4bt 72 Dart

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dusterbnb

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Ok before I begin, I know I will have some haters and people that think I'm crazy and ruining a Mopar, but it's mine not yours and a cummins comes in the trucks so it's a Mopar engine anyway, also I'm doing this for fuel mileage, power, and reliability since this will be my everyday car when I'm done. Something no gas engine can do all of.

My project is and 1972 Dart slant 6 auto that I am going to put a Cummins 4bt with a NV4500 out of a Dodge truck. The 4bt for those who my not know is just a 2 cyl short 6bt like the Dodge trucks came with. I used to work at Cummings and love these engines be cause they are powerful, reliable, and get good fuel mileage. I have a 72 Duster that eats fuel like crazy, so I can't drive it very much. So, I wanted a car that I could, yet still be an old Mopar. So, this is what I decided to do. In the next few weeks I will be pulling the 4bt out of the bread truck I bought and then tearing it down to put main, rod, and head studs, new rings and gaskets and then pull the slant 6 out of the Dart and start stuffing it in. It is actually shorter that the 6 is so it should fit in pretty easily. So hears some pics and I will update as I go.
 

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I'm not sure why I can only post one pic at a time.
 

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I "thought" I saw someone else on this board was doing something similar..............

Just how heavy are those things? You aren't planning a "twin stick" are ya LOL? N' ya, I know, it's a detroit.......

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2zwd1iazvU"]twin stick shiftin' - YouTube[/ame]
 
It's not just the weight. It's also the height. Those little bastids are very tall. No way will you fit it in there without a hole in the hood.
 
Thats an 800lb motor, and a 225lb transmission. Yikes. I wouldn't trust the frontend to hold that up forever.

Ever consider a VW TDI/Toyota 5 speed trans. Still a tall motor, weighs in at 375 lb too. Did one of those in a 94 Toyota truck. Total weight was 3650, and the truck netted 26-30mpg, and was pushing about 150HP/300TQ.

That stock 4BT is like 105HP, depending on if its a VE or P-Pump version.
 
Wow, you are taking on a serious challenge! That engine weighs 782 with oil, filter etc, the tranny is a solid 200 and the weight of the heavy bell and clutch your lookin' at close to 1200 lbs on the front of that car. Then the height challenge.....as Rusty mentioned it is tall. 35+ inches. Mopar slanted the six to fit it under the hood.........
 
Yeah I was really wanting to use the RS Gear's Magnum/TR6060 since it is so much lighter and would shift like a car instead of a truck trans. Now these are body's, but when I had the idea to do this, I ended up find these guys that have done it already. But, I guess my photos are to big so they are only loading one at a time.
 

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The first one is a 68 satilite wagon with a G360 trans, 2.76 gears, 30" tires and 318 torsion bars cranked up with I think 60,000 miles on it already, and the second is a 74 satilite, load flight 727, 440 torsion bars and 2.24 8 1/4 gears in a 8 3/4 ( some how ) .
 

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I think it will be cool and different if you can make it come together.
 
If I knew more about the VW motors or even the precursor to the 4bt I would have gone with them. It's just that since I used to work on these, I know them pretty well. The biggest hurdle I will have is to get the pan to fit. It's a rear sump engine and is right in the way of the drag link.

I have heard of those 2 stick trannys, but never seen one. It is cool, but it looks just as complicated as I was told. :burnout:
 
From what I found a factory street Hemi weights between 690-765lb and the 4bt weights between 745-785lb so if these cars can handle the weight of the hemi, then I should be ok. I do plan on getting 1.06 torsion bars, front and rear sway bars, and tubular upper control arms. I may get those pieces of metal to box the lower control arms in as well to strength them, and I'll have polygraphite bushings, and maybe stronger strut rods. But, we will see how things go and how much everything else ends up costing. But, I'm intent is not a show car, but just a nice everyday car. So, I don't want to just dump money in it.

The height may be a problem being about 5in taller than a Hemi @32" and the 4bt @37" but I'm not sure if there including the carbs and air cleaners on the Hemi or not. Anyway I will have to figure it out.

The plan is since it is nice out today that I'm going to start on pulling the 4bt out today. One so I can get the truck out of the driveway and 2 to get it out before it gets to cold outside.
 
Yeah I was really wanting to use the RS Gear's Magnum/TR6060 since it is so much lighter and would shift like a car instead of a truck trans. Now these are body's, but when I had the idea to do this, I ended up find these guys that have done it already. But, I guess my photos are to big so they are only loading one at a time.

I like it. I have a 6BT that I am going to put in my 1966 Dodge D100 short bed.
 
Definitely interested in this build!! I'd love to put a 4bt or maybe a 6bt in a 68-69 elky!!
 
I like it. I have a 6BT that I am going to put in my 1966 Dodge D100 short bed.

Yeah I wish it would fit a 6bt. My dad had had a 94 ram with the 6bt. The first year for the p-pump. He would take off in second gear while pulling our boat up hill. That truck is why I'm a mechanic now. I love diesels, but particularly Cummins engines. I am very blessed to have worked at a Cummings dealer, so I know how to work on these engines.

Well I got it pulled out. It was a bear pulling it in the driveway. The cherry picker just didnt want to roll on the ruffly brushed driveway.
 

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Empty. Now I can get this thing out of my driveway.
 

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That trans is going to be way too fat to fit unless you totally refab the tunnel at about 8 inches wide at the seats. Rollin' coal is huge in the rat rod community. Lots of wild turbo diesels pushing 30 psi putting down 10-12 second quarter miles...
 
That trans is going to be way too fat to fit unless you totally refab the tunnel at about 8 inches wide at the seats. Rollin' coal is huge in the rat rod community. Lots of wild turbo diesels pushing 30 psi putting down 10-12 second quarter miles...

Well, is a B-body trans tunnel bigger than a A-body?
 
This is why I ask. This is a 68 satilite wagon with a Getrag 360 in it. And, all he had to cut, was a bit around the shifter to make it fit.
 

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4BT in a 69 Camaro.

11.97@1250ft.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUiDQd2NZpU"]69 Cummins Camaro 4bt drag - YouTube[/ame]
 
If it fits in that it will fit in an A-body.

11's is no slouch
 
Back in 2009 or 2010 Arnold Baking Company closed it's doors. Left behind were hundreds of delivery trucks powered by Cummins 4bt backed by TH400 via adapter. Many are still out there not doing anything. Prime contenders for swaps. Trouble spots in the engine include the throttle rod that goes to the injector pump and that 4bt's are VERY,VERY noisy. Other than that, GO FOR IT. p.s. Don't forget to put a booster pump in the tank (45psi) Good Luck
 
I was at a Labor Day car show when a crappy lookin' early 70's Monte Carlo rolled in making all kinds of racket. He was running a Cummins (Dodge) diesel. It drew a big crowd once people figured out what was going on.

It's not like your cutting up a rare GTS convertible so go for it. With a half ton of engine/trans in the Dart and using totally custom mounts...if it was me I'd set the engine back as close to the firewall as possible to help with the weight balance. (maybe even put a recess in the firewall like the hot rodders do) Don't even consider using the /6 T-bars but get some 1.00/1.04 bars. Make sure the T-bar crossmember is in good shape where the T-bar anchors are welded in.
 
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