Ok I've bin saving up for this for some time so it's going to happen, the motor I'm going to drop in will be one of three 3116 3126 or c7 any help on witch one mite be better I'm leaning more toward the 3126 for the price and availability and no I'm not going with a cummins or any thing els I'm dead set on the cat and I'm going to make it happen

Next is the truck it needs to be 1997 or older to get around California smog, also looking for a 1 ton any make as long as it's the big three I need help to decide witch one would have the biggest engine bay or best front end to deal with the weight not afraid to break out the tools to make it work

Tranny I'm looking for a 6speed I can have an adapter plate made for most anything so witch would be best nv5600 zf6 or other any ideas I need them

Motor what ever I get won't be stock when it goes in, the guys at the cat dealer are all for helping me getting some thump out of it, I'm thinking if possible with a cat head studs,o-ring injectors, twin turbos, injector pump, I need ideas if needed I can have some custom parts made.

Before I jump all in I need to be fully ready so let's hear it some info so I can get the parts coming and the torch going

 

Are those mechanical series engines or HEUI? I wouldn't bother with swapping in a HEUI headache.

I would get the engine with whatever manual trans comes with it from the medium-duty truck.

As for a truck to put it in.... skip past the 94-02 Dodge, and 88-00 Chev IFS trucks. The frames are just not up to it IMO.

 

The 3116 in mechanical the 3126 is HEUI the newer c7 is common rail

I have a line on a hwy motor with 300hp but no tranny and I got friends with some bad a$$ machine shops that can do almost anything to make most anything work but if I found a Doner I would go that route with setup And divorced Tcase for the 4x4

 

Found a 82 2wd 1 ton diesel motor bay is a little small but I was going to cut it up anyway the guy in asking 1700 and it's got 77,000 miles on it. Or a 88 for f450 diesel for 1900 miles unknown I'm leaning toward the ford suggestions ?

 

Probably two of the stoutest 2wd trucks out there. I give the edge to the F450 with beam axle and rear discs.

 

We'll couldn't get the ford but I traded some stuff to a friend with a little money and got a dodge 97 1 ton now time to find the motor

 

Check that frame carefully, and don't plan on using the truck too hard. I have a 95 1-ton wreck that folded/cracked just ahead of the factory frame splice in the middle. They are a tall channel, but the gauge is thin, so rust weakens it faster.

The F-Superduty frame would have been the bomb... you'd have a proper Class 4/5 truck at the end -with Cat power - disguised as a pickup.

 

I've bin thinking on what you said earlier about the week frame on the dodge so I called my friends at wfo concepts in auburn California and they can double frame or beef it up the whole length of the frame for pretty good price. Also I was looking at a rebuilt eaton 10 speed today in my area, or should I keep looking for. Something like a 8 speed
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For some reason I can't put a pic up here but it's in my album

 

8 or 10 are most likely dual range anyway. I'd pick the 10. I think 7 speed is the most you can get in a single range box.

Another place to check is the front frame horns up front rust out on the bottom.

Some of the hardest use I see on frames is cantiveler loads. Tow trucks, dump trucks - anything that uses the rear axle as a fulcrum or pivot point. This 95 1-ton I have was a dumptruck. It seems the dumpbed went up, and the load didn't start sliding out soon enough, and started to pull the front tires off the ground. Instead of the tires lifting (I guess the cummins was too heavy) it folded the frame. Pushed the whole powertrain up and forward - ripped the trans mount, stuffed the tcase into the bottom of the cab, and broke both engine mounts.

If that is the truck you want to build, beefing up the frame is certainly a good idea.

 

It will be used for pulling a 5th wheel with a dozer on it and farm truck I killed my last three trucks with my 30,000 pound trailer the fist was a 01 dmax the silver one in my avatar pic a 08 dodge 3 trannys auto, and my 11 dodge fixed the dmax and the 11 but got rid of the 08. So this truck will just be for the farm stuff and the trailer till it dies then fix it beef it up and repeat.

I bet it was a wild ride when that truck went in half with some one in it