Drivetrain Swap vs. Truck Swap

Occasionally, I've idly considered that it would be nice to have a 6.5 turbo and 4L80E transmission in my 1986 HMMWV. I believe that I've read that the 6.5 turbo more or less drops in, but the 4-speed transmission and newer model of transfer case require frame and/or support modifications.

Do any of y'all have any comments regarding the practicality, difficulty and expense of upgrading an original HMMWV to the newer powerplant and drivetrain, vs. just trading the whole truck for one of the rare (?) A2 trucks on the surplus market?

My tendency would be to keep my existing truck, since I've already put so much effort and expense into fixing it up and converting it over to a shelter carrier. However, if retrofitting it with a newer drivetrain would end up costing as much as swapping the whole truck for a different one...

Yeah, this is probably one of those projects that I'd always think about but never actually do, but I hope I'm not the only daydreamer here on the forum!

Other possible upgrades that are on my list include:

• * 3-point seatbelt MWO
  * parking brake MWO
  * 12-bolt rims and radial tires
  * home-made hard-top for cab
  * better thermal/noise insulation for cab
  * air conditioning

Being a radio collector, I have a hard time imagining not having a shelter carrier... yet I've always loved the look of the slant-backs, and I do not yet have any armored and/or weapon-carrying trucks in my motor pool. Maybe I should leave my shelter carrier alone, sell my body parts and internal organs on eBay to raise funds, and buy/build an A2 slantback?

Incidentally, installing that commo shelter really changed the way that the truck drives, especially off-road.

Also incidentally, while talking about recent MV-related activities with some non-MV folks a while back, I learned that different people will develop entirely different mental images when hearing the phrase "tranny hump".

nf6x said:

Also incidentally, while talking about recent MV-related activities with some non-MV folks a while back, I learned that different people will develop entirely different mental images when hearing the phrase "tranny hump".

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HAH! You pervert!

superburban said:

nf6x said:

Also incidentally, while talking about recent MV-related activities with some non-MV folks a while back, I learned that different people will develop entirely different mental images when hearing the phrase "tranny hump".

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HAH! You pervert!

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Hey, I was referring to the transmission hump that I had just pulled off of my M543A2. I was surprised by the reaction I got when I used the phrase "tranny hump"... the "other kind" hadn't occurred to me!

Now, I'm not saying that I'm not a pervert, but in this one, specific, isolated case, I wasn't the one with the dirty mind!

RE: Re: Drivetrain Swap vs. Truck Swap

Yeah, back in the day when I used to work a the Jiffy Lube, it got dangerous to say anything like

"I need some tranny fluid".

You know the caliber of folks that like to work at places like that. Apparrently the colorful responses to my request were deemed "offensive to the customers".

RE: Re: Drivetrain Swap vs. Truck Swap

Oh, yeah, about your original question: In my experience, every time I try to save money on a project by doing it the long way, by myself, I end up pay for it twofold in aggrivation!

Now that I think about it, I dont know why I love to do "projects" so much. I get great satisfaction from the finished product, but the process makes me crazy.

Unfortunatly if you try to sell your Humvee, that you have put a lot of work and good parts on and it still has a 6.2/3L80, it will be compared to other Humvees that are just rambling wrecks and you will have a hard time getting good money. It is possibly though, but you will get many cheapo people telling you how they can get a humvee for this or that price. I'm doing a Turbo/4L80E conversion myself and it is expensive, but I'm installing a new engine, high quality off road Trans and a new main body wire harness. You could use a used engine and trans and go with an aftermarket trans controller and save plenty of money. My engine is a new assy from AMG and I converted it to the military injection pump and all the other necessary stuff. The engine assy alone cost $10,000. Amg no longer sells new built engine assys. They are selling rebuilt engine long blocks for $7,700 or thereabouts. I found this out when there was a core charge and asked a few questions and found out the real story. The Humvee/H1 turbo engines have a top mount turbo and a engine from an Chevy truck is not really usable, because of their side mount turbo. I have NOS Turbo long blocks and unused fully dressed Military 6.5 N/A engines if you are interested in doing a conversion. PM me if you want more info.

Hoo boy! That's even more expensive than I thought it would be. I think you're right, though, that I'd be better off spending the bucks to do the swap than to try to get what I think my truck is worth. Particularly since I have it in such an uncommon configuration. My truck started out as one of those "rambling wrecks", so I know how much money and pain it takes to make one run reasonably reliably! I even got stranded a few hundred miles from home with a blown head gasket and cracked heads. I think my truck has 6.5 heads on it now (? I didn't do the head swap myself). In any case, they're different than the original heads in some manner, requiring different injector lines.

I don't think I'll be starting a drivetrain swap in the very near future, but the temptation to do one someday is still strong. Maybe in another year, once my daily driver is paid off?

I think that I would prefer to use the military engine and transmission configuration on general principle, but I don't know how they differ from aftermarket stuff. My truck won't be entirely stock, anyway, since I'm considering wacky stuff like a home-made metal hard-top for the cab.

I would be PMing you for details on those engines now if I had the cash laying around, but I haven't begun to recover from my construction and move yet.

How hard is it to get the 6.5 turbo, 4L80E and new transfer case to fit into an "A0" HMMWV?

nf6x said:

! ...................

Other possible upgrades that are on my list include:

• * 3-point seatbelt MWO
  * parking brake MWO
  * 12-bolt rims and radial tires
  * home-made hard-top for cab
  * better thermal/noise insulation for cab
  * air conditioning

..........................

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Hi there,


Where can I get hold of the MWOs? I would like the ones for the HMMWVs...

Thanks in advance,

MaxiMan

What is MWO?

maintance work order, in another words a change or update from the military

Good luck finding a parking brake MWO kit. I have only seen one for sale ever, on ebay, and it went for over $700......

The parking brake kit allows the rear brake calipers to be the parking brake instead of the rear propellor/driveshaft. New rear calipers are required, spacer block for propellor, new cables, rod and brackets. I may have the majority of these parts for one or two trucks and the parts I don't have can be found.

nf6x said:

How hard is it to get the 6.5 turbo, 4L80E and new transfer case to fit into an "A0" HMMWV?

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Dilvoy is a perfectionist. What he doesn't tell you is that his truck has been down for upgrades for what? 10 years now George?

The primary driveline differences between an A0 and a A2 with the TD motor and 4L80E tranny is a small body lift of .5", a shorter rear driveshaft, a NP242AMG transfer case, a longer front driveshaft, a different tranny support cross-member and a body modification near the commanders seat for a bigger engine cover and room for the turbo exhaust. That plus the 6.5 TD engine with it's serpentine belt setup, wiring harness, 24/12volt electrical supporting the TCM (transmission control nodule) and the electrically controlled 4 Speed tranny.

It _is_ doable and parts are available - I've collected most of what I need to do my '85 over the past year.

Cheers,

Clarke

i could probably get all the MWO's needed for you guys.Im a inspector in a DoD shop.its all i do is work on and inspect Army trucks of all sizes.

MWO= Modification work order...

there are allot.
3 point seatbelt MWO NON Armor 2540-01-387-4018
rear crossmember(bumper) MWO 2540-01-477-6589
power steering cooler MWO 2530-01-321-449
parking brake retrofit kit- NSN- 2530-01-312-1924
steering colum bracket MWO 2510-01-399-5280 Steering Column Bracket Modification Kit
MWO for M1113 and 1114 only Rear diff cooler 2520-01-493-7899


Thats what i got for now....lol

Army Ed said:

i could probably get all the MWO's needed for you guys.Im a inspector in a DoD shop.its all i do is work on and inspect Army trucks of all sizes.

MWO= Modification work order...

there are allot.
3 point seatbelt MWO NON Armor 2540-01-387-4018
rear crossmember(bumper) MWO 2540-01-477-6589
power steering cooler MWO 2530-01-321-449
parking brake retrofit kit- NSN- 2530-01-312-1924
steering colum bracket MWO 2510-01-399-5280 Steering Column Bracket Modification Kit
MWO for M1113 and 1114 only Rear diff cooler 2520-01-493-7899


Thats what i got for now....lol

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Army Ed, that's nice... do you have them for the M1097A2 and the M997A2 by any chance?

ya i could probably make up a list on Monday when i get back to my shop.

Army Ed said:

ya i could probably make up a list on Monday when i get back to my shop.

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That would be nice... and do not forget to enjoy your weekend

Much obliged