Help me make another Cummins decision

[mountainexplorer]

I have a 1990 5.9 Cummins motor.

I'm debating altering my original plans for it.

It was going to go in my '81 K30 Crew Cab with a 5spd, and 4.10 gears and 35's.

If a 454 stays in the Crew Cab, it will be getting a 5 speed and 4.56 gears.

But a 2nd alternative is to not tear it apart, and install the Cummins into my '87 V30 regular cab Utility bed truck, which the body is already off of, making any fabrication for the install easy to do. But it's also the snow plow truck, and the diesel would be a bit noisy.

If I swap it into the '87 Plow truck, it will be running 4.10 gears and 33's. But should I run a 5spd or just leave the 727 tranny thats behind the Cummins right now. If the Cummins goes into the '87, I can sell the 400/205 locally for $700 and the 454 for $700.

Or I can just re-sell the Cummins locally for $1500-$2000

What should I do? (poll)

 

[kgblazerfive]

Sell the Cummings to me, then you don't have to decide

 

[darkshadow]

the crew dude the pulling you do all over the frickin place hauling who knows what this week, there is no question it goes in the crew, unless you want to use a different tow rig then it goes in that.


just dont use this: nice tow rig

 

[rjfguitar]

It goes in the '81 Crew Cab no if ands or buts... the higher geared 4.10/35's will be a good ratio for the engine and there is nothing cooler than a Cummins powered CC, besides a CAT powered CC.

 

[OffRoad]

definatly put it in the cc. the extra wheelbase will be nice when you're towing big things, (like other cc's )

 

[diesel4me]

Tough Decision...

Thats a lot of choices!--I agree whichever truck you use to tow with( and the heaviest) is probably the best home for it--you have all that power and torque,might as well put it to work..

The plow truck would be better off automatic if you ask me--I have had both,and manual tranny's get tiring fast when plowing driveways,and reverse is too slow on most manuals,you end up winding the motor out backing up all the time,its hard on them..not to mention the clutch only lasts one winter in many cases--if your lucky!

Noise?--I love the sound of my diesel!,nothing better than hearing it push 33 inches of snow off my driveway!- -actually,I hardly notice the noise while plowing--its fairly quiet due to the fresh snow under the truck,soaks up a lot of the diesel clatter--its louder and more noticable driving down bare asphalt streets than snow covered areas...You never forget that its a diesel,but its not unbearable-you get used to it fast,your passengers will be the ones who notice it most..

The diesel will get better mileage than a 454,but at the higher price of diesel than gasoline,that might take some of that advantage away--and at times diesel isn't as readily available as gas in some areas,but thats changing fast with more diesels on the road than ever before--you used to have only a few places to fill up with diesel,but now I'd say at least half of the gas stations now sell diesel also..this aint a problem on the interstates,but you pay truck stop prices--which sometimes arent all that bad,but you can get raped at the pump at some of them too...

The manual tranny does have the advantage of more power to the road,a bit better mileage and economy due to the wide range of gear ratios--but at the expense of driving comfort in traffic..

Last resort is to sell it!--yes,its worth the most,if you need cash fast and lots of it,the diesel will sell the fastest and bring the higher price...but its not easy to come by a Cummins reasonable(at least not near me)--so why give up now?-look how long it took you to score this one!---I bet once you drive whatever truck it goes in,you wont be sorry you persevered and did the swap!

You would not have much trouble selling a running 454 here for 700 bucks--junkyards want at least that for one that runs...period!--some get 900-1000 for a good one that does not smoke or tick--fairly rare here,especially the older ones(non-EFI 86-down)..

Good Luck in whatever you decide!...

 

[Z3PR]

Do you use the '87 V30 utility bed plow truck as a money maker ?? If so, that's where I'd put it.

 

[big_truxx]

just dont use this: nice tow rig

a new classic film?

 

[u2slow]

I would not advise the Cummins/727 in the plow truck with 4.10s and 33" tires if you plan to ever travel at highway speeds. Those trucks came with 3.07 gears for a reason.

Diesel fuel has about 10% more energy per volume, so all else being equal, you effectively increase your fuel tank size by 10%.

Not every station here carries diesel, but it sure isn't difficult to find. I even restrict myself to one brand (Husky) without difficulty. IMO, 94 octane, propane, or natural gas are the tough ones to find reliably.

I voted for the diesel crewcab... not too many solid-axle, turbodiesel crewcabs out there

 

[mountainexplorer]

I would like to keep the Cummins and put it in the crew cab with an NV4500. But this means I need to find and buy the following:

A new front harmonic balancer for the Cummins, as well as air intake runner piece and a few other small items.

An NV4500 Dodge version. I have the Dodge version 205 from behind the 727, but I have no idea if it's the same spline as a Dodge NV4500.

I, being a cheap person that I am, don't like to have very much money wrapped up in any of my vehicles. From the Cummins conversions I've been reading about so far, some people have more into their conversion parts than I am willing to have invested in my whole truck. I'm hoping to be able to re-sell other parts of the truck it came out of, and be into the motor itself under $1000... and spend no more than another $1500 for the conversion. If it ends up costing more than that, well, I don't know.

 

[u2slow]

An NV4500 Dodge version. I have the Dodge version 205 from behind the 727, but I have no idea if it's the same spline as a Dodge NV4500.

The Dodge/Cummins NV4500 is 29-spline output. I believe the 727/NP205 is 23-spline coupling. You could swap in the 360 gasser output shaft - its 23-spline.

IMO, I'd run a left-hand drop NP241 with a divorced right-hand drop NP205 behind it. Thank goodness for that crewcab wheelbase