354 turbo perkins into 82 3/4 4x4 GMC???

[Deere Jon]

I know it has been done, has anyone here done it. I would love to do a Cummins conversion also but only have one truck to play with now. The truck is currently a 4spd but think a turbo 400 would be a better mach. How do you control the shifting of the turbo 400, do you mount a belt driven vacuum pump on engine? Thanks JON

 

[JLEONARD]

There is a guy on DTR that has one in a Ford with twin turbos.

You can contact him there... .

OR

Send me an e-mail to -- email address removed -- and I'll put you guys in touch with each other. I don't want to publicize his address.



I got interested because I have done a lot of work on the marine versions of that engine series... and there is always a quest for more power...



Jay

 

[DKarvwnaris]

I know it has been done, has anyone here done it. I would love to do a Cummins conversion also but only have one truck to play with now. The truck is currently a 4spd but think a turbo 400 would be a better mach. How do you control the shifting of the turbo 400, do you mount a belt driven vacuum pump on engine? Thanks JON

There is no vacuum controller on the turbo 400's in the bread trucks running the 3. 9 4bt's. The transmissions are setup initially for diesel application. Try sourcing a replacement transmission for a p-30 bread truck with a 4 cyl diesel cummins. That will work the easiest and give you a little heavier internal parts than the gasser setups.

Should you require a vacuum pump for heater controls/ brakes, I would recommend a Ford Super duty electric vacuum pump. THe '99 powerstrokes are what I tell the dealer parts counter and they usually have them in stock or next day. You don't have to screw around with belts or brackets to mount the old pulley types this way, plus you can mount it anywhere you have the room.

 

[MThorn]

RE 354 perkins

I put a turboed 354 Perkins in a 82 Ram 4x4 it worked great, I got a belt drive vacum pump off a gmc car for my brakes, I think the old 5. 7 GM diesel ran a vacum pump in the "distributer" hole. I dont know if they used it to control the transmission though. I used a 435 NP behind a bellhousing I built on my conversion.

I put a single stack on my truck because I got Huge clouds of white diesel smoke till the truck warmed up. It would still be my next choice after a Cummins!

Dodge used 354's in 600 series trucks I believe in the early 70s but they seem to be scarce!



Monkl

 

[MartyAdams]

I had the Olds 350 diesel with the TH350 transmission. It used a vacuum regulator valve connected to the throttle linkage at the injection pump to control the vacuum to the TH350 for shifting. The vacuum pumps on these engines sucked as much as the engine. There was very little chance of ruining a good transmission unless it was from the flying parts when the engine grenaded.



Marty A

 

[DKarvwnaris]

I had the Olds 350 diesel with the TH350 transmission. It used a vacuum regulator valve connected to the throttle linkage at the injection pump to control the vacuum to the TH350 for shifting. The vacuum pumps on these engines sucked as much as the engine. There was very little chance of ruining a good transmission unless it was from the flying parts when the engine grenaded.



Marty A

Oh come on, the parts didn't fly loose nearly as much as the injection systems crapped out. My parents had a 1978 delta 88 model diesel. Despite the complete lack of power, glow plug replacement, and frequent fuel related issues, we drove it from Syracuse NY to Florida evey summer for years. It only left us stranded after my father sold his other car. I think it knew and did it to spite him. The heads began popping off it regularly for the last 6 months before my dad yanked the diesel and put an impala engine and transmission in it. My mother wrapped it around a telephone pole two months later, the carma of a 5. 7 diesel lives past the exorcism of the engine itself.

A year later he suckered himself into a 5. 7 diesel suburban, I could not stop laughing when I was old enough to realize his desire to inflict frustration on himself back then. :-laf He nearly choked me the night I brought it up at 17 years old.

 

[MartyAdams]

Theres a good discussion and a many laughs with the 350 Diesel but lets not highjack this thread.



Marty A

 

[MartyAdams]

I checked my books from the 350 olds diesel and the Vacuum regulator Valve (VRV) part number is 14057219 and it used to bolt directly on the fuel pump. This was used for shifting control on the 400 transmission. There was a lighter duty VRV for the 350 transmission but if I remember correctly it was replaced with the 14057219.



Marty A

 

[DKarvwnaris]

I checked my books from the 350 olds diesel and the Vacuum regulator Valve (VRV) part number is 14057219 and it used to bolt directly on the fuel pump. This was used for shifting control on the 400 transmission. There was a lighter duty VRV for the 350 transmission but if I remember correctly it was replaced with the 14057219.



Marty A

Regardless of what the Olds 350 offered for a vacuum controller, I would stick with the shift controller set ups in the 4bt's from the bread truck applications using the turbo 400's. The transmissions are fully mechanical in them from what I have seen. The advance is cable operated on the few I have seen intact. No lines going to the transmission other than for the oil cooler. Having to utlize anything from the Olds diesel design scares me. It was meant for us to let it go extinct. I personally belelieve that any diesel designed or planned for work should have a manual transmission. I shy away from auto's no matter what when I am building a truck for myself or buying one. If a customer wants one, I put a disclaimer on the work order that towing anything beyond the weight of a golf cart trailer will result in them finding another shop to put it back together. I hate even installing auto's in repowers, it just isn't worth the headache to me. NV-4500 or 5600 is what I push, because no matter what anyone says, it is the most reliable bolt on transmission you will find for a cummins in a lightduty truck.

 

[Deere Jon]

Old granny 4spd?

what about using it? or would it be to low geared, remember engine only turns 2500 RPM at wot. Jon

 

[Deere Jon]

Old granny 4spd?

Old granny 4spd, what about using it? or would it be to low geared, remember engine only turns 2500 RPM at wot. Jon

 

[DKarvwnaris]

Old granny 4spd, what about using it? or would it be to low geared, remember engine only turns 2500 RPM at wot. Jon

Maybe with 3. 08 gears or an overdrive unit. The 4 speeds aren't going to give you much of a power curve with such a limited selection RPM range of three primary gears, I wouldn't even bother with the granny 1 st gear unless you wanted to get out and walk around the truck as it idled along. Maybe for rock crawling or crossing a landmine field.

 

[Scot]

Years ago I put a 6. 9 in a '75 F250 4x4. Initially I ran the NP435 granny. The gear spread lacked a lot to be desired. I swapped it with a T19D the was pretty much 4:1, 3:1, 2:1, 1:1. It worked much better.

 

[tgbol]

Some of the Allison trans missions behind gas motors used a vacuum modulator. The same transmission used behind a diesel used a cable operated modulator. The vacuum modulators are the same as the T-400. The cable set up can also be used on a T-400.

 

[MThorn]

My perkins had a 435 behind it, the jump from 3rd too 4th gear was a long one,but only gave me trouble on long uphill runs in the mountains. I had 3. 21 gears, I upgraded from 15" too 16" tires and according to the GPS I was doing 75mph when the governer kicked in. Overdrive would have been great I tried pulling a farm tractor out of a hole once, figured the clutch would slip, nope! I twisted the back driveshaft up like a chunk of rope!



Monk

 

[DKarvwnaris]

I twisted the back driveshaft up like a chunk of rope!



Monk

This isn't uncommon with the lighter shafts and u joint the older 4 speeds had less than 1350 joints between them and the diff's.

Another thing to worry about when attempting to tug hard with that kind of torque is the small # of splines on the input shaft of the transmission.



Something has to give somewhere, its one of the reasons I use stock clutches and am thankful when the it gives out and everything is okay.

 

[1stgen4evr]

Perkins

Did a couple of Fords in the late 70s. Used c6 Ford automatics behind both of them. Didn't use them much for pulling anything, just themselves down the road. Some light towing. Liked them both. They were old engines from combines and both engines failed a bit soon. Still, they were diesel and when Dodge introduced their 89s, I began saving my pennys and got one in 93 and still have it today. I have no doubt you can do the conversion and no doubt you will like the truck. You can use about any transmission but without overdrive, you will want at least a 3. 07 ratio. Try to find something that is OD.



James