Small Block in a 3/4 ton Application?

[RED-85-Z51]

the 95 K2500 with the 454 fell through, the guy let me walk away over 250 dollars....

So I started looking around and found a decent 98 Ram 4X4 2500HD, with the 5.9 Magnum gasser, 46RE Automatic, Dana 60's front and rear. Quad Cab, long bed.

It needs some love, the vacuum supply to the blend door actuator is interrupted, the bed has some bad dents, and there are a couple smallish dents in the door.

199K miles, says it pulls great, runs great...etc..

But..Im hesitant, even though its a fair price at 3500/offer....because of the 46RE/360magnum combo...thats the same stuff that was in my old 98 1500 2wd...and it felt a load at about 5000lbs towing....but it had 3.55 gears, and this had 4.10 gears...

So I dunno...I like my Big Block Chevy...power to spare..290hp/440tq . The 5.9 Gasser is 245hp and 335/tq...so, its about 25% less powerful, with the same gears.

Obviously...with a tune, headers, cam....it could be up there in the 400tq range, but....would the 46RE handle the power...not likely.

[Stangkiller]

That sounds like a dog all the way around.

Could you find a donor cummins for it for cheap?

[JRD77VET]

Originally Posted by Stangkiller

That sounds like a dog all the way around.

Could you find a donor cummins for it for cheap?

Find a rusty but good running diesel and swap

[RED-85-Z51]

A donor with a cummins is still a 3500 dollar truck, even wrecked..

A complete, clean Cummins 3/4 ton, 4X4 truck is selling around 8000...

It would require swapping the exhaust, fuel system, engine, PCM, transmission, T-case, rearend, cooling system, and most of the crap under the hood...its a pain,

[JRD77VET]

Is $1500 worth it to you to get the truck you want?

[RED-85-Z51]

Originally Posted by JRD77VET

Is $1500 worth it to you to get the truck you want?

Its not the money so much as its the time it would take to find a truck that all that was intact, but yet cheap enough to buy and swap...and the time to do the swap. Last I looked..a 6BT CTD was about 1200lbs.

[vetteman9368]

Originally Posted by RED-85-Z51

A donor with a cummins is still a 3500 dollar truck, even wrecked..

A complete, clean Cummins 3/4 ton, 4X4 truck is selling around 8000...

It would require swapping the exhaust, fuel system, engine, PCM, transmission, T-case, rearend, cooling system, and most of the crap under the hood...its a pain,

There's got to be plenty of dodges that the cummins has shaken to pieces

[RED-85-Z51]

Originally Posted by vetteman9368

There's got to be plenty of dodges that the cummins has shaken to pieces

1999 Dodge Ram 3500 Cummins Diesel 4×4 Dually Extended cab

2000 bucks, no front shaft, bad trans, missing the injector pump, unknown engine condition...

[cmb396]

Originally Posted by RED-85-Z51

A donor with a cummins is still a 3500 dollar truck, even wrecked..

A complete, clean Cummins 3/4 ton, 4X4 truck is selling around 8000...

It would require swapping the exhaust, fuel system, engine, PCM, transmission, T-case, rearend, cooling system, and most of the crap under the hood...its a pain,

Werd!! Way too much work. Don't get the 360, they suck, tranny sucks, and inevitably slips. Expect 9-10 mpg, and replacing the front end every 30k miles with that kind of mileage all ready on it. I don't even think I'd get a cummins in that same gen. Great motors, HORRIBLE trucks!

[RED-85-Z51]

The D60 axels are solid and proven units, not worried at all about them...

The 360 is an awesome reliable engine...ive overheated them to the point the block smoked...then added cold water and got steam flashes so hard it blew the thermostat apart...engine partially seized from the heat...then restarted and continued to run another 25K miles, without trouble.

The 46RE Trans though...is trash, and a reason for concern. A Light duty trans, in a HD truck...I dont see it lasting.

i wish that guy had sold me his K2500...

[JRD77VET]

Originally Posted by RED-85-Z51

i wish that guy had sold me his K2500...

Up your offer half way. You were $250 apart, come up another $125

[mike100]

Originally Posted by RED-85-Z51

...

i wish that guy had sold me his K2500...

Fate favors the bold.

were u gonna flip it to make money or did you really want it for yourself?

[RED-85-Z51]

Originally Posted by mike100

Fate favors the bold.

were u gonna flip it to make money or did you really want it for yourself?

I was gonna keep it...at the price i offered...it was nearly a grand over "book". He wanted 4000, I was at 3750. now its no longer listed on CL, but it didnt sell, I guess he gave up and is keeping it.

[RED-85-Z51]

Talked to a guy with one of these this morning at the gas station, he said it gets about 13mpg on the highway, about 10 in town, and you really have to spin the balls out of it to get any power from it...he said he regrets buying it...

So, I guess im back on my Big Block mission..

[C5Nate]

Originally Posted by vetteman9368

There's got to be plenty of dodges that the cummins has shaken to pieces

OMG....


So true.

My '97 Dodge with 12 valve Cummins is a perfect example.

Its old school diesel in front of a 5 spd hand shaker. I enjoy driving it because its a a stick & the diesel is easy to work on but the Dodge portion of the truck needs constant repair.

IMHO, suck up the $250. get the truck you wanted.

[The_Dude]

I used to have a '70 GMC 3/4 ton 4x4 with a 283/4-speed. I hauled a gazillion cords of firewood with that thing. I never really felt the thing lacked power, but the 283 had been warmed up a bit by the previous owner.