Hey guys, wanted to share this swap with you to hopefully help others that might be interested and had some questions/needed info. I've now done a couple of these swaps and if you can find a parts truck, is actually rather straight forward if you have a lift and welding experience.

I've owned my '03 QCLB DRW 2WD NV5600 truck for 8 years now, and a couple/few years ago, I decided I wanted a 4WD and an automatic.
First of all, YES, this swap will end up costing you MORE money if you would just sell your current truck and go buy a 4WD and/or automatic.

But, for those that have an "attachment" to their current rig, and ready for a change, and you can't leave your truck alone, then this swap is for you, and it's why I did it to mine.

First, 4WD swap from 2WD.

As I am sure you know, the 2WD's have rack and pinion, and obviously upper/lower control arms, and coil spring buckets in wrong location (for the 4WD spring location that is).

So, it was either cut off all of the 2WD stuff, make all those cuts look pretty, and then add the 4WD link bar brackets and weld in coil spring buckets. It goes without saying, that after I looked at the 2 possible options, that option was gonna be the last option I would try to do.
The other option is, find a 4WD frame (gas or diesel will work), and if you can find an ENTIRE frame, well that is THE easiest way to roll. I was not able to locate an entire QCLB frame for a fair enough (ie, CHEAP enough) price, so I found the front half of a 4WD frame.

I cut the frame right behind the trans crossmember. I added 2 sleeves, that slide firmly/snug INSIDE the frame rails. I made a few "plug" welds...plug welding the sleeve to the stock frame. I then perimeter welded the sleeve to the factory frame rails (the front 4WD half).

I picked the body off the frame with my lift, and yanked the CTD and trans out of the frame and put everything to the side.
I then leveled the frame BEFORE I cut it. I put jack stands under rear section of frame rails so once I made the cut, the rear section would not fall "down", and it would stay level. I had to use pieces of wood/metal to get the right amount of "preload" on the jackstands. In other words, once I made the cut, I didn't want the rear frame to move any, and I used the pieces of wood/metal as shims to get the frame/jackstands perfect.

Once I cut the 2WD frame off (again, right behind factory trans crossmember), I was able to use my engine hoist, and slide it out of the way. I then picked up the 4WD front frame section with the engine hoist. Using the sleeves as a guide (that I had welded into the frame rails of the 4WD frame), they slid right into the back half of the frame, and allowed both frame sections to align very close to what I needed. All that was left, was to level (using 2 levels...smaller 6 inch level, and a longer 3 foot level) the front portion of the frame from front to back, and using a straight edge and feeler gauge from side to side to make sure it was all straight.
I also used a plump bob and had run it down middle of frame, took measurements off stock frame (again, before I cut it) from center of frame, to outer edge of frame rail.
Once everything was true, straight and level, I tacked the frame together and lowered the body of the truck back down onto the frame, without actually putting any real weight on frame.
I made sure all my body mounts lined up, ran body mount bolts into body (all of them), just to make sure all bolts lined up as well. Checked body panel alignment. Once I was happy that everything was lined up, straight and level, I added some more welds to the frame (but didn't weld it out yet), leaving body attached to the frame.

I let those welds cools, give frame time cool down, and I RECHECKED all of my measurements/level/straightness AGAIN. Once I was happy with THAT, I pulled body back off frame and welded it all up.
My welding consisted of:
Plug welds for sleeves (front and rear section of frame). Perimeter butt weld where 2 sections of frame meet. I then "captured" the 2 sections of frame with an OUTER sleeve and welded that up.
Last but not least, I added ANOTHER crossmember.
One thing I have always noticed, and never quite understood was how on a 4WD HD, the T-Case hangs off back of tranny, with no actual mount for support. Now, I know it's not common, and you very rarely hear of a T-Case cracking or breaking, but I decided I would add another crossmember, behind the factory trans crossmember, and build in a mount for the T-Case.
This crossmember would also tie the frame rails together where I had made the cuts.
So, basic overkill to say the least.
I am sure that the inner sleeves, plug welded, then frame rails buttwelded, then an outersleeve would be WAY more than enough. My thinking was, Im already here, why the heck not?

After I finished welding all of that, I let it cool down, and took black chassis paint and painted it.

After that, I had a 4WD frame. It took me a LONG weekend to wrap it up, from start to finish, but I now had a 4WD truck.
The cost?

Front frame section I picked up, had the AAM front diff/coil springs/drag link/steering box/4 link bars/etc...basically everything I needed, except the transfer case and driveshafts, for $1000.
I picked up a NV273 for $400, and converted it to manual shift.
I was able to locate a front and rear driveshaft, $300 for the pair.
So, that is $1700 in hard parts....add some money here and there, metal and such, and let's call it $2000 for all of the parts, and me doing all the labor by myself. If you paid someone to do this for you, plan on another $2500, give or take a few hundred, in labor. So, as you can see, it would end up being cheaper to sell your truck and buy a 4WD.....but what's the fun in that?

I then had to pick up a 4WD auto trans output shaft, and 4WD tailhousing so I could convert the 2WD trans over to 4WD (another story).

Here are some pics:

2WD:



Here is a shot of the 4WD front portion of the frame, waiting for it's new home:





Cut is made, and 4WD section of frame swung into place getting ready to be mated up with back half of frame:




Here is frame welded up and the extra cross member being test fit:





Here is frame welded up, rolled outside for some pictures, but before the additional crossmember was welded into place:





Here she is back together, but front fenders/bumper no tightened or aligned yet:




Other side:



I gotta dig up some back together pics/finished product. For some reason I couldn't find any on my laptop...must be on home computer.

 

Wow! Great job!

You can sell the NV5600 and recoup the cost of the conversion.

 

you did a fine job! there are a lot of opinions on welding frames, but as a retired welder, i wouldn't have any problems with your procedure.............great job!

 

Where are you and that nv5600 located?

 

Thanks guys, sorry took me so long to get back. Had a 6.0 PSD that had to do EGR/Oil cooler/HPOP on, and a 7.3 PSD and some uppipes.

Anyways....NV5600, LONG gone. I did that swap many moons ago.


For some GREAT advice (not bragging, just cant stress enough on how important what I am about to tell you, is), is if you decide to do a NV5600 swap from auto, and from NV5600 to auto, DO EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO FIND THE SAME YEAR MODEL TRUCK AS YOURS!!!!!!!!!

Why? Dodge has made SO MANY different options/changed up so much crap on these trucks from year to year, it's INSANE.

'03 truck has 2 computers, ECM and PCM...one for motor, one for trans.
Now, the '04 is the SAME way, but '04 year model trucks were only made for about 5 MONTHS, before they swapped over to '04.5 and there are HUGE differences between '03/04 and '04.5.

If you try and swap your NV5600 over to an auto, and say your truck is an '03, and the auto is an '04.5, it will be a bigger headache.

So, try and find someone with same year model truck as yours. And just in case you find a '04, the '04's were made from @ July/August of '03, until late December of '03...that's it. Starting Jan '04, they started calling them '04.5, and crazy things like WIPER MOTORS are different. Why is that important? Well, you HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR WIRING HARNESS when doing this swap and if you do it with '04.5 stuff, you HAVE TO HAVE the '04.5 wiper motor!!!!!
So, again, try and find SAME YEAR MODEL truck to cut down on headaches when doing this swap.

I am currently doing ANOTHER swap...putting '03 motor into a '03 truck, BUT, using '04.5 wiring harness and '04.5 ECM. WOW, what a nightmare.

 

Oh, the wiper motor is just ONE of many things different from '03/04 model trucks and the '04.5.

And to tell you how crazy it REALLY gets, here are some more wacko info for you guys.
I have the OFFICIAL CTD service manual (something like 2,700 pages long) for '03 CTD. My service manual, CLEARLY says that the '03 model trucks do NOT have a vacuum pump. Well, guess what? My buddy, whose truck is an ''03, has a vacuum pump clear as day.
My '03? No vacuum pump. Now, my truck WAS a NV5600, and his is a 48RE truck, but his AC controls are controlled by this vacuum pump, so that means my AC controls are DIFFERENT than his, even though they are the SAME YEAR model truck, and even the service manual says it doesn't have vacuum pump on the '03. So, why does his? Exactly, CRAZY!

His '03 has a cruise control motor under drivers side battery. My '03? Nope, not there.

Coolant Temp Sensor? Different.

Lift pump? Different. Overflow bottle location? Yep, different. Just A LOT of little things that are different. I mean, even the COLOR of the wiring is different from '03/04 to '04.5
So, that means, in MID YEAR, they decided to change the COLORS of the wires in the wiring harness!!!!!! That's just nuts!

Also...you will need to swap steering columns, and/or ignition switch/keys.

When you install a different ECM from a different truck, that KEY HAS to swap over for that ECM. Now, you would probably be able to have your "new" ECM flashed for your security/key, I don't know.
On all of my swaps, I just take out the key/ignition tumbler, and swap em over.
The problem with that route? Your door locks will be different. So, you have to carry around 2 keys going that route.

Also, on '03 model trucks, they have this little plastic ring, that mounts OVER the ignition. Its like a transmitter for security system (it is NOT present on'04.5 trucks). If doing a swap on a '03 truck, you HAVE to reinstall that plastic ring, but you CAN use the '04.5 key/ignition.

Again, I have learned all of this, the HARD way

 

Retired welder huh? Well, THAT is what got me started in chassis fabrication:
Right out of high school (well, went to college for a year, did a little too much and flunked out), and I hooked on with a pipeline contractor. Started out as laborer, then welder helper. I got paired up with a GREAT father figure of a welder, and we traveled the country for couple years, all the while he taught me how to stick weld. I ended up as an Operator before I moved on as a mechanic for number of years, before I started my own shop about 13 years ago.
But, that fascination with welding is what REALLY drove me to wanting to make/fabricate/build/customize stuff. Started out on the side, welding in roll cages into buddies cars (yes, back then I STICK welded them in, not knowing any better, LOL!!!!)
But, that set wheels in motion, and I've been building Hot Rods/Race cars pretty much ever since.
I do a lot of chassis work, and couple/few years ago, I saw a company do that long bed/mega cab conversion, and I was like, DUH!!!!! A frame is a frame! Granted, a Ram frame is MUCHO THICK and MUY GRANDE , but it's still the same principle: ability to melt metal.
So, if I can build a chassis that is capable of being certified for 6.50s and over 200MPH in the 1/4 mile, I figured I could make my work truck a 4WD and make it hold up

 

OK, now on to the NV5600 to 47/48RE swap:



Again, I can not stress enough importance of finding same YEAR model truck, as yours. The ABSOLUTE best bet, and the least complicated, will be finding someone that wants to do the swap, and has same year truck. IN other words, if you have a stick, and want an auto, do what you can to find someone with your year model truck, that wants to do the exact opposite swap.

Few years ago, I posted on just about every Cummins Forum, looking for someone to do a swap with. It's AMAZING at how many people WANT to do it, but are complete FLAKES. They send you messages, call you, talk your ear off, all for nothing because they end up either A)not getting back with you and ignoring your calls/messages B)Family member died (I was given that excuse WAY too many times for that to actually happen) C)Stringing you along until you run out of patience with that person.

So, what did I end up doing? I'll tell you. Oh, also, AFTER you do the swap, it will be AMAZING at how many people will send you a message/post that says something like this, "Oh man, if I only knew you wanted to do this a couple months ago, I would have done the swap with you!"
I was HONESTLY told that, AT LEAST 50 times by 50 different people after I finally got fed up and just did swap on my own. Im not just saying on this forum either. It was everywhere I posted up about wanting to do the swap, on every forum I did so, I got same response's.
Why am I telling you all this? Just be prepared to weed out the 100's of jokers, wanna be's, has been's, and dreamer's from the one or two guys that are actually serious and might actually want to do swap with you.

It will take you a month or longer to find someone, EASILY. That of course, is IF you find someone at all. I actually searched for @ a year or so, before I finally said scr** it, and went out and bought parts.

OK, now on to swap, from manual to auto.
The following version is IF YOU BUY PARTS OUTRIGHT AND DO SWAP YOURSELF WITHOUT USING ANOTHER TRUCK.
Parts you will need:

1)Transmission
2)Converter
3)Cummins ADAPTER PLATE that bolts to engine block..they ARE different from manual to auto!!!!!
4)Flexplate
5)Transcooler and lines
6)Plastic cover plate for firewall, where slave cylinder was bolted to firewall..it will leave a hole and you need to cover it.
7)Trans tunnel plastic cover plate from where manual gear shift came up through tunnel, leaves hole. You need this plate to cover it up. Now, with manual trans, your carpet will have holes in it. What I did was use my stick shift cupholder and leave it on floor and made a a plate that covered up gear shift leather boot area. If you don't like this idea, you will need new carpet kit or something to cover that area.
8)Steering column
9)Shift linkage
10)Kickdown cable
11)Cruise control cable (manual shift trucks, '03, don't have this, autos' do)
12)Cruise control motor (again, manual shift trucks, '03, don't have this motor.
13)Auto "APPS". The bracket for throttle cable IS different from manual truck to auto. Best I can tell is, you can not disassemble it, and to get cables to fit properly, you have to use the auto bracket, and only way to do that is to use the auto APPS. You might be able to rig up a way to use your manual APPS bracket, to work with auto shift cables/cruise control cables. All I know is, they ARE different and I installed an auto APPS to make a easy fix.
14)Vacuum pump for cruise control
15)Brake pedal, IF you want to. On stick trucks, brake pedal little smaller...I left mine in place though.
16)Auto ECM, and a PCM
17)Wiring harness...both the engine, AND trans harness.
18)Driveshaft

That should just about do it for parts needed.



If starting with '03 model NV5600 truck, you will have ONE ECM, mounted on engine, so if doing swap from manual to auto, you will need a new AUTO ECM (mounted to engine), AND the auto PCM (mounted passenger side firewall). Install those 2 (easy enough...10 minutes each one)

Install new wiring harness. Basically, yank off manual engine and trans harness, and toss to the side. DO NOT THROW IT AWAY AS THESE THINGS HOLD VALUE AND YOU CAN RESALE! Or, do what I did, save it for a rainy day! DO NOT CUT THIS HARNESS OR YOU WILL REGRET IT! From dealer, these things go for $400-$600+

Routing the harness is actually pretty simple. Just have a pick handy, to help pop those little red safety clips, and some needle nose pliers/screw driver handy, and some dykes handy to help cut zip ties or stubborn plastic push pins that help hold harness in place. This job will be a little more time consuming with cab on truck, but IS possible (Ive done it couple times).
How the harness is, Chrysler did a good job of keeping plugs different, so basically, all of the sensors (EXCEPT CAM AND CRANK SENSOR) are different, so it's IMPOSSIBLE to plug the wrong pigtail into the wrong sensor.

Cam and crank sensor are ACTUALLY THE EXACT SAME SENSOR, just in different location, so they have the same pigtail. However, how the harness is setup, it will be all but impossible to plug cam sensor pigtail into the crank sensor (it wont reach the crank sensor, so at that point, you are like, well, since it wont reach, that means, this pigtail HAS to plug into cam sensor)


Now that you have ECM and PCM and harness ran, you can yank NV5600 out of truck. Of course, you can yank NV 5600 BEFORE you do the above, as well as go ahead and install auto if you want. That order, makes NO difference in grand scheme of things.

To swap over to an auto, there are MANY different versions of the 4748 series trans. When I first did this, I THOUGHT a 47 series trans would work in my '03 truck...and it would...IF I swapped a 48 series valve body/gear selector into the 47 trans.
The reason the 47RE will not work, straight up in an '03 truck (and remember, Im talking about the HO 48RE equipped '03's) is that the gear selector and electronics/valve body ARE different from the 47 to 48RE.
Sure, there are internal difference's between the 2, and you can MAKE a 47RE into a 48RE, but your BEST BET is to start with a 48RE to simplify things as much as possible.
I did it the hard way, trying to save a few bucks. I couldn't find a 48RE trans cheap enough, or what I wanted to spend I should say, and since I THOUGHT 47's were basically the same, I picked one of those up. Many headaches later, and more money spent, I had a trans that finally worked.

OK, now that we know you should buy a 48RE trans, let's go that route and move forward.

OK, with NV 5600 removed, yank clutch disc/PP and flywheel, starter, AND the adapter plate. That adapter plate is WORTH MONEY!!!! SAVE IT!

Remove manual steering column.
Remove slave and clutch master cylinder.
Remove clutch pedal.
Install plastic cover plate from where slave cylinder went through firewall.
Install auto brake pedal, if you are going to.
Install auto steering column.
If using steering column from different truck than from where your auto ECM came from, you will need to install key/ignition from ECM truck. Again, I am sure you can have YOUR key made to work with your new ECM...just have to have it reflashed or something. This area I am still not sure how would work, but I have been fortunate enough to have access to the key/ignition from where I have sourced my ECM's from. One day I am sure I will run into a situation where the ECM I am using, does NOT have they key available and I will have to cross that bridge when I get there. As a matter of fact, if ANYONE OUT THERE knows about this, PLEASE feel free to chime in.
The question being: CAN A ECM BE REFLASHED TO USE YOUR KEY TO COINCIDE WITH THE SECURITY SYSTEM, AND IF SO< DO YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE VIN FROM THE TRUCK THAT THE ECM CAME FROM????

Install auto adapter plate to back of engine, starter and flexplate.
Install transmission and converter.

Install auto APPS
Run shift linkage, and kick down linkage, and hook up cruise control linkage after you have mounted cruise control motor under drivers side battery (no brackets are needed...it just installs with screws into provisions that are already under your battery tray.)
Install vacuum pump.

Run/install trans cooling line and cooler.

I am going to edit this/add on to it in a little bit...I gotta get ready for my niece's baby's baptism...Im gonna be the baby's Godfather

 

What state are you in?

 

Little more then i can handle, but thank you for all the info, thanks again.