The official 6bt conversion thread

[1971ford]

Where should the engine be offset to? How much? Do i need to modify the t-case crossmember to shift the t-case over as well?

[Ranchero50]

Look at my Lou build for the pics. I'm starting back in on it this morning when I get off work, hoping the rain and need to sleep stay away for a bit. The exhaust questions you had earlier might be answerable too. Mine is a 2wd but should help your build. I used a 90's truck radiator and the '93 Dodge plumbing and other than the hoses being different sizes looks like it'll work. Early '89-92 trucks used a top / bottom tank radiator setup, late models used the side tanks so the top hose crosses over the engine on the 93 and ups. It uses a different Tstat housing too.

If I were you I'd try to find a '94 round nose truck, they used the better motor mounts (round doughnuts) vs. the pancake mounts like ours that fail and transmit a lot more vibes into the cab. I found the round ones for my build.

Jamie

[averagef250]

Regarding the intercooler stuff: If you're going to take shortcuts and half-ass a diesel install why not just buy a dodge with a diesel and drive it? Why do all this work and have an end product worse off than what you can go out and buy turnkey for less money?

You can do whatever you want, there aren't rules to this stuff, but there's something to be said for taking the time and going the extra mile to do it right. You can show me all the pictures in the world of old Fords with intercooled 5.9's in them and it won't be anything new. I've measured the early core supports out, drawn them up, disected them and made plans for a new tubular core support with sheetmetal sections to allow an intercooler and appropriate sized radiator install with a 300HP 5.9 in my '70. Just that alone, not even having the real thing built there's easily more than 40 hours into.

That's where I'm coming from so I guess me saying you "can't put an intercooler in a highboy with a 5.9" isn't exactly true, but I think I quantified it with proper or appropriately sized atleast, maybe that part was missed or I didn't type it. Exactly what that means is you're going to have a huge investment of time and money fitting a 5.9, radiator and intercooler in a highboy that meets or exceeds anything that came in a 94+ dodge from the factory. You can match what came in a pre-93 dodge, but neither the radiator nor the intercooler were adequate for a 5.9 with anything more than 160HP they left the factory with.

If the grill on your truck is a $40 item not a $500 or $1500 item than cut the sh*t out of it. Do listen to Jamie in regards to the hood latch, it's nothing to underestimate the importance of or difficulty in re-inventing one that does the same job as the factory one yet fits in a much smaller space.

[1971ford]

Look at my Lou build for the pics. I'm starting back in on it this morning when I get off work, hoping the rain and need to sleep stay away for a bit. The exhaust questions you had earlier might be answerable too. Mine is a 2wd but should help your build. I used a 90's truck radiator and the '93 Dodge plumbing and other than the hoses being different sizes looks like it'll work. Early '89-92 trucks used a top / bottom tank radiator setup, late models used the side tanks so the top hose crosses over the engine on the 93 and ups. It uses a different Tstat housing too.

If I were you I'd try to find a '94 round nose truck, they used the better motor mounts (round doughnuts) vs. the pancake mounts like ours that fail and transmit a lot more vibes into the cab. I found the round ones for my build.

Jamie

I'll check your thread out right now. I noticed some had round bushing style mounts and some had pad type deals. The round bushing style does look a little nicer

Regarding the intercooler stuff: If you're going to take shortcuts and half-ass a diesel install why not just buy a dodge with a diesel and drive it? Why do all this work and have an end product worse off than what you can go out and buy turnkey for less money?

You can do whatever you want, there aren't rules to this stuff, but there's something to be said for taking the time and going the extra mile to do it right. You can show me all the pictures in the world of old Fords with intercooled 5.9's in them and it won't be anything new. I've measured the early core supports out, drawn them up, disected them and made plans for a new tubular core support with sheetmetal sections to allow an intercooler and appropriate sized radiator install with a 300HP 5.9 in my '70. Just that alone, not even having the real thing built there's easily more than 40 hours into.

That's where I'm coming from so I guess me saying you "can't put an intercooler in a highboy with a 5.9" isn't exactly true, but I think I quantified it with proper or appropriately sized atleast, maybe that part was missed or I didn't type it. Exactly what that means is you're going to have a huge investment of time and money fitting a 5.9, radiator and intercooler in a highboy that meets or exceeds anything that came in a 94+ dodge from the factory. You can match what came in a pre-93 dodge, but neither the radiator nor the intercooler were adequate for a 5.9 with anything more than 160HP they left the factory with.

If the grill on your truck is a $40 item not a $500 or $1500 item than cut the sh*t out of it. Do listen to Jamie in regards to the hood latch, it's nothing to underestimate the importance of or difficulty in re-inventing one that does the same job as the factory one yet fits in a much smaller space.

So trimming the grill where you will only see it with the hood up and if you're looking at it, and trimming and re-enclosing very small sections of the core support to tuck the powerstroke intercooler makes the whole swap half assed?
I respectfully disagree.
Sure, if you take a sawzall to the grill and leave the core support notches open and such then i'd call that half assed.

Regarding the appropriate size radiator and intercooler issue... I plan on a powerstroke intercooler with stock highboy radiator.
It's safe to assume the powerstroke intercooler is more than adequate correct? It's just the stock highboy radiator that you don't feel is adequate?
I'm sure you're right, the stock highboy radiator probably won't do the jump when really working the 5.9 but am i really going to be working the 5.9 that hard when towing 7-8k? I forget who but one of the 6bt in a highboy swap guy's was saying the stock highboy radiator has done very well while towing, although i dont know what they were towing.
Worst case scenario: the Cummins starts to heat up when climbing the hill over to nevada and we have to pull into a rest stop and grab a soda and stretch the feet while it cools down a little. From what i've been reading on other forums I think i will be OK, I guess there is one way to find out. I saw 2 builds that used 2 large electric fans, i wonder how they do. Also what about building a fan shroud around the cummins fan...

Yes, grill's are 40 bucks at the junkyard here and there are often some really nice ones. I will check out Jamie's thread right now.

[averagef250]

I saw a lot more than very small amounts of trimming in those pictures and they didn't show a finished product.

Lets see what you come up with. Will it look like a farmer built it or Ford built it?

[Ranchero50]

Honestly that's one of the reasons I took a break, it started to feel like I was pushing water up a hill. A bit too much struggling and juggling to make it all fit.

Dustin, what's the word on the 6BT tranny cooler setup for a 47RH? I have the block mounted cooler and was going to do away with the radiator cooler since it doesn't fit. The '93 dually my buddy bought also has a box cooler by the rear axle with a fan on it.

Hoping to finish the tranny lines tomorrow and if needed I can do a custom cooler along the frame rails up front.

Jamie

[KRob]

Wow, lot of good information on this one. Took me two days to read my way through it but wow.
Rob

[mljjones67]

Well I am back in business now. I got a nice air compressor and now I can do some blasting on the underside of the cab and get it back on the frame. The problem I have now is getting the air compressor out of my truck...

[1971ford]

Do you need to take it out your truck? sounds to me like a pretty awesome portable air compresser that can be maneuvered around the house

[mljjones67]

Here ya go Ryan. Its pretty big..

[1971ford]

Just put some lugs in the bed and bolt it down where it is, run some air line into the garage...

[mljjones67]

Could work but I kinda like my truck without the huge compressor in the bed! Lol

[Fordnatic]

Do you guys watch Powerblock TV on spike? Specifically the Superdually project on Trucks? They took a '79 Ford Crewcab and swapped the body on to a dodge dually Cummins chassis. They ran into the same trouble with the radiator support trying to run the intercooler. They ended up cutting the dodge radiator support out a few inches each side of the radiator and sectioning it into the Ford radiator support. It looked like a pretty clean install. The last show I saw on it they had just done that then installed the front clip/hood/grille to see how it looked. They had yet to figure out what to do with the hood latch, though.

[Ranchero50]

That's what I did with my friends '89 F450, just sectioned in the Dodge rad support, then used the Dodge crossflow rad and little intercooler. Dunbarse never did hook up the intercooler.

I'm stuck playing with the wrong end on my truck, dropped a 10.2 Ford rear in and the Dodge driveline uses larger U joints than the Ford. I ended up cutting the rear joke off the Dodge driveshaft on the lathe and will weld the smaller yoke on. Then it's just rear brakes and carrier bearing mount to be done under it for a bit.

Jamie

[averagef250]

Do you guys watch Powerblock TV on spike? Specifically the Superdually project on Trucks? They took a '79 Ford Crewcab and swapped the body on to a dodge dually Cummins chassis. They ran into the same trouble with the radiator support trying to run the intercooler. They ended up cutting the dodge radiator support out a few inches each side of the radiator and sectioning it into the Ford radiator support. It looked like a pretty clean install. The last show I saw on it they had just done that then installed the front clip/hood/grille to see how it looked. They had yet to figure out what to do with the hood latch, though.

The dodge frame is a lot wider in the front (So is any 1980+ Ford frame) than these old trucks. You're pretty limited on what you can fit between the rails on these trucks, but you can go down as far as you want on a 4x4 pre-79. There's nothing there. My dad's 2wd 77 has a swaybar right there, not sure where the bump 2wd swaybar goes, though it can be changed in the grand scheme of things if in the way. I used a big HINO intercooler and a 94-97 Ford PSD radiator in his, put it all behind the core support with a 6BT and mech dodge fan. Put the engine about 1.5" into the firewall though.

Hood latches are a real pain. I really like the factory bump latches. Beats the heck out of the 73-79 latch for sure.