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73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Diesel Engine Discussion => Engine/Drivetrain => Cummins Swaps => Topic started by: Engineer on December 01, 2014, 07:05:47 pm
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Everybody is doing the Cummins swap thing. If I were going to build a rig with a diesel I'd go Duramax. If for no other reason than to be different.
The Cummins will probably be cheaper, but I'm a GM purist and would love a square body with a Duramax to tow with.
The Cummins is an excellent engine, you just don't find them in anything GM.
Anyhow, OP, good luck with your build.
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Thanks. I haven't heard great things about the duramax. Plus I wouldn't know where to start. There is a lot of information on the Cummins swap. I do get where your coming from though. Unfortunately I am not the guy for the job. I'm going to have my hands full just swapping in a Cummins
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As engineer said, I would also use a Duramax, I work with them every day and they are very reliable and can also be upgraded alot. Not to mention, the Cummins being so big is a tight squeeze, the Duramax engine itself is about the size of a 454, so there's enough room and probably won't be as hard to squeeze in the engine bay.
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I think he is pretty committed to the Cummins, moving this off out of his project post if we want to discuss Duramax setups.
Now I too would do one. Here is one in a 4x4:
http://www.lonniesperformance.com/82chevyduramax.htm
2wd:
http://www.dieselpowermag.com/features/chevy/1303dp_1976_chevy_c10_the_ultimate_swap/
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Two characters: V and 8 ;D
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I think we could go back and forth all day about whether Cummins or dmax is better. There are tons of threads all over the internet doing just that. But I can find a Cummins for a couple thousand bucks around here all day long. No such luck for a duramax. Maybe they are out there though I don't know
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Someday I hope to talk a childhood friend of 45 years out of his 67 C20 that has a 3-53 Detroit Diesel in it. The truck is rotting where it sits but it sure was a neat yard truck some 30 years ago when I used to run around in it.
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Would love to put a 4-53 Detroit in mine but without a body lift the motor is entirely to big. Love the sound of a good Detroit. Am contemplating the same decision right now as I am debating a diesel swap in my truck.
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Hard to beat the simplicity and raw torque of a Mechanical Pump Cummins........ I have one in my V30, I have owned several big block square bodies and there is no comparison in the power. 6 in a row is the way to go.........
I understand the purist wanting a Dmax in these trucks, they are a ton more complicated to install and not nearly as easy to upgrade. I can change all 6 injectors in my Cummins before you can pull one in a Dmax.
I would love to have a GM Allison behind my Cummins though.
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Have considered just putting in a 6.5 turbo. Truck is not used for pulling just for show and driving. How you put the price difference between maintenance and up keep between running a diesel and gas? Or a Cummins and dmax?
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GM purist ?
I thought the duramax was designed and built by Isuzu ?
And the 6.2/6.5 was designed and built by Detroit ?
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Like.......
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OneLowOneTon, I know a few people personally that daily a lowered 88-99 dually with a 6.5L turbo. As far as maintenance I think it would be a toss up I guess.
The 6.5L will probably yeild more fuel mileage that a gasser in the 1 ton. And it will bolt right in place. I put a 6.2L in mine for the same reason.
Keep in mind that if you use a 88-98 turbo 6.5 you will have to modify the AC ducting.
I like the Duramax due to the outside the norm but they are pricey. I can tell you if a Cummins came up I would be very tempted though as long as it was mechanical.
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Roundhouse the 6.2 and 6.5 are Detroit's and were designed by the GM division Detroit Diesels.
I'm still looking into the 6.5 turbo swap, I will removing my heater and ac box and smoothing the firewall some so I will have the extra space for the turbo and downpipe. But ialso have my eye on a mechanical 5.9 right now. Just curious as to the mod and cost difference to go Cummins
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6.5 all day long, or Duramax. I love Dmax's, great engine. But I also love the clatter and noise from a 6.5 at idle that just screams "I'm A DIESEL!"
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Do all the 6.2/6.5 turbo engines have a computer ?
Or did they make a mech injected one?
I have a 95 Toyota 4 runner with a 3 liter 1KZT turbo charged engine and It is amazing
Computers and EFI are ok an a gasser if they are not too complicated
But computers on a diesel just make it worse
They take away from the reliability of a diesel
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I'm thinking if you are swapping a 6.2 or 6.5 diesel, you must be doing it for the novelty effect. Cummins conversions are very simple, you would have to drop some large coin to get the early GM diesels to preform anywhere close to a stock Cummins. If you are just looking for fuel mileage, stick a 4BT in there. They are getting mid 20mpg in half ton setups.
Like I said earlier a Dmax conversion I could understand as they make good power, but are a much more complicated install. You can go to the 4BT Swaps page and read for weeks on conversions of all makes.
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The 6.2 diesel was a mechanical injection non turbo diesel with no computer. The 6.5 is a turbo diesel with a computer. As far as I know, this could all be wrong haha.
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I'm thinking if you are swapping a 6.2 or 6.5 diesel, you must be doing it for the novelty effect. Cummins conversions are very simple, you would have to drop some large coin to get the early GM diesels to preform anywhere close to a stock Cummins. If you are just looking for fuel mileage, stick a 4BT in there. They are getting mid 20mpg in half ton setups.
Like I said earlier a Dmax conversion I could understand as they make good power, but are a much more complicated install. You can go to the 4BT Swaps page and read for weeks on conversions of all makes.
It's a bolt in deal
Way way easier than a custom transplant
I've done both. And I won't be doing any more custom transplants
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Bolt in or not, they are duds......performance matters, weather you are building a truck for power or MPG.
The early GM diesels rank right up there with dual tanks with fillers on both sides of the truck in my opinion, not GMs best ideas.........
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The early 6.5 turbos were mechanical as well. Which are better but don't have tuner ability of the computer ones. You also have to look at the cost difference between doing a Cummins and a 6.5 you can do a full 6.5 swap for less than the cost of a Cummins motor. Pocket wise the Detroit is best option, but if you have the pockets and want the extra power do a Cummins. If I had the pockets for it I would have a 4-53t Detroit with a roadranger trans.
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I've seen the engine, trans and transfer case out of a 4x4 hydro truck in a mid 80's chevy one ton. It was either a big Detroit or international and a 10 speed and a cast transfer case. The guy who built it had a truck shop and put it together over a couple winters. Very awesome truck and could pull like a mother.
I agree the cummins is a great engine and the reliability is second to none. Seeing a juiced up Duramax would be awesome but possibly drain the bank very fast building it.
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I love that idea haha don't matter which side the pump you end up on! I just wish the system wasn't so temperamental lol.
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I have a 453T in my 85 F350 and it is a lot of fun to drive...for short distances. It's very loud with the dual stacks. By the time I get 50 miles down the road, I wish I was in one of my other trucks. That aside, it sure draws looks when I drive through town! You can hear it going through the gears 2 miles away. Also, it's very dependable.