Land Rover and Range Rover Forum banner

How feasible would a Cummins 5.9 swap be?

23K views 34 replies 14 participants last post by  ArmyRover 
#1 ·
How feasible would a Cummins 5.9 swap be in a IIa? I'd love the torque and reliability but would the install kick my a$$? Would the tranny and axles shred like paper under all that power? Would my front end drop to the ground? :D

Has anyone heard of such and outlandish swap? Do adaptor plates exist? :eek:

I think the front suspension work would be the easy part, but the actual motor install would call for a lot of custom made parts, motor mounts, turbo plubming.

Any ideas guys? Or a total pipe dream? :dunno:
 
#2 ·
You think like me....... I wish I could help.. I just wanted to say that your idea rocks....... My guess is you'd have to redo all suspension and build up some serious axles..... I love the cummins
 
#3 ·
I had a 4BT Cummins driving a 60KW generator and that engine, as sweet as it is, is way to big to go into a series truck. Length is greater by close to a foot front front of waterpump to flywheel, and flywheel housing is a good 8" bigger in diameter. Look for a Perkin 4-236 if you want a managable big pot 4 cylinder diesel.
 
#4 ·
Angel of Death said:
How feasible would a Cummins 5.9 swap be in a IIa? I'd love the torque and reliability but would the install kick my a$$? Would the tranny and axles shred like paper under all that power? Would my front end drop to the ground? :D

Has anyone heard of such and outlandish swap? Do adaptor plates exist? :eek:

I think the front suspension work would be the easy part, but the actual motor install would call for a lot of custom made parts, motor mounts, turbo plubming.

Any ideas guys? Or a total pipe dream? :dunno:
Your asking for trouble the drive train just wont take that sort of torque it will destroy it even the perkins 4236 as mentioned is a bit iffy,2.5-3.0l turbo diesel engines are the norm because of the turbo its hard to shock load the drive train as the power isnt all low down torque.and ulimately they give better performance.Look for a L/R TDi,2.8 daihatsu TD or mebbe a 2.8 Isuzu Lump
Hope this helps ONz
 
#5 ·
TerryS said:
Look for a Perkin 4-236 if you want a managable big pot 4 cylinder diesel.
Very good combo with a SIII.
We build them here in SA from 1980 to approx 86 known as the R6. (Salsbury diffs, Santana G Box)

Otherwise I second Onz Get a Isuzu 2.5D or 2.8TD Even the 3l Mercs will work but i dont think the cummens will work.
 
#6 ·
Moeras said:
Very good combo with a SIII.
We build them here in SA from 1980 to approx 86 known as the R6. (Salsbury diffs, Santana G Box)

Otherwise I second Onz Get a Isuzu 2.5D or 2.8TD Even the 3l Mercs will work but i dont think the cummens will work.
The santana gearbox is the reason it was a useable machine the bog standard rover unit just isnt up to the job,the 236 creates more torque than a RV8 and the 200TDi
 
#8 ·
You all pretty much confirmed what I supsected. Ah well.

Rest assure, the Cummins 5.9 is at the top of the list when I decided to get a second 109 IIa for the trails and lower it on top of front and rear steering 35 spline Dana 60s, a 205/203, 42 inch Iroks, hydraulic ram steering, ect ect.

Anyone got any pictures of a well built rockcrawling Series?

Erik
 
#9 ·
The 2 small boats we have attatched to the cutter use a Cummins 4BT and a VolvoPenta AD-31. I was lookin at the cummins the other day thinking how to make it work in a rover but I think it would be way too heavy. The volvo on the other hand might be a feasable swap. I was just looking up info on the 109 Marshall bodied ambulances and there was one with a Mercruiser engine in it. Best bet would probably be a LAnd Rover 2.5 TD though.
 
#10 ·
Angel of Death said:
How feasible would a Cummins 5.9 swap be in a IIa? I'd love the torque and reliability but would the install kick my a$$? Would the tranny and axles shred like paper under all that power? Would my front end drop to the ground? :D

Has anyone heard of such and outlandish swap? Do adaptor plates exist? :eek:

I think the front suspension work would be the easy part, but the actual motor install would call for a lot of custom made parts, motor mounts, turbo plubming.

Any ideas guys? Or a total pipe dream? :dunno:
yes forget in As an old Cummins mechanic who used to work for Cummins
I can tell you, that A the Bseries 6 inline is far too long for a landrover
and the trans mission would not handle the torque, neither would the final drive
You could use a 4bta rated 230 bhp, you can spin up yoor own adapter plate but the tansmission et al, would still be in trouble unless coupled to auto box
there are a lot of 4bta down in florida ex planing boat take outs
 
#11 ·
Angel of Death said:
How feasible would a Cummins 5.9 swap be in a IIa? I'd love the torque and reliability but would the install kick my a$$? Would the tranny and axles shred like paper under all that power? Would my front end drop to the ground? :D

Has anyone heard of such and outlandish swap? Do adaptor plates exist? :eek:

I think the front suspension work would be the easy part, but the actual motor install would call for a lot of custom made parts, motor mounts, turbo plubming.

Any ideas guys? Or a total pipe dream? :dunno:
about the sweetest diesel for that truck is the Nissan 6 natural asp. I just did 2000 miles in NZ with one, av 9.5 km/l/ cant rememeber the engine model but IF you serious I will find out
 
#12 ·
stu hearn said:
about the sweetest diesel for that truck is the Nissan 6 natural asp. I just did 2000 miles in NZ with one, av 9.5 km/l/ cant rememeber the engine model but IF you serious I will find out
and people her are quoting you tractor engines like the perkins 4/236 which turns too slow for highway use
this seems to be a forum of unqualified dreamers, which is ok cos you have to learn I guess, but do try think before you hop in
 
#13 ·
I am definately interested in the model of the nissan 6. I finish uni in a few weeks and am plannign to put a diesel in my old girl. I found this website which gave me some good ideas as well as an idea of teh work involved.

http://home.metroweb.co.za/~pdoug/landconv.htm

a good read. any idea what this the RD28 engine is originally out of? a patrol? he got it out of a hilux, but I gather that was a conversion job.
Dick
 
#14 ·
stu hearn said:
and people her are quoting you tractor engines like the perkins 4/236 which turns too slow for highway use
this seems to be a forum of unqualified dreamers, which is ok cos you have to learn I guess, but do try think before you hop in
Highway use??

You can get about 100km/h out a a series fitted with this perkins. However it is very happy cruising at 85km/h.

If lowdown power is what you are looking for, there is very few better.
 
#15 ·
stu hearn said:
and people her are quoting you tractor engines like the perkins 4/236 which turns too slow for highway use
this seems to be a forum of unqualified dreamers, which is ok cos you have to learn I guess, but do try think before you hop in

Aye mate seems you know loads dont you,the perkins 4236 you find in tractors has its inj pump calibrated for agricultural use but any one who uses them in a road motor gets the pump re calibrated as was the dodge 50 wagons which used this engine successfully.

Ive run perkins for the last 14 years matey so i do feel qualified in tractors,wagons,landrovers and range rovers Ive built em run em so what makes you so damn knowledgeable my old rangie with a 236 in overdrive and high ratio transfer gears would pull 90mph no problem so dont preach at me pal go find someone who doesnt know the crack

And as for the 6 pot nissan not worth the effort nice when they are right but spew oil out of the rear crank oil seal and parts are ridiculously priced,and seen as though you know lots about diesels you dont know what the hell your running yourself PRICK!!!!

and its more than likely its an sd33 or 35
 
#16 ·
onslow said:
Aye mate seems you know loads dont you,the perkins 4236 you find in tractors has its inj pump calibrated for agricultural use but any one who uses them in a road motor gets the pump re calibrated as was the dodge 50 wagons which used this engine successfully.

Ive run perkins for the last 14 years matey so i do feel qualified in tractors,wagons,landrovers and range rovers Ive built em run em so what makes you so damn knowledgeable my old rangie with a 236 in overdrive and high ratio transfer gears would pull 90mph no problem so dont preach at me pal go find someone who doesnt know the crack

And as for the 6 pot nissan not worth the effort nice when they are right but spew oil out of the rear crank oil seal and parts are ridiculously priced,and seen as though you know lots about diesels you dont know what the hell your running yourself PRICK!!!!

and its more than likely its an sd33 or 35
Well said mate!!
 
#18 · (Edited)
go for it

Angel of Death,
Regarding the conversion in mind. may i say "I like your style!!"
we need more people of your thinking. always question the status quo,
just because there are more simple and existing conversions available. dosnt mean we must accept them. push the boundries of what you know and can do.
the satisfaction of doing yr best and overcoming the engineering problems will make you a step ahead of thr rest. :clap:
 
#19 ·
Land Rover One said:
Angel of Death,
Regarding the conversion in mind. may i say "I like your style!!"
we need more people of your thinking. always question the status quo,
just because there are more simple and existing conversions available. dosnt mean we must accept them. push the boundries of what you know and can do.
the satisfaction of doing yr best and overcoming the engineering problems will make you a step ahead of thr rest. :clap:
I'm with you dude! I want to vomit when I think about doing the same thing as everyone else.

A year or two before I joined the Marines I built a motor and a put a good ammount of thought into it when I came to my decision. My friends thought I was nuts NOT to bulid a smallblock. I hated the thought of eveyone rocking the same exact motor at the dragstrip so I built an Olds 455. No regrets.

I think a Series IIa 88in rockcralwer sitting on rockwell axels, Mog/portals or Volvo/portals and being pushed around by a powerstroke or a cumins 5.9 or a rotary for that matter, would be not only cool as hell but one hell of a challenge to put together. That's the fun is the challenge. the fabrication, the learning as you go.

Anyone seen anything crazy like a SWB Series on 44 inch boggers or anything nuts like that? I have lots of ideas in this mind of mine, just too much contract left before I can a start on anything!

Semper fi

Erik :buttrock:
 
#20 ·
not arguing

Angel of Death said:
Well, it's official, this makes EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF MY LIFE filled with drama. Thanks guys! I thought this could be my last vestage but I was wrong.

Quit arguing! :confused
no one is arguing here !!! i find it very ignorant of mr hearn to say we are ill informed dreamers when the facts he himself placed forth were inaccurate and ill-informed,I wont be told im wrong when i have the experience to back up what I say and I wont offer advice unless i know what im talking about,im sure the same goes for other folk too.

And as for not encouraging new Ideas i think you missed the point of the original question the chap asked if it the cummins lump would work with a standard rover drive line again through experience i know that it would not.

So i feel compelled to answer the question asked,to do otherwise would be irresponsible and could cost the guy alot of money,time and effort.

I am always interested in pushing new directions when in comes to modifying I myself am in the planning stage of building a range rover 130 crewcab pick up just for the sake of it.
Cheers ONz
 
#21 ·
Chill!

Wow, all abit serious. Chill guys.

My 21/4 diesel is really past its' best before date. I have the chance of obtaining a new Fiat Doblo diesel engine (For those over the pond and elsewhere, the Doblo is a pathetic little tin Box) 1905cc 8 valve. The 16valve version is used in Alfa's, GM models and I guess, Saabs.

Sadly, I've just done 20k miles in a Doblo and was impressed by the motor.

Discuss.

Gripper. :D
 
#22 ·
Dont know the Fiat Diesels at all! Dont get them this side of the sun.

please tell us more about it, also please remind us which series landy youv got
 
#24 ·
Gripper said:
Hi Moeras,

It's a 1969 IIa 88' in need of more care and attention I seem to have time for.
It goes, stops and steers and is just about legal most of the time!

Gripper.
The fiat engine is not a common conversion in fact i know of no one that makes a conv plate for one and I suspect it will be under powered and not very tractable with the power delivery and also will increase your insurance premiums due to being modified and non standard
 
#26 ·
Fiat

Hi Onslow,

Just speculation with the Fiat engine. 105bhp and a fair amount of torquue at about 1750 revs. Not unlike a monty TD I suppose.

I am tempted by the Montego motor but I can't find a car and they are now a bit old so likely "tired" Also, just itching to meet the other guy who does the conversion bits, see www.integerspin.co.uk.

You might be able to answer this question too. If the distribution pump on a 21/4 diesel can only go on in one position because of the tooth patern on the drive spline, why the need to find a thousand and one timing marks, take up the backlash etc. I can't get my head around this at the moment.

Gripper.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top