7.3 powerstroke swap

[jburk052]

Hi everyone,
I'm new to the group, just got myself a 1945 2.5ton with a tired straight 6 gas motor. I was wondering if anyone has any helpful info for a 7.3 powerstroke swap?

 

[NDT]

Bad idea. Won't fit without brutal whacking and hacking. Fix your I6, those engines power the deuce like a raped ape. We just drove these two 1500 miles all over England, France and Belgium with zero breakdowns.

 

[Tracer]

As stated in the above post. Fix your Six.

 

[Bulldogger]

Jeepsinker is detailing a Cummins 6BT transplant on this forum that might be an interesting read. I agree that something straight is easier than something V8 from what I’ve seen w these old frames. Anything is possible with enough time, money and swearing of course.
Bulldogger

https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showt...6BT-Cummins-swap-(-pics-and-videos)&p=2230259

 

[Valley Rock]

Hey Joe, saw you post this yesterday in BnB 4x4 Fab, I was thinking it was a more modern Deuce like an M35A2, they have considerably more room in the engine bay to work with, however the 7.3 is not very long, just wide .

The tape measure is your friend, measure your frame rails and the engine mount spacing needed for your engine and just figure it out unless you want to go back with a 6 banger, sounds like you are wanting to use the 7.3 that you already have so start measuring everything and sketch it out on a piece of paper for a feasibility study would be my suggestion .

If you can get that motor in there it will probably run forever and sound great, I suspect the exhaust will be outside the frame rails, maybe flip the manifolds over or something and run the pipe out the side so as not have to deal with the lack of room underneath that beast, please keep us updated with pics should you decide to move forward with this, I'm all for it personally .


EDIT: And welcome to SS !

 

[WillWagner]

Not only the size, but the torque nd power it puts out will hurt the drive train. I agree, fix the 6.

 

[Miketlane]

any progress on this? ive got an old gas reo too and thinking 7.3 powerstroke as a cheap alternative. the 12v cumins are just to expensive. fixing the gas 331 is laughable, yeah....show me a rebuild kit, those are hard to find anything for that didn't come off another truck. ive been hunting many options even an 8v71, 6v71 old 2 strokes. anything reasoable with more power than the puny 120hp gas 6cyl

 

[Tracer]

any progress on this? ive got an old gas reo too and thinking 7.3 powerstroke as a cheap alternative. the 12v cumins are just to expensive. fixing the gas 331 is laughable, yeah....show me a rebuild kit, those are hard to find anything for that didn't come off another truck. ive been hunting many options even an 8v71, 6v71 old 2 strokes. anything reasoable with more power than the puny 120hp gas 6cyl

Mike, read the above posts on the challenges of swapping larger engines into these early trucks.

 

[Miketlane]

Mike, read the above posts on the challenges of swapping larger engines into these early trucks.

"challenges of swapping larger engines" i put a 383 in a toyota pick up LOL. i did read the above posts of speculation. i was hoping more progress was made to hear from experience of what is and not what may be. i like how one says its gutless and not worth it but another says the drive-train cant handle the power. i know a guy swapping in a dt466, that was my original plan to follow him and hes about finished. but my free dt466 got to expensive so im looking for alternatives that i can get parts for unlike my reo gas 6cyl, its cool and all but getting parts for it when there is a failure is gonna be like hunting dinosaur bones. if im gonna swap it out i may as well go with more power than my little 127 HP @ 3200 RPM. 6cyl. im sure a 7.3 is not as long as a multi-fuel or cumin's and not any wider than a 6v71 that ive also seen installed but im also not opposed to cutting inner fenders. i know on here its either a MF or 12v or nothing. well im not doping 2-3k on a 250,000 mile 12v. if it had a MF in it id leave it alone until it died. oh and FYI its not the older style deuce its the one in my profile pic. that is a 1955 reo gas

 

[NDT]

The OP was talking about a World War II GMC. You are talking about a Reo. The drive train on the Reo can handle 200 hp all day. I agree if I had a worn out OA331 I would not rebuild it, they are gutless. Problem with the Reo is the steering column is INSIDE the frame rail, right where the left bank of a V-8 needs to go. Sure you can fab up a new steering driveshaft and on and on. A straight 6 diesel resolves this.

 

[Miketlane]

The OP was talking about a World War II GMC. You are talking about a Reo. The drive train on the Reo can handle 200 hp all day. I agree if I had a worn out OA331 I would not rebuild it, they are gutless. Problem with the Reo is the steering column is INSIDE the frame rail, right where the left bank of a V-8 needs to go. Sure you can fab up a new steering driveshaft and on and on. A straight 6 diesel resolves this.

saw a pic of one with a 500 cadilac v8 in it an they are about the same size. didnt see the steering shaft tho. but yeah that could be an issue. easy to modify tho.