Bench build, diesel swap

I was just playing with the idea of rebuilding my(father's) '82 ram, 1/2 ton, 2WD. I like the Idea of swaping the V8 for a Cummings. The thing I'm having trouble with is registration/emisions. The only part of emisions I would deal with is the cat, but AFAIK diesels dont run cats. Would some part of the paper work with the state(NY) have to change to pass an inspection?

And for the reason for a diesel is it would be a newwer computer controled engine with an adjustable chip so I could turn it down and get high milage, or crank it up and have more TQ than I would know what to do with.

In CA you can't put a diesel motor in place of a gas one in anything as far as I know. In NY, I have no idea.

use 4BT from a bread truck. An ISB will require a remanufacturing of the front suspension. The engines are very heavy.

If it's diesel it dosen't need to be smogged.

Make sure the engine you swap is a later build date than the truck so it will go easier. Also.. make sure the engine has an EPA # on the dataplate. If not its not a road engine and used in marine or genny applications.

As far as I know gas to diesel swaps are unregisterable in any place that does emissions testing.

NY will be a bear to get it legal. In TX we can re-title it as a diesel as long as its not newer than a certain year. But in CA it was a big no-no on anything that wasn't exempt (76 or newer)

I also suggest the 4BT over the 6BT or ISB. Just so I don't lose you... 4BT is the 4-cyl, 3.9L version of the 5.9L. 6BT or 12-valve describes the 5.9L up until about 1998. It was mechncially injected, so no chip, tuning is as easy as using a screwdriver. Then after it became 24-valve and computer controlled, also known as the ISB in industrial applications. Usually in dodge circles they're just referred to as 12v and 24v.

A 4BT is a turbo swap and some mechanical tuning away from 300 hp/500 tq, and in many tunes will return 25-30 mpg depending on how the rest of the truck is setup.

Also, most of the upgrades to power production in a diesel have to do with increasing its efficiency by altering injection timing and additional turbo pressure. More cylinder pressure means more BTUs are released from the available fuel, which not only means more power but also less fuel is required to achieve the same driving style. Kinda like increasing static compression ratio in gas engines.

The 6BT weighs in at about 1100-1200 lbs, while the 4BT is about 750-800, which isn't much more than a big block mopar. I also know that it sounds impossible, but in a 1/2 ton frame, you'll twist it like a pretzel with a 5.9. Weight + low end torque = ripped motor mounts. Its almost as if diesel torque is stronger than gas torque... even though I know it isn't.

Your Dodge probably also has a D40 rear. A hopped up 5.9 is strictly D70 or 11.5AAR territory. A hopped up 3.9L can be handled with a D60, 10.5" GM FF, or Sterling Ford 10.25".

From the http://www.nysdmv.com/vehsafe.htm

NYS dot said: Diesel-powered vehicles with a MGW of 8,500 lbs. or less are not subject to an annual emissions inspection.

his rear axle is probably a 8 3/4 " mopar. I'd suggest a D60 swap or at minimum a built ford 9 inch.

NYS dot said: Diesel-powered vehicles with a MGW of 8,500 lbs. or less are not subject to an annual emissions inspection.

Yes, but that does not mean you can make your vehicle into something that isn't smoggable. Its titled as a gas vehicle. If he swaps to a diesel, he'll get a notification of a smog test next year and they'll fail him.

I agree... that phrasing doesn't say "diesel vehicles," it says "diesel-powered vehicles." Makes it sound easy, and maybe it is, but I highly doubt it.

IIRC, New York emissions testing starts with a VIN entry; if that is true, you can't do it. That diesel ain't gonna pass. However, there may be some way to have the VIN information changed via the DMV. Dunno, here in Newton Co., Georgia, we don't have to have emissions testing. If you need a 4BT, I have a couple. All are 105 hp road versions, all with the rotary pump. If ya wanna make good torque on the cheap, find a linear Bosch pump, turn it up with big injectors, and add an HX35 with a LARGE exhaust. 4BT's don't like to rev like the 6BT's, dunno, call it harmonics or whatever, but they don't like to rev. Matt and I have had two half-ton 6BT's, both with MUCH torque. Curtis73 is correct; both wound up like rubber bands. But they were fun and we even ran one off of veg. oil. We routinely got just shy of 30 mpg in both trucks. We ran Dodge RH automatics in both with very tall gears.

-Les

ignorant wrote: From the http://www.nysdmv.com/vehsafe.htm

NYS dot said: Diesel-powered vehicles with a MGW of 8,500 lbs. or less are not subject to an annual emissions inspection.

his rear axle is probably a 8 3/4 " mopar. I'd suggest a D60 swap or at minimum a built ford 9 inch.

Not an 8 3/4. Last year for them was mid 70's. And replacing an 8 3/4 with a 9 inch is pointless, unless you want more aftermarket options.

OP probably has the "corporate" axle that replaced the 8 3/4. You will want to upgrade it if you put in anything stouter than a mild small block. I don't remember details about its lineage or construction, but you will need more axle under there.

curtis73 wrote:

NYS dot said: Diesel-powered vehicles with a MGW of 8,500 lbs. or less are not subject to an annual emissions inspection.

Yes, but that does not mean you can make your vehicle into something that isn't smoggable. Its titled as a gas vehicle. If he swaps to a diesel, he'll get a notification of a smog test next year and they'll fail him. I agree... that phrasing doesn't say "diesel vehicles," it says "diesel-powered vehicles." Makes it sound easy, and maybe it is, but I highly doubt it.

I know the rule in PA is that if it has 8 lug axles and diesel it dosen't get smogged, period. Might want to check on that and swap them out.

Remember the 4bt is nicknamed the "shaker" for a reason. The vibes are insane. You can put in good (read soft) engine mounts and it will help, but still is going to be tough.

I've got to jump in here --

I live in NY and I used to have a '82 LandCruiser that I converted to diesel by swapping in a Toyota 3B from a Canadian market truck. I had no trouble at all getting it inspected, but then I have a wonderfully lax garage that does my inspections. My guy told me that the NYS "look back" on emissions is 25 yrs, and he thought it was a cool swap, so that was that, I got my sticker.

Big 4 pot diesels are shakers for sure, my 3.4 liter would blur the rear view mirror at idle, though not as bad at speed. It was a huge success in terms of fuel mileage though. The best I ever saw with the original big lump six was 14 mpg, the diesel delivered about 24. With an ebay turbo bolted on it was faster than the old gasser too.

moT

moTthediesel wrote: I've got to jump in here -- I live in NY and I used to have a '82 LandCruiser that I converted to diesel by swapping in a Toyota 3B from a Canadian market truck. I had no trouble at all getting it inspected,

True, but that cruiser came from that factory that way.

You can almost always swap for an engine that was offered from the factory. For instance if you have a 4-banger 88 mustang you can drop in a 5.0 from that year or newer and have it be a transparent swap since they were A) offered in that car, and B) 88 or newer would already be under the same emissions profile as the 4-banger.

But you can't randomly swap from one emissions class to another without going through some hoops. Some states the hoops are easy. Others its impossible.

curtis73 wrote:

moTthediesel wrote: I've got to jump in here -- I live in NY and I used to have a '82 LandCruiser that I converted to diesel by swapping in a Toyota 3B from a Canadian market truck. I had no trouble at all getting it inspected,

True, but that cruiser came from that factory that way. You can almost always swap for an engine that was offered from the factory. For instance if you have a 4-banger 88 mustang you can drop in a 5.0 from that year or newer and have it be a transparent swap since they were A) offered in that car, and B) 88 or newer would already be under the same emissions profile as the 4-banger. But you can't randomly swap from one emissions class to another without going through some hoops. Some states the hoops are easy. Others its impossible.

http://www.brian894x4.com/LC25.html said: While the diesel engine would power Landcrusiers all over the world through today, the United States would never see a production diesel Landcruiser.

Thanks for the info. Thankfully the truck is already 27 years old, but with everything involved I would be better off keeping a small block under the hood. Mmmmm, 408 stroker

The truck has been off the road for 11 years now. Probly a pipe dream to ever get it running again

You can actually do the conversion in CA, I just don't know what it takes. I have a friend who's a dismantler and he converted a gas Suzuki Samurai to diesel with a Datsun SD22 and turbo charged it. It's fully registered and street legal. Again, not sure what he had to go through to get it done, but as a dismantler, he deals with the DMV and State Ref's on a regular basis, so may have some insight that's not immediately apparent.

By the way, that Samurai is GRM at it's finest. I'll try to get pics. He painted it military gray and put a white star on each door for the retro-GP vehicle look.

curtis73 wrote: The 6BT weighs in at about 1100-1200 lbs, while the 4BT is about 750-800, which isn't much more than a big block mopar. I also know that it sounds impossible, but in a 1/2 ton frame, you'll twist it like a pretzel with a 5.9. Weight + low end torque = ripped motor mounts. Its almost as if diesel torque is stronger than gas torque... even though I know it isn't.

I don't know about that man. Your typical small block V-8 is less than 400 lbs, closer to 350 in every case I know of. If I were going through the trouble is a diesel swap, I'd swap in a 6 BT.

My dad used to drive 4BT powered breadtrucks, and i guess they had trouble with the intercoolers cracking from the vibration. From what I have heard its pretty bad.

curtis73 wrote:

moTthediesel wrote: I've got to jump in here -- I live in NY and I used to have a '82 LandCruiser that I converted to diesel by swapping in a Toyota 3B from a Canadian market truck. I had no trouble at all getting it inspected,

True, but that cruiser came from that factory that way.

The Canadian diesel donor came that way, but diesel LandCruisers were never sold in the American market.

The point is, in NYS if your vehicle is older than 1996, you've got a chance at converting to diesel, depending on who does your inspection, and how "understanding" they are. After '96 your car has to be plugged into the statewide computer inspection network, so yer screwed --

moT

DrBoost wrote: I don't know about that man. Your typical small block V-8 is less than 400 lbs, closer to 350 in every case I know of. If I were going through the trouble is a diesel swap, I'd swap in a 6 BT.

Nope. Small block mopar with iron heads and intake and manifolds will probably push 650 to 700. Big block is maybe 50 to 100 pounds more. Small block chevy (again, iron heads/iron intake/iron manifolds) will be maybe 100 pounds lighter than the small block mopar. Small block ford is lighter still.

The local engine builder where I was growing up had an aphorism (that he probably borrowed). He always used to say that the SBF was made to fit in anything, the small block chevy was made as inexpensively as possible, and the small block mopar was made to last forever. YMMV.