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I thought I would share some pics about last winter's project. This winter I'm creating yet another jailbar variant, but that's for later. Last year I installed a rather unusual cummins 6cyl turbo diesel in my 47 jailbar tonner pickup. Called a 6at and originally built as an Onan generator engine, they were offered for light delivery trucks when Cummins bought out Onan. They were also sold as marine engines etc. Displacing only 210 cu in, they are not the powerhouse we see in the 6bt in a Dodge, or the torquey 4bt in delivery trucks.They are a very well built engine with big journals and seven main bearings. Perhaps best for this type of conversion is that they were designed to run continuously at 3600 rpm with a powerband that doesn't require gear ratio alterations. Most of these 6ats were set up with a GM bellhousing which accepts a variety of GMs transmissions. I chose an SM465 granny low 4 speed. A nice one cost me 100 bucks, but a 5 speed like the new venture would have been better though. No regrets. At 67 years old, I did not look forward to all the crawling under/bending over needed for such a project. I had a 47 tonner rolling chassis with no title sitting around so I decided to work out all the details while standing up on my two feet alongside it. I Also had a factory ford cowl that was used on jailbar chassis' when fitted with school bus/military/bread truck bodies and many other bodies. This was very important as it mounted in the same body mounts on the frame as the truck cab, allowing me to know where the firewall was going to be, hydraulic clutch details etc. After a couple of false starts at mounting this heavy thing in my frame (something was always in the way) The engine's oil filter, the truck's steering box, many of you know of these things. I did some cutting and welding on the junker frame and in the end decided to design and build mounts on the diesel that would bolt right into the 6 cylinder mounts that ford provided for their alternate engine choice. As I got into this train of thought I started noticing how many holes these frames had in them. I was able to mount a remote oil filter, a 'pull type' clutch slave cylinder and a removeable transmission crossmember to name a few parts into existing ford frame holes. In fact if became like a challenge for myself. To this day, I could bolt a ford six or v8 right back in except for V8 style radiator required. OK, it's late. Here are some photos I will do this thread in parts almost like a build thread after the fact.
Probably many or most have seen Gary’s “What in Tarnation?” build thread over on the ‘barn, but if not it’s below. Along with his YouTube of the truck in a cool music video. I’ll admit that I have (mostly) quietly followed your several builds over there but not until this tonner MH found me have I gone back and used your trucks to go to school on the many detail differences between the eras. Your builds, Gary, are amazing. Stu
I have found the truck to be very dependable with this engine. With the cold weather it starts a bit hard in the morning. Gonna have to get my 26 year old son to hang over those big fenders and check the glow plugs.I should have replaced them when it was a bare chassis! The first pics look a bit ragged, but After some painting and tidying up it cleaned up real good! The last two pictures show how I shortened 4" out of the driveshaft. I knew the main thing is it had to remain very straight. I turned a hard maple wood dowel the exact size as the ID of the driveshaft. I felt a hand held lathe tool like I used in shop class could produce too many variables so I made an overhead track for my router. I then pressed this dowel into the two halves and then spot welded around and 'round, let cool, then a continuous bead. Wasn't sure what to do if it caught on fire, but I have a hose. I have driven the fast lane on the interstate with no weird vibes, so it stays as is.
Very creative motor mounts that help distribute some of the heavy weight of that Cummins. Does the front suspension and
steering handle it ok? Should be an ideal combo. for puttin' around the island.
With those super tall and skinny michelin 7.50 x 17 radials up front it steers like a dream. I installed new king pins and lined honed the bushings with my wife's wooden spoon chucked in a cordless drill with sandpaper flaps like I always do. I also added an extra leaf or two on all four corners. I have read many discussions on the forums about removing some leaves from HD trucks so they ride better. I have no interest in a cushy ride, and I like 'em 'way up firm and high'. (My trucks).
Nice work Gary! I think, if the flathead in my dump truck ever gives up the ghost, I would replace it with a Cummins diesel. A chrome exhaust running up the passenger side of the cab would be too cool. Not to mention that diesel exhaust sound.
Thought I'd chime in now that we have some new tonners on board. The Cummins has proven itself quite well over the past year. My son replaced five of the six glow pulgs. The one remaining is behind the bosch injector pump. Thankfully we could reach it enough to test it and it passed. The gearing is actually fine, even on the mainland having done 65 with ease according to my phone's speedometer app. The reason I can cruise well with stock gearing is because this cummins is rated to run 3600 rpm all day long. It's a high speed, indirect injected diesel. I have a 33 page treatise by the society of automotive engineers on design and testing of this 3.4 liter. Consider a 210 cu in engine with seven 3" main bearings, 2 1/4" rod bearings with 1 1/4" wrist pins. Has coolant style oil cooler and lubrication system holds 11 quarts of oil. I have recently added a heavy duty rear bumper, actually built over the top of the existing step bumper. I added this bumper to accomodate my Craigslist find WW2 US Navy bomb hoist. Then it seemed lopsided so I added a vice on the opposite side.. By this time I lost a bit of the jaunty rake it had when empty so back under to add a 5/8" block which once spaced some overload springs on a different truck. This was placed under the leaf pack with a proper pin to dowel it into place. At this time I removed the wood side boards for now. I'm saving them for the green tonner 'farm truck' I'm fixing to build next. Currently has no engine or trans, but not to worry. I have a really nice H six and a T-9 on my run stand. Also a great set of 7.50 17s. I will now try to dig up some pictures. The green truck is shown on the trailer and maybe a pic or two of my tonner panel for fun. Anyhow you recent tonner guys are inspiring me to come around to FTE more often. But.... Don't be too surprised to see me in my jailbar open cab roadster pickup on a 79 toyota landcruiser station wagon chassis. I bitch about these resto-mods and end up building one. Go figure......
Oh and then here's a sneak preview of last winter's project...Last one is me and my 7 year old grand daughter driving home from the boat after setting the crab pots last summer.
Wow you have one hell of a fleet! you got a jailbar for every need a guy could imagine . Family truckster, work horse, open top cruising and then some. I will admit your trucks have inspired my 47’ build but your 6AT tonner is making me second guess the H series I’m dumping money into ha
That is a pretty cool engine swap GB! Sounds like it runs very similar to the Mercedes diesel in my F4. Mine runs really well at 65 mph and turns about 2800 rpms at that speed. I have had it to 75 mph, but really didn't like driving it at that speed.
Mark
GB, seems like you used to be on the 48-56 site once in a while? I just decided to look at the 47 and earlier tonight and rediscovered you. You are amazing! I love your projects!
GB, seems like you used to be on the 48-56 site once in a while? I just decided to look at the 47 and earlier tonight and rediscovered you. You are amazing! I love your projects!
Thanks Greg. Yes I have been on various chapters of FTE over the years. My 53 F350 9'express, my '59 F350 also 9' express with a cummins 6at. Then I came across 5 jailbar trucks and some nice extra parts in a package deal in Twisp Wa, on the dry Eastern side of our state. It's been a treasure trove. The green tonner with no bed on my trailer earlier in this thread has just been dragged out of it's 5-6 year resting place in a dark shed. A few years back I took the 8' box off of a Western Wa. truck and set it on the Twisp tonner. I really need that shed for lumber storage so on Friday I dragged it out with my old skidsteer and pressure washed it. It will go into one of my two fix it bays for brakes and engine /trans. I have two really nice, rust free doors that are already green and the cab has a great floor. It will be nice to have the truck fairly complete and running so I can move it around.
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.
