Cummins conversion has begun....

[Extremesounds13]

I am putting a 24 valve cummins in my 1994 GMC K3500 crew cab, I finally got started on the swap, I started about two weeks ago, it is going to be a slower process than I would like cause I only have Saturday and a couple evenings to work on it each week. But here are some starting pics with everything getting pulled out, tonight I started bolting motor mounts in so I will have pics of those tomorrow hopefully. As far as changes made so far I have changed my mind on the transmission and I am now using a built dodge 47rh instead of the 4L80E, and I am also going to use one of frozen boosts water to air intercoolers. Other than that everything is going along good.

 

[Wrecker]

This looks like a very exciting project, can't wait to see it unfold.

 

[GmcLbz]

:thumbsup:

 

[HemisAreSlow]

very nice...where are you located?

 

[mfgguru]

Nice work! Good luck, I will be following with interest. I have to say I am a bit bummed you went with a dodge trans, but I understand why. Looking forward to more.

 

[Extremesounds13]

Thanks for the comments guys! I am in Idaho Falls Idaho. As far as the trans I did research online and called about seven very reputable trans shops here and in the surrounding states, and after about six weeks of collecting info, it was definitely more cost effective, and more reliable, to go with the dodge trans. I will keep this thread up to speed as I go.

 

[Veg_Out]

Well that's one way of ditching the PMD!

 

[Extremesounds13]

Well that's one way of ditching the PMD!

HAHA ya one way to do it!! The truck is coming along, I haven't got near the work done I was hoping to by this point cause I have been out of town the last three weekends, but I am making progress, I hopefully will have new pics posted on Monday.

 

[3500GMC]

Quitter...):h Har dee harr.

Better fix the Cummins killer dowel pin while you can see the front of the new engine.

 

[Extremesounds13]

Been making progress, its slow only a couple hours a week, but getting there. I will have some new pics up soon. One question though, I am going to use my GM radiator and a few people say it will over cool the cummins, is this true? What do ya think?

 

[3500GMC]

Over cool? Never heard this myself. After all, the T-stat does the work of regulating the hot/cold cycles up to the point where everything is at full bore. It's been said that the '88-'98 engine compartments are lacking airflow. Even with the miserly 6.5.

Compare a 3500 Ram rad to yours.

I'd rather have all the square inches of 'core' exposed to the direct cool air, rather than stacking up rows and row of cores in front of each other. But packaging always wins.

Form follows function.

 

[Extremesounds13]

Is there any transfer case guru's on here? I am trying to figure out how to keep my abs and speed sensor of the back of my transfer case, but keep the front of the dodge transfer case so it bolts up and has the right input shaft for the tranny. I have both the Dodge and GM 241 transfer cases torn apart and now I am stuck.....any help is appreciated.

 

[Extremesounds13]

K here is the update...pics first of course!!

 

[Extremesounds13]

The pics above are the new motor mounts mounted to the side of the block, then a pic of the alternator relocated to the top of the motor and the throttle cables all relocated under the intake, and a pic of the A/C compressor mounted on the motor. Also a pic of the double sided pulley that mounts to the water pump and has grooves on both sides to run the cummins stuff and the GM accessories.

 

[Extremesounds13]

Everything has been going well so far, just slow moving. I have the truck and the motor all ready to go so hopefully this weekend I can get it set into place and get wiring!! Then I will get the tranny mounted up and I am still working on the transfer case but got it figured out; just building it right now. I used sound deadener on the firewall, it made it look better and should help some with the noise. I also got the Airdog plumbed to both tanks, I have just a "t" in line right now between the tanks, but I am having a valve made so that I can still switch between the tanks. Here is a photobucket link to the rest of the pics: http://s910.photobucket.com/albums/ac304/extremesounds13/

 

[3500GMC]

Lookin' good. You are going to take that "D" word off the valve cover, aren't you?

Are you using an intercooler? OEM Dodge? How about the other 'cores' on the front of the truck? Oil, trans and others..

 

[duramaxdude]

If you leave that straight piped that will be the best. Chevy with the sound and power of a cumins. Awesome

 

[Extremesounds13]

Ya I am going to leave it straight piped but I want to sell my 4" and get 5"! Of course the "D" word has got to go, with any luck my new valve cover will finally be here(been waiting six weeks) tomorrow and if so it is going right on then I will have pics on here ASAP. I am going to use an intercooler, after much research I am going to use a water to air intercooler instead of the traditional ones, one cause it will be easy to fit just about anywhere and two they cool way better. All the info about them is at frozenboost.com. As far as the cores up front the A/C condenser will stay as will the radiator and the tranny cooler, so I removed the oil cooler.

 

[Extremesounds13]

So maybe I am over thinking this but I am getting the cummins all wired up and for the coolant temp sensor I just unscrewed the cummins sensor and installed my GM one in its place and the GM wiring of course plugs right in...simple problem solved for coolant temp sensor, I did the same thing with the oil pressure sender. But now I sit here tonight wondering if the Cummins ECM needs to see those readings, cause most of the wiring from the sensors run right into the ECM; and now I have unplugged them and put the GM sensors and wiring in there place, So does the ECM need to see the coolant temp and oil pressure?

 

[3500GMC]

I'm no expert on the swap deal, but it would seem to me that you need to duplicate everything computer/sensor-wise in the swap recipient.

For instance, with the GM set-up the gauge reads the sensor. (again, no expert) My '93 does this.

And on the Dodge, the gauge reads what the ECM is 'seeing'.

I do know a lot of newer gauge clusters are serial data. Digital, basically. The gauge doesn't directly connect to the engine sensor. It only reads what the ECM is seeing.