1988 K2500HD. 12V 6bt Cummins OR LS Swap? Which should I do?

[98_k1500]

I wanna cummins swap mine one day. Can't you put a dodge bell housing on that nv4500, run a chevy clutch plate, transmission, transfer case, and a cummins diesel?

 

[19trax95]

^^ I'm pretty sure you can. In fact there is companies that make most everything needed for the swap.

 

[98_k1500]

That would be all stock (and cheap) parts. All you would need is motor mounts.

 

[454cid]

I beleive you want to stay away from the Chevy clutch..... too small. I'm pretty sure you've also got to switch to the Dodge input shaft on the NV4500. While you can use a lot of staock parts, they add up. Easy and Cheap, don't usually apply to engine swaps like this. You may also run into accesory mounting issues. For instance the stock Dodge location for the AC compressor will be where the Chevy frame rail is on the passenger side.

 

[Triplel40]

I was told the MT8 (88-94) NV4500's have a different bell-housing to transmission bolt pattern than the dodges. The MW3 (95+) NV4500's are the the same as the dodges, so with a newer one it would work. It would take quite a bit of adapting to get the Chevy tranny bolted to a cummins, along with the input shaft swap that 454 mentioned. 454 is also correct about the accessory problems, but there are fixes for that.

HERE IS A GOOD CUMMINS SWAP:
Crummins did a great job on this in his Burb, but he used an automatic so it was easier to mate the engine up to the tranny.
http://www.gmt400.com/forum/showthread.php?15670-1996-Suburban-Cummins-Swap!

Anyways, update. My rear view mirror decided to fall off of my windshield, and pull the inner layer of glass off with it, so I get to spend my money on a new windshield instead of the tranny. Oh well, guess I'll keep an eye out for one later. I'm starting to believe the best way to do a Cummins swap would be to run a Dodge tranny and drivers drop Dodge transfer along with it, but then I'd probably have trouble getting the speed sensor to work. On the other hand, I've actually been looking into LS swaps more now. I am surprised there haven't been any LS supporters here haha. Anyways, guess I will just sit back and keep researching for a while. Still open to suggestions though.

 

[98_k1500]

My trans is a 98. The chevy clutch disc is only 1/4" smaller than the dodge. Thats 1/8 inch all the way around. The pressure plate has more to do with the holding power of the clutch than the disc does, so as long as you bought a good clutch and got a pilot bushing that would fit the crank and the input shaft, i see no reason why you couldn use the chevy input and clutch and the dodge engine and bell housing.

 

[Triplel40]

Yeah it would probably work alright, think I'm leaning back towards the cummins swap, but I'll have a while to figure it out anyways. Also, now I'm thinking about doing a 5.3/5spd swap into an old CJ5 I've been looking at, so I may put the 88 on hold and do that first. Just have to see what happens

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