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10-27-2015, 11:30 PM
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#1
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New Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Lockwood, Mo
Posts: 8
Year: 1954
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1954 chevy Engine Swap
Hello I have a 1954 chevy bus that is 28ft long from front to back. It has an addition on top and a back deck. I am sure it is fairly heavy. The old inline 6 chevy threw a rod through the oil pan. So I ended up taking out the old axles because I never had brakes (besides the tranny brake) and swapping them for newer chevy axles with disk brakes and a new booster and master cylinder combo. Now I want a different drive train. I want something affordable 3k and under. I want something fairly simple to install. I am leaning towards a 5.3 or 6.0 swap. (Newer Chevy LS engines) I have friends who have done them. The only thing I have against them is they make their torque at higher RPMs. I want something reliable that I can drive anywhere. Anything thoughts? I have thought about a DT466, chevy 454, or cummins 5.9 I am open to all suggestions.
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10-28-2015, 12:34 AM
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#2
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Stony Plain Alberta Canada
Posts: 2,937
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000 FE
Engine: 190hp 5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
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5.9 Cummins, 8.3 Cummins Or a DT360, DT466, DT530
Diesel only,Nothing gas powered.
Nat
__________________
"Don't argue with stupid people. They will just drag you down to their level, and beat you up with experience."
Patently waiting for the apocalypses to level the playing field in this physiological game of life commonly known as Civilization
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10-28-2015, 12:42 AM
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#3
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Snowflake, Arizona
Posts: 343
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: All American Rear Engine
Engine: C-8.3-300 Cummins MD3060
Rated Cap: 40 Prisoners
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Probably the best swap would be to the 5.9 Cummins since its rpm range is
pretty close to the old 235 cu in six that was in there but with a ton of more torque
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10-28-2015, 08:22 AM
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#4
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New Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Lockwood, Mo
Posts: 8
Year: 1954
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Has anyone done a 5.9 cummins swap? Are they very difficult? I have never swapped an engine before but I am decent at fabricating and have some engine knowledge.
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10-28-2015, 09:11 AM
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#5
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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They've been swapped into everything these days. Even mustangs.
check measurements, it may be easier to fit a 4bt like Tango.
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10-28-2015, 09:58 AM
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#6
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
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Unless you want a racer, a 4BT would indeed make for an easier fit and provide plenty of grunt. You can find an all mechanical for less right now than just a few years ago for some reason. And with your frame, it would be a much easier transplant than mine. Hook it up to a 5 or 6 speed Allison and you can get plenty of pull and outstanding MPG with the right gearing. I am shooting for around 25 or better with mine and all the calcs, including those from Allison support it.
That said, the sixes (5.9) are a lot smoother running and do provide a few more HP & torque. If you go for a four, find one of at least 130 HP.
One more note...any Cummins engine can be looked up using the serial number on their "QuickServe" online system. It will pretty much tell the engines whole story whether it's the original specs or reman data.
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10-28-2015, 12:45 PM
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#7
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Stony Plain Alberta Canada
Posts: 2,937
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000 FE
Engine: 190hp 5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
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There are 100 5.9's to every one 4bt.
Nat
__________________
"Don't argue with stupid people. They will just drag you down to their level, and beat you up with experience."
Patently waiting for the apocalypses to level the playing field in this physiological game of life commonly known as Civilization
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10-28-2015, 01:22 PM
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#8
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New Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Lockwood, Mo
Posts: 8
Year: 1954
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Can you some how get vacuum from a diesel engine? My master and booster combo I swapped onto my bus is vacuum powered? Is there ANYWAY around this?
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10-28-2015, 01:28 PM
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#9
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New Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Lockwood, Mo
Posts: 8
Year: 1954
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And thank you all for your input!
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10-28-2015, 01:31 PM
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#10
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
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Tons of diesel powered rigs use electric vacuum pumps and there are add-on mechanical versions as well.
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10-28-2015, 01:34 PM
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#11
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New Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Lockwood, Mo
Posts: 8
Year: 1954
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Thanks, your the man! I checked out your thread and its pretty cool the metal fab door is going to be slick.
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10-29-2015, 02:34 PM
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#12
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2014
Location: West Ohio
Posts: 3,702
Year: 1984
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: International 1753
Engine: 6.9 International
Rated Cap: 65
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Quote:
Originally Posted by williamcstefan3
Can you some how get vacuum from a diesel engine? My master and booster combo I swapped onto my bus is vacuum powered? Is there ANYWAY around this?
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A lot of your cummins engines in dodge pickups have a vacuum/power steering pump combo below the injection pump. That'd be a quick way of doing it if you are already looking at using that engine. As someone else said, you can also get an electric pump which shouldn't be too hard to wire up.
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