Yep, in '98.5 they went 24 Valave and Computer/Electronic controll.




As far as a swap goes, here are MY thoughts:

An extreme built IDI turbo (6.9L) I think will produce all of the power I will ever REALISTICALLY need in a pick-up. I don't think I will ever put a Cummins in place of an IDI.
I AM going to replace a 6.0L PowerStroke with a Cummins however. A set of injectors for the 6LPS cost as much as a complete used Cummins does.

As far as an IDI goes I'll bet the cost of rebuilding an IDI, well, versus the cost of swapping in a used Cummins with all of the adapters, mounts etc. will pencil out around the same cost.

You'd be really unwise to installl a Cummins with out taking care of the "killer dowel pin" problem and at least retorquing the head bolts. I'd install 60 LB valve springs also. If you get an '89-'early '91 I'd upgrade the head gasket too.
If you get an '89-'93 you might consider an upgraded turbo with a wastegate too, lots'a turbo lag otherwise.

Of course a new turbo system for an IDI isn't exactly cheap either, of course you can buy one used and hope for the best. That's what I would do.
I don't think an IDI putting out, say, 300 HP is going to last nearly as long as a Cummins putting out 400 HP.....BUT.......the IDI will probably go a LONG time and it will kinda be new. At the prices we're talking the Cummins will be used. Depending on how it was cared for it might have another 10K miles or 300K miles, who knows?
The problem I see with buying a used Cummins is that you usually come about them one of three ways.

One, the truck was totalled. This could be great as the truck might have been in great shape before it was totalled. HOWEVER, did they then run the motor with no coolant or oil in it after the accident? Did something get broken or cracked in the wreck? Is the harmonic balancer out of whack or the crank bent at the front or rear? If you get the transmission with it did it get knocked out of alighnment, is the flywheel or flexplate bent/broken.

Two, the truck fell apart or rusted away around it. This is most likely how I'm going to get the two Cummins motors I'll need for my projects as I want all of the incedentals that come with a complete donor vehiccle, but someone who lets their truck fall apart probably didn't take the best care of their motor/engine.
(I know, I know, Dodges just fall apart if you look at them funny....blah....blah....blah....B.S.)

Three, you find an engine sitting around in someones shop. It could be a salvage pull out of a pick-up or the multitude of equipment that came with the 5.9L Cummins in it but this way you don't know what the real configuration of motor you have in front of you and you definitely don't know how well it runs, if it runs at all.

If a Cummins just dropped in I'd say "GO FOR IT!" every time but it DEFINITELY isn't that simple.
ONE POINT however is that I have never seen anyone that did swap a Cummins into something that EVER regretted it.

 

If You put some kind of sealer in Your IDI, and it worked. It's not cavatation. There's not a product in the world that'll seal pin holes in a diesel bore.

 

Wron wrong wrong wrong sealer can and will stop or slow to the point that it isn't noticeable the coolant loss caused by cavitation. I've seen it it wount work long but it does work long enough for you to trade your truck in on a new one the dealer ship to whole sale it and for me to buy it from the dealer that got it wholesale and drive it for a while befor it starts leaking.

 

gotta second what George said... unfortunately i know a guy who had a cummins with a crack somewhere cant remember if it was in the block or where and he put that stuff in there and traded it in and the dealership took it with no questions (no more leak)

 

irontite will seal anything for a long time but as for the cavitation issue, i would have to see it myself, i dont buy anything sealing cavitation with our compression. It sealed my trucks last engine head gasket for two months so i could buy another, still probably sealed. Stuff would be a badass in a gasser. If you see a steal on a gasser truck or car, buy the thing and use irontite all weather sealer and you will be good to go. For a cracked block though i would use the ceramic cote from irontite. Each bottle is around 23 bucks.

 

you gotta remember wreckinball, cavitation usually hits mid cylinder, thats why you get water in the oil (when the piston rings are above the holes) so your not at full compression when your piston is at the hole.

 

Wreckinball, Think about that for a minute ...

You contradicted yourself ...
You stated: "i dont buy anything sealing cavitation with our compression."
Then stated: "It sealed my trucks last engine head gasket for two months"

What would be the difference ... They both could see the compression, unless of course the cavitation is low in the hole!

About any good quality block sealer will plug it for a short period of time regardless if it's high or low in the hole, of course it'll likely last longer the lower in the hole it is.

Cavitation is very very small pinhole typically.

-Enjoy
fh : )_~