87 Chevy Crew Cab 4x4 Converion/Cummins swap

[DieselRat]

Hindsights a you know what!

I may have to just cross my fuel lines further back than I have them now to eliminate any issues in the future. Right now I cross them to the driver side at my crossmember, so they are right in the path of exhaust heat right now.

Last night I managed to get all my suspension parts torqued down, new tie rod bolted up. Need to get a new draglink arm, and make some sort of downpipe and I think I can finally start this thing!

[Dieselwrencher]

Very, very nice truck, and awesome build! I just read through it now. Seeing this makes me want to finalize the deal to lengthen my frame and make my 76 a DRW again. You really saved your self some time by starting with such a nice body too! By the way, nice new to you car as well!

[DieselRat]

Thanks! Maybe you say my 54 build posted in my sig below, after that project I had enough fixing rust for a while! In the beginning this square wasn't exactly what I wanted in factory configuration, but now that it has become what it has, I absolutely love it! Got my trans and xfer case filled up with fluid last night, need to make some sort of downpipe to just keep the exhaust from blasting my firewall and I'm going to try to start it!

[DieselRat]

Got a bunch done this weekend, not sure what all updates I posted last so I'll just list it all.

Got my steering all done, lines hooked up etc. Finally found a lower rad hose by browsing listings online and looking at pics and dimensions. Part number is B71212 and it fit PERFECT I used a sleeve inside the radiator size because I kept my 454 radiator which has smaller hose inlets. It was brand new in the truck when I got it and saw no reason to spend 150 some bucks on a dodge one.



got the engine about complete in the truck, dual batteries wired up and still just need the correct reducer and sender for oil,water gauges.



ended up using amsoil for the trans and transfer case since I had to take the seal out of the back of the transmission to fit the np205 to the nv4500, this way theres no worries if fluid bleeds from one to the other.

I live in the heart of amish country and have for all my life, yet it still amazes me the little amish run shops that are hidden in the country...when I first started this truck and needed parts for the cummins, and was too impatient to wait for stuff to be mailed, i stumbled onto a little cummins dealer in the middle of paradise (literally paradise PA) and so far every little dumb gasket, piece whatever...they have had it in stock. Gotta love that!

Last but not least, I finally had everything done enough to try and crank it over. Primed the little lift pump lever a bunch of times and without hesitation it came to life! Very very happy. (the squeaking you can hear in the video I later found out was the line from the vacuum pump which I didnt plum into the system yet.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jouY4A4rmZU

[DieselRat]

So back to the amish shop, I have been trying to find someone with a first gen downpipe just for initial startup and to see how much room I had. No luck anywhere and I didn't really wanna buy one online and have to wait etc etc only to find out I would have to hack it up anyways, so this shop ended up having the weldable flange for the VBAND connection, so that and a couple of 3" 90's and I made my own downpipe. Also after it started I realized my lift pump was leaking a little, they had that and the gasket in stock as well, genuine cummins parts none the less!


So for now I am down to, clutch hydraulics, front brakes, driveshaft.

Then of course all the smalls like working gauges, vacuum lines, rear ebrake cables, shocks, sound deadener, and eventually, seats, carpet, dash pad...guess I'm not that close yet HA!

[Dieselwrencher]

Very nice! You've still made great progress so far!

[DieselRat]

A little more last night, and some more good swap info for everyone in futureland..

Searched high and low for a definitive answer to temp sensor infomation, and of course one know nothing says this and another that...Not that I couldnt figure it out woulda just been nice to be on a mission to get what I need, not what I dont need.

To put a CHEVY temp sender in the STOCK cummins location (driver side rear of the head...12v anyways)

you need a 3/4" NPT to 3/8 npt reducer. Couldnt find one in brass so I opted for SS that was on the shelf instead. NAPA part number for the sender new is TS4052.

Also took apart my 2wd stuff to steal the calipers and backing plates from and started to disassemble the dana 60 to do new rotors and such on it. Got as far as the spindle nut and didn't have the right nut wrench for it so had to call it quits. Hopefully got the right one this morning and can get the rest of it off tonight.

[DieselRat]

Got new rotors, the right spindle nut and new lockouts to get put in tonight and hopefully get the brakes all finished up. Getting antsy and broke about now!

[COS399]

Looking Great! The money doesn't go as far as we think or we always need more stuff than we think. You will be very pleased once you get all the bugs worked out. Keep us posted.

[DieselRat]

Got my brakes all finished up, just need to bleed them out yet.
Put my front bumper back on, filled up the front diff.
Got a fitting so I could use my stock 454 oil pressure sending unit in cummins (basically used a 1/8npt nipple to 1/4 to 1/8 reducer and screwed the sender into that. Could have just bought a sender for the 6.2 chevy diesel, but that was $30 vs $3 that I spent on the fittings.

Dropped my driveshaft off at a shop to get modified. Gonna order up my clutch hydraulics today, and once I have all those pieces in my hands! It will be time to see if its moves under its own power!

[NastyBuzzard]

Looking good! Man I wish I was that far along! I see you had to shim the front. How much?

[DieselRat]

You talking under the springs? I got the 3 pack shims from offroad design. I went with 4* shims. I only did 2" lift so I just sorta guessed at it because I got them when I got the springs. Looks like its gonna be about right where I need it to be.

[NastyBuzzard]

Originally Posted by DieselRat

You talking under the springs? I got the 3 pack shims from offroad design. I went with 4* shims. I only did 2" lift so I just sorta guessed at it because I got them when I got the springs. Looks like its gonna be about right where I need it to be.

Sounds about right. Only problem is that it doesn't fix your caster angle. Only problem I see with converting these truck to 4x4. I fixed it on my truck but if the caster part doesn't bother you then should be good to go. I am thinking about going back to 2" lift springs as well, considering when I fixed my angles it added nearly another 2" of lift on top of my 4" lift springs.

[DieselRat]

I see what your saying. Im gonna drive it like it is and see how it responds and its its wandering all over the place I will probably look into changing one side or the other to gain some castor back. I also went with 3" springs in front on account of them sagging some with the cummins in there.

[NastyBuzzard]

Originally Posted by DieselRat

I see what your saying. Im gonna drive it like it is and see how it responds and its its wandering all over the place I will probably look into changing one side or the other to gain some castor back. I also went with 3" springs in front on account of them sagging some with the cummins in there.

That is a good plan and definitely smart that cummins is heavy!

[DieselRat]

It sagged it a little less than an inch so far. I'm sure that will settle more after I bounced it around on the road some. The springs still have positive arch to them for now, ended up going with the Tuff Country HD springs. I couldn't fork out the almost double and wait a month for a custom pack to be made up. Figure worst case is I'll just pull it apart and add a leaf.

[NastyBuzzard]

Originally Posted by DieselRat

It sagged it a little less than an inch so far. I'm sure that will settle more after I bounced it around on the road some. The springs still have positive arch to them for now, ended up going with the Tuff Country HD springs. I couldn't fork out the almost double and wait a month for a custom pack to be made up. Figure worst case is I'll just pull it apart and add a leaf.

Yeah I feel you on that. I originally was going to run a 5 yr old set of 4" rough country leaf springs but the bastards were so stiff I couldn't get them to flex hardly at all. Even with the diesel sitting in the frame. I found a new set of superlift springs closeby that were brand new with brand new bushings so I snatched them up. Problem is once I fixed the angles, it is just too high. Top it off it is only on 31" tall tires right now so it will have to go up at least another 2" from putting 35s on it. So we will see.

[Dieselwrencher]

Keep an eye on your oil pressure gauge. These engines will make in excess of 70-80psi cold and can break these gauges. Been there.

[DieselRat]

Thanks I know they are a bit on the high side. Future junkyard find will be a diesel oil pressure gauge. Well see how the stock one holds out.

For some reason my water temp gauge isnt working, granted I may not have let it get warm enough to show on the gauge but its not reading anything. Gona have to wait til I get my driveshaft and stuff to be able to move it around and see if it truly works or not.

Did manage to get my alternator to charge with an external regulator last night. Simple thing had me stumped but apparently a wire I thought that was key hot, was only hot until the engine was running then had no voltage to it, so who knows what that is for! Its hot with key in access but not beyond.

[Dieselwrencher]

These engines move a ton of coolant and take a good bit to start warming up. Especially just idling there. The 98.5 24v I drive daily doesn't get to 150* until 6 miles into my trip to work in the summer. In the winter, it could be 12-15 miles depending on the day.

[84chevyguyid]

You need one of these.

[DieselRat]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

These engines move a ton of coolant and take a good bit to start warming up. Especially just idling there. The 98.5 24v I drive daily doesn't get to 150* until 6 miles into my trip to work in the summer. In the winter, it could be 12-15 miles depending on the day.

I have an 00 cummins right now so I hear ya on that.


and 84, what is that?

[84chevyguyid]

Its a Webasto coolant heater. 17,000 btu

[DieselRat]

SO instead of doing a victory dance that I'm almost done, I'm ready to drop a match in the engine bay!

For whatever reason, while finishing up little things like bleeding the power steering, I was Idling the truck and it suddenly decides its gonna start leaking. I got either fuel or oil coming from the exhaust and into the turbo. Can't pin down exactly whats going on, but so far I've eliminated that its not the turbo bearings leaking, I pulled the injector lines and injectors last night to take them to get pop tested. HOPEFULLY its a leaking injector, or possibly valve seals (which is next step) if not I guess I'm on the hunt for a P pump engine and starting all over again

[daddyjeep]

Well that sucks. Hopefully you find that it is a simple fix.