Possible to control 8.3 Cummins with 5.9 ECU?

[wrenchtech]

This is a real shot in the dark on my part, but here goes: is there any possibility that one could control a common rail 8.3 with a Dodge pick up truck 5.9 common rail ECU?

[cadillackid]

im not up on cummins.. but im assuming your 8.3 is the later version with common rail? if so chances are it has an electronic transmission that will need a J1939 datalink which the 5.9 light duty never provided..



if the pump control type on an ISC is the same as an ISB theoretically you could wire it up to do it and run custom tunes to account for the different injectors, timing, etc that your ISC has..



seems like it could be done if control types are similar between pumps and would be a really neat project to watch come together..
-Christopher

[TJones]

Originally Posted by wrenchtech

This is a real shot in the dark on my part, but here goes: is there any possibility that one could control a common rail 8.3 with a Dodge pick up truck 5.9 common rail ECU?

Please tell me you are swapping an 8.3 into a Dodge pickup! That would be fun to watch.

Ted

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by TJones

Please tell me you are swapping an 8.3 into a Dodge pickup! That would be fun to watch.

Ted

I ran into a gent with a vintage (1949?) Dodge 1-1/2 ton dually that had (barely) enough room to stuff an 8.3 into. I tried to buy it from him but he got cold feet and decided not to sell it.

I REALLY wanted an 8.3/MD-3060 equipped truck.

[TJones]

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

I ran into a gent with a vintage (1949?) Dodge 1-1/2 ton dually that had (barely) enough room to stuff an 8.3 into. I tried to buy it from him but he got cold feet and decided not to sell it.

I REALLY wanted an 8.3/MD-3060 equipped truck.

Me too. For my next work truck I want a medium duty chassis, an 8.3, allison and air ride.

Ted

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by TJones

Me too. For my next work truck I want a medium duty chassis, an 8.3, allison and air ride.

Ted

I have seen one 6 window with an 8.3& 643. If I ever see another, I am going to try and buy it and build a flatbed.

[wrenchtech]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

im not up on cummins.. but im assuming your 8.3 is the later version with common rail? if so chances are it has an electronic transmission that will need a J1939 datalink which the 5.9 light duty never provided..


if the pump control type on an ISC is the same as an ISB theoretically you could wire it up to do it and run custom tunes to account for the different injectors, timing, etc that your ISC has..



seems like it could be done if control types are similar between pumps and would be a really neat project to watch come together..
-Christopher

I am not computer literate enough to make full sense of this, but found this interesting none the less.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LxtLiP9P6G0

There are all kinds of tunes available for the Dodge Cummins engines, both the 5.9 and the 6.7. And I think I have seen people in the class eight truck arena dealing with custom tuning as well, but I need to look into that a little more. If it is true, there has to be someone out there who can work with the 8.3 as it exists in these buses buses.

[wrenchtech]

I am just about to begin to swap a 1.9 L Volkswagen TDI engine into a Toyota pickup truck. I have my donor car, a 2002 Volkswagen Jetta and a pickup truck that is going to receive the little diesel engine. It’s become completely normal to squeeze 180 hp and 300 foot pounds out of these engines. The endeavor is well supported, both in terms of custom parts suppliers and the knowledge base that is maintained by an enthusiastic and friendly community, not unlike the one here. As to swapping the 8.3 into a pick up truck, I will have to leave that to someone else. I am just trying to figure out what kind of set up will give me a school bus RV that will have good performance for the mountain roads I like to travel in Colorado.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by wrenchtech

I am not computer literate enough to make full sense of this, but found this interesting none the less.

There are all kinds of tunes available for the Dodge Cummins engines, both the 5.9 and the 6.7. And I think I have seen people in the class eight truck arena dealing with custom tuning as well, but I need to look into that a little more. If it is true, there has to be someone out there who can work with the 8.3 as it exists in these buses buses.

J1939 is fun.. ive been doing alot of it.. someplace in one of my threads.. I think its in my redbyrd transformation thread I go into it on somewhat of a tech level.. Ive sinced hacked the Navistar ECM but never messed with a cummins medium duty ECM..

[wrenchtech]

I have been observing that working with CAN BUS is key to modifying just about any modern automobile, especially when you are making big drivetrain changes.

[Booyah45828]

Originally Posted by wrenchtech

This is a real shot in the dark on my part, but here goes: is there any possibility that one could control a common rail 8.3 with a Dodge pick up truck 5.9 common rail ECU?

The ECM looks the same between the two. But no idea if the internal drivers and pin outs would be the same.

Bigger question is why would you want to? You'll have a 215hp isc then, when you could have a 300+ hp isc.

As a side note, a j1939 datalink is available on the cummins engine in dodge trucks in certain years. Certain years the engine ecm communicated to the truck pcm through a J1939 CAN bus. For a few years, the data was a transferred at a different baud rate that was dodge specific. I'm not sure if you could swap an 8.3 in the place of one and all the electronics work correctly though. This is all from memory though, I'd have to look it up again to be certain.