F-450 engine swap?

Dec 17, 2004 0 Replies

Here's a question for the group. I am buying a '92 F-450 wrecker in good condition to convert to a Gooseneck/5'th wheel hauler with a small sleeper cab added. (The dealer bought it just for the wrecker gear and only wants $1K for the truck...so it's a steal!). Will be hauling relatively heavy loads (dual car trailer, medium-to-large 5'th wheel RV trailer, etc. It's got a 7.5 liter (460?) gas engine and a Rockwell 10-speed manual transmission. I would have much preferred a 7.3 diesel with turbo. How difficult would it be to drop a 7.3 (or even a CAT or Cummins) in this truck and keep the tranny? Or should I just suck it up and live with the gas bill? I much prefer a diesel, but the price is so low I can't pass it up...Options on this rig include the "super cooling system" and 4.63 rears. Any wisdom from wiser heads is appreciated. Thanks in advance.


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