possible diesel swap

[stepsideben]

Possibly lookin at getting a old 46 or 47 pickup the motor and stuff runs in it but not real well so once i got all the parts rounded up or the motor crashed for good instead of sinking the money into it more i thought i would just go with a diesel.
So as as far as diesels go what would be the best swap to put in it as far as price mpg reliability and little wiring.
Not lookin for racing this or anything just wanting it to be realiable on the highway and get the best mpg possible. would i be better off with like a 6.2 6.5 4bt 6bt

thanks

[Quyonmob]

4BT will yeild best mileage possible, with minimal wiring. Bad side is, you'll want hydraulic motor mounts to help soften the vibrations.

[stepsideben]

So the small would do a lot better mph wise than the big motors like the 6.9 or 7.3just for examples

Are hydraulic mounts hard to use or is the price just the big deal

[Quyonmob]

So the small would do a lot better mph wise than the big motors like the 6.9 or 7.3just for examples

Are hydraulic mounts hard to use or is the price just the big deal

MPH wise, nope, but mpg wise yes. :)

[6.5 Detroit TD]

BT4 can be tweaked up for more power, but stock has plenty of jam and will return awesome MPG's.

Stay away from the 6,9 and 7.3's.

If you are just looking for a simple swap into the truck, the smaller and lighter the better.

6.2 will weigh in around 850lbs fully dressed. the 6.5 will weigh in at close to 900.

it would probably be cheaper to find a 6.2/6.5 and swap it in then it would be to find a good running 4bt. these engines are in high demand

[stepsideben]

So out of the 3 of 6.2 6.5 and 6.5 turbo which ones most desirable and reliable kept in stock form or very close

[Quyonmob]

So out of the 3 of 6.2 6.5 and 6.5 turbo which ones most desirable and reliable kept in stock form or very close

6.2L is simple, but requires a few mods to increase drive-ability.
6.5L NA is pretty rare.
6.5L Turbo requires a few mods to ensure reliability.

[Koots]

A healthy NA 6.2 or 6.2 turbo would be a great engine. They all are mechanically fuel injected and require just as little wiring as an old 6BT or 4BT to run. In a full size K5 Blazer (31" AT's, 3.42 gears, stock everything) i was able to get upwards of 25-26MPG just making my way through town. The power wasn't great but neither were the condition of my fuel pump, injectors and lift pump. Put that into a smaller chassis, with a healthy fresh and tuned IP, new/rebuilt injectors, healthy lift pump/fuel filtering system and an OD transmission and you'd have no trouble getting even better MPG and equivalent power of a healthy TBI 350. Throw in a 6.5TD turbo, new headgaskets, ARP headstuds and you'll be chasing down stock BBC's without issue and do it reliably.

Just gotta make sure that the engine gets more than sufficient cooling, has an EGT/pyrometer to watch your exhaust temps and keep the boost under 14-15psi for any length of time other than a spike or two and you'll be fine.

[Koots]

For ultimate MPG and reliability, a healthy 6.2 turbo would be best. Limit the boost to under 8PSI and keep the fuel down enough to keep the EGT's under 950* but enough to add to the boost for extra power. This won't put enough stress on much to damage a good engine, yet the turbo should help move the old truck around enough to increase efficiency in town. The 6.5 turbo's were meant for near immediate boost but taper off rather fast after 2100RPM so they will be great for a truck wanting mileage with a strong low end.

[6.5 Detroit TD]

seems like the most common 6.5 turbo swap is to the HX35.

the Garrett turbos are awesome for immediate takeoff. like koots said, beyond 2100, they like to go away on the pressure.

im wanting to do a TT setup. GM-4 going directly into the plenum, the HX-35 going into an intercooler and then the plenum. should be sweet

[stepsideben]

Ok so after doing some more thinking and seeing how easy the 4bt engines are to work on and how small they are (thank you school) i think that would be my engine of choice. Plus with the reduced weight i think that would be a smarter choice.

My major concerns as of now are
1 Frame
My thoughts were to swap body over to a 2wd s10/ranger frame. Reasoning’s behind this are i figured they would handle weight a little better than the original and then all my suspension and steering components would be updated and easier to replace


2 engines mounts how hard are they to make? Any good how to threads on how to make these?
I’m a confident welder and have made brackets and other things before just don’t know anything about engine mounts


3 transmissions
I’ve heard of the 700r4 th400 and the 350 being used for 4bt swaps would one of these be the best choice or is there another out there
I’m looking along the lines of a 2wd manual with minimal to no electronics


any advice is welcome but i would like to stick with the 4bt 2wd and manual
thanks

[Koots]

The 4BT is a solid engine and is 2/3 the 5.9 cummins, but even the 6bt vibrates hard, the 4BT is even worse. I've heard of people living with the vibrations but I've also heard of people selling swapped vehicles due to the noise vibration and harshness (NVH).

Only way to qwell those vibrations that I know of is hydraulic motor mounts. Otherwise a run of the mill NA 6.2L makes the same power as a 4BT.

[stepsideben]

ok i keep hearing of the hydrolic mounts are you all talking about the fluid filled ones or just the ones with the huge chunk of rubber in them? are they terribly exspensive or something also ?

and ik 6.2 would yield same power and be eisier to find but its also twice the size and alot heavier.