wyliek

hi, new to this site and found this awesome post! i have been scouring the internet trying to learn as much as possible about 4bts, bombing them, and putting one in my 86 blazer! i am curious as to what kind of prices people are getting thier 4bt for...i have seen around 3K for just engine and i have about that to budget for complete swap! also can anyone give me some more info on buying decomm. FritoLay trucks ? has any one done any mods to thier 4bt? im curious to hear what kind of hp and torque they can get!

Dieseldude4x4

That's waht I was thinking with the big battery and all. Be sweet if you could do it though. I was thinking more of a half ton Dodge with the 4 in it with a five speed behind it. I would take that.

mcinfantry

its MUCH cheaper to buy a 6bt than buy a 4bt "bomb it" and swap it. 4bt's go for around 2500.

to add an inline pump and "bomb it" expect at LEAST 1200 in parts, no labor at all. also you will have to add a NICE inter or aftercooler. sure marine engines have 250hp, but im sure they have much more cooling availability......


look. a 4bt is great for a smaller vehicle and a guy that can fab.

the engines produce around 200ft lbs of torque at 900~1000rpm. not too many gas engines do that.

but to answer your question, you cannot swap a 4bt into your blazer for 3000 dollars, unless someone gives you the engine. and you cannot "bomb it" for 3000 and put it in your truck even IF you wew given the motor.

4bt NO inter/aftercooler provision CPL 858 $2500
4bt to GM bolt pattern adapter $200
manual tranny
GM fly wheel $600~$900 (new) weighs probably 60lbs
clutch and pp. another $400
nv4500 $1500
sm465 bellhousing and adapter to nv4500 $400
-or-
nv4500 bellhousing $400

auto tranny
th400 ( i think 700r4 wont work) $1000
flex plate $300
torque converter ...........

point is, $6000 to put a diesel in? that would buy 2000+ gallons of gas........ or 28000 miles at 14mpg.

wyliek

o wow! i never realized it would cost that much, but there is a way around several of the parts you listed....i buy a fritolay for 1500 (average price ive heard) with a 400 already behind it, thats lik 1800 i dont need to spend on trany, sell the rear-end and any other salvigable parts (i heard those can fetch 1k) fab some engine mounts myself, sell the scrap aluminum to the yard and i might break even. please correct me if im wrong, b/c i realy want a diesel and ive heard that for a 6bt you hav to chop the firewall. i mostly want to do it just so i can bomb it and see wat she'll do. but thats good info thanks! the more i know then ill decide if im crazy for doin this!

Mechanos

If the "FritoLay" you're talking about is a Chevy P-30 step van, there is NO way you're going to get $1000 for a used 14-bolt rear axle.... unless you find an extremely ignorant fool. You can pull those at the JY for $200 or under all day long.

wyliek

****. well that sucks

mcinfantry

i have bought TWO frito trucks, one for 800, one for 1500 4 years ago. i have a frito connection, and i can no longer get them. these trucks are being auctioned on dovebid, and to be honest there arent alot left in service.

ok, lets say you get your 4bt 100% free, like you said. to convert the TH400 to 4wd will be about $500. (unless you keep the stock 2wd TH400). did you know that the TH400 cummins app has a stronger oil pan?

btw the c&c 14bolt is worth $50 to $75 here.

lets go further. you sucessfully bomb it for $1200 ( i dont think it can be done that cheap) now you need a intercooler, and ductwork, add $1000. better upgrade your axles. now you are running a bombed diesel, so you will need a 14bolt rear axle (c&c wont work) thats $100 used. you need a d60 front (if you are 4wd) for abount $1000 used.

i say do it. prove me wrong. id love to read a sucess story! i was told my swap wouldnt work, and i proved ALOT of people wrong.


i know of a few people picking up frito trucks in the 2000 dollar range, but that is the EXCEPTION, not the rule.

WeaselWerks

I have done a 4BT swap into a 1st gen S10, and have put over 10k miles on it since the swap over a year ago with few regrets. The 700R4 holds up fine if it's been freshened up for more power. An optima spiracoil battery will fire it up fine, below freezing you'll need block heat. Power is comparable if not better than the stock 4.3, but the mileage is better than you'd ever get from a gasser. A front end suspension swap will be inevitable, unless your willing to basically build a custom oil pan. My truck weighs in at just over 4300 pounds with no driver, full fuel, and the 4bt up front puts about 64% of the weight up front. The 4bt is just the right size to fit the space, with some mods if you use the 'stock' 5-degree TH-400 trans-adapter out of a chip-van, and even retain A/C if you so desire.

Been there, done it... glad i did...