hey guys, i'm pretty much a newbie to the cumins stuff but i'm willing to listen and learn.

i have an older toyota land cruiser that i'd like to turn into a tow rig for my other cruiser, which is a rock crawler. it's an australian spec vehicle with a stock toyota diesel engine but they really don't put ou a lot of power. the cruiser is a long wheelbase model and weighs enough to be used as a tow rig, so that's not a concern. i know i might as well just buy a dodge truck but i'm addicted to cruisers and wrenching on them so......

here are my concerns:
engine weight: should be able to deal with that with a custom set of leaf springs
transmission and transfer case: i know the stock toyota stuff won't hold up so i'd like to run a NV4500 and a 241HD
axles: the stock stuff won't hold up, that's a fact. so i'm thinking d60 front and d70 rear both slightly narrowed.
cooling: not sure if i'd be able to run an intercooler cause my radiator/grille are not nearly as big as the dodge stuff. and that's really my biggest concern.

i would need this setup to be reliable and not ever to overheat given the limited room i have for the radiator.
so here are my questions: what year engine/donor truck would suit itself for this application?
what are some mild mods i can do to increase the power output without getting too crazy/create cooling problems? i bet nobody has asked this question before, huh?!

i'm thinking about trying to find a wrecked dodge truck that fits the bill and pulling all the components out of it. should be possible. i can handle the conversion work. i have the proper tools, a place to do it and the mechanical aptitude (i hope!!!).

thanks in advance for your input.
georg

 

this is frustrating. I just met a guy that has a shop. all he does is land cruisers. I cant find his card He and I discussed cummins in a cruiser. he has cruiser pick-ups that were never imported to the US. lots of cool stuff.
I will try and get that info for you.

 

someone
on tdr has one w/4bta
http://www.turbodieselregister.com/f...d.php?t=144556

 

Try this link, I've been thinking about the same in a pig.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showt...1&page=1&pp=25

 

Also try www.liquidoffroad.com nice guys.

 

You might also check at http://www.cummins-conversion.com

There are some individuals there that have done conversions although I don't see any w/ Toyotas but the conversion principles should be basically the same.

 

Don't do the swap on your LC, The stock diesel crusiers are not easy to find or cheep. Find a gasser and convert that. I got a buddy with a 68 FJ 45 waggon and a 65 40 for sale. The 45 would make a great diesel conversion. It would be a crime to take the diesel out of yours when they are very hard to find in the states.

Cooper

 

thanks for all the replies guys.

the shop in colorado should be proffit's cruisers aka jeremiah. or maybe kurt at cruiseroutfitters.

my diesel is a 1980 which has the early non turbo 6 in it. they have no power at all, especially when you get up in the altitude. i bought this rig for the sole purpose of being my tow vehicle and somewhat of a novelty so i don't mind swapping out the engine. it's not really one of the "desired" diesels in the USA so it won't be a shame to modify it. i own a 63 fj45 wagon as well. won't molest that one as much.......

i've read up some on my buddy andre's site for diesel conversions http://cruisers.shoumatoffmedia.com/ but would like to educate myself as much as possible before diving into this project, which won't even start for at least another 6 months.

one thing i have learned is that i will definetly have to do a suspension lift in order for the engine oil pan to clear the front diff. seems like a minimum of 2" of lift is mandatory. i don;t want to go too tall since this will be a tow rig on narrower axles (5 inches) than a full size truck.

thanks again for the replies, keep em coming. what year engine should i go with and why??????????