Gas to diesel engine swap.

[Brandon J]

So my recently purchased 2011 Ram 2500, 5.7 HEMI has a shot engine. Before I just put a new gas engine in I was curious if I can put a diesel in instead? I believe the 6.7 liter Cummins was the engine available that year.

I found lots of info relating to custom engine swaps, guys putting Cummins motors I to just about everything. But I can't find any info on how hard or easy it would be to put a Cummins into a Ram.

Is the frame the same and will it bolt up? Does the computer need reprogramming? Exhaust & etc bolt up? Would it need a transmission too? What else?

Just curious if it is a bolt-on-something -ifferent type of job or a totally custom fabrication type of job. Thanks!

 

[GTyankee]

2011 Ram 2500 options

• DriveTrain.
• 5.7L V8 OHV 16-valve.
• 6.7L L6 turbodiesel OHV 24-valve.
• 
  
• Transmission (Option) 6-speed automatic transmission.
• Transmission. 5-speed automatic transmission.
• Transmission (Option) 6-speed manual transmission (engine torque: 610 lb-ft @ 1,400 rpm)

I think your best option would be to find a wrecked donor Ram if you go diesel
It takes a different computer

 

[GTyankee]

something like this is what you need, it has the diesel engine

https://www.autobidmaster.com/en/ca...00_L_CERT_OF_TITLE-SALVAGE_TITLE_ST_CLOUD_MN/

It's in St. Cloud, Mn.
It is being sold by an insurance company

If you get something like that
You would take it home, take a lot of pictures of how the engine compartment is all put together, hoses, wiring , engine mounts, fuel tank & all of those parts.

Then pull everything off the wreck that you don't want
You will want to keep all of the paperwork
Then scrap the wreck & start building your Ram

 

[Fast69Mopar]

So my recently purchased 2011 Ram 2500, 5.7 HEMI has a shot engine. Before I just put a new gas engine in I was curious if I can put a diesel in instead? I believe the 6.7 liter Cummins was the engine available that year.

I found lots of info relating to custom engine swaps, guys putting Cummins motors I to just about everything. But I can't find any info on how hard or easy it would be to put a Cummins into a Ram.

Is the frame the same and will it bolt up? Does the computer need reprogramming? Exhaust & etc bolt up? Would it need a transmission too? What else?

Just curious if it is a bolt-on-something -ifferent type of job or a totally custom fabrication type of job. Thanks!

If you could get your hands on a complete donor truck, which there are plenty of 6.7 RAM trucks available, it would be a bolt-in/plug-n-play setup except for a few small pieces.

You would need the motor, trans + converter, ECM (with some programming), complete wiring harness, transmission, driveshaft, cooler lines, radiator + hoses, intercooler + hot and cold side pipes, A/C Compressor + Lines, P/S pump + lines + hydroboost/master cylinder, cooling fan + shroud, A/C Condenser, motor mounts, diesel fuel lines from the tank to the engine, fuel tank mounted lift pump, complete exhaust system + sensors + O2 modules, etc. I'm sure I'm missing a few things.

You would need to have the Cummins ECM VIN programmed to match your truck. If I can remember what else needs to happen I will post it later. For the price of a 6.7 donor truck you could build a really nice 6.4 with alot of goodies and have a whole lot less work ******* in it.

 

[Brandon J]

Thanks for the ideas! Definitely sounds doable, but a lot more parts to swap then just the engine to get it going.

 

[Fast69Mopar]

Thanks for the ideas! Definitely sounds doable, but a lot more parts to swap then just the engine to get it going.

Yeah it's fun to do the swaps like this when you have a donor vehicle but it is time consuming for sure. Once you get all of the hard parts swapped over and all of the nuts and bolts are tight, then you have to have some a little programming done so you have the correct VIN in the ECM. The one thing I can remember is if anything has to change with programming in the instrument cluster so I would have to do some research.

If it were me, instead of spending the money on a good donor truck, I would build a torque-monster 6.4 and that would make the truck so much more fun and enjoyable to drive.

Even a stroked 5.7 would come come under the budget of a donor truck.

 

[Wild one]

Yeah it's fun to do the swaps like this when you have a donor vehicle but it is time consuming for sure. Once you get all of the hard parts swapped over and all of the nuts and bolts are tight, then you have to have some a little programming done so you have the correct VIN in the ECM. The one thing I can remember is if anything has to change with programming in the instrument cluster so I would have to do some research.

If it were me, instead of spending the money on a good donor truck, I would build a torque-monster 6.4 and that would make the truck so much more fun and enjoyable to drive.

Even a stroked 5.7 would come come under the budget of a donor truck.

I think it'd be easier to swap his good body panels and even cab onto a wrecked Cummins truck.Even if the frame needs a little straightening i'd still do the body panel/cab swap over trying to swap the drivetrain

 

[Fast69Mopar]

I think it'd be easier to swap his good body panels and even cab onto a wrecked Cummins truck.

You're right, that would definitely be easier but I saw that he had recently purchased the 5.7 truck and thought he might like it so I gave a rundown of what he was asking for.

I could make the 5.7 truck run again for cheap and make some more power too.

 

[crash68]

There just a lot of parts and money involved with swapping over, you sorta need to be a diesel junkie to justify putting the time/money in doing the swap.

As much as I like diesel engines, I'd go along with what @Fast69Mopar said about going with a built 6.4 or 5.7 Hemi. Personally I would lean twords a screw type supercharged Hemi tuned for towing and possibly a Zf 8 spd trans.

 

[RedSRT4Me]

Don't forget the fuel system. I doubt the gas fuel system shares with the diesel counterpart.

Missed the fact @Fast69Mopar already mentioned it.

 

[seabrook]

woo that would be an expensive swap- i would get a crate 6.4 392 from mopar. When my hemi takes a **** thats what im getting- its only 10k

 

[GTyankee]

Now you have the 2 options

Buying a donor diesel truck, it will be a time consuming project, i would be inviting friends over for beer & brats.

The other way is just fix what you currently have

You could save money by pulling & reinstalling the engine yourself & have the machine shop build your engine.

The other way is take it to a place like a body shop & have them pull the engine & reinstall it
While the machine shop works on the engine

Good Luck

 

[mtnrider]

Not worth it at all. Engine, fuel, computers all would have to be changed. And then you would have a bastardized truck with little to no re-sale value.

.