I have been offered a cheap 460ci powered 1992 Ford 350 Crew Cab Dually 2WD.

I have sitting in the shop, a 1985 617 engine and transmission assembly.

Being as the 460 sucks gas at an alarming rate....what do you think of the proposed swap?

I shall be rebuilding the 617 engine and increasing the power to around 150HP.
Yes.... No.....Maybe..... Don't be stupid......Reasons why not.

Any suggestions or ideas welcome.


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[http://languageandgrammar.com/2008/01/14/youve-got-problems-not-issues/ ]

"A liberal is someone who feels they owe a great debt to their fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money."

While I have no doubt of your capabilites to accomplish this installation, please consider the following before moving forward:

1) How much do you currently earn working on vehicles.......per hour?
2) How many hours to do the complete job, including all planning, all purchasing trips, all fabrication, and all debugging?

Multiply 1) by 2)

Enter result here_______________


Is this loss of income worth the outcome? Can you possibly save sufficient fuel to payback the aforementioned amount? Somehow, I sincerely doubt it.

BTW, to ensure that you don't underestimate 2), have a chat with this fellow:
project "GM Benz" has begun...

Good point.

Let's see............

$65.00 per.
60 hours calculated to overhaul and install. = $3,900.00 plus gaskets/oil/filters/steel/drive line fab'/ ....Hmmm, I get your point !

Brian...your sincerity is no longer in doubt.

But...on the other hand:

project "GM Benz" has begun...



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[http://languageandgrammar.com/2008/01/14/youve-got-problems-not-issues/ ]

"A liberal is someone who feels they owe a great debt to their fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money."

Figure a total of $5K by the time you're done. Depending on how many miles per year that you drive it, it will proabably take something on the order of three years to pay it back. Beyond that point, the truck is in the black for you.

I'd definitely ask that fellow on how many hours he's expended on the GM truck.

I am pushing around a similar vehicle (01 F350 CC Dually) with a 7.3L 8 cylinder power stroke and wouldn't want to be doing it with any less. I am not sure thats enough motor for a crew cab dually.

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1983 300D-Turbo - Deep Blue w Palomino MB Tex (total loss in fire 1/5/09 RIP)
1995 E320 W124 Polar White/Grey Mushroom MB Tex
2005 F150 Supercrew - Arizona Beige - Lear topper
1985 Piaggio Vespa T5 - Black and Chrome

www.cphilip.com

Point taken. CC Dually wt 6000 lbs. Mercedes 123 3800 lbs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Power_Stroke_engine


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__________________
[http://languageandgrammar.com/2008/01/14/youve-got-problems-not-issues/ ]

"A liberal is someone who feels they owe a great debt to their fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money."

My F250 is slow enough with a 6.9 diesel, I would not want to drive a heavier truck with a 617 powering it!

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

Why not just do a 6.9 or 7.3 International like the factory installed in those trucks, or just find one that already has a factory diesel. No real need to "roll your own" with 3/4 ton and up trucks.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

Although I really like the 617 in my MB, I wouldn't want anything smaller than the 7.3 in my F-350 crew cab dually. None the less, here's a link devoted just to converting cars with gasoline engines to diesel.
http://www.oilburners.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=138

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Pictures of the MB: http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee41/EricandRobyn/1981%20Mercedes/

1981 300 SD with a Goldenrod water block and Injetor line heaters. EGR is missing

1999 F-350 with HP X-over, Dahl 100 Fuel Filter, Coolant by-pass filter, CCV mod, Tymar intake.

Both on single tank WVO blend

You would be using all of that 150hp with your foot to the floor all the time in a vehicle that heavy! You wouldn't get much better than 15-20mpg.

Yes and no. As I have grown older, I find 60 to 65 is quiet comfortable on the interstate....no having to overtake or change lanes and if I draft one of Southeastern or JB Hunt 65 is max..

Don't forget..... torque is what pushes you down the highway.
I can get plenty of torque out of the 617 at 3k with 35 psi boost and with a F350
there's enough room for a big Cummins intercooler.

__________________
[http://languageandgrammar.com/2008/01/14/youve-got-problems-not-issues/ ]

"A liberal is someone who feels they owe a great debt to their fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money."

...for about 10 minutes.

Actually....not to burst your bubble...I have a 617 running around here for 7 years with 21 psi and no intercooler. When I first put it together it was running mid to high 30's boost with the waste gate disabled.

As long as EGT's are kept low, 40 psi with an intercoooler is quiet doable.

That 617 is in a 1984 123 sedan . I ported the head a lot because that is where the restriction to making power at high boost is.

I found Mercedes had deliberately choked down the intake/exhaust ports.
There is a lot of material that can be removed from the intake port runners.

In fact, the power was restricted by the quantity of the original i/p.
If I had let the Finns work on it with larger elements it would have needed an intercooler.


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__________________
[http://languageandgrammar.com/2008/01/14/youve-got-problems-not-issues/ ]

"A liberal is someone who feels they owe a great debt to their fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money."

Sorry, I don't believe that story for half a second unless you can post proof.

Digital cameras are well under $100 now. There really isn't a valid excuse not to have/get one.

Yeah hate to be on the naysayer side but 617 not nearly enough motor to push that huge truck around. I would simply rebuild the 460 add an aluminum intake, windage tray, more efficient cam, msd ingnition and most important have the heads ported and polished and then get a fuel injection system from www.massflowefi.com that would be what I would do would still cost under 3,500. or you can add a 7.3L ford diesel and call it a day.