The hood latch looks like it will clear OK, but its supporting bracketry will need to be redesigned to clear the intercooler.

 

I have thought the EXACT same thing while watching others progress... That and I hate driving my 1994 Dodge ram, its a real POS by design...

Only way to make more progress is to just spend more time working on it

 

Had most of the day off, so after fixing my POS dodge Ram, I made more progress.

I tabbed the KDP on the conversion project's engine. The pin had moved ~1/8" out...

Anyone who likes their B-series Cummins engine absolutely must verify that the KDP issue has been addressed on their engine. Too risky to chance it coming out..

Oh yeah, I also replaced the input seal on the power steering gearbox.

These two jobs were best done now, while I have all the front sheetmetal off

I thoroughly cleaned the core support and inner fenders. The parts exposed to tire spray and road dirt all got a good heavy dose of undercoating. The inner fenders still need a coat of paint on the engine side...

 

How's your intercooler fitment coming along? I'm doing the cummins 6BT swap on a 70 F250 4x4, 47RH, Divorced NP205. I'm debating on setting the engine back in the firewall a few inches, and running the radiator and intercooler on the inside of the core support, then mount the A/C condenser out front, so I don't have to destroy my grill, bezel, and hood latch support...still in the idea stages on this. I'm right in the middle of a 2wd to 4wd body swap at the moment.

 

Can i ask for a measurement on these? Can you measure from thebase of the factory ford mount out to where the bolt goes for the cummins mount on each?

 

The intercooler fitment was a piece of cake, because the 1999 powerstroke intercooler fits in the opening of the core support nicely. I hole-sawed two holes for the connections and then moved it up to the core support. I hacked off the top two intercooler tabs since they were not helping and then clamped the intercooler into its final position. From there, I made the mounts. I don't have pics of it, but it has been finalized. I then looked into the grille situation - a 78/79 grille will be much easier to fit than a 73-75 or 76-77 grille.

The hood latch's support will need re-work, but I will deal with that after I have more of the front sheetmetal back on.

I located my engine so that no mods were required to the firewall. In your installation, are you running or planning to run a body lift? If so, it will allow you to move the engine back further before firewall mods are required. Firewall mods may also require heater box modifications or removal.

Another option (if you are not planning of hotrodding it) would be to use a 88-91 6BT that is not intercooled.

 

I'll measure them next time I am at the shop.

My mounts are designed to put the engine as low and far back as possible to maximize radiator to fan clearance. My installation has a stock firewall and no body lift.These mounts can be removed with the engine still in position (supported by an overhead hoist, of course), in order to ease engine removal. Probably will not be necessary, but I always am thinking of service...

 

PM sent with measurements

 

November 2010 update:

Made up the high pressure power steering hose, located the right adapter fitting, and installed it all:


Fabricated new core support mount sleeves, since the old ones were corroded way beyond the possibility of reuse. Thanks Steve for telling me how you made yours.

Modified and installed the original 1994 Ram downpipe.

Fabricated the column shift auto trans linkage.

Inner fenders and core support have all been cleaned, painted, and installed.

Currently involved with swapping radiator connections from side to side in order to simplify radiator hose installations.

 

Got the radiator hose connections swapped around. Here's a couple quick pictures of some of the radiator work that I did.

Orig upper tank hose connection cut off:
<a href="http://s575.photobucket.com/albums/ss195/30dodgeboy/79%20f250%204WD%20Cummins%20conversion/?action=view&amp;current=MVC-448S.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss195/30dodgeboy/79%20f250%204WD%20Cummins%20conversion/MVC-448S.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Covered and soldered up:
<a href="http://s575.photobucket.com/albums/ss195/30dodgeboy/79%20f250%204WD%20Cummins%20conversion/?action=view&amp;current=MVC-462S.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss195/30dodgeboy/79%20f250%204WD%20Cummins%20conversion/MVC-462S.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Now the grille is on for test fitting.

 

Hi, I was wondering if you had any pictures of the hood latch done? Have you got that far yet? I am kinda stuck and don't really know the best way to make/modify the latch is.
On the radiator did you move just the bottom hole? or both? What did you cut it with?

Thanks for the help.
Jeff

 

Jeff,

I did not get to the latch yet. I am not worried about it, because I am 99% sure the actual latch mechanism is not where the intercooler is. The mounting bracket will require re-work, but I aint skeered

My thought is to cut out the part that interferes with the intercooler, flip it over and then weld it all back together. It may require some stiffening gussets, but I will know better once I am at that point.

Right now I am finishing cutting up another D250 donor truck that was cheap.

As for the radiator, I used a 1-3/4" holesaw to cut the opening for the connections. On the connections I added, I flanged the ends to give the solder more area to adhere to. I cut the old connections off with a 4-1/2" angle grinder & thin cutoff wheel. I swapped both the upper and lower connections side to side in order to simplify the hoses. As Murphy's law always works, I recently discovered that the 89/90 non-intercooled thermostat housing may have worked better with the ford radiator's upper hose connection. Oh well, maybe on the next conversion...


Art

 

Which rad did you use... i have a good selection of different ford rads from that era, but only one 460 rad, which i have heard people like to use. The problem is that my 460 rad is in my 77 highboy regular cab (with a 460 that is a future project) and my current project is my 77 highboy crewcab, getting the cummins. any input will help.

 

For my project, I used a standard radiator out of a 79 F250 4WD with a 400 engine.

Just make sure any radiator you use has a core that is about 26" wide and at least three rows thick.

I heard that the maximum cooling radiator is overkill as the 6BT tends to run on the cool side. I guess that really depends on the ambient temperature and altitude where you run the truck at, as well as how much weight you are hauling...

Art

 

Thanks for the info. I also heard that the cummins runs cool from a friend that runs one... i can't tell you the exact rad dimensions that was in my crewcab, but the previos owner before me had put in a 1968 olds 455 rocket inplace of the original 400. so i can likely run the rad that is attached to my front clip...perfect!! .