2008-2010 Ford 5.4L or 6.8L

Many times customers ask about converting 2008-2010 Ford ^® 5.4 and 6.8 trucks to a diesel due to the fact that they can be purchased reasonably, or they already own the truck and would like diesel power. There is not too much difficulty with this conversion, as these trucks have the same frame and transmission mounting as the diesel versions. You should plan to drop the fuel tank and remove the electric fuel pump. This is explained further in the installation manual. Keep in mind that a new diesel exhaust system will also be required and a diesel radiator is also a good idea if you plan to do some considerable hauling. The 2008-2010 Ford radiator and intercooler swap requires more parts than the earlier 2003-2007 models- and if the parts are bought brand new they are fairly expensive.

It is recommended that a F-250 or heavier duty chassis be selected for 6-cylinder conversions, as the F-150 chassis is really too light duty to handle the power and weight of the 6-cylinder Cummins ^®

TRANSMISSIONS

5.4 AND 6.8 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SECTION

DCS highly recommends switching to a 4R100 transmission!  This is due to massive loss of functionality when using a stand-alone transmission control module.

Ford 6-Speed – The 6-speed manual would be a very rare option in one of these trucks. Diesel Conversions ^® currently does not make a 5.4 or 6.8 6-speed adapter plate due to the small clutch that would have to be used with one. We make adapter plates for the 7.3, 6.0, & 6.4 diesel 6-speed. These are very good transmissions for the conversion, and worth the time swapping in if you want a manual transmission!

INFORMATION ON PARTS IN OUR KITS

ADAPTER PLATE

Diesel Conversions® adapter plate kit uses the 6.0L Ford Power Stroke starter. . Our adapter plate replaces the adapter already on the back of the Cummins engine, making a factory quality connection for the transmission. They are precision machined from aircraft grade (6061) aluminum.

ENGINE MOUNTS

Diesel Conversions® motor mounts are pre-drilled to accommodate for the stock engine fan (recommended). Because the Cummins engines are longer this will move your transmission back 2” to 3” causing you to move your transmission cross member back. The engine mounts are an excellent design with a bolt going all the way through the isolator, instead of relying on rubber and weak interlocking tabs to secure them to the frame cross member.

It is necessary for you to make sure you will still have enough slip in the joint when your rear suspension is compressed. Usually the rear drive shaft is fairly level in trucks that do not have a lift kit, so the drive shaft does not need to collapse very much during suspension travel. In most cases the front drive shaft on four-wheel drives will stretch enough to reach the front differential. It is necessary to move the transmission cross member back or lengthen the slots in the mount to slide the transmission back enough to give room for the engine driven fan. Automatic trucks already have holes in the frame to move the cross member back to accommodate the Dodge Cummins engine driven fan.

GAUGE SENDING UNIT ADAPTERS (BUSHING KIT)

Bushing kits include our custom built adapters to put your Ford gauge sending units into the Cummins engine so that your stock gauges still work with the Cummins engine.

ALTERNATOR MOUNT

When using Dodge Cummins alternator we provide you with an external voltage regulator. Common Rail applications do not need the external regulator.

EXHAUST MANIFOLDS

Our conversion friendly manifolds work much better in the conversion for the 12-valve and 98.5-02 24-valve engines. These manifolds place the turbo in a better place for a/c component clearance than the stock variety, and also make exhaust and turbo oil drain connections easier as well. The conversion friendly manifolds improve air flow over stock and are 2-piece to prevent cracking.

12-Valve Engines

When using a 12-valve engine for your conversion with one of our manifolds it is required that the housing of the turbo be re-oriented so oil feed and drain are vertical. Once the housing is re-oriented, the waste gate actuator will interfere with the engine block. To remedy this issue, we offer a conversion friendly waste gate actuator kit (DCS Part Number 3048) to fit the H1C and HX35 Turbos that came factory on the 12-valve engines.

24-Valve engines

When using a 24-valve engine for your conversion with one of our manifolds we recommend upgrading to a 2003-2004 Common Rail or similar style turbo . Due to the design of the waste gate actuator on the stock 24-valve turbo it makes it difficult for the housing to be re-oriented. Using a 2003-2004 common rail turbo alleviates this issue.

EXHAUST RELATED PARTS

Along with replacement manifold gaskets, hardware, and turbo mounting studs, we also offer a flexible turbo drain tube that connects to the stock hose and elbow that is left in your engine block when the stock drain tube is removed. The flexible drain tube makes for an easy connection to the re-oriented turbo housing.

TACH KIT

The tach kit consists of three parts; the Mounting Bracket, Sensor, and Tone ring. These parts are necessary to make your factory tachometer work.

 Providing this signal to your Ford PCM computer also is necessary for the air conditioning, transmission temperature, and other gauges to function properly. All 5.4L and 6.8L trucks require the tach ring that bolts onto the front of the Cummins crankshaft balancer for the sensor to send the correct signal pulse to the Ford PCM which makes the tachometer work.

 It is not necessary to buy a diesel instrument cluster for your truck.

TRANSMISSION CONTROLLER

See the Cummins to Ford 5R110 Torqshift article for more information.

AIR FILTER KIT

Our air filter kit includes a Brute Force air filter, pipe and hose to connect to your turbocharger. We offer two styles of air filter kits. The kit normally used in the 5.4 or 6.8 liter truck is the Diesel Conversions ^® SKU 1941 . It requires relocating the passenger side battery to the driver’s side. Some customers use a larger single battery mounted in the original air filter box. The original battery tray also works well for the new air filter. Others have used two batteries in the same location, but this takes some fabricating skill to make the brackets to mount the passenger side battery tray and another one just like it on the driver’s side.

A/C MANIFOLD

This A/C manifold bolts to the back of a 1994 and newer Dodge A/C pump, making the A/C plumbing less of a challenge. All you will need to do is have some new hoses crimped between our manifold and a 1999 style A/C tube at the drier (a picture of one is in our manual), and the stock line connected to your condenser.

RADIATOR HOSE KIT

Diesel Conversions® radiator hose kit includes the radiator and heater hoses that work well in the conversion and a specially bent aluminized steel lower radiator hose connector tube along with hose clamps. The kit that is offered in our kit builder for these trucks only works with the stock radiator and a new style water connections as shown on our Cummins Engine Information page.

WIRING HARNESS SERVICES

Diesel Conversions ^® can provide you 5.4 or 6.8L engine harness modification services that make wiring much less of a challenge. We modify your Ford engine harness to connect to a Cummins engine harness, providing your Ford PCM the signals it needs to make your factory gauges work. This service is normally included in our comprehensive kits.

PARTS YOU WILL NEED TO GET ON YOUR OWN

Even if you buy everything we offer for your truck, you will need to come up with a few parts on your own, such as an exhaust down pipe (usually a Dodge down pipe can be a good start), a diesel exhaust system for the same year and style of your truck, a 2008-2010 Ford Super Duty diesel radiator and intercooler, and intercooler tubes (again Dodge stuff can be a good start). We may be able to supply you with these, but our supply is limited at this time. If you live in a colder climate, we would also recommend adding an additional battery for longer starter cranking ability.

Automatic transmission equipped trucks will require a throttle position sensor. Depending on the year and what transmission your Cummins engine had on it originally, you may need to purchase a throttle position sensor, or look into other options. All 24-Valve engines already have a throttle position sensor that can be used for the transmission controller.

Sometimes customers buy engines out of industrial applications. These engines may not have the correct brackets for conversion friendly accessories.
See Cummins Engine Information for more information .

CONSIDERING HAVING US DOING THE CONVERSION FOR YOU?

Give us a call and find out how Diesel Conversions ^® can do a professional conversion on your truck for a reasonable price. We have an international airport for travel from and back to our shop, and also can help with shipping options getting a disabled truck here. 

This information is provided to you to help you make an informed decision on your conversion. If you have any questions do not hesitate to CONTACT US.

*Diesel Conversions ^® is not affiliated with Cummins, Ford, or Dodge. Our use of these registered trademarks is for descriptive purposes only.

Diesel Conversions ^®
Diesel Conversion Specialists
www.dieselconversion.com
406.755.8878