Cummins 5.0L V8 - Thoughts from the diesel swap gurus (2 Viewers)

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Joined
Mar 20, 2016
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Location
Washington
Hey all,

I'm new to mud, and my '87 FJ60 that I bought back in May '16. I've only put about 2k miles on since I trailered it back from Bend, OR to Burlington, WA and have only done the basic "new owner" fixes (fluids, leaks, etc) since the purchase.

That being said, I've got big dreams for this guy and let's face it ... it's free to dream. I've been leaning (heavily) toward a diesel swap, but I've been trying to nail down exactly which one (no hurry here! $$$$). While Toyota's options are very enticing for many reasons (simplicity, staying true to TEQ), lately I've been leaning towards Cummins for ease of maintenance (finding parts!) and sourcing an engine. However, the 4-bt is very loud imho and the better balanced 6-bt, though I've seen a few videos with them in FJs, is too heavy and is just plain overkill (<- again ... my opinion).

THAT being said, has anyone had any experience with the Cummins 5.0L V8 that they're putting in the new Nissan Titans? I heard about them a while back and added it to the list of swap possibilities, but now that they've been on the market, I thought I'd start this conversation to see what the guys who know what they're talking about are saying.

I know sourcing one right now will be more difficult than say 4-bt, but by the time I'm ready to pull the trigger on a swap (LONG way off), I figure there will be more than a few Titans in the scrap yard. How would you guys (and girls!) rate this in swap-ability? I really like how light it is, while still retaining "the numbers." It also seems like they put a fair amount of design into keeping the engine quiet, which I like.

I don't see much wheeling for me in the future (I have other expensive hobbies, too!), so it would mainly be used as an expedition rig - camping, cross-country trips, and maybe a 38,000 mile round trip on the Panamerican Highway at some point? Free to dream right? :beer:

Ready. Set. Go ...
 
Got ahead of myself :confused: ... meant to post this in the Diesel Tech section ...
 
In the near future I should be able to offer an opinion on the 6-bt in a 60. My swap is underway. I went with the Cummins because I already had a solid stock engine in a truck that was falling apart and accessory parts are everywhere. Don't figure I'll need many engine parts.
 
I think a 6BT with some careful exhaust routing, big springs up front and a custom oil pan is the way to go.

I've got a mad scientist friend who wants to do this to my truck. I'm looking for a very early 6BT as a starting point.
 
I've been thinking the same thing regarding my 60. My 2F is sound but in the future I would like to bite the bullet and drop in a h55 and rebuild the transfer case and upgrade the engine. I have not had much luck finding any 1HD-T's or 12HT engines. A 4BT is totally out of the question for me...I'm interested in the 1HZ.
 
I'm keeping an eye on the 5.0 in terms of durability and longevity in the Titan trucks because I've been thinking the same thing, but then again, the powerstroke and duramax V8s have been around forever and no one has swapped one into a cruiser from what I've seen.

It's harder to put a diesel V8 into a LC chassis than it is an inline motor. The diesel V8s are HUGE compared to gas V8s.
 
I think a 6BT with some careful exhaust routing, big springs up front and a custom oil pan is the way to go.

I've got a mad scientist friend who wants to do this to my truck. I'm looking for a very early 6BT as a starting point.

Mine will be SOA with at least 1 extra leaf up front. The Cummins is out of a '91 Dodge 3/4 ton that has been in my family since new. Tranny is NV4500 as there is an adaptor to connect to the transfer case.
 
... then again, the powerstroke and duramax V8s have been around forever and no one has swapped one into a cruiser from what I've seen.
It's harder to put a diesel V8 into a LC chassis than it is an inline motor. The diesel V8s are HUGE compared to gas V8s.

This is one of my main questions, too - will it even fit? Found a fairly good article here about what's in the new Titan, but I haven't been able to find any outer dimensions online. My thoughts are it's in a 1/2 ton truck full of who knows what else under the hood. A 5.0L V8 in a small package (turbo's in the V-valley) should be MUCH smaller than say the 7.3L powerstroke. Whether or not that makes it small enough to fit between the fenders of a 60? I don't know ... but there are a lot of LS1's running around out there!

Needless to say I'll be staying tuned to see what info comes out in the coming years (or days if someone knows more!). I'm optimistic that it could fit (<- factless, uneducated wishful thinking :hillbilly:). I just find the numbers, power/weight ratio, and relative noise/vibration levels pretty attractive.
 
what transmission does the small cummins v8 work with?
 
my 2 cents? skip the Cummins, unless you have one already and go 1HZ. throw a turbo on there and you're all good. Having had an 80 with a 4bta, i can tell you that it's night and day difference in the cummins vs toyota powertrain. smooth, reliable, fuel efficient, not overly heavy...I'm not looking back one bit...

call Georg at valley Hybrids in Stockton CA and he can give you the skinny.
 
my 2 cents? skip the Cummins, unless you have one already and go 1HZ. throw a turbo on there and you're all good. Having had an 80 with a 4bta, i can tell you that it's night and day difference in the cummins vs toyota powertrain. smooth, reliable, fuel efficient, not overly heavy...I'm not looking back one bit...

call Georg at valley Hybrids in Stockton CA and he can give you the skinny.

1HZ is at the top of my list. Haven't tried looking for one yet (and won't for a good while), but I hear sourcing one can be a bit of a headache. I'm just curious right now as to what opinions are out there about the new Titan-packaged Cummins V8. As far as ease of install, 1HZ by a long shot! How are your noise/vibration levels?
 
1HZ is at the top of my list....As far as ease of install, 1HZ by a long shot! How are your noise/vibration levels?
I've got a couple layers of cruisercrap everywhere, wagongear door seals, and a freshly rebuilt tranny/xfer case. It's pretty quiet inside...
If a newer cruiser (100/200 series) is a 1 out of 10 on noise and vibes, my truck is a 3. Conversations are easy, and it really only shakes at shutdown. My 4bta powered 1994 80 series would be a 9 out of 10 on noise/vibes.
Make sure you buy stock in Loctite if you go the 4/6BT route...you'll be keeping them in business. As far as the V8 Cummins? I have zero experience, but it sounds like a pretty cool swap. I've just become kind of a Toyota elitist snob...
 
I ran into a guy at Skagit Powdercoating that had a 2.8l Cummins in his and he was very happy with it. Looks like Cummins is doing a crate motor for just this purpose...Introducing Cummins’ Crate Engine Program: Cummins Repower™ hopefully it will be cheaper than Bank's crate motor 13110 Engine - Gale Banks 630T, V6 3.0L Diesel There is also a guy out here in Anacortes with a nice diesel cruiser but I have never been able to flag him down, maybe he'll chime in here.

The 2.8L has been slowly crawling up the list for me. Seems like a tiny little powerhouse. I'm curious about noise levels though. @effjay60, any idea who the guy with the 2.8L was?
 
I'm keeping an eye on the 5.0 in terms of durability and longevity in the Titan trucks because I've been thinking the same thing, but then again, the powerstroke and duramax V8s have been around forever and no one has swapped one into a cruiser from what I've seen.

It's harder to put a diesel V8 into a LC chassis than it is an inline motor. The diesel V8s are HUGE compared to gas V8s.
My r2.8 does not even fit that good in an 80 series, i think that the 5.0 cummins v8 is a no go in any land cruiser.
 
My daily is a ‘17 Titan XD. The 5.0 Cummins is legit. Pulled my 60 on a 20’ car hauler trailer no issues, with 40+ mph crosswinds the whole way home.

The truck is surprisingly large, probably 8-10” wider than the FJ60, or seems that way. You might get it to fit, but I think you’d be hard pressed to do it.

Having driven the Ram Ecodiesel, that is probably the direction I would look. That 3.0 or the Cummins 2.8 make the most sense for a swap.
 
I'm keeping an eye on the 5.0 in terms of durability and longevity in the Titan trucks because I've been thinking the same thing, but then again, the powerstroke and duramax V8s have been around forever and no one has swapped one into a cruiser from what I've seen.

It's harder to put a diesel V8 into a LC chassis than it is an inline motor. The diesel V8s are HUGE compared to gas V8s.
I spoke briefly to Georg @orangefj45 about doing a Duramax swap in my 62, and he says it's next to impossible to shoehorn one in because of the large intercooler that it requires. I think a 6BT would require some modification to the engine bay, and both the 6BT and 4BT require an SOA. I haven't asked about the smaller Duramax that's been in production for a couple years now. IIRC it has just a bit more power and economy than a tuned 4BT, but if it also requires a large intercooler, that might be out of the running also.
 
I spoke briefly to Georg @orangefj45 about doing a Duramax swap in my 62, and he says it's next to impossible to shoehorn one in because of the large intercooler that it requires. I think a 6BT would require some modification to the engine bay, and both the 6BT and 4BT require an SOA. I haven't asked about the smaller Duramax that's been in production for a couple years now. IIRC it has just a bit more power and economy than a tuned 4BT, but if it also requires a large intercooler, that might be out of the running also.

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I’m waiting to see what this looks like for a future swap option.
 

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