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Ford Pickup Repowered With Diesel Engine
"I installed a Perkins diesel engine in my 1973 Ford pickup last summer," says Larry Fulton, Cheyenne, Wyo.
"I bought the F-250 4-WD new and put over 100,000 miles on the 360 V-8 engine with 4-speed transmission. At that point the engine was getting weak and using or leaking a lot of oil. So in 1991, I bought a w
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Ford Pickup Repowered With Diesel Engine ENGINES Engines 18-6-7 "I installed a Perkins diesel engine in my 1973 Ford pickup last summer," says Larry Fulton, Cheyenne, Wyo.
"I bought the F-250 4-WD new and put over 100,000 miles on the 360 V-8 engine with 4-speed transmission. At that point the engine was getting weak and using or leaking a lot of oil. So in 1991, I bought a wrecked 1974 Ford pickup for $200 to get the truck's rebuilt engine, which I installed along with a C6 automatic transmission. Unfortunately, gas mileage dropped from 11 mpg to just 6 to 8 mpg. With a camper on, I sometimes got only 4 mpg.
"In 1993, I bought a 6.3544 Perkins diesel engine for $800. It had been stored in a garage for over 2 years after being removed from another Ford pickup. The engine had about 60,000 miles on it.
"I wasn't happy with the C6 automatic transmission so I decided to go back to a manual shift. I tried to find a 5-speed transmission to match up to the bell housing on the Perkins but with little luck. After studying all the parts I had from these two pickups, I found a way to solve the problem that I think is unique.
"I use two flywheels. The Perkins diesel flywheel-starter ring takes care of the diesel engine and the 360 V-8 flywheel handles all clutching operations. I had to build an adapter plate out of 3/4-in. iron plate ($75) to match up the Perkins custom built bell housing to the Ford bell housing. A machined spacer ($60) between the flywheels positions the clutch and pilot bearing exactly in place. All the rest of the parts are standard Ford.
"I had to hammer out the cab by the gas pedal about 3 in. to make room for the bell housing. The 4-speed transmission sits 4 in. back from the original position. I redesigned the Ford motor mounts in front to fit the Perkins and reused the mount on back of the transmission. The exhaust tees off to the existing dual exhaust system. The Ford radiator is large enough and with all the hoses from the two pickups, I cut them to make the bends and curves between engine and radiator. I mounted an extra battery holder for a second battery (12-volt system).
"I tried two different air cleaners because of intake noise and found that a Donaldson model works great and fits nicely. I used 3-in. PVC pipe to make air intake plumbing.
"The Perkins is governed at 3,130 rpm's for a top speed of 82 mph and runs very smooth at 62 mpg, getting 15 mpg. I've already put on over 6,000 miles and it doesn't use any oil."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Larry Fulton, 4504 E. 17th St., Cheyenne, Wyo. 82001 (ph 307 634-7042).
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