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Cummins/Chevy conversion

Rod, thanks for the info - I'm impressed. Care to kick this arround. I have a ranch truck that is a 95powerstroke. The way we use it is like everyone - haybed, fence fixing, go to town for whatever, pull a little trailer witha few horses or cull cows. You say this is the ruination of a diesel? Anything I can do to prolong the truck? I also drive a 89 ford 250 with the old 300 inline 6 cylinder, way stingy on fuel. You'd say the gasser is a better ranch ride?
 
Brad, for lots of stopping and starting, like when fixing fence, the gasser is probably the better critter to use. But thats still not as hard on your diesel as your typical city driver, who pulls in off the street after being at operating RPM, then shuts down right away, fires up, goes back up to operating RPM, shuts down. Diesels need cylinder heat otherwise you get cylinder wall wash. Idling through a pasture isn't spitting enough fuel into the cylinders to worry about much wash.

You can also get a high idle kit for the diesel and simply leave it idling at around 1100 or 1200 RPM. That helps with cylinder heat. Having said that, if fencing is the most abusive thing you do to the truck, unless you're fixing fence everyday, I wouldn't worry too much about it. I use my diesels for everything around here. When fixing fence, if its going to be less than a few minutes, I let the truck run.

As far as hauling hay or the critters, the diesel is the way to go, even if its only short runs.

Rod
 
Jason why dont you just put a new 6.5 in your Chevy?
Rod what is your oppinion on the 6.5?
Im looking at late 90s Chevys with the 6.5 diesel. There are lots of them around and they are cheap compared to Dodge or the newer duramax.
BTW That 92 Dodge isnt a go. Somethings wrong with it because its way low on power.
 
RoperAB said:
Rod what is your oppinion on the 6.5?
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Too heavy for a boat anchor.

:lol: Seriously, I don't much care for the 6.5. Some people seem to have had good luck with them, while others run through injection pumps like oil changes. I've been told that using an additive with lubricity really helps, or running a fuel with lubricity already added (PetroCanada has FPPF with Lubricity) will add many miles to the life of the pump. This is mostly heresay though. We didn't do many 6.5s, as their power handling capacity was limited (about 40 extra HP, at least with reasonable cost).

RoperAB said:
BTW That 92 Dodge isnt a go. Somethings wrong with it because its way low on power.
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By low on power, do you mean acceleration? Or did you try and hook up to something and drag it?

Rod
 
Haha Thanks Rod for your oppinion on the 6.5
About the 92 Dodge with the cummings.
I didnt even start it up. I went there and was looking at it when he started complaining about how the truck recently didnt have much power and wasnt working like it used to.
That ended it right there for me. Dont want to buy an old truck and have to dump thousands of dollars into right off the bat.
Another possible option is just getting a two horse alunimin trailer and pulling it with my jeep TJ.
TJ is good on fuel.
Actually those TJs are a great rig. We are thinking about possible getting a second one to replace the truck we now have.
 
Hmmmmm, if I had to guess, I'd say there likely wasn't much wrong with the 92. If the Cummins isn't using oil, then its almost certainly a leaky boot on the charge air side or a bad lift pump, either of which is reasonably cheap to fix.

I really like Jeeps and wish I could find a decent one for a decent price. I'm selling my 05 (its on the dealer lot) then will be looking for an older diesel. In the meantime, I'm driving the old 72 Power Wagon and wishing I had a jeep every step of the way ;)

Rod
 
DiamondSCattleCo said:
Hmmmmm, if I had to guess, I'd say there likely wasn't much wrong with the 92. If the Cummins isn't using oil, then its almost certainly a leaky boot on the charge air side or a bad lift pump, either of which is reasonably cheap to fix.

I really like Jeeps and wish I could find a decent one for a decent price. I'm selling my 05 (its on the dealer lot) then will be looking for an older diesel. In the meantime, I'm driving the old 72 Power Wagon and wishing I had a jeep every step of the way ;)

Rod
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So an air leak from the turbo to the engine? That would be easy to check for. Whats a lift pump?
According to Dodge you can only pull 2000lbs with a TJ. Im thinking this is because of the short wheel base because the unlimited model which is a little longer you can pull 3500lbs with.
But im thinking our TJ would have no trouble pulling 5000lbs if you were careful on the turns. It has the power and the drivetrain to do it.
Those Jeeps are great. Those will easily go places in two wheel drive where a truck woulnt go in 4 wheel drive.
Plus the TJ is great on gas when your not hauling a trailer. Cheaper than a gas truck. Cheaper to buy a TJ than to buy a gas truck.
They have lots of room in them to. Im 6 foot 4" and I can wear a Stetson and I have lots of leg room.
My wifes TJ is actually a 99 that we bought new. 4 liter with a 5 speed,4/11 gears with a locker.
I see they are coming out next year with a longer wheelbase, 4 door version. Dana 44s on both ends with lockers. 6 speed with a little larger engine. I forget the torgue numbers. If they are not to crazy in price im thinking we might buy one. That 99 we have has just been great.
Your right about the resale value of TJs. They hold there value because a lot of people are looking for them to use as a quad.
You know most of your pulling power comes from your transmission. Good to see that manufacturers have finally caught on to this and are offering 5 and 6 speeds.
Too bad somebody doesnt make auxilery transmissions for the older trucks. Remember how years ago big trucks had two transmissions? example a 5 speed on the one stick and a 4 speed on the other.
 
Roper, be very careful thinking you can pull more than you should with a smaller vehicle.

It might get the job done for a while, but the repairs and safety issues will catch up to you.

There is nothing worse than having an underpowered Jeep, Suburban, Bronco whatever pull out in traffic pulling a horsetrailer.

They are not always built heavy enough to cope with the sway a trailer gives.

For example a 26 foot holliday trailer weighs about 3000 pounds give or take, but a 20 foot stock trailer weighs 4000 or more empty. Put 6 cows in that and it can real heavy real fast. And those cows aren't bolted down.

There is an old saying there is no replacement for displacement. That refers to it still takes a big engine to develop big power.

Semis were built with some 10 litre engines and the dealers said they would pull like a 14 litre... I have never seen a 10 litre used much on b trains. Since then the hp of the engines has increased not decreased.

The 6.5 in the chevy is a decent engine if you know the tricks. Number 1 throw away the plastic lid on the engine. I have 300,000 K on 2 trucks with the original injectors and pumps... I think I am starting to have small pump issues with the electronic one.

Poor fuel and heat are the real curse of any diesel engine... the 6.5 was just ran by too many "but it started why can't it pull" type of guys.

I love the guys that swear they will never pull with anything but a dodge or a ford, these guys get new trucks every 2-3 years. I haven't seen anyone I know keep a puller more than 3 years but my chev has been here for almost 9 and it was 5 years old when I bought it.

I will buy a brand new 6.5 after seeing the wrecks the dodges were at that auction...a 91 brought $2400 ...it was junked. There is a newly designed block selling complete $4800 US new heads, new everything...gear driven timing... so many upgrades the old 6.5 needed.

That a a cooling system upgrade I will have a like new old truck.
 
Jason said
There is an old saying there is no replacement for displacement. That refers to it still takes a big engine to develop big power.

Semis were built with some 10 litre engines and the dealers said they would pull like a 14 litre... I have never seen a 10 litre used much on b trains. Since then the hp of the engines has increased not decreased.

Reply
Well in proportion to the weight I would be hauling I actually have a bigger engine than Semis have. Example a semi with a 14 liter engine grosses 140,000 lbs<in Canada>.
My TJ with a two horse trailer would be a 4 liter with gross weight of less than 8000lbs hauling two horses.
Big trucks actually have little horsepower or engine cubic inches compared to the loads they haul. Its the gears in the transmissions that give them there power. Example a Kenworth with a 6 speed would be pretty useless hauling super Bs through the mountains.
I agree a TJ is not idea for towing however as far as power goes my light TJ with 411 gears, 5 speed manual would have better power than the average 1/2 ton truck with a small V8, 3speed auto with 308 rear ends.

Jason the problem is the cost of gas and the cost of the diesels.
A gas truck is going to be to expensive on fuel to run around with.
A diesel is the only real option. Im not in any position to spend $50,000 plus for a new diesel.
The second hand diesels that I have seen, seem to have prices bigger than they are worth. If I could get a good deal on one it would be different but all I see are late model diesels with 300,000 plus on them with prices around $30,000.

you said
The 6.5 in the chevy is a decent engine if you know the tricks. Number 1 throw away the plastic lid on the engine.

reply
Platic lid????

you said
I will buy a brand new 6.5 after seeing the wrecks the dodges were at that auction...a 91 brought $2400 .

Reply
I was thinking about going to some auctions to have a look but I guess its a waste of time?
 
Roper, I just saw a 98 1 ton chev 190,000 k crew cab with the 6.5 listed at $10,000.

That is not a bad deal.

In the next 100,000 there will be some front end work ball joints etc... and regular maintainance.

The 6.5 had a factory cover on the top of the engine made of plastic..it's just for looks but holds heat in ..heat is death to a diesel.

I just pulled a run to Brooks with 4 yearling bulls and 8 2&3 year old cows ( calves and the rest were on the other trailer). I estimate I was grossed out at 28,000 pounds and I was able to keep up with traffic. My truck/trailer weigh 14,500 empty. It is a 97 6.5 1 ton with the automatic...not my favorite tranny for sure.

For a regular 2 horse trailer a 3/4 ton is big enough, heavy suspension and at least a v8. A manual tranny is prefered as it offers more control and puts more power to the ground.

A 4 litre in a light jeep would scare the crap out of me if, the trailer weighs more than the puller....there is an issue with traction.

Never confuse horsepower with pulling power. A semi rated at 300 hp can have 900 ft pounds of torque, a car with 200 hp only has 150-200 ft pounds.

Auctions can be a good place to buy a truck if you are handy, they are there for a reason. Old ones are tough to move might just be beat up and ugly, but reasonably sound. Just be prepared to spend a few hundred on some fixes, don't blow your whole bundle on the initial price.
 
RoperAB said:
The second hand diesels that I have seen, seem to have prices bigger than they are worth. If I could get a good deal on one it would be different but all I see are late model diesels with 300,000 plus on them with prices around $30,000.
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Roper, get out of oil country if you want a good deal on a Dodge diesel. Today, I sold my 2005 to an oilman for far too much money because he was having trouble finding one in Alberta that wasn't well beaten and he didn't want a new one. To replace it, I decided against a new truck and I'm looking at 2 2000 Cummins trucks on the lot.

I've got the SLT Laramie Quad cab 3500 dually with full load including leather sitting in the driveway right now. Its got 275,000 klicks on it, and the front end has been rebuilt. The engine is sound, probably another 200,000 klicks before I have to worry about it. Paint is almost perfect. Dealer is asking $23,900, and I'm sure I can get it for a couple thousand less than that.

There is also a flame red SLT 2500 Quad cab shortbox that they just brought in on trade. Its getting some work done on it, but the engine is sound and the paint is good. Needs a little interior work (door handle is broke, driver seat has 2 tear in it along the seam) but otherwise the truck is sound. I'll be taking it for a couple days after they get everything ready. They'll be asking somewhere around $18,000 for it, and again, its got 250,000 klicks.

And this is in my hometown where diesel truck prices tend to be a little higher. I've seen dozens of solid 1999 and 2000 MY quad cab trucks around for under $20,000 in smaller towns around Saskatchewan.

Rod
 
I think your right about oil country. A friend claims he has to wait 4 months for a new Ford,4 door, diesel, dually. Claims there isnt one new one in a lot in Alberta. Personaly I find that a bit hard to believe.
Gosh seems everything is a better deal in SK. I know there is some good deals on horse trailers over there.
Pain in the butt for me to buy one over there though.
How did you make out with the truck you where trying?
 
RoperAB said:
How did you make out with the truck you where trying?
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The white 2000 dually I would rate as good to very good. After the last message I managed to get 400 klicks on it running back and forth to the hospital in Melfort. Averaged about 21 mpg @ 75 mph. It needed a couple minor things: AC recharge, seat heater fixed, intermediate shaft (famous for going out, also cheap, about $150) and a new trackbar ($50). They would only come down a thousand bucks, so I told them I was going to wait until I was done with the red truck. I think I'll let them stew, since the white trucks been on the lot for awhile now. When they call, I'll tell them $20,000 and I'll fix the issues myself. :)

The red truck hasn't been finished yet as it needed some front end work. I pick up my wife and child from the hospital tomorrow morning and they're supposed to have it ready to go by then.

Rod
 
DiamondSCattleCo said:
RoperAB said:
Hope your child is okay?
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Yep, just a little jaundice to take care of under the sun lamp.

Rod
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Isnt that sort of a lack of vitimins?
Hey on those 94 to 02 style dodges you might have troubles with the 4 wheel drive engagement. Its a vacunm system that doesnt really work well on some trucks. You might have to replace it with an aftermarket cable system.
I looked at that 92 cummings last night. With the guy reeving up thwe motor I could not find any air leaks from the turbo to after cooler to motor.
Hey by reeving the motor would that turbo have been kicking in?
With the wind from the fan an air leak would have been hard to find by just feeling. What do you check with? water?
 
RoperAB said:
Isnt that sort of a lack of vitimins?
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I dunno for sure. Shouldn't be as she ate enough vitamins to kill a horse.

RoperAB said:
Hey on those 94 to 02 style dodges you might have troubles with the 4 wheel drive engagement. Its a vacunm system that doesnt really work well on some trucks. You might have to replace it with an aftermarket cable system.
Click to expand...

That vacuum central axle disconnect (CAD) is a pain in the neck as often times it won't allow engagement (or disengagement) under power. Actually in 02, they went to a full time differential, and if the CAD on the next truck is fussy, I'll simply pull the hubs apart and put in the full-time spline sleeves. I prefer leaving my hubs on 4x4s locked up all the time anyway.

RoperAB said:
Hey by reeving the motor would that turbo have been kicking in?
With the wind from the fan an air leak would have been hard to find by just feeling. What do you check with? water?
Click to expand...

Revving the motor wouldn't give you enough boost, if any at all, to find a leak. Take 2 pieces of 3" pipe and weld airtight ends onto 1 end of each pipe. On one of the pieces of pipe, drill a hole for a Schrader valve (tire tube valve) and install the valve. Take the boot of the turbo and bolt the "blank" test pipe into the boot. Then take the boot off the airhorn, and bolt the Schrader equipped test pipe into it. Air the system up to around 25 PSI, then use soapy water on all the boots and joints. You'll see bubbles whereever there are leaks. It may something as simple as a bad clamp, since Dodge didn't use good clamps. After you've sprayed down the area, check the pressure and see if any has leaked away. If so, you've got a leak somewhere and it doesn't take much to kill power. Also tighten the airhorn bolts and the intake manifold bolts.

Rod
 
OK boys...jaundice is caused by a chemical called biliruban,its eliminated by the liver. Until a babies liver is functioning properly,levels will be usually high...hence light therapy to bring it down! Most of the time not a big deal,and almost all babies have a little jaundice,noticed a few days after birth, {yellow skin}a few need the light....your lesson for the day :)
 

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