. It met its demise when it was driven through a lake while playing in the mud. Dont really know how much water it sucked down, but after that it would start. (Not my truck, I dont normally treat my this bad)
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