Anyone Considering a Cummins R2.8 w/ HF55 Swap?

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dustyrhodes

dustyrhodes

Joined
Mar 22, 2017
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Location
Venice, CA
Hi guys,
Long time reader, first time poster. :) I'm currently shopping for an FJ62 and I'm curious if anyone has been thinking about using that new R2.8 diesel from cummins in a conversion?

I've been shopping for super original, very low mile examples, but if I was planning on the engine swap, I might be more willing to go higher in the milage.

Seems like potentially a great replacement for the 4bt. Similar power (slightly less torque) but 300+ lbs less weight and CA emissions legal.

What kind of comfortable highway cruising do folks get with a 4bt and hf55? Is it worth lowering the diff gearing to adapt to an engine that prefers lower rpms?

Thanks!
 
It is not yet available as they are still working through the emissions approval, but the plan is to have a 50 state legal crate motor that is likely installable in any vehicle up to sometime in the early 2000s. I think it looks really cool.
 
Once an adapter plate exists from a reliable source, it will happen.

Someone should try this guy:

Imagineer@windstream.net

I corresponded with him about a b3.3 to h55 adapter and he could do it with a premium for small batch stuff.

www.phxgrp.com is the website I found him on.
 
I'd like to see a 2.8 in a 40.

Fwiw, the 3.9 looks great on paper but in real life ........ not so much.
If you watch closely you'll see that the vast majority of the 3.9 swapped rigs ( cruisers and others ) change hands every 12-24 months. People buy them and have fun at first but then the novelty wears off and they realize that it's not a great setup. Idle is rough and they're very noisy. Not something you want in a driver. And the Th700s don't hold up behind them. The "pulse" is very tough on them and they chew thru flexplates. At this point, I won't work on anything engine related in a 3.9 swapped cruiser because there are just too many issues. And I'm not a fan of cleaning up other people's ( or shops ) work.
I have an 80 at the shop that was 3.9 converted by Proffits. The customer/friend loves his 80 but has come to dislike the 3.9 immensely. So we're installing a turbo'D 1HZ and 5-speed.
As for the 3.3 the performance is lackluster and from what I hear, it's not a highway approved engine ( there may be exceptions ). So bottom line; other than fuel economy you get no performance increase and it's not legal to have one in your vehicle.

One thing I tell all my customers who are considering a conversion is to find a vehicle similar to theirs with their engine of choice. Talk to the owner, get honest input and see if they'll take you for a test drive. It's the easiest way to avoid a $10-25k mistake/headache.

Georg @ Valley Hybrids & Cruiser Brothers
 
I agree on the 4BT being uncivilized in a LC, but there are 3.9l diesels that are much more civilized and work well in a 60 or 80. A Isuzu 4BD1 or 2 is a great engine to swap into a LC, and one that has been done documented many times here on mud.

Maybe not as common as the Cummins, but readily available in the US. Good parts and adapter support, good power, almost zero vibration, 20 mpg mileage range, inexpensive, no spring over required, but a minimum 3" lift is, etc. I have had one swapped in my 60 for 8 years and 65k miles, and love it!

Yes, it's a medium duty engine, so some states may take issue with it. But that's about it. It's worth consideration if you want a diesel with improved performance and mileage from a gasser, at a very reasonable costs.

Read my swap below.

Just another opinion and possible option.
 
I'm very curious about it. I have a great 60 that just needs a refurb/restore, poor thing just sits around, all stock. Has some rot in the back and suffering from overall neglect. What I want to do is convert it to a UTE like the guys in Aus. do. Then I would have the space of a 4 door rig, but be able to haul a few more things. With the diesel in it, it would make a great expo, cruising rig I think, and last a lifetime. Also could pull our tent trailer pretty decent, especially with the extended wheelbase and torque of the diesel.
 
I just picked up a 4BT swapped cruiser that I've known about for a long time, an old Proffitt's build. Obviously time will tell, but while the engine bay is rattle trap, the truck itself is not too bad inside. I also enjoy loud, obnoxious vehicles so you may have to take what I say with a grain of salt. It has huge hydraulic motor mounts that seems to keep the diesel's shenanigans to a minimum. It did pass the wife test! She is not into uncouth vehicles and she actually said it wasn't too bad (I had prepped her beforehand, warning her that this thing was kind of a paintshaker). Runs great and returns 20+ MPG. It's also set up to run whatever garbage I push through it, SVO, Biodiesel, whatever. It's a single tank so WVO would be tough. So far I'm very happy with my purchase. I can tell you that you want to do something like this right. A home brew swap would probably be obnoxious, and as much as this truck is hammered, it benefits from a couple of previous owner's shakedowns. It seems like all I have to do is clean it up.

It actually drives really well, has enough oomph, arguably less labored than the 3FE it came with. It also has an H55, which shifts really nicely, as all Toyota manuals do. My only complaint is that the gearing is a little short for this engine. I don't have much experience with the 2.8, although it looks great on paper. I'd probably make it easy on myself and do an NV4500 with the Cummins. The gear split is wider and even though it shifts more like a dump truck than a car, it will never let you down. You can also source parts for it locally.

As to what @orangefj45 said above, he's absolutely right. If I was to start from scratch I would do a Toyota diesel swap any day seeing as you'll probably spend about the same money. 4BT swaps for popular for a moment in time because it was harder to source the good japanese stuff, but fell out of favor. I've driven several and my rig is bar far the most civilized. Toyota diesels are awesome, I drove a 1HZ powered rig around for a while and I let me tell you, that is a sweet engine. Add a turbo and intercooler and you'll be really cooking.

I bought this rig because as I said, I appreciate loud, bombproof, weird stuff, and this thing is built to the hilt. Build thread is coming when I have time to sit down and upload some stuff.
 
I am no fan of the 3FE. Low powered gas guzzler. Owned one in my FJ80.

But I also own a 3B powered 60, BJ60. So while I enjoy that engine a lot more than the 3FE, I do find it pretty slow. Even though I am turbo'd. You just cannot roll at 70 MPH. Lucky to do 65, no incline.

So while most are wondering if they want a cummins, etc, I would be certainly looking more closely to engines like the 1HZ, turbo'd. More power, smooth and fuel efficient.

And while so many people think diesel is the answer, a new gas engine might also be the trick. Most tend to go to the chevy side of things, but I'd love to see a Turbo V6 ecoboost in a cruiser.
 
brownbear said:
I am no fan of the 3FE. Low powered gas guzzler. Owned one in my FJ80.

But I also own a 3B powered 60, BJ60. So while I enjoy that engine a lot more than the 3FE, I do find it pretty slow. Even though I am turbo'd. You just cannot roll at 70 MPH. Lucky to do 65, no incline.

So while most are wondering if they want a cummins, etc, I would be certainly looking more closely to engines like the 1HZ, turbo'd. More power, smooth and fuel efficient.

And while so many people think diesel is the answer, a new gas engine might also be the trick. Most tend to go to the chevy side of things, but I'd love to see a Turbo V6 ecoboost in a cruiser.
Click to expand...

I'd like to see someone attempt a lightweight build with a supercharged 3RZ with a taco trans and some sort of wacky Marlin Crawler or AA setup.

I'll bet the fuel economy there is way into the 20s.
 
You'll end up wasting too much money on the 3RZ and modding it to the point where it wouldn't be reliable. I own a 3RZ Toyota, and love (and praise) the little engine, but I don't think it'd do very well in an 80.

Supercharging the 1FZ doesn't really do much (we also have a TRD SC'd 80), and gas is an issue. I've always wondered why there arent any 2UZ swapped 80s in the states? (fuel efficiency no object)

I'd love a diesel LC, for no other reason than it'd be plain cool, but I'm too much of a purist to swap anything other than a Toyota engine. So, If it were up to me, I'd slap a turbo 1HZ engine and be done with it. Although it'd probably still be slow, but I don't care, there's no such thing as a fast cruiser lol
 
lugueto said:
You'll end up wasting too much money on the 3RZ and modding it to the point where it wouldn't be reliable. I own a 3RZ Toyota, and love (and praise) the little engine, but I don't think it'd do very well in an 80.

Supercharging the 1FZ doesn't really do much (we also have a TRD SC'd 80), and gas is an issue. I've always wondered why there arent any 2UZ swapped 80s in the states? (fuel efficiency no object)

I'd love a diesel LC, for no other reason than it'd be plain cool, but I'm too much of a purist to swap anything other than a Toyota engine. So, If it were up to me, I'd slap a turbo 1HZ engine and be done with it. Although it'd probably still be slow, but I don't care, there's no such thing as a fast cruiser lol
Click to expand...

Ah, yeah not in an 80, more like a soft top 40.

But yeah, like I said, the ultimate is a Turbo 1HZ. I've driven a 12HT powered 80 and it's definitely the most appropriate power train for a rig like that. It's quiet and smooth with a little turbo whistle and growl, the diesel clacking is minimal and it builds smooth, freight train like power.
 
Well, here are some pics of it. It apparently is now 49 state compliant.

IMG_0454.webp


IMG_0456.webp


IMG_0459.webp
 
MyCruiserisaHogBeast said:
I'd like to see someone attempt a lightweight build with a supercharged 3RZ with a taco trans and some sort of wacky Marlin Crawler or AA setup.

I'll bet the fuel economy there is way into the 20s.
Click to expand...

No way would mileage be anywhere near 20. I have a 2003 regular cab Taco with the 3RZ manual trans and the best I've ever done is 22 MPG. Week in week out it's 19-20. Add a supercharger and another 1500 lbs and you'd be right in the LC MPG range where you started.
 
We're hoping to get one ASAP and start working on a swap kit for the 60's. The delivery delays aren't helping, but it's on the radar and working to make some deeper connections in Cummins to understand the timing. Stay tuned!
 
We're hoping to get one ASAP and start working on a swap kit for the 60's. The delivery delays aren't helping, but it's on the radar and working to make some deeper connections in Cummins to understand the timing. Stay tuned!
 
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