I am interested in converting a 1987 Chevy 30, crewcab, dually 4x4 from a 454 TBI to a heavy duty diesel of some type. The truck has the SM-465 4 speed manual, a US Gear two speed with a 20% overdrive, the 205 transfer case, and 410 gears. The truck is a real powerhouse, and is used primarily to tow a 36' Holiday Rambler 5th wheel. The original truck/engine has 63K miles, and my only complaint is the gas mileage which is about 6 to 8 per gallon with the camper. I want to stay close to the same pulling power as the 454, and have considered using a Cummins, similar to the ones Dodge uses... Not interested in the GM light truck diesels! Any ideas are appreciated.
The best diesel on the market is the Duramax diesel from GM.But I would imagine that they would be a little hard to find being that its a new motor.You could go with a Accel fuel injection and gain a couple miles to the gallon.But 8 miles to the gallon for your truck and trailer is really pretty good. Craig Hager tech1@chevyduty.com
Hi Craig, Thanks for the feedback. Cummins is offering a line of medium duty diesel engines, one of which may be a possible conversion engine. It is called the ISB 300 series. The line is being targeted towards motorhomes, school buses, and fire & rescue equipment. This is not the same engine line as the Dodge/Cummins, It develops 300 BHP, and 600 lb-ft torque at 1500 RPM, and has an operating RPM up to 2700. It is 5.9 liters, turbo-charged, 6 cylinder, 24 valve, and computer controled. It has a 100 K warrenty, a 400 K expected lifespan, and is supposed to be extremely fuel efficient, It has an optional exhaust brake which will come in handy towing a 12,500 5th wheel. The only thing that concerns me is the 950 pounds of weight, but considering my truck is a 1-ton, crewcab, 4x4, dually, I doubt if the extra pounds will be much of a problem. Any thoughts about this type of conversion? Thanks, Charles
[font size=1" color="#FF0000]LAST EDITED ON Jul-23-01 AT 08:49 AM (CST)[/font][p]What type of tranny do they recommend?You will need a different transmission for the diesel.One that has more speeds.Probably a six or seven speed.Also what is cost of everything you need to do the conversion? It seems like alot of money and work to gain a few miles to the gallon.What kind of mileage can you expect? if its in the 20's then maybe it would be worth it. Craig Hager tech1@chevyduty.com
