I am looking for a 12 valve for an engine swap in my truck. I located a cheap motor from a school bus. It runs and is a 230HP motor with the mechanical P-pump. Anyone have any information on this type of 12V?? Any idea what kind of bell housing it will have?? any other diffrences compared to the 12Vs that come in our trucks???

Thanks,
Chad

 

That 230 HP is the same engine as a '98 Dodge. The flywheel housing and fan hub will be different. You can swap the F/W hsg and fan and hub from your Dodge, if that's what you're swapping to. The alternator will also be differnt, but it will work fine. I'm jealous- you even got the P pump with the big plungers and d/v's

 

Diesel Injection Services sells 'em rebuilt, but probably not as cheap as your school bus engine.

 

So is this a desireable engine to use in a swap?? Will it be much diffrent than the dodge 12 valver?? So this should have the more desirable fuel pump?? Anything else??

 

it is very desireable, and get it if the money is right.

 

So whats a good price for a 230HP with 196K miles??? $2,500 sound fair??

 

I,m in the same ballpark. looking at a 94 12valve in bus ,can get cheap and has 140,00 km's.i was wondering about the heat grid ,it goes straight towards rad ,not same as pickups .also about power steering pump and not sure if bus has air brakes so will compressor be a problem. the rad and intercooler not sure either. is this engine considered 1st gen or 2nd gen ? what did you do after ?

 

The 94 bus engine is highly prized. It is a high crown piston design, so is more tolerant of abuse before burn down; uses a slightly different version of the P pump from what Dodge uses, but all the performance parts are available from folks like Piers; and the head is the same as the first gen trucks, which is the best casting to have because they are heavier.

The intake horn is larger on the bus engine, and you can eliminate the reduction found in the intercooler hose and get more capacity. Use the Dodge radiator and either a Dodge or good aftermarket copy of the Dodge intercooler. The bus system is much too big for a pickup.

As far as the heater grid is concerned, I doubt you will find one on a bus. I also doubt they have a fuel heater. You cold start these by flooring them and cranking a few seconds, then stop and barely press the pedal and crank again. They will start in the coldest weather, but they start run a few seconds and stop. This will occur about 5 times in zero weather before they stay running. That is a bit of a pain but not to dispair, the heater grid, and fuel heater parts from your old truck will bolt right on as all the cast mounts and measurements are identical.

The front motormount is also different on the bus. It bolts on the front of the engine and rides under the front damper. Just remove it and use your OEM Dodge mounts, all the bosses and holes are found in the bus block.

I suspect you will also find that the turbo is mounted down on the side of the engine between cylinder 4 and 5. That configuration will not work in the Dodge. But, if you have your Dodge turbo, drain pipe, and manifold they will interchange.

As with any 12 valve that is used on heavy loads, be certain to check the exhaust manifold on the bus engine for cracking, pulling of the bolts used to fasten it to the ears on the head, and for any evidence of broken ears on the head exhaust ports. I generally just toss the exhaust manifold and use the ATS version for the 98 Dodge Cummins.

Lastly, the bus engine is a medium duty truck version, and it may be equpped with a 4 speed Allison. If that is the case, the engine has a cam that performs best between 2250 and 3175 rpm, which gives it an advantage over the version used by Dodge if you equip the turbo with a 4" outlet. If it is equpped with the 6 speed Allison it is nearly the same cam as used by Dodge.

 

Will the manifold not work because of clearance trouble,engine is going in chevy K3500 with body lift so I'm hoping it will clear. If i got to go buying manifolds and everything else I'm thinking i should start looking at dodge salvage.