CUMMINS 1/2 TON????

[1987f150guy]

Hello, i have a 1987 ford f150 2wd, it has a 300 inline six with efi, bolted to a 4 speed stick. this truck means alot to me because it was my first truck I ever got on the road. (past trucks have been mud toys) i would die to have a cummins. so I had the idea to put a 12v cummins non i/c in it. i know someone on youtube who did this conversion in his 1994 f150 but i wanted to get a true to the core awnser please. would my 1987 f150 frame hold up to a cummins that might have very minor power ups. if not would boxing it in help? and how hard would that be? keep in mind i do know how much this motor weighs so i was thinking if this conversion wouldnt hurt my frame i will put extra hevy duty 1 ton coils on the front that i found in jc whitney. thanks!

 

[Goofyexponent]

When people asked me about putting a diesel in an F350, all I said to them was this "would to put a plow on the front of it?" Dropping a cummins in there is NO different than hanging a 500 pound plow off the front of the truck.

The 300 inline is a fairly heavy unit to start with. If you got front coil springs from a 2WD diesel truck, and put them in place of the 2wd gas springs (it can be done, I have seen it donw twice with no ill effects, both times on a plow truck to improve ride height) then the front end of the truck won't take a nasty dive.

Ford build their frames a bit overkill. IF you think I am lying take a look at a Dodge 2500 frame, then look at a Ford F-250 frame. You will see the difference in thickness.

So long as you look after putting heavier springs in there, I see no reason why a 5.9 12V won't slide in and not break anything.

One of the moderators and seinor members here, Agnem, and his son did a conversion that involved dropping a 6.9 diesel into a 1994 (I think, I am not sure) F150 lightning. The 6.9 and the cummins 12V weigh in close to each other. Whatever they did to the F150 frame they had, should apply to you as well.

Search the "night moose" on here in the search function to see what it is all about.

 

[1987f150guy]

thanks for the replie, i also thought about putting a 6.9 idi in it or a 7.3, im not shure what i would all have to do to make the glow plugs work. and i would have to more than likely custom fab some motor mounts, it would be a cheaper conversion than the cummins but more work. fordcummins.com has a kit i can buy for 450 buck that comes with motor mounts and everything for the gauges. but i cant come the the relisation that doing a cummins swap would be big $$$ for the motor and tranny and everything else that would be needed like a dual or three core radiator, ive never acually made motor mounts befor either, i know how to weld but it seems complex to make custom brackets. what do you think about night moose? do you think i should look into doing a 6.9 swap instead of a cummins?

 

[rhkcommander]

plugs are easy... glowplugs,wires, relay, pushbutton. The end.

theres some cummins motormounts commonplace now... fummins or fordcummins or some such websites... I can't remember right now

 

[JEdington]

just finished my 6.9 f150 1983 that is last summer, was easy install almost ment to be, no special parts just factory junk yard stuff off a idi tuck

 

[1987f150guy]

so all the motor mounts just bolted up? and what did you have to do to the tranny crossmember? did you have to move it or customize it? your startin to make the gears in my head turn and im leaning more towards putting a 6.9 in my truck

 

[JEdington]

just the factory motor mounts and factory engine mounts off a diesel truck the steel plates ford used to put different engines in, small v8 uses different then 300 and 6.9 used it's ow. Needed core support from idi used front springs from one,if it's auto you need a shift link from steering coulum to the other shift links. And a return line and sombody alread said wiring is the easy part.

 

[1987f150guy]

my trucks stick so i wouldnt have to worry about that, i know where i can get a few cheap idis that have terrable bodys that are serveirly rusted. i live in michian so finding a truck that runs good with a trash body is super easy. now if my boss just gets more work for me i might start collecting parts. fit wise how is it under an f150 hood? is there any size differances between an f150 and f250 or f350?

 

[1987f150guy]

also do you think it is possable to post any pictures of your f150?

 

[Goofyexponent]

Making GP's work is a sinch. All you need to do is run a wire from the key switch (there has to be about 15 of them in a truck with EFI) and hook it to the GP controller. I have wiring diagrams for this is you decide you want to drop an IH (6.9 or 7.3) in there.

Your smallblock gas transmission will NOT bolt up, and even if it would it wouldn't stand the power!

If you have a 4 core rad, I wouldn't think twice about running it. Our trucks are OVERCOOLED BIG TIME for plain old daily driving. Several people on OB here have said that to me.

With that said, why wouldn't a 4 core radiator from a gas engine keep a diesel cool during commuting duties only. But for god sakes, DO NOT TOW WITH IT IF IT HAS A GAS RADIATOR!!!!!

 

[JEdington]

ok heres the pics i took while i was building this toy. its currently put up at my farm. i love this truck and wont drive it on illinois roads during winter time. i bought it off my grandpa it only has 110000 on the chassis and body but still has some rust but im not asking for lots more. you could probaly get by with a stock radiatior but i dont like to get by with anything, i love over kill!!! Ford trucks the best never rest!!! except mine wen it gets icy, lol

 

[1987f150guy]

thanks a bunch for the pictures. I am defenitly going to put an idi motor in my truck now. if i knew i was going to be doin this a while ago i wouldove gotten some parts off a 1987 ford f350 6.9 in a junk yard close to my school. so parts im going to need to collect so far. diesel core support, diesel radiator, coil springs, motor, tranny, glow plug wireing, motor mounts and mount plates (the ones that go on the frame, didnt know the technecal name ) o i cant forget the battery tray and second bettery, and another cable to run one battery to the other. if i have anything wrong or missing please chime in and add to my list.

 

[JEdington]

you pretty much have the basics anything left will come to you. I hope I helped, mine has 3.50 gears and after it gets to about 40 you cnt get to 70 in no time but no overdrive you won't go much more than 95 or 100 before you tach out, not that you really need to in a full size truck.