Suburban Conversion

[JStokes]

To start off with here is a little bit of background

on this conversion. The Suburban is a 95 6. 5 liter 4x4

diesel with a 4l80E auto transmission. The 6. 5 runs great

and the transmission was recently overhauled. The problem

is me, I want a Cummins so the 6. 5 is going. I have

purchased a 91 intercooled Cummins with 133k miles.

It was someones project motor and they had an 01 auto

transmission built to go behind it using parts from a

96 transmission so it doesn't require electronics. The guy

I got it from ended up buying a p-pumped motor and an

NV4500 so I bought his motor and transmission. I have also

purchased an HX35 Turbo. I plan on driving the rig as a daily commuter for the most part pulling small trailers, boats, etc. . most of the time with some heavy loads on occasion. I plan on turning up the pump, large exhaust, intake. Now I have numerous

questions before I get started on this install. Here

they are:



1) What should I do for an intercooler? Guys are mounting them under the bumper but it doesn't seem safe what else can I do?



2) Should I invest in aftermarket injectors? What will they do to fuel mileage? I want power and drivability with mileage. Is that possible?



3) What is a reasonable HP and torque level for this conversion? Is 300hp out of the question?



4) Wiring diagrams, are they available?



5) Do i need to do anything to my transmission or is it going to hold this power? It is rebuilt like I said above but while it's out should I buy a torque converter, Transgo. ???, to make sure it lives, or is stock good enough?



6) My truck has 4 10 gears. I am concerned they are too low. Should I change them out or add a gear vendor or something? I would love to be 2000 RPM at 75.



7) Is there something I've overlooked?

 

[Nate]

Get decent sized tires for the burb, around a 35 or so. My truck with 35s and 4. 10s a 2000 rpm does about 71-72mph.

 

[JStokes]

Well I like the more stock look, and getting in and out for the family becomes an issue. 35's are huge, do you have a pic of your rig?

 

[Nate]

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[JStokes]

Thanks Nate

I'm also in Idaho. How do I change my signature?

 

[JStokes]

Also

What parts do I need to keep of the 6. 5? Alternator, A/C condensor, anything else?

 

[JStokes]

Motor Pic

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Here is the heart of the conversion. It still needs cleaned but it is a 91. 5 12 Valve and came off an intercooled manual dodge. It is 160 hp stock, I am hoping to make around 300HP with my newHX35W turbo, 4 inch exhaust, aftermarket air filter, pump mods and injectors.



Here is a pick of my brand new HX35W.



http://us.a2.yahoofs.com/users/442d6bf0z5a561efe/c754scd/__sr_/85eascd.jpg?phwFzqEB2zix76fC



And finally you can see siting behind the motor sits a 2001 Dodge auto transmission complete with adaptor. It has been rebuilt with parts from a 96 to get rid of the electronics. I hope it will hold up to my mild bombs.

 

[JStokes]

Pics???

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/xyz12383318/album?.dir=/c754scd&.src=ph&.tok=phTenIFBTOt25NQl

 

[autoworld]

john, call us for all the parts you need - didn't we talk about that when you called the other day??? maybe we got off on the truck issue... lol

dawna

 

[JStokes]

The 6.5 is out!

I have the 6. 5 out. Here is the pic of it on a Pallet. Also is a picture of the empty engine bay. Now I have figured out how to post pictures, Ill get a few more up!

 

[JStokes]

Some pics

Well the pics above didn't work so well, so here they are again. Pictured is my 12 Valve Cummins, 47RE transmission with adaptor plate behind the Cummins, and my new shiny HX35 turbo.

 

[JStokes]

It will run on vegetable oil!

I had this Suburban Running vegetable oil with the 6. 5, and will do the same for the Cummins. Here are a few pics of my custom fabricated tank, Hot Fox heated fuel pickup, and my Hose in hose routing, and my sub needing a bath but with the tank mounted.

 

[JStokes]

More Changes

As this picture shows this Cummins had the typical lift pump. It came off last night, and I have installed a new piston pump off the newer style 12 valves. I am reouting the fuel for my vegetable oil conversion and plan to use the new lift pump to suck fuel through the filter on both diesel and veggie so I will be rerouting the fuel lines. I have also finished my KDP and forgot to take pictures but I removed the timing cover, replaced the gasket and seal on the shaft. It looks like the old one was leaking slighlty so I think the new seal and wear ring will make it right.

 

[RyanB]

I just actually completed my conversion with a 96 Cummins/6-speed into my 89 (CK style like yours). My conversion... actually full restoration took me quite a while but it was a full frame off. If I were to do it all over again it would be a piece of cake!



Here is a link to my post I just did about it... https://www.turbodieselregistry.com/forums/showthread.php?t=164867



Anyway, to answer a few of your questions!



Intercooler - I actually went a different route than most and went with a duramax intercooler. It was a pain for me to originally figure out but now that its done I think its great and have had alot of others ask me details about how I did it. I actually have to pull the rad/IC this comming week so I can take pictures seeing I forgot to do that when I was putting it together (I had a major deadline and didn't have time to take pics... truck had to be done for my wedding... ) back to the intercooler... the main reason I went with the Duramax intercooler was because my existing large 88-98 GM rad fit perfectly and is the exact hight and looks like it was meant to fit that way. Also, another reason I went with it was because I don't like the looks how guys run a Ford rad/intercooler or even the dodge IC because it doesn't look stock! I personally wanted the stock look! Also, for my truck I have heard that the Duramax IC flows more air so that will help in the horse power I am after! In order to make it fit I did have to cut the rad support quite a bit but I will post pics of how it was reinforced and made to work!

Actually one other thing about my instalation... you can't even see the intercooler!!! it is under the sheet metal and no one would ever know its there if I didn't tell them!



Alternator- I know that some on this site prefer to use the stock GM unit but that means you would have to run custom brakets to make it work (again not the look I was after!) so I ran the dodge alternator. I purhased a new unit from my starter/alt shop and had them tap into it to use an external regulator mounted on my fire wall and at the same time I also had them put a tach wire on it seeing dodge ran the tack off the sensor on the crank. I now have a factory looking unit that works like the original GM unit did.



A/C - my truck doesn't have AC seeing the truck is mainly for pulling and don't need to waste power on it! what I did though is notch my frame before it went in and reinforced(if yours is a 4x4 I have heard that won't be needed but mine is a 2wd frame) I did this just incase I ever deciede to make it a daily driver!



Wiring- you will be amazed at how much of the factory 6. 5 wiring won't be needed! On my truck I don't need the grid heaters or fuel heater so I didn't have those issues that some do. I also didn't use the stock Dodge cummins fuel shut-off... I went with the cable system which in my mind is a better system and alot of others will agree with me also! you might want to look into that. As far as guages go... I am still working on my oil presure guage (I have mechanicals in my pillar also) I want the stock guage to work in the cluster and I have heard that most use the GM sensor and just adapt it to the cummins block with adapters (that way there is no mixed signals). The same goes for water temp and everything else.



As far as the HP goes for you... . I don't know to much about the 1st Gen 12valves but I know its pretty easy to get 300hp out of them and usually you gain in fuel millage rather than lose (as long as you can keep your foot out of it all the time)



4:10's- Again Im not to sure on the older 12valves but I know that alot of guys with the p-pumps will jump up to a 3000rpm gov spring to keep it from reving out at say 60mph! Have you considerd looking at a Gear Vendors over drive unit? with 4:10's and a 32" tall tire you will be reving quite high and the extra over drive might just be the ticket to amazing fuel mileage!



Tires- A good size of tire you might want to look at is a 255/85R16. It will fit your burb at the stock hight and most are an e-rated tire which will be what you need for a heavy vehical like a burban and also give you a nice ride. I run them on my dually but have had that size on my 93 Yukon too! they equal out to be just a little taller than a 285 but don't get into the rubbing that the 285's do on a stock GM suspension.





If you have any other questions please feel free to ask and I will try to get some pics of my IC and how I made that work for you too!



Good luck... RyanB

 

[surfbeetle]

I will be eagerly awaiting updates on this one as I have a '97 6. 5 liter suburban that may eventually get a cummins. Remember if you had the DS4 injection pump then you also had the electronic throttle and will need the manual throttle with a cable from an earlier model. Good luck!

 

[JStokes]

The piston Lift pump is in.

I have the new Piston lift pump in. I had to cut away some material above it. Once again I will be running two tank vegetable oil and diesel. To do so I needed the pistin pump to make sure the veggie flowed. I am also changing the flow of the diesel fuel. Stock the fuel goes from the tank to the lift pump to the filter and on to the IP. For vegetable oil it will come to the filter, to the lift pup and then on to the IP. Switching is made via a 3 way valve and the return is also switched via a 3 way valve at the point wher the pump overflow and injector returns meet.

 

[JStokes]

More accomplished

I countersunk the bolts on the top differential like the Pictures I got from Autoworld. I also drilled holes using their template for motor mounts I purchased from them. Here are a few pics. The driver side hole seems a bit high I suppose I will know when I test fit the motor.

 

[JStokes]

Do I need to remove more material?

I have been looking at the Autoworld pics and I'm wondering if I need to take more material off to make this motor go in? Here are some pics.

 

[JStokes]

Autoworld Motor mounts on motor

Here are a few pics of the Autoworld motor mount brackets as well as the original Cummins brackets and mounts. All I can say is that it looks like some serious time was save using the bracketry. Plus the quality is very good.

 

[JStokes]

Update, what to do with a 47RE transmission to get it to shift!

Well like I asked earlier, how am I going to get this 47RE to work once I get it installed? I called the guy I bought the motor adaptor and transmission from and he said he didn't know but the guy building it did. I could never get in touch with the guy who built it to find out the plan. I have been asking everyone around what to do and no answers were forthcoming. Then one of my gearhead buddies told me to call one of his gearhead buddies who is a huge Mopar fan. I took him the transmission and he said if it were him he'd use a 47RH. He also told me that he could convert my RE to an RH. Let me see if I can remember what he did. First he put in an RH valve body. He drilled some holes in the back of the transmission case and traded out govenor bodies. He bottoned it all together and now my transmission looks just like a 47RH. It has the 3 pin connector as well as the throttle linkage with kick down. The govenor body is longer than the RE body, and with the 3 inch adaptor plate and gear vendor I hope my driveline end up longer than 2 inches. Anyway I'm sure I missed some detail. Feel free to chime in.