I know everyone is putting cummins in the Dakota's but has anyone done a Duramax conversion? I have only been able to find posts from people thinking about doing it but nothing from anyone that did.
diesel swap
punisher1130
1 - 20 of 35 Posts
Joined
·
170 Posts
I know everyone is putting cummins in the Dakota's but has anyone done a Duramax conversion? I have only been able to find posts from people thinking about doing it but nothing from anyone that did.
Joined
·
317 Posts
Duramax is just a domestic name for Isuzu. A couple of guys have done 3.9L, 4cyl Isuzu swaps into Dakotas. You can check it out on 4btswaps.com
Joined
·
170 Posts
I know about those swaps too but I am asking specifically for the duramax v8 engines, I have a idea that I never seen on a diesel truck before and would like to do it to my Dakota if the duramax v8 will fit.
The Duramax V8 is a big engine. IDK if you can fit it and all the plumbing between the fenders, not to mention if you go with a twin turbo setup. Not to mention, it is very heavy and will require a solid axle swap, frame boxing, and a heavy duty rear axle, because even the 9.25" axle cannot handle the torque of a diesel for very long.
Joined
·
170 Posts
That is why I made this post, to see if anyone has info on it. If its a no go with the Dakota then I wont worry about it and trade it for a Chevy diesel, but if it can work I already have plans for a axle swap and I'm aiming to use Dana 60 axles to support the diesel swap.
Joined
·
317 Posts
Yeah man, even the 3.9L 4 bangers are 700-800lbs!
I can't imagine the Duramax 6.6L V8 with out the turbo(s) being any ligther than that.
Joined
·
317 Posts
Well over 1000lbs I'm sure.
Joined
·
170 Posts
from what I have researched, assuming its correct, the Duramax is a little heavier weight than a big block, but don't quote me on that.
Joined
·
317 Posts
I doubt it, the 4 cyl is easily as heavy as a big block.
Joined
·
170 Posts
I might have been thinking of that.
WHY would you want a DuraScrap in a Dodge ?????? sorry what makes more sense a v8 with 5 main bearing's or a Straight 6 with 7 ? V8 you have 8 rod's swinging side way's or 6 Straight up and Down . Yes I'm a Dodge Cummin's guy .Not trying to start a fight with anyone but After you look at that the hunk of iron you will see .
Joined
·
170 Posts
If I were to use a duramax instead of a cummins there are 2 personal reasons for me to do it, true twin turbos, true dual exhaust and true dual 8in stacks. Besides that cummins 12v or the 4bt is the better bet.
If you don't mind me chiming in, I wouldn't consider trying to talk you out of doing things for personal reasons, but those things alone wouldn't be reasons to go thru the trouble of a Duramax swap.
For example;
First, In general the Cummins makes the same or more HP & TQ on a single turbo (Depending on production year)
Second, dual exhaust is not an advantage on a diesel engine as it is on a gas engine.
Third, a personal one for me, anything larger than a 5" stack looks horrible (Nothing looks worse than a 55 gallon drum sized exhaust stack sticking up out of the bed) and the only thing that looks great with dual stacks is an OTR truck.
Ed
For example;
First, In general the Cummins makes the same or more HP & TQ on a single turbo (Depending on production year)
Second, dual exhaust is not an advantage on a diesel engine as it is on a gas engine.
Third, a personal one for me, anything larger than a 5" stack looks horrible (Nothing looks worse than a 55 gallon drum sized exhaust stack sticking up out of the bed) and the only thing that looks great with dual stacks is an OTR truck.
Ed
Joined
·
170 Posts
Actually i was planning on turning the stacks into side pipes, and im not counting the other reasons for a diesel those were just the only reason i asked about doing a v8 diesel specificly but truth be told i abandoned the diesel conversion for 2 reasons, 1 i found a shop that specilizes in LS swaps and has done them in many dakotas and durangos and the cost is the same for my SAS and 2 when i found out the cost i could just get a older cummins ram and invest the money else where
I can understand personal reasons, but for the life of me, I can't understand the appeal of sticking an LS into anything but where they belong. IMHO, for less money and hassle, you can build a sweet Mopar V8 using even the 318 which will give a good run against an LS. And in that respect, if you really want an LS powered rig to run, you'd be better off getting an older Chevy truck and investing into it.
Ed
Ed
Joined
·
170 Posts
I understand what your saying but your not seeing things from my view and what i am looking to do. This post i made was just a curiosity of which i didn't actually plan on doing once i looked deeper into it. As for the LS , I am trying to create a rig build with the best of the big 3 to accomplish my goal and while high power is fun it has no place in what i'm looking to do, it actually causes more harm then good.
Besides its not that simple for me to just jump from rig to rig, I'm doing everything on a limited budget and i got this truck 2 years ago because i couldn't get another k5 with the loan i had so i have to work with what i got. Plus i'd rather build this and be different than go the easy route, better sense of accomplishment that way with something not everyone dares to try.
Besides its not that simple for me to just jump from rig to rig, I'm doing everything on a limited budget and i got this truck 2 years ago because i couldn't get another k5 with the loan i had so i have to work with what i got. Plus i'd rather build this and be different than go the easy route, better sense of accomplishment that way with something not everyone dares to try.
You are correct, I can't see things from your point of view and I don't know what you're looking to do. All I know of what you see and what you're looking to do is based on your posts here. And all I am doing is offering advice based on my own experiences, which you are free to accept or decline.
So if my guesses are wrong, I apologize, my intent is offering insight and help.
OK now that we have that out of the way, looking at this from the perspective of a limited budget and that you want to build something different, heres the practical point of view. It is possible to build a truck using the best of the big three, but it's not necessarily going to be easy to do if you got a limited budget. Take for example the LS swap. OK, the strong points of a Chevy LS is that it's a motor that makes pretty decent power, has huge aftermarket support, parts for them are less expensive and they generally make good swap engines. Say you can pick up an engine for a really good price (And good price would mean you'll be forgoing the aluminum LS blocks) Then what? Well to install it in a Dakota, you'll need a transmission and that transmission will need to have a transfer case with a driver's side drop, in order for it to work with your existing front axle (Unless you're taking up the challenge of doing a solid axle swap at the same time) The only alternative to buying a transmission and t-case is to buy an adapter so you can still use your existing transmission/t-case, depending on if theres an adapter available and the transmission can take any extra horsepower differences. After that, you'll need a harness and some sort of computer to run the engine and transmission You'll also need new motor mounts that may need to be welded onto your frame and miscellaneous other parts. Individual parts maybe less expensive for an LS swap, but there are a bunch of parts needed to successfully swap a different engine brand into your Dakota, and those parts will add up in short order. Thats all assuming that the LS and/or it's transmission doesn't need to be rebuilt!
Your Dakota is going to have a V6 or either a 318 (5.2L) or 360 (5.9L) V8. I'm gonna first address the V8s then I'll touch on the V6. The 318 and 360 are really very good engines and these engines also have strong aftermarket support. Of course, speed parts for Chrysler are a bit more expensive than parts for Chevy, but heres the thing, you already have the engine, just sitting there right under your hood. And it's already bolted to a transmission and transfer-case. The V6 is not much of an engine and there are very few speed parts that are available for it, but if as you say high power will have no place in your truck, then there no reason to replace it. For very little money, you can freshen up any of these engines and they should provide you with years of service. Later, if you want to build them for more power, do a stroker kit (V8 only) and enjoy the benefits of big block-like power and torque. Or stick a turbo on the V6 if thats what you got.
Ed
So if my guesses are wrong, I apologize, my intent is offering insight and help.
OK now that we have that out of the way, looking at this from the perspective of a limited budget and that you want to build something different, heres the practical point of view. It is possible to build a truck using the best of the big three, but it's not necessarily going to be easy to do if you got a limited budget. Take for example the LS swap. OK, the strong points of a Chevy LS is that it's a motor that makes pretty decent power, has huge aftermarket support, parts for them are less expensive and they generally make good swap engines. Say you can pick up an engine for a really good price (And good price would mean you'll be forgoing the aluminum LS blocks) Then what? Well to install it in a Dakota, you'll need a transmission and that transmission will need to have a transfer case with a driver's side drop, in order for it to work with your existing front axle (Unless you're taking up the challenge of doing a solid axle swap at the same time) The only alternative to buying a transmission and t-case is to buy an adapter so you can still use your existing transmission/t-case, depending on if theres an adapter available and the transmission can take any extra horsepower differences. After that, you'll need a harness and some sort of computer to run the engine and transmission You'll also need new motor mounts that may need to be welded onto your frame and miscellaneous other parts. Individual parts maybe less expensive for an LS swap, but there are a bunch of parts needed to successfully swap a different engine brand into your Dakota, and those parts will add up in short order. Thats all assuming that the LS and/or it's transmission doesn't need to be rebuilt!
Your Dakota is going to have a V6 or either a 318 (5.2L) or 360 (5.9L) V8. I'm gonna first address the V8s then I'll touch on the V6. The 318 and 360 are really very good engines and these engines also have strong aftermarket support. Of course, speed parts for Chrysler are a bit more expensive than parts for Chevy, but heres the thing, you already have the engine, just sitting there right under your hood. And it's already bolted to a transmission and transfer-case. The V6 is not much of an engine and there are very few speed parts that are available for it, but if as you say high power will have no place in your truck, then there no reason to replace it. For very little money, you can freshen up any of these engines and they should provide you with years of service. Later, if you want to build them for more power, do a stroker kit (V8 only) and enjoy the benefits of big block-like power and torque. Or stick a turbo on the V6 if thats what you got.
Ed
Joined
·
170 Posts
If i came off wrong ill apologize, its a flaw of mine i don't always catch, but i do value others help and experiences to work through something i'm working on and may be missing some info. I do have the 318 and don't get me wrong i do love the motor and it runs like a top, even the auto trans, the only issues i have with the truck is 1 it gets 14.5 mpg on its best day ( which i am told is really good for these trucks even when lifted) and the fluid needed for the trans and t-case, other then that trust me i enjoy the truck every day since its my daily. I do plan on doing a SAS with a '06 super duty axles, its gonna be the first thing i do before i do anything with the motor but as for the LS swap you nailed all the reasons i want to do it, plus the mpg benefit, but not all LS motors are aluminum and a good portion of the ones on the road aren't labeled as LS, the 6.0 h/o motors that came in Chevy 2500 trucks are case iron LS motors and those can be found for cheap. As for everything to run it i actually planned on getting a donor truck since it has everything for it including the 4L80E and NP205 t-case, but the change on the t-case is a current issue i face since the ford Dana axles are driver side drop while Chevy is a passenger drop.
The shop that offered to do it is a LSX swap shop, all they do is LS swaps and he has done several to a Dakota including a 2 he personally owned and assures the mounts are easier that people think, no welding just need a specific mount set up that will bolt everything up easy and everything will clear under the hood with no major mods other than maybe needing new driveshafts, which i already figured with the SAS.
The only reason i say high power in what i am looking to do is because the truck would break too much, power wise 400hp is plenty to do but what really works is range, and that's the main reason why i want to run a LS, i can make the good power and have better range per tank than what i am doing now.
The shop that offered to do it is a LSX swap shop, all they do is LS swaps and he has done several to a Dakota including a 2 he personally owned and assures the mounts are easier that people think, no welding just need a specific mount set up that will bolt everything up easy and everything will clear under the hood with no major mods other than maybe needing new driveshafts, which i already figured with the SAS.
The only reason i say high power in what i am looking to do is because the truck would break too much, power wise 400hp is plenty to do but what really works is range, and that's the main reason why i want to run a LS, i can make the good power and have better range per tank than what i am doing now.
Let me see if I can help you with some of these
Going with a donor is typical strategy, but as I said, it's gonna take more money to swap an engine from another brand then to use what you got. A donor would simplify the swap because you should be able to cannibalize everything you need from the donor truck……The problem with any donor engine is, it's probably going to have a bunch of miles racked up on it. And remember, we're talking about a truck engine, which means it may have been worked. You could do this the cheap way and just drop it in, but you'll be taking a huge risk that it will be dependable. The more reasonable thing to do would be rebuild the engine before it goes in. This is where it may not be as cost effective. Not only do you have to acquire the engine, (Be it donor or outright) but then you need to get it rebuilt. This is why I say, you'd be better off using the engine you already have. That way, you can save some money because there isn't an acquisition cost.
Ed
14.5 mpg isn't bad for a 4x4 Dakota. I typically ran about the same in mine. While the Dakota is considered a smaller truck, simple physics apply, the Dakota weighs as much as a full-size 1/2 ton truck. BTW, many 1/2 tonners get about the same average fuel economy, including Silverados equipped with the 6.0 LS engines, that you happen to be interested in. The reality is, no matter which engine you stick in the Dak, the amount of energy needed to propel it at speed is going to be about the same. It's like pushing a loaded wheelbarrow, you will have to exert a given amount of energy based on how heavy it is to push. The only way to improve fuel economy with a gas engine is to lighten the load on the engine. (Thats why cars that get 40 or more mpg are so tiny) If fuel economy is a big concern, you could go back to the diesel idea which will have a greater range advantage.
Off the top of my head, I believe the 6.0 first came out in the 99 Silverado 2500. The 99 should have a t-case with a driver's side drop, but I believe that the t-case was an NP241, not the NP205. So the Ford axle should work. Now if you happen to find a 205 t-case you want to use it behind the 4L80E, you'll need to find a 205 out of an older Ford (Likely a 70s Ford) for it to match the Ford axle w/ driver side pumpkin…..However, since nothing is carved in stone yet, you could just use a Chevy or Dodge passenger-side drop 205 and go with a Chevy or Dodge front axle with passenger side pumpkin. You might even save a few bucks doing it that way because everyone wants the Ford axles.
I'm not gonna try and talk you out of it, but don't get sold on the idea of an LS either. (And believe me, the shop is gonna try to sell you on this because thats how they make money)
Going with a donor is typical strategy, but as I said, it's gonna take more money to swap an engine from another brand then to use what you got. A donor would simplify the swap because you should be able to cannibalize everything you need from the donor truck……The problem with any donor engine is, it's probably going to have a bunch of miles racked up on it. And remember, we're talking about a truck engine, which means it may have been worked. You could do this the cheap way and just drop it in, but you'll be taking a huge risk that it will be dependable. The more reasonable thing to do would be rebuild the engine before it goes in. This is where it may not be as cost effective. Not only do you have to acquire the engine, (Be it donor or outright) but then you need to get it rebuilt. This is why I say, you'd be better off using the engine you already have. That way, you can save some money because there isn't an acquisition cost.
Theres no doubt that you can get 400 hp out of a 6.0 LS, but you can also get 400 hp out of a 318 too and the prices won't be too far off. The advantage here is, you already have the engine. Of course you did say, you wanted something different….Well I submit to you, a 400 hp 318 would be something different. After all, every one builds LS motors! My opinion of course, but it's really your money.
Ed
1 - 20 of 35 Posts
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
