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'00 1500 V10 Project Thread

110K views 649 replies 44 participants last post by  cleaningman94 
#1 ·
Ok, I finally pulled the trigger and bought myself a V10 donor truck, so I can transplant that huge engine into my little 1500. My engine recently developed a loud chirping noise, which we eventually narrowed down to crank walk [friend who is a mechanic thinks it may be a hairline crack in the crankshaft]. We had a bit of extra money laying around so we bought the donor yesterday. It's a '96 2500 V10 5-speed truck 4x4 with 153K miles on it and a bad clutch.

It took us awhile to decide whether or not to get it, since we couldn't check the rest of the drivetrain components behind the V10. When the motor in our current 1500 decided to take a dump [at 116K miles, no less] we decided something needed to be done, so that was my motivation. Luckily they changed from OBDI to OBDII in '96 so I'm hoping the wiring will all be fairly easy. I'm also hoping I can still use my current gauge cluster, because I don't really like the looks of the one in the '96.

Anyone know if a steering column transplant is required for a manual transmission swap? Or can I just take the column shifter out?

Enough talking, I suppose. Here are the pics I took of the donor. It's rough, dash is shot, and the front of the frame near the bumper is rusted. Engine runs great so far, no strange noises. Trying to decide if I should axle swap.








And the beast
 
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#2 ·
Here's the truck it's going into, overall in great shape, none of the normal issues aside from dash crack and faded clear coat.





 
#3 ·
What do you have to change out???? I know engine, wiring, what else?
 
#4 ·
Well mine will be more difficult than a V8/auto to V10/auto swap, since my donor is a 5-speed manual. Mine is going mostly by ear, but I know it will be:

engine
transmission
transfer case
motor mounts
radiator
all engine and trans related wiring
driveshafts [they'll need to be shortened as well]
and any odds and ends stuff, it never goes completely according to plan, but so far as I have read it is a bolt-in swap, especially since I have a donor truck for all the parts. I'll keep track and hopefully have a list of parts by the end.

I may also be swapping axles, and swapping springs may not be necessary but I think the spring rate may cause issues with the 1500 springs and V10 weight.
 
#6 ·
Good eye! i have never seen one either didnt know they made em
 
#7 ·
It should literally bolt right in - computer and all. As for your column, you can use the auto column, just put it in park, remove the shift lever, and use the plastic covering from your donor truck. You can swap over your gauge cluster so you'd never know it was a manual. As for everything else, it should bolt right in if you use everything from your donor truck (driveshafts, axles, tranny, transfer case, engine). The only modification will be the spring perches on the 2500 axles, the 1500's are narrower I believe.
 
#8 ·
Just start it already we will figure out what is needed when you get to that point.
 
#9 ·
I got the radiator and support off yesterday, just took some pictures today. I snatched the upper intake off today, but forgot my masking tape and sharpie, so that's as far as I got. I pulled the dash out, every time I touched something plastic, it broke off. Something is still holding the full dash from being pulled out, but I'll get to that later.









Here they are sitting together, oh and the wife over in the corner.
 
#10 ·
are you parting out the rest of the truck??? im looking for body parts for my truck if you are, i need fenders, and short bed.
 
#12 ·
Wouldn't mind selling a few parts, I don't think I'll get much for this truck if I transplant the v8/46RE in it, so it will probably just go to a scrap yard when I am done. Although it's a long box, not short.

? we are making a 2000 v10 4x4 5speed short bed ?
Yes, yes we are.
 
#11 ·
? we are making a 2000 v10 4x4 5speed short bed ?
 
#14 ·
Oops didn't realize you had a short bed (work computer is blocking all of your pictures).

Then yes your driveshafts won't work LOL
 
#16 ·
I'm going to take the 2500 shafts and get the rear one cut and front one lengthened. I will need to do this after the axle swap, though, so I have the right lengths.

You will have to do a write up each day and then edit it so it is in one post. Take allot of pics as this is something someone else will be asking and havent scene it done yet.
I will try to do a bit of a write-up. Although if it is a bolt in as a few have said, a write up won't even be necessary. I honestly think the hardest part will be the manual swap stuff. I have been taking pictures of all the connectors next to what they connect to, I always end up with one or two connectors that I have to test fit everywhere because I can't remember where they go, haha.

I even went so far as to make separate folders for upper intake, lower intake, block, interior, etc for all the connector pictures.

So far I'm ~$400 into parts, with the new clutch, new motor mounts and transmission mount, and today I ordered and intake manifold gasket set. All are just preventative maintenance aside from the clutch.

Just for a break down:
Clutch: $250
Mounts: $35 each
Trans mount: $25
Gaskets: $23

I will still buy all replacement u-joints for sure, and anything else I see wrong when I pull the engine. I noticed one of the freeze plugs is plugged with a strange looking thing with RTV around it, which worries me a bit. I'll investigate further next time I go out to work on it. Progress during the week will be slow. It's a 20 minute drive to where the truck is and I get off work 30 minutes before it gets dark, so it will mostly be weekend work, unfortunately.
 
#15 ·
You will have to do a write up each day and then edit it so it is in one post. Take allot of pics as this is something someone else will be asking and havent scene it done yet.
 
#17 ·
Search for captian cameltoe. He put a V10 in a 1500 a year or two ago.
:gr_patrio
 
#18 ·
Yeah, 2wd :WHT: haha
 
#20 ·
Yeah mine is somewhat out of necessity and a budget build. He had a lot of time and seemingly lots of money to do his. Not to mention it seems that the V10 aftermarket has died a lot.

Oh and I was joking about the 2wd thing. I know it has been done before several times.
 
#21 ·
damn long beds >< oh well... good luck on your project!
 
#23 ·
Just a preventative maintenance measure. Motor mounts are one thing that is super easy to change when the engine is out, but much harder when it's back in. Same with the u-joints, the driveshafts will be out anyway, why pull them again in a few months when I can just replace the joints now?

May seem silly, just something I like to do when I pull the engine.
 
#24 ·
I saved a ton of money using coupon codes on Advance auto parts.com and did the "pick up in store" option. I think it was retailmenot.com who had the codes.
 
#25 ·
you could just pop your cab on the donor frame and have a longer bed and fix the clutch either way its a lot of work but thats why were here looks like fun
 
#26 ·
The frame of the 2500 truck is rusted quite badly in some spots. Plus that's no fun, haha, it would be just like it currently is. Can't wait to get some cash for a cam and exhaust for it, should be kicking out 400hp without too much trouble.
 
#27 ·
Worked on the wiring today. Got most of the engine bay wiring disconnected. Tomorrow I will work on the trans and back wiring, maybe a bit of interior stuff, although I'm not looking forward to that, haha. Oh and I figured out why the engine is leaning a bit, the passenger side motor mount only has one or two bolts connected, and is just hanging on. I'm hoping it won't have any effect on the driveline components, but we'll see. Things never tend to work out in my favor. A couple pics, ever seen all the engine wiring on one side of the engine bay?



 
#28 ·
Tore into the interior wiring today. The way they set up the dash is profoundly annoying. I am going to try and find a schematic of the '96 V10 vs '00 V8 wiring to figure out if I can just use the engine harness from the V10, it would help a lot to not have to take my dash apart, I don't want to have to do that to the truck I am keeping [I was not nice].







 
#29 ·
Looks like fun NOT well will be a blast when done.
 
#30 ·
Raining all weekend here :( I'm hoping it's not too bad tomorrow and I can go out and get some work done. I've been waiting to work on this all week and now this?!
 
#31 ·
Yesterday I drained the transfer case fluid and oil. The transfer case fluid had a bit of metal shavings in it, not good. I also was dumb and used the big metal plug facing down on the T-case rather than the actual drain plug, caught the spring but missing a ball bearing or something that goes up into the rooster comb. Might have to take the damned thing apart now Looked like maybe a tiny bit of water in the oil but I'm hoping that's just some condensation. Also, I got the engine leveler on and the driveshafts off. Hopefully next weekend we'll have the engine/trans/T-case fluid out and I can clean everything up a bit.

Sorry no pictures...

Also figured out that the gauges are not just plug 'n' play, so some modding or wire swapping will be required if I want to keep my current gauge setup.
 
#33 ·
I just figured some would be since they swapped to OBDII in '96
 
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