7.3l or 4bt?
I really want a diesel in my truck. Ive been on the fence for awhile now and I cant decide which engine to go with. Currently I have a 92 f150 xlt with a 4.9l and e40d. Ive been debating between a 7.3l or 4bt, but im having a really hard time deciding because they both have advantages and disadvantages. My plans for the trudk is to be a daily driver with a 4in lift and 33s. I dont plan on towing anything big like a 5th wheel but i will be towing a boat 20 or 30 miles. Here are the pros and cons of each engine the way i see it.
7.3l: pros -direct swap -easy to find parts -just need a donor truck -can find everywhere Cons: -heavy -ok mpg (14-16 city, 18-20 hwy) 4bt: pros -great mpg -lighter than the 7.3l -more tq than the 7.3l -low maintenance Cons: -hard to find parts -more expensive parts -everything will be pieced together not trying to start anything I just would like some help, plus if i missed anything please let me know. |
The suspension wont handle a 7.3
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Well i figured with either one i would have to do something with the suspension
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Originally Posted by quincyj34
(Post 1012006)
Well i figured with either one i would have to do something with the suspension
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Im leaning more towards 7.3 swap just for the fact that theres no guess work. What is a good way to beef up the suspension?
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Originally Posted by quincyj34
(Post 1012062)
Im leaning more towards 7.3 swap just for the fact that theres no guess work. What is a good way to beef up the suspension?
although there will always be people who know about suspensions, here's a little piece of thought..... no matter how cool a set of springs and shocks turns out, ultimately the weight is carried on the wheel bearings, spindles, etc right there where the wheel-flange meets the brake disc, and if stuff is really heavy, those pieces will wear, heat, distort and fail much more quickly than they would have under stock-weight stuff. You'll get away with heavy-assed stuff riding on a 1/2-ton axle set for a while, but, eventually, you're likely to be that poor bastard on the side of the road with a wheel that really looks weird because it broke off an sits crooked under the fenderwell. get some 3/4T components and drive around with happy confidence :tu: |
The more I look into diesel conversions the more I shy away from the 4bt and lean more towards a 6bt or 7.3l swap. The reason being is there are tons of 7.3l and 6bt running around in my area so I know finding parts for either one will be easy. Not being able to find parts is my greatest fear with a 4bt swap. Yes i know I can use parts of a 6bt but not all of them...right?
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Originally Posted by quincyj34
(Post 1013548)
The more I look into diesel conversions the more I shy away from the 4bt and lean more towards a 6bt or 7.3l swap. The reason being is there are tons of 7.3l and 6bt running around in my area so I know finding parts for either one will be easy. Not being able to find parts is my greatest fear with a 4bt swap. Yes i know I can use parts of a 6bt but not all of them...right?
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Ford put the 6.9/7.3L in D44TTB trucks (std. cab F250) up to '91. So based on that, draw your own conclusions on how heavy-duty your front axle needs to be.
If it were my project, I would be looking at a IDI/5spd combo, add a turbo, and 05+ Superduty axles. They're certainly beefy enough and front already setup for coil springs. |
Its still hard deciding between either swap. One thing that has been puzzling me is how are cummins swaps cheaper than a 7.3l swap? From what ive seen 4bt/6bt swaps run about 5-10k and for a 7.3l swap you just need a donor truck which runs 5k or under.
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