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Engine Swap PROs/CONs?

deuce200385

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iowa
So I love my M1008, but I hate not having the power that I feel it should have for a truck its size. So I am wondering what some have found as far as PROs/CONs of doing a gas swap or even a more powerful diesel swap.....thanks and as always I would love to see some pics
 

wayne pick

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You shure you want to do that? IMHO, swapping to a gasser will ruin the whole concept of the truck, and may possibly lessen the value of it if you ever want to sell it. Most people that buy these trucks are purists, and aside from doing some modifacations for reliability and power, keep them as they were built for uncle sam. What price are you willing to pay for more power? 10 MPG for the gasser? Any gasser you choose, big block or small will not like those 4.56 gears and will guzzle gas. turbocharge your 6.2, or if you really have to, do a cummins swap. A 700-R4, or 4L80 trans is a nice addition to a turboed 6.2. Although my truck is not stock, it remains diesel and all GM.
 
481
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Location
Charlotte, MI
I would LOVE to have a Duramax/ Allison swapped into mine. As far as gasser fuel mileage, with the 37's on the truck I doubt it would be much worse than it is now. Just wouldn't want to go the gas route. I doubt I'll be doing any kind of swap as I'm not after a high dollar truck and it runs good. I was originally just after a wood hauler when I set out to find an old truck.
 
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A lot of guys do Cummins swaps on the old K-series trucks/Burbs. A few SS members have done it as well. If I were going to swap engines on a 1008 it would have to be a 12valve 6BT Cummins and a NV4500 manual trans. 100%. You can upgrade them cheaply and reliably to put down 300-400hp and still get 20+mpg (Heck if you wanna go crazy you can upgrade them to 800-900hp and still get good mpgs). Even a 4bt would work in a 1008. Stock, they have around the same HP as a 6.2 (but more torque), and with a few cheap mods they can put out 200hp 400ft/lbs.

Even a 6.5 turbo wouldnt be a bad swap. They have more power than the 6.2, and its an easy swap. I'm not sure if anyone has ever done this...but swapping in a 6.9/7.3 idi International engine. Naturally aspirated, both of those are more powerful than a 6.5 turbo...

An interesting swap option would be a 4-53 or 6v53 2-stroke Detroit Diesel, but they would require a decent amount of fabrication and piecing

A gas engine swap would be a waste of time, you can find plenty of solid axle Chevys with gassers.

Cost for more power(cheapest to most costly):
-turbo kit
-gasser crate engine
-6.5 Turbo
-IDI international
-Cummins
 

wayne pick

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No offense taken taken. It' your truck, build it anyway you want. I just replied to a post that had little to no input to the thread other than question my choice of words.
 

Skinny

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Portsmouth, NH
I think concept means simple and somewhat original. If you want a gas Chevy straight axle pickup, buy one of the millions that have already been made.

Personally, I wouldn't buy a CUCV with a gas engine because 1) it has been f'd with 2) even though the 6.2 is a turd it works better in this big truck than a 350 which are pretty much boring and stupid these days 3) completely deviates from stock configuration like doing a 12v conversion or something of that nature.

To each his own...good luck with your decision.
 

patracy

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I can say personally that I browse craigslist a lot. Every time a CUCV pops up I get all excited. Until I read the ad and they've swapped the engine. I stop reading at that point and click the back button.
 

deuce200385

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iowa
My truck has the stock 6.2 with a 6.5 turbo and injectors, and it runs ok, but i still want to keep it diesel overall. I just have a bad habit of as soon as i get a new toy i automatically wanna tear it apart and make it something similar but yet totally different.....doesnt matter if its an AR or my **** harley it just cant help myself. the cummins swap is interesting...wonder how much work that would be....i dont plan on ever getting rid of this truck unless i have to, so selling it is out of my mind for the moment.
 

Skinny

Well-known member
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Location
Portsmouth, NH
If you really like your CUCV (which in the avatar appears to be pretty clean)...I would if I was you buy a first gen Cummins Dodge W350 rig and tune it. Leave the CUCV stock and just run it. If you need to drive something that cranks, look elsewhere. Or find a CUCV that has a blown or no engine and rape that one instead.
 

wayne pick

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If you guys need a good laugh, check out the diesel conversion section of, www.thedieselpage.com of which I am also a member BTW, You will find threads about guys wanting to convert vintage Trans Am's and Camaro's to 6.2 power. Ya got to be kidding me! There are also more level headed conversions that are quite interesting.
 

Recovry4x4

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I like mine reasonably stock but if I were using it as a mud truck I might opt for a big block. As an owner of many a big block 4x4 chevys, a CUCV with a big block will pass everything but a gas station.
 
481
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Location
Charlotte, MI
There is a 1008 here locally with a 454 gasser and a 12v conversion. Aftermarket wheels, tires and a paint job. I agree, it's really no longer a CUCV. Just my opinion. My truck now has 35k an the odometer and runs like a top so I'm really not interested in a swap while it's working so well. I AM interested in a used turbo setup though. What do you turbo guys think of the components in the photo below? Missing much? It's off a 1996 6.5.
 

Attachments

67_C-30

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Sweet Home Alabama!
There is a 1008 here locally with a 454 gasser and a 12v conversion. Aftermarket wheels, tires and a paint job. I agree, it's really no longer a CUCV. Just my opinion. My truck now has 35k an the odometer and runs like a top so I'm really not interested in a swap while it's working so well. I AM interested in a used turbo setup though. What do you turbo guys think of the components in the photo below? Missing much? It's off a 1996 6.5.
You'll need to make something for the CDR in front of the turbo, and the 6.5 oil feed line is useless on the 6.2. You'll have to make one that comes from the driver's side of the block (the 6.5 has an oil port in the front). It doesn't appear to have a driver's side manifold, but you'd have to fabricate a crossover pipe and at least modify the downpipe anyway.

Another option is to watch ebay for a used Banks turbo set-up. I have trucks with both the 6.5 set-up and the Banks turbo, and the Banks is easier on a CUCV because you don't have to move batteries or fabricate crossover/down pipes. It is a bolt on deal, and the only the I couldn't run was the Banks airbox (because of the battery). I'm still running 6-TL's and dual alternators. You can find them for $500 or $600 sometimes, and it is way easier to install. With that said, I prefer the wastegated GM turbo over the non-wastegated Banks turbo. The Banks turbos have a little more bottom end lag while the GM turbo makes power pretty quick off idle. The Banks turbo pulls harder at higher RPM , and with the open cone filter and low restriction 3" exhaust I'm running, I have to back out of it sometimes. I've seen it spool to 14 psi once, which is beyond the "safe" limit on a stock 6.2 (especially one that is 29 years old with factory head gaskets!). If I didn't have a M1009 with 3.08's and 33 X 12.50's, the lag wouldn't be nearly as noticeable. I'm sure the banks would spool pretty quick in a M1008/M1028.

With all that said, I'm very happy with performance of all the turbo'd 6.2 and 6.5 trucks I've owned. I love the 20+ mpg and I love the sound of these engines when they are turbocharged. IMO, they have about the coolest sound of any of diesels in pickups, except maybe a straight shift Cummins. I usually bump my IP's to a little over a 1/4 turn, and on try to keep the boost in the 10 - no more than 12 range and keep an eye on the guages when working them hard. I had a 402 BB Chevy, and a 12 bolt rearend in the back of my M101A2 yesterday, and my M1009 still pulling hills like it wasn't back there with Banks on it. Since putting the turbo on my Blazer, I am normally 2 or 3 car lengths ahead of everyone leaving a red light pretty quick without even trying. Its not fast, but it just goes. My Set-up is probably around 200HP/420TQ and it runs good enough to keep me from putting a gas a gas guzzling V8 or vibrating ass 4BT in there. A 6BT swap would be great, but I'd never justify the costs and it is not a mod that would pay for itself.

Here's my CUCV with the Banks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBEivdlaPL4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUtF0HFOX_A


Here is my 67 C-30 with the 6.5 set-up. I made a custom 4 inch down pipe for it, and it sounds really good. The turbo really sings, even after thev rest of the exhaust and air filter were added.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXhvZP9wryk
 

67_C-30

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Sweet Home Alabama!
If you guys need a good laugh, check out the diesel conversion section of, www.thedieselpage.com of which I am also a member BTW, You will find threads about guys wanting to convert vintage Trans Am's and Camaro's to 6.2 power. Ya got to be kidding me! There are also more level headed conversions that are quite interesting.
It has been done. The guy below put a Holset on his car, and ended up getting it to run than a stock 90's LT1 car. Even in this video, he is only running about a 3 tenths slower than a stock 4th gen LT1 Camaro. The fuel mileage in a Camaro or Firebird with a n/a 6.2 would be rediculous...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcJcKkNr1Fg
 
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