I am considering buying a mid-80s crew cab chevy 1 ton single wheel with a 454 from a good friend. how much willl I have to beef up the front end to hold a 12v cummins and stock cummins auto tranny?

 

the 454 weighs about 600- 650, and a 12 valve cummins is 905-975, with a 24 V weighing 1150 so your talking about a difference of 300-400 lbs. I assume that they sold the 80,s 1 tons with a snow plow package, and the snow plow probably weighs around 3 or 400 so maybe the front end can handle If you can find all the parts from a snow plow package. Which I am sure are beefed up springs, maybe stronger Ball joints etc.. There is one guy on here who has a F150 with a 6bt swap and he's running it stock, with maybe some more springs.

I would at least box the front frame and add some cross members when you do the swap. Or you could just do a 4bt swap it only weighs 100 lbs more then the 454.

5.9L Cummins 24v ISB Specs 5.9L Cummins 12v Specs
4BT Cummins Diesel Specs

 

EDIT/UPDATE: I think it is a 454, but it might be the 350. In my heart of hearts, I would like to put in a 2nd gen 12 valve, but I may have to go with a 1st gen. The guy that owns the candidate truck I am wanting to put this cummins in, is putting a 1st gen diesel into an '87 crew cab chevy and putting in an nv4500. (Mostly because someone stole the '87's original tranny) I would like to know if this would work:I found a 96 Dodge 3/4 ton diesel that has no title (meaning i can only buy it for parts) at a U-pick and pull junkyard about ten minutes from my home. He wants $1200 for the truck as is with a smoked transmission, or a grand for the motor alone. Obviously, buying it as a whole seems like a better deal because I can sell off the remaining parts and get most of my money back for it. It is a 4wd auto that is missing it's rearend, frontend, dash, instrument cluster, front fenders, grille, front bumper, radiator, and air filter box, but it still has everything else including a VERY straight body that would be easy to sell along with a good interior. It looks like it might be a good donor vehicle.

The dodges smoked tranny obviously indicates I need a replacement. Would I be able to bolt a 2wd tranny to the 4wd cummins motor? Would it just be easier to swap in a 4wd front axle to the chevy's frame? As much as I would like it, I don't have to have 4wd on this thing.

How much will I have to beef up the front end on this thing?? I have heard weight numbers of a 2nd gen 12 valve weight from 900-1200 pounds. I know the 454 wieghs about 600 pounds. (Nearly half!!) Roughly the same with a 350. Will I have to box the frame? Will I need to do a body lift? What kind of upgrades will I need to do on the steering components? I am told I can utilize the motor mounts in their factory location, but I have not found much on this though. What kind of mods do I need to do to the firewall, fenders, radiator brackets, etc..... How much metal do I need to add to that front end?

AANNNNYYYY input, ideas, or anything else is appreciated!!!

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Thanks for answering my questions! Your reply answered my questions when I was still typing that update. Thanks!! Any other answers or questions for me??

 

Destroked - THE Cummins Conversion Company : Adapter Plates

they can probably give you support over the phone or email on what you should do.

 

here is my conversion. 81 GMC. All i did was order some 6.2L diesel coils for the front. Takes the weight no problems

https://www.dieselbombers.com/diesel...box-chevy.html

 

in my opinion i think all trucks are sufficiently over engineered to handle a 20 to 30 years life of being a truck, possible abused and over loaded, as stated above, snow plows are installed on trucks and run with no issue, consider also that the further forward the weight from the axle centerline, the more load it will put on the front end, so to me a 900 pound engine mounted with the majority of its mass aft of the axle would probably result in less actual load on the front end than say a 500 pound plow mounted say a foot in front of the front bumper. all i know is im running stock front end with the exception of larger coils, and my truck survived hitting an un seen ditch at 30 miles an hour, bounced off the ground and threw my head into the roof, the tire did come up and break the evaporator housing off the fire wall, but no axle damage

 

I am greatly inspired by many of the swaps on here and by Project super dually on my favorite show: Trucks! You all have inspired me greatly!!! I appreciate everyones time and info!! Thanks for answering my question on the weight, but can anyone answer my others?

 

Take a look at the link i posted. It's the same tuck. It's a piece of **** swap. i even used the gauges out of the dodge and it all works like factory.

And yes, you can bolt a 2 wheel NV4500 up to the back of it. it's all the same to the engine.

 

BBC= 725 lbs dressed, sbc= 575 lbs dressed, IHC=920 lbs dressed, and will fit in an old school c/30. 1200 lbs for a cummins? what a 262? seems kinda heavy, could be 900 lbs

600 lbs is really light for a BBC, maybe alum heads, intake, no water pump, a/c, alt, p/s pump, etc

Thats all I got
Daniel

 

The 292 was just over 900 pounds. Also, the cummins gets moved about 6 inchs back further than the stock engine config. This takes a ton of weight off the coils. The front end feels light and goes around corners 10 times better than stock.