I know the V-10 swap has been hashed out many times on here, but I am currently in the process of trying to swap a V-10 out of a 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 4WD 5-speed manual transmission and put a high horsepower (800HP) 2005 Cummins 5.9L in. From reading other posts, it appears that the transmission will bolt up with minor changes to valve bodies for RPM shifting purposes, and some wiring and gauge cluster changes, but I have yet to find any information concerning the front cross member or about the shear weight differences between the two motors. I'm thinking the V-10 weighs around 600-800 lbs, and my 5.9L weighs approximately 1300-1400 lbs (I have a massive air intake system and twin turbos). What effect will the difference in weight have on the front end of the truck? I'll also need an intercooler, but I do not, at this time, see that there will be much room to fit one in, Any suggestions there? This will be my first engine swap (gas-to-diesel), so any help will greatly appreciated.
-Bill

 

Hi Bill. I would not be concerned about the weight. Your truck came factory with a 24v cummins in 2001 so I would not hesitate to put a common rail in there. think of it this way, tons of guys go running around with cummins trucks with heavy duty plows dangling off of the front of the truck with no real issues. Also, the V10 and diesel share everything, axles, trans, radiator support, crossmembers, etc, so putting a diesel with an intercooler up front shouldnt be a big deal. Id say get a factory 24v intercooler, but I dont know how it compares to the CR

You spoke of a valve body change in the trans, but you also say that you have a 5 speed standard? The V10 NV4500 should bolt up to the engine plate on the CR

And as far as wiring, you will be doing a TON more wiring than just for the gauge cluster. This swap would require the full engine harness, ECU, etc. You could also get the CR standalone harness from painless wiring to make it simpler:

2003 2004 2005 Cummins Diesel Engine Harness 5.9L - Manual Transmission OnlyDetails | Painless Performance

 

Thank you, Freeze Plug, I appreciate the info. I came into contact with GOS Performance, and they are making me a wring harness and ECM to make the 24V a stand alone, and tie into a module, so that I will be able to use the gages w/o the original '05 truck's wiring harness. The only thing that will not be accurate is the RPM, but a tuner/module should be able to display that correctly. All I have to do is locate a gas pedal and sensor off of a donor '05 truck. It is still going to be a challenge, but I am determined to make it work. Next hurdle will be the engine mounts and installing the 24V.
-Bill

 

I was wondering if anyone knows what all I would have to do to change from my V10 to the cummins. Do I need to change the transmission too?

 

Jut1915,
In the conversion of my '01 Dodge Ram V-10 to an '05 Cummins, the 5-spd manual transmission bolted up fine. The bell housing was an exact match. The only think I changed was the input shaft of the transmission, which is a 10-minute job. I had to purchase engine mounts for an '01 Cummins engine, which were pricey, but they bolt right up to the Cummins and fit into the mount receiver on the '01 Dodge Ram. I did not have any problems with fitting the Cummins in the Dodge Ram. You can call MOPAR and verify that the '03 Dodge Ram transmission's bell housing will bolt right up to the Cummins, but I bet it will. There are a lot of people--on this forum and elsewhere--who will tell you that you will need to get a different transmission b/c the MOPAR transmission will not hold, but I haven't had any problems. I used a double 13.25" disk clutch assembly from SouthBend, and I have not had any problems. You may not need to go that extreme on the clutch, depending on the HP application on your Cummins, but the '05 Cummins powerplant that I built was built to 800HP/1250 ft/lbs of torque.
Another issue that I learned, if you are going to use the original gasoline fuel tank is that you will have to change out the "basket" inside the fuel tank after you clean it out. It will cost you approximately $100. You can then get a lift pump/fuel/water separation filter assembly to take care of your fueling needs. As conversions go, mine was pretty seamless. If you are using a 3rd gen Cummins, I would recommend obtaining the original wiring harness, gas pedal and sensor from the original donor truck, if available. If not, then you will have to make the engine a stand-alone unit from the truck. Not a big deal, but it is a bit more expensive because of the electronics mods and the gauge swap-out.
If you need anymore info, just hollar.
-Bill