I have a buddy that has 1996 dually with a 7.4 vortec (454) gas motor in it and he is wanting to do a duramax conversion to it. I know it can be done but I have a couple questions. The trans is controlled by the computer should I tell him to go with the allison trans or keep his 4l80e and see if someone can make the duramax pcm talk to the vortec pcm? The air conditioning is also controlled by the pcm so thats the second issue. Street and performance has a conversion for vortec 350 trucks to put in ls1's in them and I'm just trying to see a duramax conversion can be done. Also, we want to use an 04 and a half and up motor.

 

Get a Duramax from a van. That is probably the cheapest and easiest way to do a conversion in the OBS truck since they have the 4L80E transmissions. The van PCM will likely control the 96 AC also. Either way the swap isn't going to be cheap.

 

Look into some of the older 1980+ Cummins I-6 Motors... Some of them had very minial electronics and as i recal Advanced Adapters (or some one) makes an adapter to the 4L80e behind them. I have seen that swap done on the web before...

Check this out too...
http://www.thedieselpage.com/duramaxconversions.htm

 

Thanks guys this is a big step forward into making this conversion work. That page for showing how to do the conversion was a big plus. I'm buying the book right now.

 

Yea, i am torn between a diesel swap or just getting a econo car to drive and drop a Boosted 408 Stroker in my truck... I love my truck and really don't want to drive it only on the weekend because a 408 would be a total fuel ****...

I will probably wind up going diesel and soon...

 

there a fairly new book out, I seen it on diesel place it was a step by step how to swap a duramax into an obs book. Very good information on the sample pages