Conversions & Swaps LSX Engines in Non-LSX Vehicles
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Dodge Ram 3500 diesel

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Old Jun 7, 2011 | 10:07 AM
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Default Dodge Ram 3500 diesel

I have an '05 Dodge Ram 3500 diesel. With a programmer it blows through transmissions like they are free. With that said, I wanted to jump ship, sell the Cummins and 48re and buy a 99-00 6.0 with a 4l80e (saves me 500lbs), and go with a 60mm turbo, or an 8.1 with the 5spd Allison and a 70mm turbo.

I am committed to the sale of the cummins, only because the trans in that thing can't hold up to the stock torque (610) much less the 800 it has now. I figure with a gas engine, the tq will come in at higher rpms, and it seems to be cheaper to build a 4l80e ($4000) to handle 600hp/6000tq than a 48re ($8000) to handle 500hp/850tq. I am open to input of course, but the bottom line is I want a Dodge Dually with a gas engine, stout trans that can run 13's, if it breaks I can go to the junkyard and source parts.

The 5.9 in my truck now is 15k new, and that's just a long block. Figured this would be the way to go. Friends have suggested buying a rolled 8.3 V10 and doing the swap, but I feel in the end, that the 6.0 has more options
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Old Jun 7, 2011 | 01:03 PM
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if i were you bro, id stick to the diesel and put an allison trans behind it. they sell the adapter kits as well as the programmers needed. that cummins is a hell of a motor, and will be more reliable as a tow rig (which i assume this is what it is) and also be more streetable than building a 6.0 that would match the power output.

also, that diesel will get better fuel economy putting out those numbers then a comparable gas motor would.

i'm not sure why your stuck on gas for that truck, but if your willing to fabricate all the neccessary stuff to put a gas motor in it, you can easily put the allison on the back of the cummins.
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Old Jun 7, 2011 | 01:17 PM
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Big Mistake. 48REs will hold assloads of power & torque when they're built. Call one of the companies below, tell them your goals, and they'll fix you up. It'll be cheaper and more reliable than a whole powertrain swap.

www.atsdiesel.com
www.dieseltrans.com
www.goerend.com
www.suncoastconverters.com

Torque converter, valve body, improved clutch packs, billet input and output shafts, and other internal mods to the 48RE will hold 1500+ lb-ft of torque. 13s and 12s in a diesel truck is cake these days. The stock tranny sucks but has potential.
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Old Jun 7, 2011 | 02:03 PM
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I think the Allison is a good idea too. The adapter is an off the shelf item. Remove your Dodge adapter and bolt on an Allison adapter. Not sure about the flex plate but Cummins/Allisons are all over the place in the commercial truck world. 545's are dirt cheap but no overdrive. I had one in a motorhome. 6 or 7 speed allisons do have overdrive I think. T
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Old Jun 7, 2011 | 08:28 PM
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Ok gents, I will weigh the options as far as an allison versus the built 48re. The truck it self does not tow much, just a four bike trailer or a car trailer, neither weighing more than 6k. The Allisons don't really hold up any better than than the 48re, but the extra gears are a plus. I simply assumed I could build a nasty turbo 6.0 and 4l80e for the same 7-8k I would put in my trans.
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Old Jun 8, 2011 | 06:13 AM
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i have allisons behind every vehicle in my fleet, and they constantly pull 30-35k lbs vehicles around all day. and my small trucks that have the 1000s in them all are beasts.
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Old Jun 8, 2011 | 11:08 AM
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Do you have Duramaxes or Cummins engines behind your fleet vehicles, or some Navstar variant?
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