johnny5.9

So I picked up a mint 1978 GMC C35 CC dually. The truck is in great shape, 145K and runs like a champ...so long as you aren't far from a gas station. It has a 454 with equal length headers to dual 3" dynomax mufflers, edelbrock performer rpm carb, K&N filter, built tranny (supposedly). Black with new black/grey interior. So, my point is it's a nice enough truck to keep. Except I want actual towing ability and better than 8.5 mpg. It wouldn't even get my partially loaded dump trailer up to highway speed. How hard is a 12V swap to this? Anyone ever done one? It makes me wish I had kept my old one for this. Anyone want a 454?

thrashingcows

Get yourself a 89/90 and early 91 non-IC truck as a donor and start getting to work. The pre-IC trucks are the easiest to swap since there is no ECM to deal with, or intercooler piping. But even the 91.5-93's are easy enough to use as a swap since you can still run them with no ECM.

Motor mounts, tranny mounts, drive shafts and a couple 12V power hook ups and you'll be running. I know not THAT easy but essentially that's it.

johnny5.9

Yeah. The purchase of this truck is making me wish I still had my 91.5.

johnny5.9

I love this truck. I seriously am starting to think this truck will last longer than my 07 duramax. There is a 1st gen, not sure what year, for sale around the corner. The guy was asking $2900 (auto, unfortunately). I was under the impression that I could get an engine/tranny for less and not have to deal with the whole truck. Do I need the donor truck? I was really hoping to do a P-Pump 12V. Are they more difficult? I don't see why they would be.

johnny5.9

Well it looks like I'm out of luck with this idea. talked to a reputable swap company that performs alot of cummins swaps. He said that being 2WD my truck needs to be lifted 4" for oil pan clearance. After an exhaustive search I was unable to find a single company that sells a lift for this truck. Can't really blame anyone for not making it. I'd have to swap to 4WD to make this happen and that is way more of a project than the truck is worth. I could buy a cummins dodge 4WD for less.

patdaly

Whoa dere.

Before you give up on the idea, you may want to read a few of these links......

http://www.4btswaps.com/forum/showth...-with-the-4bta.

http://www.4btswaps.com/forum/showth....9-swap-advice

http://www.4btswaps.com/forum/showth...d....it-begins

Now, get to swappin!

johnny5.9

Hey thanks. I registered over there and am checking things out as right now. Maybe this will reinstill some enthusiasm in me for doing this.

6btpower

I have a 93 6bt with nv4500 in a 83' chev 1/2 ton converted to duallie and its slammed. It has about 4" of oil pan clearance, about level with crossmember so I don't know why they would tell you that? I've never bottomed out and it rides pretty smooth. Hood is also stock.

700 sportsman

Have you talked to autoworld conversions?