4BT engine sources

[MatthewPark]

I'm looking for 4BT engine sources. I am going to buy a 4BT, but am having difficulty finding people with them that will ship, let alone have a decent price.

 

[LAlessi]

frito lay. call them ask them when they are going to sell some trucks.

 

[DKarvwnaris]

I'm looking for 4BT engine sources. I am going to buy a 4BT, but am having difficulty finding people with them that will ship, let alone have a decent price.

If you are up for a drive, I have been getting them out of Spokane from both the frito lay terminals as well as Sweetheart bread company's. I have bought the entire trucks for less than $2000. 00 running condition. The rear axles in these will fit in a 1974 to 1991 GM 1 ton pickup, so you should have no problem getting rid of the axle in short order as well as make about $800 on the axle alone. I have many time before.

The biggest benefit to these versions of the 4b is they will have the Emissions placard on them for medium to light truck use since the GM P-30 chassis is essentially a dually pickup rebodied. Don't fall for a marine or implement engine off of a tractor or generator if you are hoping to put it in a streetable vehicle. Most state smog and federal emission rules will not allow those to be used on the road. States are starting to check these things at smog stations and inspection shops.

The premium setup to look for is the 4 speed manual trans setup. Usually they have a GM 465 transmission. The transmission itself is worthless, but the bellhousing adapters and flywheels are getting hard to find. New they are running over $600. 00.

Do the math, you'll have the motor for just about nothing, especially if you know a scrap hauler to take the empty carcass of the bread truck afterwards. The bodies are all aluminum on a GM p-30 chassis so they will scrap for a decent price.

I like them because you can get the hydro boost brake setup in the deal as well.



I had my 4b rebuilt complete for $2000. 00 at a local shop including new parts. I ended up paying around $400. 00 for the engine by the time I figured out the money I made off the truck parts in all. A brand new rebuilt 4bt for $2400. 00 with warrantee is pretty good to me.

 

[ranger1]

"If you are up for a drive, I have been getting them out of Spokane from both the frito lay terminals as well as Sweetheart bread company's. "



Man I don't doubt that you get trucks from these people, but I can't find any listings of any terminals of their's in Spokane. I'd like to contact them. Would you by any chance have a phone # for them? Thank you. ranger1

 

[ndurbin]

I know a guy that gets them in occassionally from case already rebuilt. Their ag motors so I dunno if thats a problem for you or not. Let me know and I can give ya his phone #.



Nathan

 

[DKarvwnaris]

I know a guy that gets them in occassionally from case already rebuilt. Their ag motors so I dunno if thats a problem for you or not. Let me know and I can give ya his phone #.



Nathan

The fuel systems in the ag units can be difficult to use on the street, both legally (EPA compliance) and for practical reasons. The throttles on most AG engines are designed to maintain a specific power rating or rpm. They don't have variable throttle input like an automotive fuel system. Kind of neat if you have a hand throttle option, but weird if you have a foot pedal, especially when you go up a hill, the engine will accelerate on its own to maintain RPM/ power without increased foot pressure.

We used a 6bt for a farmer that had an ag pump on it, he was happy with it, but you had to "rethink" when driving it.

 

[ranger1]

If you are up for a drive, I have been getting them out of Spokane from both the frito lay terminals as well as Sweetheart bread company's. I have bought the entire trucks for less than $2000. 00 running condition. The rear axles in these will fit in a 1974 to 1991 GM 1 ton pickup, so you should have no problem getting rid of the axle in short order as well as make about $800 on the axle alone. I have many time before.

The biggest benefit to these versions of the 4b is they will have the Emissions placard on them for medium to light truck use since the GM P-30 chassis is essentially a dually pickup rebodied. Don't fall for a marine or implement engine off of a tractor or generator if you are hoping to put it in a streetable vehicle. Most state smog and federal emission rules will not allow those to be used on the road. States are starting to check these things at smog stations and inspection shops.

The premium setup to look for is the 4 speed manual trans setup. Usually they have a GM 465 transmission. The transmission itself is worthless, but the bellhousing adapters and flywheels are getting hard to find. New they are running over $600. 00.

Do the math, you'll have the motor for just about nothing, especially if you know a scrap hauler to take the empty carcass of the bread truck afterwards. The bodies are all aluminum on a GM p-30 chassis so they will scrap for a decent price.

I like them because you can get the hydro boost brake setup in the deal as well.



I had my 4b rebuilt complete for $2000. 00 at a local shop including new parts. I ended up paying around $400. 00 for the engine by the time I figured out the money I made off the truck parts in all. A brand new rebuilt 4bt for $2400. 00 with warrantee is pretty good to me.

Karvwnaris. . Do you have a phone # for the terminals in Spokane? Thank you. .

 

[DKarvwnaris]

Karvwnaris. . Do you have a phone # for the terminals in Spokane? Thank you. .

I do not have the #'s for Spokane, sorry. I have a few friends that call me when they hear of what I am looking for. If you look for Sweetheart Bread Co. in Billings, Montana, That is a very active terminal. They are updating their late 1970's through mid 1980's p-30 trucks. They had a few of the GM propane six cylinders (gas conversions) last time I talked with the warehouse here in Great Falls. He has my # to call me when he has the larger vans with the 4b's and 6b's go up for sale again. I will be happy to post leads for trucks whenever I hear back again. I am done with buying engines for a while for myself. The last one I bought is for my Jeep and then I am done for a few years, too much else going on lately.

I will check with my friends over Christmas for anything they have on contact info. One thing to remember, a bread company does not sell trucks for a living, they just want to get rid of their olde units. They tend to shy away from private sales when they get calls all the time for trucks. That's why I don't call them myself unless I know for sure they have them listed already for turnover.

 

[MKoth]

All the frito lay trucks in the area with the 4BT are backed by either a Turbo 400 or a 4 speed Allison auto. They are all air to water intercoolers, and have a serpentine belt drive.



As for any of the frito trucks I have seen, the maintence is very poor, so a rebuild is required before transplanting them into anything else.

 

[ranger1]

DKarvwnaris... Thank you for the reply. That seems like it all could turn out to be a good source for motors. Thanks again.

 

[DKarvwnaris]

All the frito lay trucks in the area with the 4BT are backed by either a Turbo 400 or a 4 speed Allison auto. They are all air to water intercoolers, and have a serpentine belt drive.



As for any of the frito trucks I have seen, the maintence is very poor, so a rebuild is required before transplanting them into anything else.

I would not rely on any engine taken out of a fleet like a bread or delivery service to be a top rate running engine. The maintenance on most bread vans is not the issue in the first place, it is the low quality of schmucks they hire at minimum wage or little more to drive them (usually into the ground). At the very least, I have always pulled the head and dropped the pans on any cummins I get this way. If you're looking to get an engine that will run day and day out in your conversion without repairs, contact a cummins rep for a rebuilt engine and save yourself the hassle of digging around for the " pot of gold" in a usually 20 year old bread truck).

I have yet to see any of the p-30 trucks that have 4b's in them that weren't serpentine belts with the GM Delco truck alternators in them. Most are 4BT models, no innercooler, but easy enough to install one on in the vehicle you put them in. The pumps are usually rotary style like the original 5. 9's in the first generation dodges.

Depending upon the purhasing agent in a region, the trucks can come with whatever transmission is available. True most of them are auto's, but those are worth more money for the adapters to sell anyways to others.

If I am running a manual transmission, I use all Dodge adapter parts from the bellhousing adpater back. The only reason I am using the GM flywheel, adapter, and starter is I am putting it in a Jeep this time which already has a 4 speed sm-465 transmission and 205 transfer case in it. Not much need for a NV-4500 in a vehicle that will have at least 35" tires and 3. 55 gears or 3. 42. I wouldn't do this for much any other vehicle because the parts from a dodge diesel transmission set up are too easy to get, not to mention allow for the choice of a bolt in NV- 4500 or 5600. My Jeep sees nothing but in town street use, no interstate speeds. It is usually off road only unless I am bringing back in town to work on. This makes my Jeep special circumstances than most who are planning a repower. I know the rpm/road speed limits from doing dozens of repowers in the past.

 

[americana]

what about sources for a 3. 9ISB? i figure that would be a hot ticket... .

 

[stacerbob]

I have a line on 2 safety clean trucks. $1750 ea. approximately, will drive home. Let me know if anybody has an interest, I should be able to have them here in 10 days or so.

 

[ddunk]

My dad has a new one he bought from Howard Cooper Corp. when they went out of business a few years back. Portland,Or. P. M. if interested!!

 

[moparguy]

stacerbob, tell us more about the 2 vans. Auto, standard, miles, intercooled, year model, inline pump (I suspect not)?



Thanks, RJR

 

[mberry]

Yes!

My dad has a new one he bought from Howard Cooper Corp. when they went out of business a few years back. Portland,Or. P. M. if interested!!

I sent you a PM.

 

[stacerbob]

I have been selling vehicles on ebay for a local car auction company. When I saw the 2 vans on his sheet I asked if he was going to pick them up, and acted like he didn't really know where to go with them. I told him to get them here cause I knew of a few guys that would want them! Not for sure on the year model yet, believe they are auto. Will have pics and details when they arrive. I told him I may even ride along to drive one home, get first hand feel for how it is.