6BT swap for Old Red

fancyTBI · Sep 2, 2019

I plan on redoing my truck into a Cummins equipped C1500. I read a lot about K1500, K2500, etc. but never C trucks. Mine is a RCLB and I'm not worried about weight because pshhh (air ride) and it will not be body dropped.

My main concern is clearance. I see people saying that you have to massage the firewall or that you don't. And you have to have the body lift or that you do.

A question for the oil pan as well and the cross member. Will I need to modify the pan or notch the crossmember? Obviously there is a right way and wrong way to do the crossmember. Or even have a new one made.

I like the Screemin' Seeman motor mounts.Diesel Conversion Specialists has the sensor fittings.

No need to worry about a trans controller. I've got a foot and an arm for that. I would like to hear what everyone has to say, especially the 2wd guys.

I found a 12V for sale locally. It is a W250 club cab. Guy wants 15K for it, a little steep (LOL) but wanted a truck to drive for a bit and use the engine when the body rotted off.

Frank Compagnon · Sep 3, 2019

A few years ago I picked up a 12 valve 95 Dodge 3500 2 wd, auto with a 12-foot flat deck, the truck has a lot of rot on it and I actually thought about doing it up, then finding an 8 ft dually box, because I am not fussy about flat decks, then learned a few things about CC that I didn't know and scrapped that idea. I just picked up a 88 Chevy regular cab dually C3500 and I plan to install the Cummins engine, Dodge auto trans with the stock dodge computer for the trans shifting into the Chevy, but that won't be for a year or so. Hoping to pick up some install-info before I start.

tahoe.mkIII · Sep 3, 2019

Thinking 15k is steep for a truck that you just want the drivetrain out of.
Think I paid $2500 for a 96 12v with a 47rh attached and all necessary wiring and intake piping. Think it had 100k ish on the odo

fancyTBI · Sep 3, 2019

tahoe.mkIII said:
Thinking 15k is steep for a truck that you just want the drivetrain out of.
Think I paid $2500 for a 96 12v with a 47rh attached and all necessary wiring and intake piping. Think it had 100k ish on the odo

Yes it is stupid steep. But I have been wanting a Cummins. So I figured I would drive it for a few years. But even then it’s a lot. I’ve been looking for roll overs or old farm trucks.

tahoe.mkIII · Sep 3, 2019

fancyTBI said:
Yes it is stupid steep. But I have been wanting a Cummins. So I figured I would drive it for a few years. But even then it’s a lot. I’ve been looking for roll overs or old farm trucks.

Took me a few months to find one for a decent price. diligent/daily searching on Craigslist and letgo finally yielded a winner, which luckily was only 15 min from my house.

letitsnow · Sep 3, 2019

It's expensive to be in a hurry.

fancyTBI · Sep 3, 2019

I’ve got some time. I’m going to start getting components here and there and keep them at the farm. I will be moving to Chicago area for a job. My friend also owns a fab shop and I hope we will be bagging it before the Cummins install

vr1967 · Sep 4, 2019

I did a Cummins swap in my 96 c3500. I had to massage (fold) the cab pinch weld to keep it from rubbing on the bell housing adapter, as I moved everything back so I could run the mechanical fan.

You will have to move the ac compressor to a mid or high mount, the adapters for the oil pressure and water temp, I picked up at local hardware store. I used a first gen 6 bt, so took the reservoir from the GM power steering pump and put on the Dodge pump to run my hydro boost. You can t the return line, but I had problems with it, which went away when I changed the reservoir.

Used the GM master and Dodge slave with good luck. Be sure it is a 3500 master, as the 3500HD has a bigger bore which gave it no pedal pressure (I also converted my father’s 95 3500 HD)

skylark · Sep 5, 2019

Look at medium duty trucks. I have a Ford F700 box truck with a 5.9 Cummins sitting here for sale.

fancyTBI · Sep 8, 2019

I’ve also been thinking about a common rail 5.9 to really open up the doors for tuning or at least a P-Pumped 24V. Thanks for the suggestion about other vehicles. The old fed ex truck that was at my house today had a 5.9 in it and it got me thinking again.

6BT swap for Old Red

fancyTBI

Some of my trucks run and drive

Frank Compagnon

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tahoe.mkIII

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fancyTBI

Some of my trucks run and drive

tahoe.mkIII

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letitsnow

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fancyTBI

Some of my trucks run and drive

vr1967

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skylark

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fancyTBI

Some of my trucks run and drive

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