I've had this idea for awhile now and it will probably be a long time before I can actually work on it. My mom has a Ford Aerostar van with a 4.0L v6 in it and its got some ***** but I thought how cool would it be to put a 4BT Cummins in this thing. Its got electronic 4 wheel drive or AWD basically and it would be nice to keep the 4x4 even if it doesn't automatically kick in like it does now. But does anyone have dimensions of a 4BT? Another tricky part is that the van is not a body on frame design so either some major reinforcing or fabbing up a frame to put the body on is going to have to be done. Anyway, just throwing the idea out there and any input would be nice, its something that I'd like to do at some point in my life but then again it might one of those ideas that may be better left in the workings of my imagination.

I've also seen videos on youtube of people that have put 302 small blocks in them but only running 2wd. I'd like the keep it an auto and keep the 4x4. Here's a few pics to give you an idea of what kind of space I'd have to work with.





This last one shows what the factory "frame" is

Let me know what ya'll think.

 

Given the amount of reinforcing it would take, you'd be better off separating the uniframe from the rest of the body and putting the body shell on a modified and reinforced small pickup chassis that you've dropped the 4BT into. Also the 4BT is going to be both longer and taller than the V6 engine (and engine bay) in the Aerostar. You'd almost certainly have to lengthen the interior engine cover "doghouse". The height would be less of a problem if you're putting that body onto another chassis.

You wouldn't be able to use the tranny and 4WD system that is in it either. Even if you could mate it to the 4BT, which would be a major undertaking, the torque of the 4BT would eat that V6 gasser drivetrain alive.

But, anything is do-able if you have the money and the time to invest into making it work.

 

I don't know how bad it would be in a aerostar but I would guess it would be like putting one in a Ranger because they are both basically the same thing with a different body. There is a place that puts them in Astro vans which is about the same size.

 

I know that I'd have to swap in a different drivetrain setup. As for a frame, I think what might be best would be to build something from scratch because finding something that I could set the body on and not look crappy might be difficult. Plus, if I could, I'd like to get it to be as close to factory ride height as possible. Would beefy 1/2 ton axles work or would I have to go to 3/4 ton? I know that the 4BT is a common 1/2 ton swap so I don't see why they wouldn't work. Maybe Dodge axles so I can have the solid front end and still stay close year wise? The van is a 92 and use 94-01 Ram 1500 axles?

 

I don't know that you would necessarily have to swap in a different drive train. It is just a four cylinder diesel that makes in the mid 300 lb-ft and you would probably never reach that unless you pulled something real heavy. The two things that would worry me is the same thing that has keep me from doing this to my s-10. That is the weight of the 4bt is about 750 lb and that unless you straight axle it I don't think it will clear the front end.

 

If you can find a bigger hater of IFS, I'd like to meet them. I think that everything 4wd should have a solid front end, but as for weight I really don't think an IFS setup would hold it either without the help of airbags or something. I can guarantee you that any mods for performance will be done to the motor so I doubt that the factory tranny which is already known for dieing(maybe it was made by dodge) and t-case would hold up.

 

I can't knock any of my ifs trucks I don't seam to have the same problems with them as some people. I think the biggest problem wouldn't be with it holding the weight it could be made to do that. I think the big problem would be with clearing the cross member. Thats the big problem they run into when putting Cummins in 90's Chevys. I had forgot all about these things having weak trannys. What side is the drop on? I wounder if you could put a 700r4 out of a S-10 or full size chevy in it. I know people knock the 700's but the 4 bt is not that big of a engine and it could be made to handle the torque if it won't stock. The s-10 have a driver side drop and most of the 4 bt's come with a Chevy trans bolted to them.

 

I haven't had any problems with ifs, and sure, in some vehicles it makes for a nice smooth ride but I just prefer solid front ends. And what do you mean by drop? As for a trans I was thinking either a 700r4 or a ford c6 but the 700r4 had OD if i remember right. I'm not real knowledgeable on chevys.

 

Not true, if the pictures posted above are of the underside of the Aerostar. That is a uniframe - a "box" frame made of layered sheetmetal stampings and welded together and welded to the underside of the body. They may be similar in size, layout, and may even use a lot of the same drivetrain components, but Rangers have a separate ladder frame that can be unbolted from the body. The weight, power, and torque of the 4BT would tear the uniframe apart. Even the Ranger's full ladder frame would need some reinforcement to stand up to one for very long

Sorry, but that isn't correct either - unless you think a Ranger (similar size to the Aerostar) and a Chevy 1/2 ton pickup are "about the same size". The Astro is actually based on a Chevy 1/2 ton "shorty" pickup frame. I can see putting a 4BT into an Astro - other than the smaller size of the engine compartment (a 4.3 Vortec is a tight fit) it would be a lot like putting it into a 1/2 ton Chevy truck.

I owned an 84 Ranger and a 95 Astro, and I can tell you 100% for certain that they are not that close in size, and to say a uniframed Aerostar is "about the same" as a full pickup-framed Astro is like saying apples and oranges are about the same. The Astro is a LOT more truck than the Aerostar.

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By "drop" he means what side does the front driveshaft come off the transfer case - and therefore which side is the front axle differential offset.

The 700R4 is an OD - 4th gear is .7:1

 

Oh, ok. Never heard of it described like that before. And its on the driver's side. I think you can see the front driveshaft in one of the pics I posted. Ok, I'd definitely would be putting an OD tranny in for sure. What's usually fuel mileage out of 4BTs? I'm sure it can't be much worse than the 20-22 mpg highway we get out of the v6 that's in it now.