81 Dodge Crew Cab Cummins project
 

So heres the story....I have a '81 Dodge Crew Cab 4x4 318 4spd with dana 60's front and rear with 4;10s... its an ol ARMY truck with very low miles and RUST FREE,someone had painted it blue in the past..... I wanted to swap in a '92 Cummins with 5spd, AC,and CC.

I have purchased a BASKETCASE of a '92 Dodge diesel 4x4 regular cab,5spd, SRW for the donor ...so it was time to get started on this swap....so stay tuned for this long road ahead of me to get all this swapped over...

Here are pics of both trucks just the way I got them...

Attachment 50290
Attachment 50291
Attachment 50292
Attachment 50293
Attachment 50294

the 92 Diesel donor truck!!


Attachment 50295
Attachment 50296
Attachment 50297
Attachment 50298
Attachment 50299
Attachment 50300
Attachment 50301

Anyone who knows me knows that I have owned nice Dodges and have built nice ones over the years and to allways be different....so this truck will get a whole makeover also!!

So heres what I got done on the first day...:tu:
Attachment 50287 Attachment 50288 Attachment 50289

Read more: https://www.dieselbombers.com/newthr...#ixzz0Za7d8gEQ

good looking quad cab !! cant wait to see your progress and the final result:tu:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...9/DSCN2441.jpg
Attachment 50282
Attachment 50283
Attachment 50284
Attachment 50285

---AutoMerged DoublePost---

Hope everyone keeps up with this post and hope I'm not posting things to fast..trying to get you guys up to date on this thing...since I'm new on here!:tu:

---AutoMerged DoublePost---

Everything got gutted and ready to start the stripping and paint process..
Attachment 50286

you take things apart quick:choochoo:

Yeah...looks like I'm cheating alittle..:jump:..trying to transfer this from another forum..:tu:

The doors required alot of work..they had some dents and lots of misterious holes in them?? maybe BULLET holes!!

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...9/DSCN2624.jpg
Attachment 50277
Attachment 50278
Attachment 50279
Attachment 50280
Attachment 50281

You should mock up the clutch pedal assembly, wiper motor, and steering column before you paint. They all require a small amount of modification.

Thanks..but I'm way ahead of that now...gotta finish posting the rest!

---AutoMerged DoublePost---

Painted it 2009 Dodge Electric blue;
Everything is painted now except for the bed...still trying to find one thats in better shape??

Attachment 50258

Attachment 50259

Attachment 50260

Attachment 50261

Attachment 50262

nice
 

I've never been a huge fan of older dodges but that is gonna be nice. I've got a 93 dually I was thinkin about the older quad cab conversion, but I like the 8ft box and don't have time for that much work! PS-do the frames on those older trucks need to be modified or are they basically the same frame till 93. Keep up the good work

wow thats sweet, i love that color of blue, gonna paint mine that color (someday).:tu:

Heres some pics of the 92 getting dismantled.
Attachment 50155

Attachment 50156

Attachment 50157

Attachment 50158

GEE....I'm ready to pull my hair out on this project.....WHO EVER SAID this was a easy process!!! Alot of people seem to think that these 1st gen Dodges are all the same....yeah right! There are ALOT of different things from '81-'92!!!

I have been in the process of pulling the cummins/and tranny out of the diesel frame..pulled off the front springs from the crew cab frame...started to swap out the front and rear springs for two reasons...one to get more lift and second to handle the weight.

I have had to swap out the tranny crossmembers...and have noticed there is a difference in the motor mount cross member...the crewcab one seems to sit about an inch lower?
Which shouldnt be a problem I hope! I also noticed they have slots on both sides one the diesel frame for the motor mounts. I just slotted the other side on the crewcab crossmember.

I have found out that the front spring mounts use a bigger bolt on the very front and both mounts on the REAR springs use bigger bolts and the diesel truck!! So I'm thinking of torching the rivets and replace them with harden bolts and use the mounts and all.

The rear end has a 6 inch block under the springs on the diesel truck... my crew cab had only a 4 inch block.

Also noticed the front cross member is made different from the stock one on the crew cab..but I'm not changing it out.

Attachment 50159
Attachment 50160

Then FINALLY got the Cummins dropped in after having to torch a slot in the cradle for the drivers side because the mounts would not line up..
Attachment 50161

THEN the BAD NEWS....why DIDN't someone tell me I had to move the TRANS mount back about 1 1/2"s
After bolting up the tranny...and not to mention I even swapped out the tranny cross members so I would have no issues..
Attachment 50162

OK GREAT NEWS... PROBLEM SOLVED...my friend made the plate today at work and it worked out perfect...sure saved me alot of hassle trying to redrill those 12 holes!...

The bottom pic is the mounts...the top one is the old 4spd plate..the one on the right is the '92 dsl plate with the ear on it (still don't know what it was for but who cares I don't need it!) and the one on the LEFT is the NEW one.
The only thing different I had to do was flip the bolts upside down that mounts the plate to the transfer case because the bolts still set on the crossmember..so ploblem solved there.
So next step is to get the fuel supply figured out..the tank and lines.


Attachment 50163

Attachment 50164

making straps for the fuel tank most of the day and messed with the wiring from the cab to the back of the truck...I did get the fuel tank mounted and yes this is the Diesel tank from the '92...as far as the straps, I used the front diesel one oon the back of the tank just welded a longer stud to it.. then on the front strap I used the stock one..but I'm not real happy with it,its just not long enough but still works...the other ones are to long?


Attachment 50165

both driveshafts hooked up...cheated alittle on the rear driveshaft...i swapped out the yoke on the transfercase...because I'm still runing the Dana 60 rear...for now...all I had to do was slot out that center plate and move it back alittle for that bearing and got it fit! Painted the motor,hooked up the power steering box.... All I need now is some exhaust before I put the cab back on..would be nice anyways to do so.

Attachment 50148
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...9/DSCN2889.jpg
Attachment 50149

Attachment 50150
Attachment 50151

---AutoMerged DoublePost---

the exhaust is all done...had to make some hangers, I'm not really happy with how I did it but it will work(used some extra clamps to secure them to the pipe)...SO what I ordered was a 4" kit for a '92 Dodge diesel truck...one of the sections comes a little long to fit any wheelbase...I almost cut to much off...but it still worked out ok...got all the wiring swapped out from the 92 dash to the 81 dash...its now ready to install in the cab.

Attachment 50152

Attachment 50153

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...9/DSCN3048.jpg
Attachment 50154

Lookin' good bub. That's gonna be a sweet truck when you're done with it!:tu:

very nice.
you do good work and fast too.
Ive been working on just an engine rebuild and replace in my suv and its been going on 6 months.

Thanks guys! I started this project back in August...Things have moved along good as long as aI stop running into problems....long story....I had to take the tranny back out for a rebuild...:argh:..,new clutch,gonna replace the crank seal and then hope to get it back into the chassis within the next week?...:tu:....If it was not for that setback a couple weeks ago..the cab would had been put back on and the doors..oh well...got all winter I guess:w2:

Lookin good. Keep us posted. :tu:

sweet

Nice job,I have wanted to do a crew cab for a long time but time and funds have prevented it.