Cummins or Cadillac?

[superbuickguy]

I'm going to throw this out as a place marker... once you pull the motor and have centered on your fuel induction of choice. If you don't use the TBI system (including the distributor) - let me know, I might financially reward you for throwing it my direction.... lots can happen before you pull it, and I decide on fuel systems... but, should you not use it....

 

[Woofwagon]

You get dibs on the fuel injection system. Be advised though that I won't be pulling the motor until spring. I"m going to take fall and winter to build up this Caddy right.

 

[Clutch]

What kind of mileage are you expecting to get out of the Caddy engine?

I am contemplating on building up a 70's F250, and looking for a suitable engine, decided I don't really want a diesel.

 

[superbuickguy]

You get dibs on the fuel injection system. Be advised though that I won't be pulling the motor until spring. I"m going to take fall and winter to build up this Caddy right.

If I have my FJ40 running in a year (which would be pretty amazing), that's still 6 months after you do the caddy swap

 

[Woofwagon]

What kind of mileage are you expecting to get out of the Caddy engine?

I am contemplating on building up a 70's F250, and looking for a suitable engine, decided I don't really want a diesel.

If I get somewhere around 15mpg, I'll be pretty happy. I think the mileage will be better than the 350 in there now. Remember the 500 produces so much torque that I don't have to run really low differential gears, so that will be a great advantage. Almost a built in overdrive.

 

[Clutch]

If I get somewhere around 15mpg, I'll be pretty happy. I think the mileage will be better than the 350 in there now. Remember the 500 produces so much torque that I don't have to run really low differential gears, so that will be a great advantage. Almost a built in overdrive.

hmmm, that is what I am wanting. Do you think a NV4500 could handle the torque?

I might of missed it, what size tires are you running?

 

[Larry]

hmmm, that is what I am wanting. Do you think a NV4500 could handle the torque?

I might of missed it, what size tires are you running?

NV4500’s do just fine behind Cummins with high torque. The NV4500 behind my 8.1L is also doing just fine as well. The 8.1L in my K10 is putting out around 500 to 550 lb. ft. of torque at 3,800 RPM. Where NV4500’s go awry is behind diesels that shake the 5th gear nut loose.

It will be neat to see a Cadillac 500 project. Back in the 90’s I did a 500 swap into an 80’s G-van cutaway that a friend used to haul his race car back and forth to Albuquerque. He ran the 500 for one season in the racecar hauler then we swapped in a 454. Had he put a little money into the 500 it would have been just fine but was using bone stock engines he was pulling out of donor vehicles at his body shop/salvage yard. A bone stock Cad 500 is not very impressive. Throw in a better cam and they come alive.

 

[Woofwagon]

Yeah the NV4500 will handle the power of the Caddy 500 just fine. I'm running I believe a LT235/65/R16 tire that is a 10 ply load range E.

 

[Clutch]

Thanks fellas.

Aren't the NV4500's rated at 450 ft/lbs? So it had me wondering.

That Caddy engine looks real appealing now.

What grade fuel do you plan on running? Think it will get those numbers on low grade swill, or have to go high octane. Heck, Hi-Test is more than diesel here in Eye-dah-ho.

 

[Woofwagon]

My build will be able to run 87 octane. I'm sticking with the stock heads but putting in 454 Chevy valves as they are larger than the stock Cadillac. The new cam has an advertised duration of 268 degrees on intake and exhaust, so there will be more than adequate cylinder scavenging and filling. This cam is right in the middle of MTS and other Cadillac specialist camshaft grinds. I will also advance the cam timing to a 1970 specification, as cam timing was retarded by 3 degrees after 1973 for emissions. I'll start with 6 degrees initial timing and have it all in at 36 degrees at 4,000 rpm. These are my base line numbers.

 

[Sentinelist]

Interesting question. As someone who has owned the Escalade 6.0 and now 6.2 motors, if diesel isn't a necessity for your application, I think you'll be rather pleased with the power and reliability of the Caddy mills. They are built to tow a small yacht.

 

[Clutch]

My build will be able to run 87 octane. I'm sticking with the stock heads but putting in 454 Chevy valves as they are larger than the stock Cadillac. The new cam has an advertised duration of 268 degrees on intake and exhaust, so there will be more than adequate cylinder scavenging and filling. This cam is right in the middle of MTS and other Cadillac specialist camshaft grinds. I will also advance the cam timing to a 1970 specification, as cam timing was retarded by 3 degrees after 1973 for emissions. I'll start with 6 degrees initial timing and have it all in at 36 degrees at 4,000 rpm. These are my base line numbers.

Thanks for the info, liking your engine build more and more. Not sure why it was never on my radar before.

 

[Woofwagon]

Remember that the 425/472/500 Cadillac engines were designed to move big cars with smooth power for 300,000+ miles. There are a lot of advantages to using them for truck engines as I've been finding out. Many Chevy/GMC truck owners in my home state of Idaho would put them in tow vehicles to good effect.

 

[Woofwagon]

Thanks for the info, liking your engine build more and more. Not sure why it was never on my radar before.

You're welcome. That's what I like about forums such as these, we can share ideas that may germinate into new ones to make our expo vehicles safer, more powerful and efficient while keeping build costs within our budgets.

 

[Clutch]

Remember that the 425/472/500 Cadillac engines were designed to move big cars with smooth power for 300,000+ miles. There are a lot of advantages to using them for truck engines as I've been finding out. Many Chevy/GMC truck owners in my home state of Idaho would put them in tow vehicles to good effect.

Sold!

We recently moved here to Idaho from Arizona, that is what I want, something I can toss on a slide-in camper, tow some dirt bikes and sleds around without much fuss in the mountains here and beyond.

You're welcome. That's what I like about forums such as these, we can share ideas that may germinate into new ones to make our expo vehicles safer, more powerful and efficient while keeping build costs within our budgets.

:thumbs-up: