hi guys i need help...i'm chasing info on swapping a 6bt cummins into my 80, there is hardly any info here in australia on this, what is the best 6bt to use, i can make my own adaptors and wire it up just need to find an engine suitable? any help appreciated. thanks
6bt with p7100 pump (12 valve)
The p7100 pump is bulletproof and the fueling is mechanical.
This was available in the US on the 94-97 dodge trucks (and early 98)
The other pumps are fine but have limitations.
a 24valve head with a p7100 pump has been done and is considered the ultimate by many.
I love the idea of a 6BT in an 80 series, just heavy and long. It goes along well with the overbuilt mentality of the 80 series. I would probably look at a 4BT personally but I could be persuaded toward the 6BT.
g'luck
Howdy! I currently have a 97 Dodge 3/4 ton that has this 12 valve version. It has had a few tricks to increase power , and it is an amazing setup. At 180,000 miles, it still has zero metal showing up on the magnet on the oil drain plug. I would love to have it in my 80 series, but, there is no room for the intercooler, and probably no space underneath for the 4" exhaust. This would handicap the power a bunch. Almost negates the reasons to do the swap. Good luck if you go ahead with this. John
Ummm, source an engine first, 12 valve or 24 valve will work. The 24 valve motors have more power and should be a bit more involved to get them in.
If your in OZ, why not find yourself an HDJ or HZJ? You should be able to find twenty toyota or nissan diesels for every 1 cummins motor down under.
If you can make your own adapters, I would try and find a cummins with trans out of a truck or similar, and then mate it to the toyota t-case, unless it has a t-case with similar prop shaft locations.
Ummm, source an engine first, 12 valve or 24 valve will work. The 24 valve motors have more power and should be a bit more involved to get them in.
If your in OZ, why not find yourself an HDJ or HZJ? You should be able to find twenty toyota or nissan diesels for every 1 cummins motor down under.
If you can make your own adapters, I would try and find a cummins with trans out of a truck or similar, and then mate it to the toyota t-case, unless it has a t-case with similar prop shaft locations.
Really? I was always told the 12 valve with the p pump was best, look out for the 6bt's with the "killer dowel pin" its an easy cheap fix iirc it's behind the timing cover
I personally like the 1st gen Dodge Cummins trucks with the 12 valve. So simple, among the best economy (mpg) of them all and so much power and torque. Not sure why one would need any more power than what these 12 valves produce unless you are planning on pulling a house trailer.
You can find a beat up or rusted out Dodge truck for your source and not have to hunt for lots of little parts here and there if you just buy the engine. I have a 1992 Dodge Cummins donor for a planned transplant to my 1978 Ramcharger.
Right on with the killer dowel pin comment. If you find one you will want to make sure this has been done or do this while it is out during the swap.
I say get rid of the weak and swap out entire drivetrain. Trying to adapt to the stock drivetrain is a losing battle, especially when you start turning up the fuel. Get it right the first time so your invest isnt a money hole.
I have a 6bt drivetrain (and truck) in my backyard yelling at me. Damn drunk driver totaled my favorite truck. After some rough measurements though, I think a 4bt would be a much better engine for an 80-series, truthfully. They can be turned up to 3x the power of the stock 1fz. I've been trying to 'trade' my p7100 215hp 6bt for an inline-pumped 4bt for that very reason. Plus I have the NV4500 with upgraded (billet) shafts and a double disk clutch. 1st gen cummins with the getrag 5speed had pass-side drop TC's that are bolt-on to the dodge nv4500.
Really? I was always told the 12 valve with the p pump was best, look out for the 6bt's with the "killer dowel pin" its an easy cheap fix iirc it's behind the timing cover
There isn't a lot of dodge cummins diesel trucks there to choose from.
So he might have to take whatever he can find when it comes to the 6BT's, if its a 12valve p-pump or a 24 valve, they all got their pros and cons, but his options aren't the same here in N.A.
BTW, 6BT fits pretty nicely in an 80, but your gonna need an electric fan, and as tapage said beef up your front suspension, your adding more than a few pounds and you'll need some clearance to your diff near the pinion flange.
Mines on airbag suspension to accomodate the extra weight, but apparently others are fine with OME heavy coils.
A guy in our club has one in his 80. He has a suspension lift and a 3 inch body lift. Find a doner vehicle and pull the whole drivetrain and put it in the 80. That way you could juiced up the engine and not worry about blowing a birf.
So does anyone have hard numbers on how much power you loose if you drop the intercooler off of one of these beasts? My son's truck is just slightly warmed over, and it is scary strong!
I cant speak for the 6bt's but I know in the 4bt's adding an intercooler adds 15-20 additional hp.. I have seen a couple of the air/water setups that can fit in a tight spot when an intercooler wont fit. The 1998 215hp 12valve Cummins motors are the best of the p-pumps in stock form. They already come with the 191 delivery valves and with some timing and a larger turbo can put down some serious power. A p-pumped 24v is a killer motor but are BIG bucks to convert and wouldnt be useful in an 80 IMHO. Have you considered a p-pump 4bt?
If you can find a inline pump(p pump) 4 bt thats great but most you find will have the bosch ve pump on it. You can still make good power with those, more than you got now avoid CAV/Lucas, stanadyne and any other pump. A good friend of mine has a 4bt with a bosch ve pump on his he gets 26 mpg out of his lifted and armored 62 series LC.
Really? I was always told the 12 valve with the p pump was best, look out for the 6bt's with the "killer dowel pin" its an easy cheap fix iirc it's behind the timing cover
The killer dowel pin is a indexing pin for the timing cover. Over time the pin works its way out and falls down into the crank gear causing catastrophic failure. Some people get lucky and it falls into the pan but not likely. This happens on most pre 1998.5 Cummins engines. The fix is easy and there are a billion write up on how to do it. Its a must if you have a 12 valve or 4BT
I have built a couple 4bt's and 6bt's and have had a couple working their way out. I just fabbed a tab to go over the dowel. Easy fix and great insurance
