smittybronco
New member
has anyone heard of or seen a newer model 6.0 powerstroke with a 6spd in a 78-79 bronco? if so what parts do u need to do it with? thinkin of doin this to mine but need to get a price range first...
bronco with a powerstroke?
- Thread starter smittybronco
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Broncobill78
New member
I'm sure it can be done but I've never seen it. I *have* seen a Cummins swapped in but that guy owned a junkyard & had essentially unlimited resources for that kind of thing. The truck worked well in the end but there was a LOT of fabrication & reinforcement (particularly the front framerails) involved in making it fit. It's one of those swaps that's real hard to put a dollar amount on since there aren't any kits and so few of them get done. A huge factor in price & difficulty is who's doing the work. If you're going to pay a shop then it'll be *very* expensive but ridiculously easy (taking out your checkbook isn't very difficult 
/emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> ). On the other hand if you're doing it yourself it'll still be reasonably expensive (unless you already have the engine or can get it dirt cheap) and all the more difficult. If you really have your heart set on this conversion (I'm not a diesel guy myself but I can see where 6.0/6spd conversion would be attractive to someone who tows)
A big factor in the ultimate cost will not only be who does the work but how you go about getting the donor parts. You may be tempted to find & purchase the angine & transmission from a junkyard, someone of Craigslist, etc, etc. But if you buy an entire parts truck (or van) you'll be much better off. There are always a ton of rinky-**** mountings or brackets or connectots, etc, etc and if you're running to the junkyard to find each & every one of them it'll wear you out not to mention what all those little parts will cost when added up. You can also do a lot to reduce the final cost by selling off parts you don't need, I have a friend who actually came out ahead when he added everything up but he'd been pretty aggressive about removing & cleaning everything he could find as well as advertising it. In the end the cost of the swap is going to depend largely on who does the work and how much effort you put into finding/getting your parts.
/emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> ). On the other hand if you're doing it yourself it'll still be reasonably expensive (unless you already have the engine or can get it dirt cheap) and all the more difficult. If you really have your heart set on this conversion (I'm not a diesel guy myself but I can see where 6.0/6spd conversion would be attractive to someone who tows)A big factor in the ultimate cost will not only be who does the work but how you go about getting the donor parts. You may be tempted to find & purchase the angine & transmission from a junkyard, someone of Craigslist, etc, etc. But if you buy an entire parts truck (or van) you'll be much better off. There are always a ton of rinky-**** mountings or brackets or connectots, etc, etc and if you're running to the junkyard to find each & every one of them it'll wear you out not to mention what all those little parts will cost when added up. You can also do a lot to reduce the final cost by selling off parts you don't need, I have a friend who actually came out ahead when he added everything up but he'd been pretty aggressive about removing & cleaning everything he could find as well as advertising it. In the end the cost of the swap is going to depend largely on who does the work and how much effort you put into finding/getting your parts.
smittybronco
New member
ok thanks appreciate the help... i would like to do the swap myself but not sure yet... i have seen ppl use 6bt cummins motors and even a 7.3 diesel in the early broncos. I just thought it would be cool for my rig.
Broncobill78
New member
Wow
/emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> Back in college I helped a friend swap a 460 into an EB that he used for mud drags and I thought THAT thing was nose heavy /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> A cummins EB ? Wow /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> Talk about a torque monster, that thing would be ALL engine, and you'd have to just love those 12-13qt oil changes /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />If you run with it keep the group informed. As I said, diesels aren't my gig but I'm always impressed as **** when I see someone successfully tackle a project like that (and only a ***** or an idiot *wouldn't* be impressed) & again, I can definitely see the attraction if you tow anything heavy on a regular basis. Even beyond that you'd have a solid lock on the whole cool-factor thing. It might not be my cup of tea but I'd sure as **** be impressed if I saw one on a trail ride. There's a lot to be said for being able to idle up the side of a mountain in first gear, or tow your mother-in-law's house over into the next state.
smittybronco
New member
yea i think it would be a awesome setup... but right now im thinkin about sellin it but if not ive got the 460 ready to go in it. I would like to find a dana 60 axle for the front to go with the one i already got... i figured if i could do a diesel swap with d60 axles with 4.10s would be a pretty good tow/wheelin rig
MUZZALL
New member
I think it would be much easier and still cool to put a non computer 7.3 in maybe even with a Bank turbo kit.
smittybronco
New member
i might just find a good chasis and put my body on it... but ill keep yall up to date on it if i do...
American Thunder
New member
The Bronco is a *lot* lighter than the typical diesel F250 or F350, so 3.50 or even 3.00 gears will work nicely. Installing 4:1(or 3:1) low range in the case will work great offroad with 3.00 or 3.50 rear gears, too.
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Broncobill78
New member
Yup, all things considered that would probably be the easiest way to go. I recently took some measurements between an 88' Bronco & my 79'. The 78/79's have a narrower frame so you'd be looking at both shortening the frame to fit the 104" Bronco wheelbase & then fabricating new body mounts (due to the narrower frame the 79' mounts need to be longer so the 80-up mounts won't work). Once you have the powerstroke donor down to a rolling chassis stripping & frabricating new body mounts as well as shortening/reinforcing the frame isn't particularly difficult.
smittybronco
New member
American Thunder
New member
You can buy all the components necessary for a 5.9 Cummins swap into any Ford truck chassis at fordcummins.com. I'm using a C6 trans with my 5.9L Cummins in my '78 Bronc, the adapter kits make it easy. If you're worried about hurting the truck, just keep in mind that a mildly built 460 4V will make 400 hp and 500 ft/lbs of torque. The mechanical Cummins in stock trim only makes 210hp and 440 ft/lbs of torque. So if a Bronco chassis can handle the 460 swap, it will handle the stock diesel too. The 5.9 Cummins is about 200 lbs heavier than the 460, but the motor mounts from that company move the motor back 3" in the chassis, which will offset that extra weight to the rear of the vehicle, meaning the front end will have similar weight on the springs as it does with a 460.
You just have to be careful of how high you crank up the diesel at some future point, as it can become so powerful that the axles will snap like broom sticks. I mean that literally. With the addition of an aftermarket injector pump, big injectors, and a big turbo, the mechanical Cummins can make 600+hp and 1000+ ft/lbs of torque.(and still be 100% reliable, btw) You will need serious axles to hold up to that kind of power.
You need to forget what you're used to using for rear gears with a gas motor, because a diesel makes torque at such low rpm. A diesel will want 3.00 gears or possibly higher, since it makes it's 440 ft/lbs of torque at only 1600 rpm. With 35" tires, in 1:1 trans gear(3rd), and 3.50 rear gears, the motor will be turning 2000 rpm at 55 mph, which is slightly higher than optimal for fuel mileage, but it will work decently. Optimal would be cruising just at the beginning of the motor's peak torque so you're able to climb hills in high gear but still keeping the motor revs down, so 1400-1500 rpm at 60 would be as good as it gets. With overdrive, that's easier to attain, but then you need to use a separate computer controller for the E4OD trans so it shifts properly behind the diesel. (also available from fordcummins.com)
I'm not using my Bronco for pulling heavy loads, so I'll take the cheaper simpler route and just install higher rear gearing if needed.
Also, if you only want a powerstroke diesel in it, then the 7.3L motor would be a much better swap than a 6.0. It will get better fuel mileage and last longer than the 6.0. The 7.3 with factory trans adapter will bolt right up to a C6, and the mounts wouldnt be a big deal to use from a super duty, even if they need some tweaking to fit correctly. They sell vacuum controllers for the modulated automatics that run off the injector pump, and give the correct vacuum signal so the C6 will shift properly.
You just have to be careful of how high you crank up the diesel at some future point, as it can become so powerful that the axles will snap like broom sticks. I mean that literally. With the addition of an aftermarket injector pump, big injectors, and a big turbo, the mechanical Cummins can make 600+hp and 1000+ ft/lbs of torque.(and still be 100% reliable, btw) You will need serious axles to hold up to that kind of power.
You need to forget what you're used to using for rear gears with a gas motor, because a diesel makes torque at such low rpm. A diesel will want 3.00 gears or possibly higher, since it makes it's 440 ft/lbs of torque at only 1600 rpm. With 35" tires, in 1:1 trans gear(3rd), and 3.50 rear gears, the motor will be turning 2000 rpm at 55 mph, which is slightly higher than optimal for fuel mileage, but it will work decently. Optimal would be cruising just at the beginning of the motor's peak torque so you're able to climb hills in high gear but still keeping the motor revs down, so 1400-1500 rpm at 60 would be as good as it gets. With overdrive, that's easier to attain, but then you need to use a separate computer controller for the E4OD trans so it shifts properly behind the diesel. (also available from fordcummins.com)
I'm not using my Bronco for pulling heavy loads, so I'll take the cheaper simpler route and just install higher rear gearing if needed.
Also, if you only want a powerstroke diesel in it, then the 7.3L motor would be a much better swap than a 6.0. It will get better fuel mileage and last longer than the 6.0. The 7.3 with factory trans adapter will bolt right up to a C6, and the mounts wouldnt be a big deal to use from a super duty, even if they need some tweaking to fit correctly. They sell vacuum controllers for the modulated automatics that run off the injector pump, and give the correct vacuum signal so the C6 will shift properly.
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78BroncHair
New member
The 6.0 Powerstroke is an excellent motor. Yeah, it had some problems but International makes all the fixes for the problems and if you find a runner with 100k or more on it then the problems are most likely fixed. The main thing about the 6.0 is you have to drive it like you stole it here and there to keep it all cleared out. As far as your swap goes, a cheaper and alternative route I may actually be taking with my 78 bronco is a 4bt cummins. Theyre really common in Frito Lays vans and bread vans and such. And from what I hear most of them use a small block ford bellhousing bolt pattern. I saw a video on youtube with a 78/79 pickup using a 4bt out of a mail jeep and he swapped in a 90s 5 speed and he claims close to 40mpg on either 31s or 33s. He said he used the factory ford mounts (modified of course) and he said he used a newer yoke on the front of the driveshaft. He claimed that he needed to figure out new mounts for it because the vibration was annoying... And the bonus with the 4bt is that it is basically a dodge cummins 6 cylinder truck motor with 2 cylinders missing so a lot of 12 valve cummins parts will fit as long as theyre not like a crankshaft or a camshaft. And I can attest to the excellent gas mileage from the cummins motors (I drove a 95 12 valve cummins 4x4 with a 5 speed and i got 16-20 mpg running that motor HARD!) But its not just the mechanical things you have to worry about with the 6.0 or any computer driven diesel for that matter. Wiring is another big thing. Mating the existing wiring to the computer controlled b.s. is not going to be easy. But if youre bound and determined to make it work, more power to ya! As far as prices: Ive been looking for a 6.0 or a 7.3 for a reasonable price and I got into about 8k for a complete truck with a dead cylinder and Ford quoted about 7k for a new motor for the truck. Not sure if that was an installed price or not. But if you carry through with the swap you will have a truly kick ass truck with power to spare and the fuel economy to go with it. Plus tuners and such boost power and fuel economy dramatically. and if you find a donor truck there was a guy somewhere in my area selling a driving 4 door 76 F series that he swapped onto an 06 powerstroke frame and he used dashboard and all. It looked pretty legit from the pictures. Not vouching for the quality of workmanship..... But a good idea. AND! I have seen with my own two eyes a man who used to come into the parts house where I worked with a 79 F250 with a 6bt cummins and a 5 speed and he said it was a pretty easy swap. Axles and all. Hope this helps.
