Builds Cummins 6BT install in FZJ80 (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Jun 29, 2005
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Well, It took me long enough to get this far.. Ive spent 3 weekends prepairing for the drop. With in 6 days I was able to install my 3" body lift, remove the engine, transmission, transfercase, and anything else I didnt need. I also had to strip the inside for ease of body lift installation.
A lot of people thought that it couldent be done, and that it would be to heavy, but its no heaver up front than some rigs with 300lbs of bumpers, batteries, and a winch.
What I have is a 1996 FZJ80, 6" slee lift, 3" body lift and 37" Krawlers. The Cummins is out of a 1996 Dodge ram 3500. being that it was mated to a manual transmission and not an auto, the engine produces 215hp and 440ft-lb of torque. http://dodgeram.org/tech/dsl/Facts/96specs.html
The transmission I will be using will be the dodge 47RE 4 speed. Right now that will be enough untill I can afford to drop the trany and get her made billet proof.
As far as the transfer case, I am hoping for the Atlas 4speed.
In the mean time, Ill post a few picts. I have more, but they need to get developed. So heres a few with a digi my friend let me borrow.


I also have a few picts here as well. https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=81202

-Ron
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Very cool. As we speak I am pulling the motor out of my 80 for a 4bt swap. I plan on running the h55f behind it. Please post up as progress goes on.

good luck
-Al
 
VERY COOL SWAP!!!!! Looks to me like the you did not really need the body lift. Did you do it so the trans would clear the hump? lloks like you will als be able to fit a mechanical fan & an intercooler in thier also...


Why not a 205 case? I believe they will work behind the 47R's & will be more than enough gearing for the 80.

keep us up to date cause I would love to do this swap but $$$ & time are really limiting me.
 
Well, Unfortuantally, being that I have a off centered Diff.. and my new setup requires a centered diff.. I need new axles... Ive been looking at the portal-tek axles. Anyone have a set of these under their rig? THey look like they will more than hold up to the weight and power of the Cummins. I went with a body lift because the engine was 3" taller and the air intake is about 5" taller, so I thought I would need the extra lift.. It doesent look like it... but it does help alittle with bell housing. Isint the 205 case a drivers side drop though? I need a passenge side drop.
 
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Yesssss...................... do it that would rock, portal tech axles... Yowsa

Great install, sounds like the body lift made things manageable...

Project FJ80 said:
Well, Unfortuantally, being that I have a off centered Diff.. and my new setup requires a centered diff.. I need new axles... Ive been looking at the portal-tek axles. Anyone have a set of these under their rig? THey look like they will more than hold up to the weight and power of the Cummins. I went with a body lift because the engine was 3" taller and the air intake is about 5" taller, so I thought I would need the extra lift.. It doesent look like it... but it does help alittle with bell housing. Isint the 205 case a drivers side drop though? I need a passenge side drop.
 
Don't the portal-tek axles sit up much higher than the LC axles. I don't know if this would be strong enough but you could run the centered diff 40 and 60s use. It uses 30 spline shafts that are of equal lengh and I am sure there is cromo ones out there for that aplication. woody and a few others run it, search his thread for more info.
 
Na, it would just lift him a couple more inches, then he would be forced to run 40s with portals........


The 80 with mog axles is running I think a 4 inch OME kit and running 39s?

lowtideride said:
Don't the portal-tek axles sit up much higher than the LC axles. I don't know if this would be strong enough but you could run the centered diff 40 and 60s use. It uses 30 spline shafts that are of equal lengh and I am sure there is cromo ones out there for that aplication. woody and a few others run it, search his thread for more info.
 
Project FJ80 said:
Well, Unfortuantally, being that I have a off centered Diff.. and my new setup requires a centered diff.. I need new axles... Ive been looking at the portal-tek axles. Anyone have a set of these under their rig? THey look like they will more than hold up to the weight and power of the Cummins. I went with a body lift because the engine was 3" taller and the air intake is about 5" taller, so I thought I would need the extra lift.. It doesent look like it... but it does help alittle with bell housing. Isint the 205 case a drivers side drop though? I need a passenge side drop.


I think the portal's will give you too much lift (about 6-7") on top of your 6" lift already & if you removed your 6" lift you might have axle interference with the oil pan. You should be able to get your measurements now to see if that would work.

The 205 is passenger drop in Dodge Cummins 1st gen & you could get a set of axles off of a dodge & have them cut down for way less than a set of portals and have a higher load carring capacity. I have not investigated this much, but its what I've picked up off of the TDR.


It all depends on how you plan on wheeling it wether the portals would be worth it.

Are you planning on a custom innercooler or will you be able to get the stock one to fit?

Keep us up to date and be sure & throw some more pics our way!!
 
That ought to be a nice rig when you get done.For my 6bt swap in my 85 FJ60 I used a 727 trans 205 transfercase, 14 bolt spicer rear,dana 60 front,SOA with 2.5"BDS springs & 35's
 
what about a tundra rear axle? the 8.4in dif is probly stronger than the LC 9in, and available with factory e-locker and a 30 spline pinon. i'm pretty sure there are cromo axles available, and i'm sure you can gusset the housing for strength. LOTS more clearance than a 14 bolt or 60.
just thinking out loud here...
very cool build!
carl
 
The portal teks will waste any toyota axle in the strength department. Hands down they are heavy duty. I saw the sets they were setting up at their shop and i think they said one set was being set up for a late model dodge with the cummins and a six speed. running 38's if i remember right. And they are full custom so offset or centered rear should not be a problem.

When bolted in as a direct replacement they give 4.5" of lift. so if you have ANY body or suspension lift it will get tall fast.
Id ditch the body lift or at least as much as possible and still clear the tranny.
 
Yeah.. an extra 4" of axel lift + 6" suspension + 3" body lift .. will put me too high, I would like to keep te body lift, Because that will allow me to get a larger fuel tank, route the larger exhaust, and it will make it easyer to clean the mud from inbetween the body and frame. I donno... Ill have to see what it looks like. If I can get away with out the body lift though.. I think Ill go with that. Ill just push the axles out an inch on each side for a little more stability.
If the 205 case is a passenger drop, that might be something to look into, becase the Atlas is about 2800, and I could probably get a 205 for under 1000. alough with the Atlas 4-speed, ill have the gearing for any type of wheeling, 1.1 for the dirt, 2.7 for sand, 3.8 for mud and 10.1 for the rocks.
As far as the axles go, the portals should hold up much better with the added weight and torque of the cummins.. This way I can boost the power from 215hp and 440ft-lbs to somewhere inbetween 300-500hp and 800-1000 ft-lbs, and not have to worry about terring the toy axel to peices.
I will be getting a custom radiator that will have electric fans, probably duel fans, I dont know if I will have them pullers or pushers, but it will give me about 6" more space up front with the engine mounted fan not being there. That will give me the space upfront for the intercooler. Ill probably go custom as to get better flow than a stock unit.
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what kind of my mpg are you looking at with the 6bt compaired to the 4bt?
 
The 205 should be way less than $1000. With the low torque of a 6bt & an auto I highly doubt you would ever see the need for a lower t-case than 2:1.

also, dana 60/70 combo would cost around $2.5k built fairly well & you would be way ahead on the $7k - 10k cost of portals.

Keep the pics coming!
 
Unfortuantally, I do not know what kind of milage the 4bt gets.. Always thought it would be too small, too heavy, and not enough power for what it offers. Its also almost cheaper to go with a 6bt. I am looking to get somewhere between 20-28mpg from the 6bt, that will be a large improvement over the 8-10mpg I was getting with my Toyota I-6.
The portals are very expensive.... I ponder weather or not I need something that beefy... I think though.. that in the snow.. it would pay off not to get hung up on anything.. or bash the diff on an unseen rock. and I wouldent be using the diff to plow mud, snow, rocks, or anything else that you would normaly do with a diff that sat 4-5" lower. In the end.. If it will do what its soposed to do, and not gernade, I think it will be well worth the extra $$$$ now, then shredding my toyota axel and buying something else later. Ill lose twice. Once on the axel I could have sold, once on the axel i bought to replace it, and then the modifications needed to convert that axel to fit it under my landcruiser.
Thats where these really shine IMO, you bolt them on.. no extra fabrication, no guess work, just drop your current axels and install your new ones.. get er done in a day. Since I dont do too much fabrication work myself, especially when it comes to the geometry of the suspension, You would figure somewhere between a min of $75-$125 an hour by about atleast... id figure a day or two for work.. so.. 8-16hours.. .. about 1500. Then you have to wait 3-6 weeks out before they can even look at what you want them to try to do. Not too many people want to work on an 80. then times that by 2, one for front one for rear.
so just thinking out loud...
5K for the axles, 3K for the fab work, change out the 8lug to toyoa 6lug/adapter
and you have about what it would cost you for a set of stock portals. Sorry its so long.. typing out loud helps me see things I would otherwise miss. :doh:
Bah.. its still a lot of money.
Ill keep you posted... Ill know by the second week, next month what I will do.
 
I can't wait to see this beast run. I have similar thoughts in mind. Initially it was LS1 with twin turbos and a 4L80E.... but a 6BT sounds like such a better choice. Gobs of low end power and decent fuel economy. Especially the '93.5-98 Cummins version with essentially no computer controls......
 
All I can say is AWESOME job and cudo's to you for attempting it. I'd probably have gone the 4BT route but it's nice to see somebody doing the 6.

Please keep us updated pic and info wise.

TB
 
Well after much thought and debate, and the approval of the misses, Ill be getting the portal-tek axels. Ill order them sometime this month and they should be done before or in June. I decided to go with most all the options they had including the CTM u-joints, 35 spline 300m axel shafts arb lockers axel trussings, heavyduty tie rods, upgraded 16" Wilwood brakes 6piston calipers, hydro assist, and the 2.47 ring and pinion which will give me a final ratio of 4.94:1 , Ill also be going 2 inches longer on the front and rear axels to space me out a little more

Does anyone run a full hydro setup on the front end? or a hydro assist? wondering which I should go with. Right now I have the 37" kralwers, but would like to go a bit wider and taller. Id like to go with some 44" tires, but im very limited with rim sizes over 17". Its either 21/44-17LT Traxus or
the 21/49-17LT IROK's. Has anyone ran these sizes of tires? are they good or bad? Any other tires out there 14-18" wide and over 42"? 21" is awfully wide.

Im also wondering if anyone has heard anything good or bad or knows someone or has the newer Atlas 4-Speed transfercase. Sounds to be the :censor: , but I havent been able to find much on the internet about it.

-Ron
 
Oh, man, talking about KICKIN' IT UP!!!
 
Ron you are a wild man......:cool: Portals, Cummins were is the madness going to stop.

Its not a good idea to do too many mods at once so I feel it would be in your best interest to let me test the portals before installing them until you get the Cummins dialed in.:D

What wheel bolt pattern are the portals going to be?

Can you tell Im jealous:flipoff2: :flipoff2:
 

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