I have a Chevy step van/UPS P30 i want be able to tow a trailer with this unit. My 6.2 liter non-turbo needs to be rebuilt, will adding a turbo give me the power i need to tow full time? or does anyone know what engine will change out and do what i need?

Thank in advance!

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The 1985 step van/ P30 chassis/bread truck, which Cummings will swap with minimal changes, and give me the power to tow trailers around the country.

 

4bt cummins would fit, and how big of a trailer are we talking?

 

The trailer is a 28 foot enclosed trailer. Weight is approx 12,000lbs loaded.

 

dude idk about that that might be a little much for that motor, i would ask around and see what other ppl can tow with their 6.2s

 

Well, you can tow it with a 6.2, but be ready to **** a lot of people off. The words smokey and slooooowwwwwww.....

A TD 6.x isn't going to be much better. You're pushing a box, pulling a heavier box.

Some bread trucks came stock with a 4BT, but that's still too much weight and wind resistance. They also only came with the TH400 transmission. Strong as hell, but no overdrive. Important if you want to travel around the country.

You might get away with a 6BT, but I don't know if any bread trucks came with something that big.

I'd guess you can plan on somewhere around 8-10 MPG even with a 6BT.......you've just got too much tin in the wind.

God help you if you get into mountainous terrain. I'm guessing you'll probably be intending to pull around 20-25,000 lbs CGVWR once you're all loaded and hitched.

Sloooooowwwww.............

A 6BT can be wicked up to help deal with the weight, just have to keep an eye on the EGT's.

Go with a P pumped 12v to make it a bit easier.

Build some mounts, feed some fuel, only a couple wires to hook up, may have to modify the dog house, etc....

Bolt up an adapter plate and TH400 or a standard transmission.

If you want to get really fancy, bolt up an Allison and a stand alone transmission controller.

Toss in a gear vendors overdrive unit (if you don't get a transmission with an OD gear) and a dually corporate 14 bolt full floater rear and call it done.

That'll get you and your stuff pretty much anywhere you want to go.

Lets no forget to make sure things like the brakes and suspension are up to the task also.

You may want to think about some way to soundproof the cab a bit better than OE if you go 6BT. That lil' bugger is going to be really noisy in a bread van on a long haul....

Won't exactly be cheap to build it though.......

 

x2, bread trucks im sure have a really high geared tranny too

 

Here's a 6BT in a P30 frame:

1947 Ford 1.5ton w/ a 6BT and Roadranger 10 speed

He's got a 47 ford body on it, but a bread truck would be even easier to fit around it.

Here's where he says it's a p30 chassis:

Cummins 4BT & Diesel Conversions Forums

If I were in your shoes, I would've bought that for the 6,000 he's asking and dropped my van body over it.

You'd be money and work ahead of doing it yourself.

I think it sold though.

But it proves it can be done....

 

Thanks Great White, Yes i was on the gear vendor idea to cover the tranny situation, and the suspension i was planning to beef up the front and rear springs suspension with Firestone's air bag assist springs.

Again thanks for the info on the unit that has the 6BT swap on 4BTswap. As far as the Allison tranny that matches up with the 6BT 12valve i should look for a 1994 to 1998 Diesel? and i will not need a adapter plate?

I now know this will fit.

I have to rebuild the complete drive train anyway and the suspension. Now the breaks i will have to research, because it is drums on the rear and disk on the front. And the trailer has break as well.

Again thanks for the info.

P.S. You would not happen to be in the Kansas City area?

 

Dunno. You're definitely "off the reservation" with this one. Check out these guys for an adapter:

4BT and 6BT Cummins Adapter, Chevy 4L80E TH400 700R4 4L60E

Probably more out there somewhere. You'll need a stand alone controller for an Allison also.

Anything will fit, it just a matter of time and cost....

Standard stuff....

Just make sure your brakes are up to hauling 20,000 lbs down from speed or down a long steep hill....last thing you want to have to do is hit the semi truck run off area because your brakes have fadded to near nothing.

Ummm, no.

Newfoundland, Canada.

If I was to offer you my honest opinion I would say forget the old bread truck and go buy a newer F550/650 cab/chassis or something similar and put your kitchen on the back of that.

By the time you get it all done you're going to have 10-20,000 bucks into the old p30. And it will still be the same old bread van.

Stay away from the Kodiak/Topkicks based on the Savanna.

If you do elect to go on with the Cummins in the P30, 4btswaps.com is going to be your "meat and potatoes" web site....

(enh, enh? get the pun? )

good luck.

 

The P30 bread truck will be the RV/ living quarters while out on the circuit. I felt this was safer than a thin skin class A rv.?