Posted by Greg Coffin [172.68.3.52] on Sunday, December 07, 2025 at 01:41:17 :
In Reply to: Engine swaps and autos posted by Tim [108.162.237.88] on Saturday, December 06, 2025 at 18:01:17 :
A 318/360 is a great upgrade for these trucks. It's not an expensive project, and the engines are bullet-proof. They fit well, have plenty of power, and parts are everywhere. They have a wide RPM range, which makes highway speeds and mountain travel pretty comfortable.
A modern automatic transmission is a fine way to go. I would suggest switching over to a NP 205 transfer case. They are much quieter than the NP 200, and again are bullet-proof.
After doing a ton of research on diesels, I'm not a big fan of them in a WC or Power Wagon. They cost a lot ($10k-$15k), and have very limited RPM range, which makes the truck pretty slow. Even with 4.30 gears, you are only going 62 mph at 2500 RPM. Which is a good thing if you are running a factory frame and axles.
The new Cummins 2.8 diesel is interesting. It has a broader RPM range than the 4BT and the 6BT, but they cost a lot. Plus there's another $5k+ of secondary costs to deal with.
That's what I think.
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