1st gen engine swap options, and related BS

Can't do fun turbo stuff in CA, so smog legal supercharger was the way I had to go.

 

ahh, that's a shame. yet another reason why i wouldn't live in California. i love to visit, and i don't diss on people who live there... but not my cup of tea. might consider living up near Tahoe though... f*cking spectacular up there! plenty of snow in the winter too.

 

I didn’t see anyone mention the Mercedes diesel swap, or the Volkswagen TDI swap.

 

excellent point! Adding it to the list now. out of curiosity... why might you pick that over a Cummins?

 

Haven’t seen anyone mention a 1KZ turbo Diesel either.
This is all I know about the 1KZ so feel free to chime in with better insight:
Same motor mounts as a 5VZ-FE, same ECU mount (need to extend wires), need to move tranny cross member back a few inches and source a left hand drive transfer case from Malaysia.
Also, it’ll happily burn used fryer oil you can acquire from any restaurant so you have a free fuel source. I’m a chef so I’d just get it from work.
Newer diesels like R2.8 cannot do that. It’ll F’ up all kinds of things like injectors etc.
But the VW diesels are much more common.

 

damn, that's a game changer right there. all i'd need to figure out with that is driveshaft, transfer case, trans cross member. that's a good point about how common the VW diesels are but that just makes the truck even more individual. plus the "free fuel" is a plus. does it burn pretty much all kinds of waste oil? a buddy of mine owned a deuce and a half for a while and would just go to oreilly's and take their used motor oil every other fillup. it was free... if a bit dirty. i gotta be honest though... the cummins badge on the side of my truck would look Sweeet!

 

To add to the conversation a Cummins 4bt weighs 750-780 pounds.
The heaviest 1st gen curb weight is 3700 pounds.
That’s 20% of the total weight.
Vs 420 pounds of a 5VZ-FE.

 

yeah, that's why i included the R2.8. It felt wrong not including the 4bt cause it's the classic cummins 4 banger... but if i recall correctly the R2.8 is around 330 lbs lighter than the 4bt

 

A lot of the VW diesels will burn veg oil too.
here are some more things to look at:
https://www.greasecar.com/

https://www.importperformanceusa.com/custom-automotive-services/

 

That’s fair...it’s 500ish pounds....not bad.
It’s also $7700 for the motor alone. It’s brand spankin’ new though.
You can get a VW or a 1KZ for a lot less but they’re not modern and likely not shiny/sexy want to rub my balls on them new.
But also can’t run free fuel through em either.

 

damn, that import performence place is awesome! i'll have to bookmark that page for future reference. if i do this i plan on doing it myself... but a little inspiration to remind me that it's possible can go a long way.

 

Keep us posted whatever you decide to do!
There are a ton of options!
There have been a few interesting swaps here and there. I’d find those folks and pick their brains.
And take your time! The more research you do the faster your swap will go and the less downtime your truck will have. Good luck!

 

How about a 600hp 427 sbc !!!!!

 

yah... admitedly this thread was more created as a bs and "what if" thread than anything else. if/when i do decide to engine swap the truck... it'll probobly be around the 500k mark. given that the truck has just crested 160k now... it's just beginning to break in. i've still got a solid 340k to go before i seriously consider a swap. that said though... the diesel swap seems like a great option... though i do love the idea of a V8 in a first gen. hard to argue with the economy and longevity that a diesel provides, and a toyota or a cummins nonetheless... some of the most reliable engines ever made have come from those two companies. never the less i'll let y'all know if/when i decide to do anything. for now... i'm interested to hear people's thoughts on first gen swaps and see where this thread goes!

 

Man...that’s so pretty!
It’s all function and no waste like plastic engine covers.
But will a 1st gen driveline take a motor like that? Sorta like over engined/under axeled

 

hmm. how's that going to fit though? that would be badass!

 

Toyota's and sbc are an awesome combination , I had a nice 400sbc in my 82 Toyota 4x4 p/up back in 1984

 

wow... i stand corrected. i'll add this to the list too. out of curiosity... how much work did you have to do to get it to fit? i'd expect major firewall tubbing... not to mention a substantal body lift. but i've also never looked into it before. School me!

 

Makes sense.
I’m in the same boat. I’m at 245k miles. My engine has a load of miles left in it, I hope.
In the meantime I can dream!

Also, need to move to a non-smog area to do a swap.

With only 160k you have loads of time!

I think an LS swap has been done lots too. From what I’ve heard all those motors are super sweet. Super reliable, tons of aftermarket support, Etc.
with a a 1KZ theres little to no after market in the US.

 

yeah, more on the aftermarket support. that's also another pro for a cummins swap. seems like every time i hop on the I-5, going north or south, I see a big ole sign for a cummins dealership within the hour. hard to argue with that. plus since they're in just about every school bus, large govt. diesel, and a lot of semis, there's got to be dealers and technicians just about everywhere. America runs on trucks!