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4BT Cummins

20K views 85 replies 36 participants last post by  roninjiro 
#1 ·
I've been seeing alot of rangers and other small trucks doing a complete 4BT Cummins swap in the trucks and was wondering if anyone has ever done it to an X?
 
#27 ·
I have had that in the back of my mind for a while!!!! I am a huge deisel fan!!
A cumming in the X would be an strait up Xterra of the century!!!
hmmmm:bubblegum-big:
 
#28 ·
Theres so much work that goes in to a 4BT swap im looking into it! It will happen ust not immediately haha
i thought the 4bt is basically all mechanical, if that is the case it should be an easier swap. if i were you i would beef up the frame while i had everything out.
 
#29 ·
Yea it truly depends on what year the vehicle you pull the motor from.... If it is post 98 it's 4 cylinder 24 valve which is computerized if its pre 98 it's a 4 cylinder 12 valve. I talked to a guy at ATS Diesel Performance and they explained it to me. and with everything gutted beefing the frame up is a MUST. You could twist your frame. As far as the timeline goes for the swap this wont happen until i graduate college =( priorities priorities priorities....
 
#30 ·
as far as a swap would go i would look for a pre 98 (if the year is correct)then. the only thing i can see beneficial with the computerized 4bt is perhaps the ability to tune. i am not sure on tuner availability for the 4bt tho.

i had thought of this swap for my frontier, but decide to go with a vh45 eventually. due to it being an daily driven offroad rig, the weight of the diesel 4bt, would not be beneficial for my needs.

If you do go ahead with this swap use the manual tranny from a 12 valve cummins (cant remember the model right now). i believe it will bolt right up to the 4bt. also if i remember correctly there are different 4bt's some have a lower hp rating than others.
 
#31 ·
as far as a swap would go i would look for a pre 98 (if the year is correct)then. the only thing i can see beneficial with the computerized 4bt is perhaps the ability to tune. i am not sure on tuner availability for the 4bt tho.

i had thought of this swap for my frontier, but decide to go with a vh45 eventually. due to it being an daily driven offroad rig, the weight of the diesel 4bt, would not be beneficial for my needs.

If you do go ahead with this swap use the manual tranny from a 12 valve cummins (cant remember the model right now). i believe it will bolt right up to the 4bt. also if i remember correctly there are different 4bt's some have a lower hp rating than others.
Yea all that sounds correct. Alot of different companies make Chips for all diesels starting at your domestic all the way up to your Petey's and CAT's you just gotta know the right people. the 12 and 24 valves used the same trannys both motors are identical except for your Valves obviously and the Computers, a Cummins 6bt is a a true 12 or 24 valve found in your dodge pickups, and you can go as low as a 3bt same thing.
 
#32 ·
start looking for bread trucks
 
#34 ·
Just saw this last night.
sounds like they make the full wiring harness and ECU to be hooked up to the engine.
http://www.pacificp.com/
(saw this on Speed, they were modifying an engine gotten from BullyDog)
 
#35 ·
Idk I really like the idea of a v8 swap either LS engine or a small block ford more. A 4bt would be cool after you switched up the pumps and injectors and god knows what else to get some power out of it b/c box stock they suck.
 
#37 ·
Idk I really like the idea of a v8 swap either LS engine or a small block ford more. A 4bt would be cool after you switched up the pumps and injectors and god knows what else to get some power out of it b/c box stock they suck.
i plan on doing a v8 swap only thing is it will be a infiniti (nissan) engine. not a big fan of american muscle in a foreign vehicle.
This thread was more to discover if anyone had done it.... Someone previous said the 4bt is tall, saw one today dunno how that will ever fit in an X
if the 4bt is to tall for the x it just gives you all the more reason to install a body lift :)
 
#38 ·
Diesel Xterra

I have a Cummins 4bt the was never used and still in the crate. Found it in an old warehouse that was getting torn down.

So I picked that up for couple hundred bucks.

The weight on this is more than the 3.3 V6 in my 2002 Xterra

I wish I could just add a leaf but the front has torsion bars. Don't know what to use. Should I put on Calmini?:​
 
#40 ·
I have a Cummins 4bt the was never used and still in the crate. Found it in an old warehouse that was getting torn down.

So I picked that up for couple hundred bucks.

The weight on this is more than the 3.3 V6 in my 2002 Xterra

I wish I could just add a leaf but the front has torsion bars. Don't know what to use. Should I put on Calmini?:​
You could get the one's from AC as an option as well, 30% stiffer than stock...instead of just 20% like calmini's, and, they are cheaper than calmini's too.

:D

You'd want to upgrade the shocks too, to help control/damp the extra forces too.

T-bars:
https://www.4x4parts.com/nissan/xterra-torsion-bars-p-101.html
 
#42 ·
I have a Cummins 4bt the was never used and still in the crate. Found it in an old warehouse that was getting torn down.

So I picked that up for couple hundred bucks.
pics or i dont believe it
 
#43 ·
Got 130,000miles

should I change the cap?
you magically got a new crate motor to swap into your truck and you ask about changing your radiator kap?

weird...
 
#44 ·
pics or i dont believe it
I don't have a pic of it in the warehouse but I will have a pic of the truck on my new computer maybe later. Sorry, starting from scratch here. Even though the 4bt is discontinued, it is fairly common. They used to be in bread trucks and stuff. The one I found was probably going into a bread truck or something. It was part of a package deal in clearing the warehouse. Was like an auction type thing and after calculating, it came out to only a couple of hundred bucks.
Found some cool stuff in there, old Honda mopeds(antiques), boxes of industrial graphite, resin, marine engines, single cylinder, boring machines for metal, just really cool stuff. I send you a pic, I still don't know how to post a new thread here. Do you know?
 
#47 ·
i want to see the engine .

if you plan on doing the swap it shall be interesting
 
#48 ·
who is doing your engine swap?
4x4 guy. He builds Jeeps and other 4x4's. I was getting an oil change in a little station when I said to Jimmy(The mechanic), "That is a nice truck", Jimmy then said that it was this dude he knows that does odd jobs on custom work. Jimmy got a Bronco all rigged for hell.

This guy does stuff dealers or other mechanics don't touch. Example, if you wanted to get your undercoat(which like nobody does) he would strip and sand blast, rust proof, paint and coat it with undercoat then spray under the truck before putting everything together again so that everything is clean and neat.
He does everything by himself, he's big n burly and has a greasy super firm handshake and his shop is attached to his house so basically he lives in his shoppe
 
#49 ·
cool story bro bring on the pics
 
#50 ·
Yea. I work as a heavy machinery operator so sometimes we do demolition. That warehouse was to be demolished and there was some sort of litigation or something where it led to an auction. I paid 4500 for everything and that engine was in that at about 300 if I broke everything into equal.

I was really glad about the graphite at first. I'm talking very large, cylindrical, 8 inch thick, 36 inches long raw graphite. And there were about 1000 of those. That's what I really wanted. The engine was thought to be some Chevy but it was the Cummins 4bt. Maybe someone was building a bread truck piece by piece , eh?

Some dude got a Cris Craft boat in mint condition for 10k.
 
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