240zV8 Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Not sure if anyone here is real familiar with Diesels, but i'm looking to get a cummins 5.9l to put in my 91' chevy 3/4 ton so I can actually tow my excavator. The only diesel i've ever owned is my excavator, but it's not a cummins, lol, it's a small yanmar. Should I just take whatever I find to a diesel mechanic, or does anyone have any things to really check for. You can't check for cavitaion without tearing the engine apart right? I guess i'm just looking for some input on diesels in general, and help choosing one. I just checked the paper and there was two seperate 2002 5.9l cummins ho for $2500 each with computor etc.. But i've heard no way, because the wiring in those things is amazing, lol, and to stick with the 12v 5.9l. This is just somthing in the planning stages, because towing with a 350 tbi and 700r4 isn't the best setup in the world when towing 8k+. I'm already planning on adding a suspension lift, so clearence will be fine, and the stock chevy diff is plenty strong, but I have no clue about diesels, except that I would love to be able to have all that torque down low to pull, plus i've really wanted to switch to manual trans as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_hunt Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Diesel rundown; Ford and Chevy, light duty diesel, rating = life to rebuild interval is 250,000 miles. Dodge, medium duty diesel, rating = life to rebuild interval is 500,000 miles. Diesels are certainly the most efficient way to go and get the manual trans! I have 3 dodge diesels with either the 5sp or 6sp and make sure you get the 3.73 axle ratio, the 4.11 or 4.56 suck balls, 1997, 1999 and 2004. Mpg goes hand in hand with HP. The 1997 = 26mpg avg (2wd reg cab 190hp), the 1999 = 22.5mpg avg (4wd ext cab 235hp), the 2004=17.6mpg (4wd quad cab 320hp). HP costs money, but I'll tell you the '97 pulls great with 190HP and 400lb-ft of TQ. Yeah, the '04 pulls better but you still have to stop. The '99 gets the best overall marks from me pulling, since it gets better mileage than the '04, less than the '97, but has alittle more power than the '97. I get 17mpg avg pulling heavy gooseneck trailer loads (14,000+lbs). My backhoe (JD500 series weighs 24,000 so I don't pull that with any of my dodges. Buddy here has a complete '02 dodge single wheel 1 ton frame, 4wd, with engine, trans and tc factory original, 69K miles, $5000. If you were to buy an '02 cab, slap a flat bed on it, you should be in for less than $12K total for a nice truck! Went with my buddy and his '02 Ford quad cab diesel 3/4 ton. He has the superchip tuner in it set on economy. Drove 430 miles, averaged 14 miles per gallon empty!! Another two buddies have the '04 Duramax dually 4wd's, try 17mpg empty and about 12 mpg pulling light trailers (less than 8K lb). To me the choice is simple. Also look at resale values! Dodge is significantly higher here than either of the other two. The '02 ford was just recently purchased for 13K with 169K miles on it. They had a '99 dodge, but it was 18K and had 139K miles. Chevy and Ford have creature comforts, but if you want a TRUCK buy a dodge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MastersMechanic Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 This swap should be pretty easy even easier with a manual tranny. I'm pretty sure all the wiring is on the motor. Besides the ignition, and the heater relays. Witch if they leave the wiring atached to the motor you should be able to look at a wiring diagram to hook it up. Not knowing if your truck is throttle body or multi you will have to have a tbi style fuel pump in the tank, as the multi will have to much psi. or you could run a seperate lift pump, the carter style from any parts store will work 15-25 psi is best. The heater relays should be hooked up on a timer style relay to ignition on. I would only use a cummins inliner so much more reliable then any other brand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240zV8 Posted February 4, 2007 Author Share Posted February 4, 2007 What I might do is look for a ram thats been wrecked in the bed (just make sure the frame is straight), then build a dump on it. The cummins seems to get great mpg compared to the rest, what if I got a great deal on a 7.3 IDI, or a early PSD? Stick with the cummins? 500,000 miles is incredible for the life span of a small work engine with that kind of torque. If I end up just swapping in a cummins in my chevy, would you stay newer than 94 with the engine, or do the early cummins get good marks from you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240zV8 Posted February 4, 2007 Author Share Posted February 4, 2007 yea i've got the tbi in my chevy, it's been a great engine, reliable and enough power for light towing etc, but it just doesn't cut it for real towing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_hunt Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 I'd stay dodge, several people here, like Leroy Gutierrez and Vernon Leseberg, have swapped cummins into chevy's! Vernons is a '72 4wd and Leroys is a 2002 4 door dually chevy. The frame brian has is straight, everything is there, no cut wires that I saw. Need a 2002 dash to make the gauges painless. I'd look for an '02 cab and front end, put a dump bed on it and paint it. Mind you this frame is totally rust free and looks like factory new being from NM. I thought about buying it and putting my '97 body on it, but my gauges aren't compatible. His number is 505-835-1586, if your interested in talking to him, his name is Brian Chavez, diesel mechanic par excellance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240zV8 Posted February 4, 2007 Author Share Posted February 4, 2007 Can you put a cab from a 94 on it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeeboost Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 I too, would recommend a cummins, but the 7.3 is a good engine. We have a few of them swing by the shop with over 300,000 miles and still running strong. I don't care too much for the 6.0 - it's junk IMO. It seems like a cummins would be an easier swap, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad-ManQ45 Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 I'm glad this subject came up, because I may be looking to get a diesel powered van of some kind. I had stopped by a turbo shop here in Marietta with Warren and heard some stories about some of the diesel engines out there being a real horror story for servicing. Seems one particular motor, no matter what you had to do you had to remove everything and pay out the but for it also - can't remember the particulars, but believe it was one of the Ford (International?) engines.... My dad used to be a purchasing manager for Cummins back in the 50's so I'm kinda partial to 'em to start off with. DR_Hunts' comments were very enlightening.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240zV8 Posted February 4, 2007 Author Share Posted February 4, 2007 my neighboor had a 97 1 ton duelly ram, non turbo i think, and he said that thing would pull 12k without even hesitating, and anything less than that you couldn't even tell you were towing it. He just bought a brand new quadcab with a ho cummins. The 7.3's seem to get pretty bad milage compared to even the 12v cummins, and less power to boot. But i've heard good things about the 7.3 IDI if your like me and can only afford a early to mid 90's truck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparks280zt Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Cant say enough good things about the Dodge Cummins trucks, several friends have them and those things are beasts. You might want to consider the Duramax 6.6 with the Allison. We have one in a Cheverolet 4500 and it pulls like none other. We pull a skid steer with it alot and that set up weighs 10 tons, pulls it just fine. Also in the latest issue of Diesel Power, the Duramax won the diesel challenge on a single turbo set up, something to think about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240zV8 Posted February 5, 2007 Author Share Posted February 5, 2007 well i definently can't afford a newer truck with the duramax. But i've heard someone with 1000 hp and 1950tq on those things, so they have to be built tough. Is ur trailer REALLY heavy or what, because isn't the heaviest skid steer about 8k or so? I've got a mini excavator I tow, thats why i'm in need of a diesel, because a 454 gets horrible gas milage, and a cummins has more torque stock and gets great milage for a fullsize. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparks280zt Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 I was saying you might want to consider putting a Duramax into your Chevy. Depends on what you call a skid steer? I should have said tracked loader, it looks alot like this one.... http://cmms.cat.com/cmms/servlet/cat.dcs.cmms.servlet.DynamicImageServlet?imageid=C200448&imageType=2 And yes, the trailer is real heavy as well, plus we throw some other items on there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240zV8 Posted February 5, 2007 Author Share Posted February 5, 2007 oh gotcha, lol. I was thinkin alittle bobcat. Man, i can only imagine towing something that big with a fullsize truck. It amazes me how a cummins inline 6 diesel can have so much torque potential. same with a duramax, both in stock form are torque monsters. I haven't seen a duramax for sale by itself, but I wouldn't turn one down if I found one. Because if I can get a engine trans combo, theres really nothing to the swap other than maybe a driveshaft shortening, and a transfercase adapter. wiring is just annoying, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparks280zt Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 I pull it with the big truck in the back, so I guess its alittle bigger than a full size dodge, hehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240zV8 Posted February 5, 2007 Author Share Posted February 5, 2007 yea that trucks kind of a monster to, lol. I'm starting my own light excavating/hardscape/landscape business, so i'm trying to get the right setup before I start working on my own. I've got my truck, excavator, and working on getting a bobcat. But a diesel has to be priority for me because like I said a 350 can't do it everyday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240zV8 Posted February 5, 2007 Author Share Posted February 5, 2007 a couple things i found, but that dodge might be over my head, needing a rebuild etc...but with a new engine, I could have a 98 dodge cummins for about $5000 http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/car/273496674.html http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/pts/271118704.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.