Welcome to Top Tech Questions. Oftentimes, readers contact us with questions about articles, or to praise us on what a good job we are doing. But our favorite form of reader communication is tech questions. So we're introducing our Top Tech section, a place where you ask what's on your mind, and we answer it. Got a trouble code? Wondering how to get your engine to make more power?
Send us an email at
jason.sands@sorc.com and we'll do our best to answer it.
Question: I am becoming increasingly interested in diesel power, and the ease of turning up the numbers. I have been a long-time diesel truck driver and viewed them as work trucks, while having weekend toys with high-performance gas engines. But I have been smoked a time or two by a so-called work truck and have taken notice. I plan to upgrade to a newer Power Stroke in the near future and have been searching for good information. I love your magazine and have been reading every new issue, so I thought you guys would know the answer to this. Can the 6.0L Power Stroke (specifically the '06-'07 engine) be upgraded with a 6.4L short-block? Or, can a 6.0L block be bored .120 inch to fit the 6.4L pistons? The specs on these engines lead me to believe it may be a possibility and offer some of the benefits of the 6.4L without as many emission regulations. Thanks.
Daren HilgerHays, Kansas
| Although this custom-built compound-turbo 6.0L built by Jefferson State Diesel may look similar to International's new 6.4L engine found in '08-and-up Fords, they are two completely different engines.
Answer: When the 6.4L engines first came out in the Ford F-series trucks, we had a chance to talk to an engineer from International. Specifically, we asked him about the new 6.4L engine, and how it would compare to the old 6.0L design. He told us that basically the only thing that was similar was the camshaft, and even that is in a raised location in the block as compared to the 6.0L engine. Everything had been changed, including the block and heads, head bolt sizes, drive accessories, and injectors. With enough time and money almost anything is possible, but you'd probably need to own your own machine shop to perform this type of swap. As for an overbore of .120, that sounds like it would make the cylinder walls pretty thin. If it would work at all, it might require filling the block with concrete or something that makes it virtually undrivable.
If you're really bent on having a 6.4L, it would probably be better to just buy one from the factory. The 6.4L trucks are no slouch when they're equipped with a hot aftermarket tune. We know of a few mostly stock 6.4L trucks that produce more than 400 hp at the wheels with just a tune. The only real weak links the 6.0L engines have are the EGR system (the cooler plugs and fails) and a lack of cylinder head sealing, which can be cured with head studs. It's probably more cost effective to either upgrade a 6.0L or 6.4L engine than to try and combine either one of them. While the 6.4L is a superior engine, the 6.0L can still be reliable and produce plenty of power when a few weak links are addressed. It would also probably be cheaper than finding a used 6.4L truck.
Question: I have a 96 GMC 1/2-ton with the good old 6.5L under the hood. I recently lucked into a donor truck with my cousin totaling his '02 Chevy with an LB7. You can see where this is going! The question is, how big of a job would a Duramax engine swap be, and how many modifications is this going to take? Has this been done before? Is there anyone I can talk with and get some guidance from? This is going to be a homemade project, and my budget is far from limitless. Feasible?
Brandon KisamoreFlintstone, Maryland
| We're starting to see more Duramax swaps now that the wiring has become easier. Options range from stand-alone ECU's, such as the BSG unit found on Mike Wood's Duramax Mustang, to modified factory harnesses such as the one available from PPE.
Answer: We're starting to see more and more Duramax swaps out there, but that still doesn't mean they are easy. Fortunately, a big leap in the feasibility of these swaps has come in the form of a standalone wiring harness from Pacific Performance Engineering. Standalone computers to run the Duramax engine and Allison transmission can be upward of $6,000, so shelling out $1,200 for a factory-based version from PPE should be a no-brainer. Although the wiring has been the toughest part of these swaps, even with that taken care of, you're still not out of the woods yet. The Duramax engine and Allison transmission combination is a lot heavier, longer, and wider than what you'll be removing, so frame, firewall, or transmission tunnel modifications may all be needed to clear the bigger engine and transmission. We've yet to see a budget Duramax swap, but that doesn't mean it is impossible. If you have more time than money and your fabrication skills are strong, a Duramax-into-something-else swap should be possible for less than $5,000, minus the cost of the engine and transmission. If you decide to go ahead with it, let us know how you're progressing!
Question: Hi, my name is Ronnie and I have been a subscriber since your first issue came out. I love Diesel Power! I have an '03 F-350 dualie 4x4 6.0L diesel with a 3-inch leveling kit and 33-inch Mickey Thompson Mud Terrain tires. With diesel prices going back up, I was wondering if you guys know how to convert a dualie back to a single wheel, or if you can direct me to a company that sells wheels. I would appreciate it. Thank you very much.
RonnieVia email
| As you can see from this picture, your dualie might look a little funny if you start driving around with only two tires in the rear. Best to stick with the stock wheel and tire combination if you're looking for mileage.
Answer: You have a few options here. You can simply take your outside wheels off, and just run around on a single set of wheels and tires. But if you're going to do this, be careful not to overload your truck. It's also going to look funny, and your tires might wear strangely, but you'll be getting better fuel economy. There are also a few companies out there that sell big rig wheels for pickups, but the disadvantage there is that you're hauling 19.5- or 22.5-inch-tall wheels around. The front and rear axle widths are also different, so you may have to juggle wheel spacers and wheel backspacing to get your truck to look right. Even if you do all of this, you'll gain at best 1-2 mpg. If you're really looking to increase mileage, you have to decide how much you like your leveling kit and 33-inch tires. Switching back to stock height and a factory wheel and tire combination will save you much more fuel than anything else will. Also, with big tires, speed is a very important aspect of fuel economy. Having more rotating weight at higher speeds can really sap your mileage. Our Project 12-valve Cummins got 22 mpg with dual rear wheels, and we know of a 6.0L Ford that's gotten 14 mpg while towing. We suggest you get an economy tuner, drop your cruising speed by 5 mph, stick with the Mickey Thompsons and the leveling kit, and enjoy your truck's good looks. DP
