Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

I did a little wood working tonight and thought that it'd be easier to build a form or jig if you will of the cab mounts to figure out where to weld my mounts on the truck. The horizontal bars are as wide as the flat portions of the front and rear cab supports so as you see on the rear mounts they would have to be put through the frame, not a fan of this idea. So I'm going to move the nut plate that is in the cab out to the end of the flat portion of the cab support and drill a new mount hole, and weld the bracket in. This will give me enough room I think to keep the original style cab mount bushing stack up and keep from cutting into the frame. The front is clear by a good couple inches! So that's good news!

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

Cool build!

Here's another Chevy cab on a cummins/dodge chassis: http://www.67-72chevytrucks.com/vboa...d.php?t=178608

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

Found some old notes from my build in 2003. The bed mounts are the highest point (obviously) which I called 0 - the rear cab mounts are 3 1/4" below them- the front cab mounts are 5 7/16" below the bed mounts & the rad supports are 3/4" below the bed mounts. Don't know if this helps (& I would triple check them if you use them) but, thought they could be useful.

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

Awesome project. You will have a stout truck that drives like a late model Dodge. I did a Chevy cab swap onto a Cummins frame. Link is in my sig. I'm not sure if it will help you because I used a 55 Chevy and a First Gen Cummins truck.

Dieselwrencher may know more about this than I do on a P pump truck but I don't run a fan at all, mechanical or electric. This freed up a lot of room for me. Mine is also a VE pumped engine though. The P pump can put out a lot more fuel which would relate to heat.

Also, I reused the Cummins truck radiator support. This saved time mounting the radiator and intercooler.

If I had to do it again I would try to get by without the intercooler. It was a ton of work to make it fit. Including cutting the firewall and sectioning a wheelbarrow in.

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

Oh yeah I forgot ^ he used a dodge chassis. Check it out, his is sweet!

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummins chassis
 

Thanks for the link! Any and all ideas are welcome, I'm going to get the front cab mounts done up today and set the cab on the chassis. I'll put up pictures as soon as it's done. Then I can start playing with the clearance issues up front.

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

Finally got back to working on the truck some. Welded the front cab mounts on and set the cab on the frame for a test fit. It's so cool to see the cab on that frame!! Gotta work on the final cab placement and how to center the axle in the fender but I knew that was coming.

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

Lookin' good!

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

I've got a question for you diesel knowledgable people out there. I've got the fass system for the 12v and was doing some thinking about the stock lift pump...I don't need it anymore right? And the fuel bowl/filter on mounted on the back of the intake? The was I understand it is the fass system has both of those things built into it, so why keep the old stock stuff? Looking to clean up some junk in the engine bay if it's mechanically sound to do so.

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

Do you know which model of fass pump it is? The truck is looking nice. Keep up the great work!

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

Dieselwrencher, It's the fass titanium 125gph fuel system.

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

With that one, you do not need to use the factory lift pump.

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

Looking great !!!!, you are definitely getting it all figured out!
I'm not sure if your cab is sitting same height from the frame as mine is but you've probably noticed there's a ton of room above the transmission.
I Went with cutting the hump out completely and made the floor completely flat,(kinda like the older caddys were) and so the 5 spd sticks thru the floor by about 2",
the rubber dodge stick bellows was plenty big that I could cut a big enough port that the trans could never hit the cab!' ( food "for thought anyways).
I don't have a transfer case lever thru the floor, instead I'm building a linear shifter......meaning cable operated in/out style.under the dash and parallel with the floor.( I'm in Canada eh so it's 2wd for 6 months and 4wd for 6 months):waah:
I'm almost done my build except for powder coat on the deck and running boards and some upholstery,namely seat and carpet.
If you need some pointers then I'm happy to help.
Cheers......

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

So I ordered some parts and they should be here shortly so in preparation (got arp head studs) I pulled the head off the motor....by myself...mistake!! Dang that thing is heavy. But I've got a question now. The number 1 piston is at tdc and just for grins I tried to wiggle it, and it moved! Kinda freaked me out. I've done some reading and I'm kinda thinking it's ok since diesels have greater clearances for the higher temperatures in the cylinders. Anyone have any thoughts? Oh and the parts I got are-

Banks twin ram intake horn and manifold
Attitude adjuster for the p7100 pump
Arp head studs

Last to be ordered for now will be a set of new injectors. But before I buy them I want to figure this wiggle predicament out.

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

I am I fan of buying a bigger turbo before injectors. Your stock injectors can push a fair bit more fuel that what stock runs - more more fuel than a stock turbo can keep cool.

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

looking good on the build

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

So the cab placement is perfect as far as the wheel being centered is concerned, but it leaves me little to no room up front for the radiator and intercooler, both of which I shall be using. Racking my brain on where to go from here. Kinda a bad picture but you get the idea, the radiator is too far forward.

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

The GM rad support cant be used other than the outer 10"orso from the fenders in, you need that dodge rad support.

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

a couple pics of how I grafted the chev rad support to the dodge hoop

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

Maybe these help with showin how I did mine.

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

iirc... I slotted the holes on the mounts of the dodge rad support so that it would shift closed to the motor which is why I'm runnin 2 16" electric fans instead of the belt driven fan.
Don't worry !...it all fits...intercooler and all !!!

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

Chosn1, I went through your build, I was just wondering how you tackled the axle being centered in the fender issue. As mine sits now it's centered but that rad core is no where near being able to fit into front clip, it's too far forward.

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

I think my wheels are back from center about an inch, doesn't look noticeable, here are a couple pics

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

Thanks chosn1! That helps a bunch

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

Cool,glad to help, as you can see I have 5 3/4" center to center from that top bolt to The front cab bolt and the chev rad support outer end sit ahead of the dodge rad hoop.

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

Chosn 1 is correct on how he did it. I also used the dodge support in the center & the GM headlight brackets on the outsides. My wheel centerline is a 1/2" off- if I remember correctly. To get my grill to clear my intercooler I had to grind part of the backside of the grill- it's not noticeable. I also slid the support as close as I could to the engine. Hope this helps

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

The splicing of fenders has been done!! Well one side anyway. I think it'll turn out pretty damn nice when all is said and done. Gonna do the same with the hood and other fender. Pretty excited it lined up and seems to give me enough room! Want to get the hood done so I can see if it's going to make the front end look too long.

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

Got the fill piece cut out of the donor hood, that's gonna take a good bit more finessing to make line up right and not look like doodoo. But on the plus side, I got the fender, a set of inner fenders, and two hoods for 140 bucks! Heck of a deal! And it just dawned on me how I could have done the hood sooo much easier...but oh well.

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

Messed up on the hood splice, it's fixable but still sucks. So here's the two into one hood. Ran out of gas on the welder, so will finish it up and set it on the truck, figure out how much room I've gained. Oh, and don't mind the mess of a garage! It's crazy out there!

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

On your piston play, how much do you have? They do have some play and sometimes it looks like the piston is moving more than it really is. Your piston to cylinder wall clearance should be greater than .006 to allow for the expansion of the piston so it doesn't seize in the bore.

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

Dieselwrencher, it's not a lot. I've come to the conclusion that it's just for exactly that, allowing for the higher temperatures and expansion. Was just kinda freaked out about it at first.

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

I think the fenders will look good. Could you use the front half of one hood & the back half of the other? (only one joint)

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

72tigger, that's what I realized after I had already cut... That's why the back half is green and the front grey. Should have taken another minute to think of the process before cutting! I got a little over excited, hopefully I've learned my lesson. The passenger fender will be done that way.

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

looks like that will definitely give you more room!, although it seems like a lot more work and panel massaging.

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

I thought of going that route also but my hood was already punched full of louvers so it was not an option for me. I hope it doesn't look out of whack so to speak.

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

Yeah that hood of yours is really cool chosn1, but couldn't find one. And I think I'll be able to get the metal close enough. The hood may be redone by a pro when I get the paint and body work done but it'll do for now.

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

Pretty sure I'm going to order this gauge cluster for the swap and get rid of that ridiculously huge fuel gauge. May be pricey but I think keeping that factory look and having functional new gauges is worth it.

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

That's a custom dash Steve.... I was quoted $3500 for that exact dash. Trevor

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

Holy cow!!! If that's the case then I will for sure not being getting it!! Ha! I was expecting maybe 1200-1500, 3500 is grossly out of my budget.

Re: Swapping a 69 Chevy body onto a 97 Cummings chassis
 

Yeah, that isn't their normal gauges but ones that were made to look like the factory diesel gauges. I thought they would be $1500-$1800 as well but the owner of the gauge company said there were several custom things on that dash that added up to a $3500 price tag. That's a big jump from their $700 base dash setup.