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Up Topic Welding Industry / General Welding Discussion / Need mechanic advice
- - By Sourdough (****) Date 06-01-2012 23:34
I am putting a 96 vortec 454 in an 84 Chevy truck. I need to understand all it entails, as far as the ecm and harnesses....... I think it is gonna be pretty simple, I just want to know what I'm dealing with before I do it. I don't want to be screwing around with this for 2 weeks......THANKS!
Parent - - By 2006strat (***) Date 06-03-2012 03:35
Get a intake from summit and throw a holly 750 carb on it.  We done it to a lt1 and put it in a s10. We didn't wanna use all the computer $hit.  Hotrodders forum is a good place to get all your detailed questions answered.
Parent - - By Sourdough (****) Date 06-03-2012 13:12
I changed my mind on the 8.1....

I'm usually up for a good challenge, but there is too much mod work to my truck to justify doing it. I found a guy that will modify my vortec for about 1500. 400 ponies, and 12 mpg.

That makes more sense to me. I would have done the tall block if I was 10th yrs younger....lol
Parent - - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 06-03-2012 20:28
I was thinking about it Sourdough and pretty much swapping everything electronic from one to the other. They really would not care if it was a yugo as long as it had 12v's battery and grounds to run computer. Only thing I thought of was the ignition, making sure it fired up the computer when keyed on. Seems if all power/grounds were connected the rest would take care of itself except ignition. 12mpg, yikes!! My Dodge turned up to 10 on the programmer will still get 15!

I saw Strat suggested a carb and intake, I figured with that setup you'd need a good trailer hitch to tow the fuel tanker behind you!! LOL!!
Parent - - By Sourdough (****) Date 06-04-2012 00:30
Thanks for the advice fellas.

There are a lot of major mods with this swap. That's why you don't hear about it much, and why you can pick those torque monger 8.1's up for so cheap.

Sooner or later a turned up cummins is going in the truck, but right now a tuned up vortec is my answer.

I figure I can get at least 600 pounds of torque with it, and that will work for now.....
Parent - By texwelder (***) Date 06-04-2012 00:52
I can tell you that 8.1 is a work horses that is one bad motor scooter
Parent - - By texwelder (***) Date 06-04-2012 00:54
Also if you are planning on rigging it out as a welding rig you will as good as mileage out of the big block as any small block doesn't have to work as hard with the load
Parent - By Sourdough (****) Date 06-05-2012 04:49
Yo Tex, I watched the 12 valve swaps on youtube. There is no way I wont do it now.........that is the coolest thing EVER! I found one in Denver with the adaptors for 3500 bucks. 200k on the motor, new bearings, no smoke or blow by. I just gotta do it now.

I'm excited.....
Parent - - By 2006strat (***) Date 06-04-2012 00:37 Edited 06-04-2012 00:41
454!!!!!    Regardless,  your gonna need a big tank.  Father inlaw has a 6.0 in his 2009 did what he could to save gas but on a cold day he might get 10mpg.  When pulling his tractor or hay bails he might get 7mpg going with the wind.  If your trying to save gas by a Honda civic.  If you want to put a new motor in a old truck in less then two weeks, I would go with the carb job.  Getting all your fuel injection wires, sensors, computer right it's gonna take little bit longer then two weeks, if you do it right.  That's all I was saying.

Also,  automatic or standard?  Rearend gears?  Get em right and you can see the 15+mpg with a 454
Parent - - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 06-04-2012 03:07
I'll have to let my buddy know he's not alone Strat! He just bought an 07 with the 6.0 and 4.11's. After the first week he called and said, "you ain't gonna believe this". Asked him if he missed his Cummins yet! He's been throwing stuff at it trying and got up to 12mpg and was considering a gearbox that goes on the back of the transmission supposed to give a little more top end or something, help with gas mileage, only about $3000 though! Think last I heard he was thinking about some new gears in the rear. 6.0 and 8.1 are excellent engines, I can and would stand behind the 6.0, we rarely did anything to them at the caddy dealer but if your worried about gas then not a good choice.
Parent - By texwelder (***) Date 06-04-2012 03:31 Edited 06-04-2012 11:36
That gets box is a gear vender and they work awesome I knew a fella that had one on a 97 7.3 crew cab automatic got over 22 mpg on the highway but you keep the low gears
Parent - By texwelder (***) Date 06-03-2012 21:23
Was the 96 454 a vortec if so it has a throttle body not a carb so get throttlebody spacer and a programmer
Parent - - By DaveBoyer (*****) Date 06-04-2012 03:26
For what it might be worth:

A well tuned gas engine will produce about 10-12 HP per gallon per hour of gas burned.

A diesel will produce about 16-17 HP per gallon per hour of fuel burned.

If You want better economy, You need to reduce rolling resistance, frontal area and gross vehicle weight.

In addition to that, You need to accelerate slowly and keep Your top speed down.

Is economy important enough to YOU to do the above ?
Parent - - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 06-04-2012 11:22
Not to mention that a gas burners perfect operation is at a 14:1 air/fuel ratio while a diesel is anywhere from 25:1 to 100:1 depending on conditions. You could be pulling her guts out loaded to beat the band and it would still be working more efficiently than a gas engine.
Parent - By texwelder (***) Date 06-04-2012 11:35
Just say it "get a cummins" LOL I have one 03 model 226,000 miles on it 22 mpg empty and will pull the neck out of a trailer
Parent - - By Sourdough (****) Date 06-04-2012 23:17
Nah Dave, I keep er mashed to the floor most times......self employment.

I really want the Cummins, but just don't have the bread or the time right now...
Parent - - By Sourdough (****) Date 06-05-2012 04:43
UPDATE.....

How could I not put a Cummins in it?
Parent - - By texwelder (***) Date 06-05-2012 18:36
You had better put a needy front end in but it can be done
Parent - - By Sourdough (****) Date 06-06-2012 02:24
Nah, this is a truck that will handle it.....
Attachment: mynewchevy.bmp (225k)
Parent - - By texwelder (***) Date 06-06-2012 13:16
Even if its 4wd you better add some leafs to the springs I knew a guy that had a cummins in one about that year that motor is heavy granted that is a truck they don't make like that anymore man those were some tough trucks
Parent - - By Sourdough (****) Date 06-07-2012 03:49
This truck was a sneak tote, (repo rig). its built already. I got this truck for a grand, man!
Parent - - By texwelder (***) Date 06-07-2012 04:37
Shoot you didn't buy that truck for that you stole it
Parent - By Sourdough (****) Date 06-08-2012 03:02
:lol:
Parent - - By texwelder (***) Date 06-07-2012 04:39
And that 5.9 is bad to the crank I got an 03 with 226,000 on it still runs like a top
Parent - - By Sourdough (****) Date 06-08-2012 03:03
No electronics.....that's what sells me on the old 12 valve.
Parent - By texwelder (***) Date 06-08-2012 05:21
The 12 valves are worth more than the 24 and the new 6.7 you can't beat that old one the mileage ain't ad good but not bad at all
- - By Dualie (***) Date 06-06-2012 03:51
an old dude from palo alto Ca had an old square body Chevy dually with a 5.9 swap and a tiptronic transmission.    well it really wasn't tip tronic but he had to toggle a switch every time he wanted to auto to swap up a gear. 

had a gear vendors overdrive in it and would cruise down the highway all day long 75mph 21MPG.  was a cool little rig.  

theres also an off road shop somewhere in the south that has a 88 with a 8.3L ISC cummins mated to a 10spd eaton. thats simply bad azz
Parent - By Sourdough (****) Date 06-07-2012 03:48
Yep. I'll be one of those guys real soon...
Up Topic Welding Industry / General Welding Discussion / Need mechanic advice

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