http://s292.photobucket.com/albums/m...t=HPIM0131.flv

http://s292.photobucket.com/albums/m...t=HPIM0134.flv
http://s292.photobucket.com/albums/m...t=HPIM0133.flv I need to talk to someone who has done one of these conversions . I have read a lot of posts but I'm not familiar with some of the terminology on parts and that leaves me with more and more questions. I expect to have questions until I finish but I know if I can just get a breifing with someone that has already been down the road i'd be ready . Please review my pics and vids on photobucket . After reading trebors post regarding roof rust I found I do indeed have this problem . I'd rather cut the roof and replace the bad areas but i've never welded on body parts much less something as critical as my roof and windshield panels. I have a 185 clarke mig but I dont have any gas .. Do I need gas to weld this or can i just flux it. this is my project is it worth it?

 

there always worth it,because the more you have to do to it the more it becomes yours.

i think when you pull the windsheild out you will find more rust, if you could find a different cab that would be easier but they are hard to find these days so go to town fixing the one you have.

look at the cummins convertion section

 

i pulled the wind shield out already I just left it laying there its real ugly . If I spend the money it need to last 5 yrs or so ,or I might aswell buy a gmc/chev crew and convert that . for the money or just buy a diesel crew and leave the 3/4 ton as is

 

were are you located. when i am done with my reg cab we could cut off the top and you can take it home.

 

Yep, it looks like some work. It'll be worth it. I would cut the pillars about 6 inches down from the roof, and do the same on your donor cab. Look carefully at the profile of the roof on the crew and the other cab. The crew roofs have more dome in them than standard cabs. I am not sure about club cabs. I have never seen one side-by-side with a crew. The different shape of the two roofs will likely dictate where you need to cut the roof. If you are going to take out the ceiling, try drilling out the spot welds on the lip under the door rubber. You can get a special bit fo spot welds.

 

I just looked at your other vids. The frame railes and under engine cross-member are the same on the two trucks at least the parts in the engine bay are the same. The only difference is that the driver's side inder the moter mount might have a hole and a dimple instead of a slot. I have picks of this somewhere in my blog. The easiest way to get all the cummins stuff to fit and work would be to pull the front fenders, grill, radiator support, etc, all in one piece. After you get the hood off, there are two nuts under the slotted piece below the windshild, one bolt in the door jamb, and two bolts under the back part of the fenders. The core support is held with two bolts. The inner fenders also attach to the cab. You get to that bolt from insid the fender well.

The '92 Auto tranny would have a fourth gear that is over driven. The tranny in your crew is most likely a 727 3-spd. It will not bolt to the cummins without an adapter of some kind. I would use the getrag and bring everything off the 92.

I would bet the rear is a 4.10 or 4.11. It would be fine with the cummins. if the 92 has a 3.54 you will get better mileage with it.

Also, the tranny crossmember might need to move forward or back. This will change the drive shaft length.

Good Luck.

 

I'm in s.w. louisiana but i'd pay the shippin. seriously i might need it . and thanks i really appreciate that

 

Your cab is not beyond repair. Your experience in body repair would be considered as a beginner so the first thing I would recommend is finding someone locally who can offer some help for free or perhaps a trade favors deal if possible. From what I could see you will definitely need to remove the inner roof panel (aka ceiling). This would be required to add support under the outer roof skin panel to prevent heat warpage when welding & grinding it to the remaining roof section. Your replacement would come from either a club cab or a single cab from approximately 1972 - 1981 which shared the rounded roof profile. You need to evaluate all the factors before you start cutting.

 

The swap, in general, is for the most part pretty straight forward, minus a few things that will have to be fabbed. But if you can cut, drill, and weld, it's pretty easy.

In your case, with this crew, it looks like you'll have to do much more work to it to make it a worthwhile project IMO. Obviously it's best to start with a cream puff crew like I did. I am no body man so I can't really comment on how hard it will be to fix that up. To a good body man though, it might look like a piece of cake and he might enjoy the challenge or project. I prefer to fix up motors and make HP.

 

i forgot about the change in the roof style mines a 91. can't be to hard to chase up a roof in your part of the country.

 

not hard to find the truck reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal hard to find a rust free or even almost rust free roof section ..but I'm lookin.... can I use my '92 or are the doors and windshield different. I mean if stretching or shrinkin the roof to match is the only problem I probably have some play there but if the hardlines are different then thats a different story.. I was thinkin maybe with some creative cutting and bracing (thanks trebor ) I could weld the posts and sides and then jack the replacement top sheeting up to meet the crews top and float the imperfections.

 

Sorry I missed your call today. Try about 6 pm pacific time. I don't know if that is two or three hours later.

Anyway the hard lines are the same. The window and windshield glass is interchangable. At some point the wind wing mechanism changed, probably about the time the trucks got the upper body line in the front fenders, doors and bed. You will notice that this body line disappears in the door about even with the door handle on you 92. On the 80s crew cabs, the front doors had the body line, but the back doors did not. The 80s back doors are identicle to the 70s back doors. On my 77 the window glass was clear and the 80s glass has a slight green tint. I used the newer tinted glass and the newer style wind wings in my crew and tinted the back windows with film. Once upon a time it looked pretty good on my yellow truck.

Back to the doors. On the front doors, the only real difference between the no body line door and the body line door is the outer skin. I guess your crew would have this high line, too.

 

http://s292.photobucket.com/albums/m...t=HPIM0144.flv

here are some pics and a vid of the ceiling panel out of my truck NASTEE ! but fixable I think

 

well today i got a chance to compare both trucks and the clutch steering column clash looks like a non problem

 

That's good to know. Another thing I don't need to worry about on mine.