Gas vs Diesel

[Courage]

Hey guys, looking to tap into some of your personal experience with this.
I drive around 10k miles a year, about 8k of those miles are towing my 3½k lb landscape trailer. I have been using my 94 Ram 2500 5 speed manual 4x4 360 Magnum 4" lift 3.55 gears to tow it. One of my neighbors is an excellent mechanic and has offered to walk me through swapping a VE Cummins (out of a 1st gen) into it. He's done the same swap 2 or 3 times and said it's not that hard. I get about 10½ mpg towing my trailer with it, and about 15½ empty on the freeway doing 85+. Besides using it for work, I also like to explore old logging roads with it, and go on several long trips a year in it.
With my 360, if I'm in a hurry, or pulling out onto the hyway, I typically run it up to 3,500 rpms than shift. They drop down to about 2,000 in between shifts. I know with a 12 valve that you typically don't take them much past 2,400 rpms (with out a governor spring kit?).
I like the idea of getting better fue economy with a diesel. I have always wanted a Cummins too. I also would enjoy putting some bigger tires on it, but there's no way I'm doing that unless I do the swap so I'll have more power, as I have to downshift when towing to make it up even the smallest grade.
Here's my question guys, it sounds good in theory to me, but would my overall driving experience be worse with a diesel (I don't care about more vibrations, or it being louder)? I'm not into racing it or anything, but, empty, would a Cummins be faster stop light to stop light than my 360? Would I have to be shifting every few seconds because of less usable rpms? Guess I'm just curious which engine you guys think I'd have more fun with given my applications for the truck. I absolutely love the truck so I really don't want to make the swap and regret it, or not swap it if it has so much more potential for fun.
Hopefully some of you will have driven similar trucks and can share your experience with them, as I've never driven a diesel. I've driven lots of different gas trucks (ford 302, 351M, 351W, 4.2, 5.4, chevy 5.7's, and this 360. Just don't know what to do...
Thanks in advance!
Courage

 

[northmanlogging]

check rear diff ratios from gas to diesel

the trans will be the same or pretty close

otherwise gas to diesel conversions are hardly easy, motor mounts, radiator, fuel lines, alternator, ac pump, power stearing pump, fuel tank, drive shafts will all likely need changed.

can it be done, sure
is it worth the hassle? i vote no

 

[Courage]

check rear diff ratios from gas to diesel

the trans will be the same or pretty close

otherwise gas to diesel conversions are hardly easy, motor mounts, radiator, fuel lines, alternator, ac pump, power stearing pump, fuel tank, drive shafts will all likely need changed.

can it be done, sure
is it worth the hassle? i vote no

Thanks for your feedback! Thankfully, the motor mounts and drivelines would be the same. I'm leaning against it though...

 

[SS396driver]

If you like romping on it empty from light to light stick with the gasser . Diesels are workhorses not race trucks unless you dump thousands into them and then your back to crappy mileage.

I would do the conversion on one of my old trucks not for the towing or other aspects just like the 12 valves in trucks

 

[stihl sawing]

I have 2 rams with Cummins engines, while they are a workhorse the swap you're talking about will probably be expensive. if the engine you have now is fine i wouldn't do it. but if it has a lot of miles and needing rebuilding then maybe i would. how much is he talking to do a swap?

 

[Courage]

I think I'd be looking at around 4k. My 360 is still good. It burns maybe a quart of oil every 3,000 miles though.

 

[Courage]

If you like romping on it empty from light to light stick with the gasser . Diesels are workhorses not race trucks unless you dump thousands into them and then your back to crappy mileage.

I would do the conversion on one of my old trucks not for the towing or other aspects just like the 12 valves in trucks

Not really from light to light (I live way out in the boon docks) but occasionally I like to pull out quickly...

 

[northmanlogging]

I think I'd be looking at around 4k. My 360 is still good. It burns maybe a quart of oil every 3,000 miles though.

is that 4k include the 12v motor? or is that just the labor... cause them 12v's are spensive

 

[SS396driver]

is that 4k include the 12v motor? or is that just the labor... cause them 12v's are spensive

Your correct a good running 12v would be more than that here

 

[stihl sawing]

A good running 5.9 24 valve is going to be higher than that. i would think with todays prices

 

[blades]

Diesel is good for long runs with loads, at that they excell. With the latest EPA crap on the oil burrners nothing gets reasonable mileage any more. Not a lot of difference between the them and the gassers, but the maintenance on the diesel is going to be close to twice that of a gasser. just for a comparision 6l gasser oil change about5-6 qts, diesel 15 qts. Coil Spring towers up front on plow trucks rot out quick but do allow for a smaller turning radius. Heard too many war stories on those cylinder shut down systems as well as the eng shutting off and restarting at a stop light.

 

[ElevatorGuy]

A lifted 2500 360 getting 15.5mpg at 85 plus??? BS

 

[sean donato]

First, and foremost it won't pass emissions with a ve pump on it. A p7100 fuel system is emission compliant for the 94 model year. If that doesn't matter then don't worry about it.
Second, it's a different transmission specific to the diesel and v10.
Third. Factory gearing in 3/4 ton was pretty much 3.55 gas or diesel. The automatic diesels had a Dana 60 rear and the manual had a Dana 70. The Dana 60 was pretty inadequate even with very light engine mods or heavy towing. Plan on swapping a dan 70 at some point. The 60 will fail at one point or another.
Fourth. Again depending on how much power you plan to make out if the engine, the nv4500 will need the larger input shaft and just plan on a twin disk clutch. The lighter ones push nicer then a big single and out last in towing by quite a bit.
Finally, I wouldn't bother with the swap since it seems you're not really towing anything that heavy. The 360 was a fuel pig but did just fine with what was asked from it. Isn't nearly worth the investment to do a complete swap from a gasser. Different harnesses, different fuel tanks, sending units. Easier to sell the truck you have and buy a second gen then do the swap.