You’ve heard the term thrown around, whispered in Ford Facebook groups, hinted at by Powerstroke owners after they struggle with reliability issues, or briefly documented by your favorite diesel magazine.
The team here at CDA Diesel in Hayden, ID are one of the few shops that have a longstanding history of making this Ford Cummins swap happen.
A “Fummins” is a Ford truck fitted with a Cummins diesel engine. While Cummins engines are mostly known for being found on the road in Dodge/Ram products, enthusiasts prize this conversion for the legendary performance of the Cummins powerplant as it hides behind a blue oval. This conversion allows owners to enjoy the comfort and robust Ford chassis that they love with the long-term service life, enhanced towing capacity and performance of a 5.9L or 6.7L Cummins.
Why is the Fummins Conversion So Popular
The Ford + Cummins swap involves removing the stock Ford powerplant and replacing it with a compatible Cummins inline six-cylinder diesel engine. These Cummins engines are known for their high torque output (ideal for towing and hauling), their proven durability, and all the performance upgrades that are possible.
Converting a Ford truck to this new Cummins powerplant allows owners to preserve the familiar Ford they already have and breathe new life into a platform that they are already reliant on. Often, you will hear owners say that they prefer their Ford’s interior or have found the limits of their existing Powerstroke engine. A Fummins swap offers the chance to ‘create’ a truck that will have increased performance, reliability and efficiency.
When we perform a conversion, the truck retains full functionality and drivability, allowing the owner to continue using their truck – whether that is as a daily driver or heavy-hauling duties.
Ford Compatibility with the Cummins Swap
Not every Ford generation is a great candidate for a Cummins transplant, but many of the most popular generations can be made to work with the 5.9L and 6.7L Cummins.
OBS Models – 1980s-1997 F-250 and F-350: these older body style trucks can be made to seamlessly work with the 12-valve 5.9 Cummins. There is more than enough space in the engine bay and the simple electronics can be wired up much easier than a few of the other modern generations.
First Gen Super Duty – These come with more factory electronics that need to be worked with, but it’s no problem for our team. We have swapped both the 24-valve 5.9L and newer 6.7L Cummins into these Ford Superduty platforms, resulting in some incredibly happy owners.
2008+ (Second Gen and Onward) Super Duty – Late model vehicles always are going to have more electronics that need to be integrated, but the result is a modern interior, full functionality of traction control, ABS, etc and the ultra-dependable Cummins power.
Transmission options for the Fummins Conversions
Retain the Ford Transmission – For many owners the 5R110 Transmission is going to be more than adequate for their needs and was never the weak spot in the Ford powertrain. For these, we utilize an adapter plate and the correct flexplate to marry the Ford transmission to the Cummins block, Along with custom transmission ship points to match your driving style.
Allison Automatic Transmission: Get the best of both worlds, an Allison automatic transmission, paired behind a Cummins engine. All housed in a Ford body.
Manual Options – Since many of the conversions become dream builds for owners, we can also take the opportunity to make an automatic to manual swap by going with a ZF-6 manual transmission.
The Fummins Conversion Experts
A Fummins conversion is all about helping build a truck that will meet the exact needs of the owner or the day-to-day purpose of the truck. We have this conversation as a part of the process and can present the best options to consider.
This is a best of both worlds solution by merging a beloved Ford truck and the tried-and-true performance of the Cummins powerplant. The CDA Diesel team has been doing these swaps for more than two decades and thoroughly enjoy being one of the most-well regarded experts for custom conversions. We can assist with nationwide shipping. We can do these swaps at our shop in Hayden, Idaho or work with customers anywhere in the country to provide the necessary pieces and instructions to perform the swap with your local shop or if you’d like to tackle the project yourself with our guidance.
