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Cummins 6BT Turbo Diesel into an FJ60

There is more information about this particular swap at the bottom of this page. 

Pictures taken by Kirk Issacson and they originally appeared on this site.  (Caution:large file downloads).

Click on pictures for full size images
 




After I found out the name of the shop who did the conversion (courtesy of Kirk Issacson who actually shot these photos), I gave them a ring and the gentleman who did the conversion was more than willing to answer all of my questions. The conversion was done for a doctor who lives in Texas who is not a member of the Lone Star Cruisers but is friends I believe with several of their members.

The conversion took the shop two weeks to to.  They used an NV4500 transmission and didn't have to make any modifications to the dog house (section of body that is above the transmission).  The doctor routinely makes trips down to Mexico for missionary work and the first weekend he had the truck he took it down there.  Apparently he had driven through a puddle and blew up the radiator some how so Kirk actually had to pull his FJ60 radiator and the mechanic who installed it ran down there.

The conversion was done several years ago and I couldn't find any information on how it, and the truck are still doing.  That 6BT seen in the truck puts out (it even says it on the truck) 160 hp and 400 ft/lbs of torque --tons of torque.  So I wonder how the axles etc are holding up.

When I first questioned the idea of putting a 6BT into a 60 (or any cruiser) I received some pretty negative responses, some from International Scout discussion boards.  Some even said a 6BT in a 60 would be dangerous.  And it could be, who knows, but all I know is it has been done. 

Otherwise, suspension wise the mechanic had to make changes to the front suspension to get the truck to stay upright.  I know some people have had trouble with their axles hitting the bottom of their motors, I'm sure this would be more than an issue.  The mechanic who put in the 6BT seen below said he had to take the OME springs already on the truck to a special shop to have them beefed up.  Kirk, the guy who took these photos, had said after he saw it, it looked like a drag racer with the front end of the truck drooped down.  I know if I ever attempted this swap I would probably go with a spring over axle setup with custom springs from Alcan.  Either that or I'd have Alcan make a custom 5 or 6" spring for up front and would continue with a spring over in the rear...