SVreX wrote:
Absolutely bulletproof, EASILY modded, 500 hp + 700 lb/ft simple with just a chip, readily available, reasonably priced.
Show me a 94-98 Powerstroke that made a reliable 500+ horsepower with JUST a chip (no upgraded injectors at $1800/set, no extra high pressure oil pump, no intercooler, no exhaust work) and I will eat my hat.
Hell, I would be extremely doubtful you could add JUST a chip or programmer to a 99-03.5 Powerstroke and see an honest 500 horsepower even at the crank.
Banks, Hypertech, etc list their programmers and chips as +100 horsepower at the upper limit for the later 7.3 trucks, and those were not 400 horsepower diesel trucks to begin with.
As far as the OP, the real dictating thing about how you want to approach this will be the size of the engine bay. I have no doubt you could fit an I-6 or a V-8 in lengthwise in a Lincoln Continental, but the Cummins 4BT and 6BT is a tall engine. You would most likely need either a custom front end/crossmember and/or a custom oil pan and still might need a cowl hood or something to clear the engine. A cowl hood would look rediculous on a sweet Lincoln.
A P7100 inline pumped Cummins would far and away be the best engine to swap IF it will fit. They are silky smooth and lay down great power and economy. A rusty 2WD Dodge Cummins can be had cheap enough, or if the trans tunnel is big enough, look at buying a school bus or medium duty truck with the 5.9 P7100 pumped Cummins and an Allison transmission. There are plenty of $2500 school busses for sale that could donate an entire driveline to your project and have good scrap value when you get what you need.
A Chevy 6.2 or 6.5 V8 might be ideal especially if you are on a McBudget. You can get the whole running truck with a stout overdrive 2WD transmission for less than the cost of a new set of injectors for a Powerstroke. They will not lay down the numbers like a Cummins, but they run quiet and smooth and are relatively small. As stated they are comparable in size to a fully dressed big block. There are three options for turbocharger mounting, either a Banks sidewinder manifold, a stock 6.5 turbo truck manifold, or the Van mount that puts the turbo in the V like a Powerstroke or Duramax. You can run any 6.2 or 6.5 with minimal electronics using the mechanical pump from a 6.2 or a 1993 6.5. Even if you have to buy a mechanical pump, they are cheap, 600 bucks or less for a good remanned unit, and tons of good take outs are available also.
I don't think I would mess with a Powerstroke, even though it would be nice to keep it all in the family. Due to the electronical nature of the Powerstroke engine, you would need a complete donor truck to make an easy and cheap swap, wheras with the Cummins and 6.2/6.5s, just an engine and trans will get you into the game pretty quick. If you went with a Powerstroke, you would need the complete ECU and wiring harness with the engine to make the swap doable and it would take a lot longer than using mechanically controlled diesel.
If it was a "money and time is no object" swap, I would maybe do a Powerstroke swap, because it would be bad ass to pop the hood and see a Ford engine. If it was a "let's do this cheap and go cruise", you can't touch a 6.2/700R4 combo with a 6.5 turbo hung on it.
