I'm going to do a 6.0 PSD engine swap!!!

[vacuumbed]

It's been about a year and a half since I sold my 2005 E450 that I bought new. I miss my van.

Since then, I bought a 1997 Ford E350 Airstream B190. I like it because it reminds me of the 2005 that I used to own. It is however, a gasser. I hinted about swapping a 6.0 PSD in to this van. I wasn't kidding. Member carringB helped me locate the companies that sell retired E450 ambulances. These cutaway vans make a great donor as they have the 6.0, and they are loaded with power options. I will be moving the front clip, dash, front doors ans well as the drivetrain over to my 1997 van.


Well, I just pulled the trigger on a 2008 E450, got it for $1,000! It's super clean. I will post pics soon. It will make a great donor vehicle, it has the newer front clip.

There's just a slight problem. The 6.0 PSD is seized up. :E

It's probably hydro locked from a failed EGR cooler, and the engine is going to come out anyway. I'm excited to get started on this!

[jerem0621]

Keep the V10...when it dies upgrade to PI heads and banks headers and a Five star tuner.

[colliehauler]

I can't understand why someone would want the headache of converting a well running V-10 to a Diesel, your time, money and choice.

I would finish the interior upgrades and go camping. Are time on earth is limited make the most of it.

[mr61impala]

This has been a most amusing read, I read every page looking forward to the conclusion.

I had never heard of anybody converting TO a VT365/6.0 PSD, always the other way around.

I thought the final installation might have included a jpeg of a smoky 6.0 burnout.

[vacuumbed]

It's been a while since I have updated this.

I still have the 1997 E350 Airstream sinnting in my garage with the V10 intact. I have sold all the appliances and bought a new range oven and Dometic rooftop air unit. I made an awesome mod and put a Fantastic fan in the rear bathroom of the van, and a new one in the front as well. I got the top of the line ones with the electric clear lid and rain sensor.

I sanded the roof down, patched holes, replaced all the putty and painted it with white roof paint. Looks brand new! Then I set my new Dometic roof unit in place.

As for the 2008 E450 with the bad 6.0, I sold the engine and trans and got most of my money back that I spent to buy it.

The 6.0 swap is still in interest, but I need a good running donor van along with the intent to bulletproof the 6.0 before installing it in the 97 E350. This is looking to be expensive. As many problems as the 6.0's have, no one is giving big discounts on these vans.

The thought of a 7.3 swap comes to mind, I'm sure I can do that without as much cost as the 6.0. Mainly because the donor vehicle will be less expensive and I won't need to bulletproof it.

Or I can just leave the V10 in there, which seems to run fine. It is a early 1997 V10, which puts out less HP than the newer ones.

[vacuumbed]

Big setback today. I was bidding on a 2008 E350 van with 68K miles but I lost the auction. 😞

[vacuumbed]

carringb wrote:
3-valve V10 was never offered in the E-series, even today. The Banks PowerPack on the PI-2V V10 will match the HP and have more torque than the 3V. V10 got the TorqueShift starting with the '05 MY.

Every regular van bodied E350 2005 and newer that I've seen has a 4.6 or 5.4 gas, or the 6.0 diesel. I can't find a single one with a 6.8 V10.

[vacuumbed]

The latest update is that I have my eye on a 2008 E350 regular van bodied ambulance hit in the front. It has 68,000 miles on it. I'll let you know if I strike a deal on it.

I wouldn't mind a 2009 model to get the updated dash as well.

[carringb]

3-valve V10 was never offered in the E-series, even today. The Banks PowerPack on the PI-2V V10 will match the HP and have more torque than the 3V. V10 got the TorqueShift starting with the '05 MY.

[SoCalDesertRid1]

vacuumbed wrote:
I will admit, the V10 3 valve with the Torqueshift sounds like a very nice setup. I don't know if any regular bodied E350's had them.

Brian (carringb) should know the answer to that.

[SoCalDesertRid1]

vacuumbed wrote:

SoCalDesertRider wrote:
Why not transfer the RV body from the 350 to the 450? Get the 6.0 running and you can avoid all the work of the drivetrain and electrical swapping. 🙂

If you want a very good '05 6.0 E350 cargo van, I'll be selling ours in near future. Had it since it was 3 years old with 13k miles. First owner was the company I worked for at the time. Has only about 50k miles on it now, if I remember correctly, and has never had a problem with the 6.0, or the 5R110 tranny, or anything for that matter. No rust anywhere either and body just about perfect shape. The van is in AZ. Would love to keep it but nobody drives it anymore and it just sits there costing insurance each month.

I can't swap the bodies. The E450 is a cutaway with a longer wheelbase. It's also a dually.

Your 2005 sounds like a nice van, but I probably couldn't afford it. I'm looking for a wrecked one to keep the cost down. Are you getting around 17 MPG out of that van?

17 and sometimes better. 🙂

[rowekmr]

I haven't gotten an update in awhile and decided to look up this thread. I didn't know you changed your mind. What caused this?

vacuumbed wrote:
Thanks Les. Carringb does have an insane amount of miles on his V10. I know the V10 is rock solid reliable. My 1997 E350 Airstream van has a V10 in it now. There's nothing wrong with it, it runs perfect. I bought this van back in June in Alabama and drove it home to Salt Lake City without a hiccup. Well, I blew a front tire in Louisiana, but that's not the engine fault. :B

I'm doing this because I really enjoyed owning that 6.0 diesel and I want another one. The project is still on. I just decided not to use the engine from the 2008 E450 that I just bought. I want it for body parts though, so I'm selling the drivetrain.

I'm going to find a lower mileage wrecked van exactly like mine but with a 6.0. Probably a 2007-2009. One that runs. I will be able to use ALL the parts, including the rear axle.

Stay tuned!

[vacuumbed]

I will admit, the V10 3 valve with the Torqueshift sounds like a very nice setup. I don't know if any regular bodied E350's had them.

[vacuumbed]

SoCalDesertRider wrote:
Why not transfer the RV body from the 350 to the 450? Get the 6.0 running and you can avoid all the work of the drivetrain and electrical swapping. 🙂

If you want a very good '05 6.0 E350 cargo van, I'll be selling ours in near future. Had it since it was 3 years old with 13k miles. First owner was the company I worked for at the time. Has only about 50k miles on it now, if I remember correctly, and has never had a problem with the 6.0, or the 5R110 tranny, or anything for that matter. No rust anywhere either and body just about perfect shape. The van is in AZ. Would love to keep it but nobody drives it anymore and it just sits there costing insurance each month.

I can't swap the bodies. The E450 is a cutaway with a longer wheelbase. It's also a dually.

Your 2005 sounds like a nice van, but I probably couldn't afford it. I'm looking for a wrecked one to keep the cost down. Are you getting around 17 MPG out of that van?

[vacuumbed]

blt2ski wrote:
A VT365 in the IHC motors is the true mdt motor of that series. IIRC it was 236/660 max, with low power out puts in the 190/520 range. Maybe even as low as 160. 180-190 has been IHC's typical low hp for the turbo v8 with 235 for a high, torque from 500-660. RPM is limited to 2800 or 3000 vs ford upwards of 3500-4000 IIRC.

any way, hope you are having fun with the project. I am sure just like the GM 6.5 with proper tweaking, one can make these motors be pretty reliable etc.

Marty

The vans are also detuned. The 6.0L Powerstroke in a van = 235 hp and 440 lb-ft.

I hear some have trouble, but not as much as the F-series.