Maybe the craziest engine swap ever? - page 1 - General - VWDiesel.net The IDI, TDI, and mTDI source.

• Maybe the craziest engine swap ever? by moTthediesel on 17 Mar, 2005 07:37
• I bought a Quantum TD on the bay last year for $400. Intention was to use it for a engine donor for an "Ultimate Ecomomy Commuter" project by plugging it into a Porsche 924.
  
  Never was able to find a good solid car here in oxidation country, and I found that said swap was no slam dunk, as the 924 used an old Audi based lump with the non-standard "5 cylinder" bell housing.  
  
  Now it so happens that I have a '65 356 coupe up on blocks in my barn, where it has been since I put it there in the fall of '82. It's hardly cherry, as I bought it in '75 for the princely sum of $600, with holes in it big enough to throw a cat through. I will spare the crowd here all the gory details involving many boxes of pop rivets, sheet metal liberated from discarded major appliances, and of course, tubs of bubbling bondo. Indeed, lets draw a veil of decency over the whole of my young "Porsche Years", the grenaded original "S" engine, the "Rustoleum" paint jobs, the VW bus engine swaps, the roll over in the manure pile, the outstanding warrants, etc.; none need be mentioned here.
  
  As the father of two teenage (shudder) sons, and the husband of a lead footed wife, I have been under considerable pressure for years to "get the Porsche going".  The other day my older boy was on my case again, but I told him with my current interest in bio-diesel, and our almost all diesel fleet of vehicals, I just have no interest in working on a mere gas powered car right now. So, of course, he said maybe we should put the Quantum motor in the 356.
  
  My first reaction was like the worlds smartest man in "The Princess Bride" --"Inconceivable!"-- I said, but then I thought of the Kennedy Engineering adaptors for putting all kinds of engines onto type 1 trannys. Fitting a rad would be a challenge, but probably not insurmountable.  While the 1.6TD would be heavier than the aircooled P motor, I don't think it would be enough to be a real problem.
  
  The self-impressed twits who flock to Porsche ownership these days (and I certainly apologize to any that read this  :wink: ) would, of course,  be outraged, but that's only all the more reason to try it!
  
  I told my crazy motorhead brother about it, and he said he thought it was a great idea, in fact, he was thinking about putting a VW diesel into his old Citron Traction Avant, - the one with the blown motor (yes, he has two, I told you he was crazy).
  
  That SOB will stop at nothing to top me  :!:
  
  moT
• #1 by Dr. Diesel on 17 Mar, 2005 10:27
• Well, I've seen aircooled (formerly) beetles with wankel engines, taurus SHO engines, corvair engines and of course, rabbit engines installed.  I'm sure it wouldn't be that difficult to pop a 'rabbit' engine into your 356.
  I say go for it.
  I've never had the pleasure of having a brother, but if I did, I imagine the one-upping battles would be most intense. Hm.... come to think of it, maybe it's best I only have a sister!
• #2 by Northern RD on 17 Mar, 2005 11:26
• Reminds me of the Cummins 6.2 we stuffed into a `75 Camaro,... :roll:  :roll:
• #3 by fspGTD on 17 Mar, 2005 11:42
• I love those cars.  Is it a convertible speedster?  (Images of Top Gun flashing...)
  
  Porsche speeder body...  VW turbo diesel power and reliability.  Even better!  Yet still 100% german so good to it's roots.  Lovin' your idea!
  
  Did you know that Porsche / VW had at one point prototyped and researched a diesel-powered version of their aircooled motor.  I wish I had made a copy of the old magazine article a friend of mine had about it.
• #4 by Dr. Diesel on 17 Mar, 2005 11:45
• Quote from: "Northern RD"

  Reminds me of the Cummins 6.2 we stuffed into a `75 Camaro,... :roll:  :roll:

  
  
  hehehe... I love you guys. All of you. hehee Good to know I'm not a lone diesel freak entity.  
• #5 by moTthediesel on 17 Mar, 2005 12:27
• The only air cooled diesel Porsche I've ever seen is a tractor. There's one sitting a guy's yard about 20 miles from my house. Every year or so I drop off my card to him, if I pester him enough, who knows?
  moT
• #6 by Patrick on 17 Mar, 2005 13:19
• Great idea! (love the cummins in the camaro too!) Before I bought the mark 2's, I was toying with finding something to put my 1.6TD in. I've got an 82 firebird sitting here (2.8l that blew replaced with a 400 small block), and kept thinking that the little diesel would work well in an older S10 if I could hook it to a rear wheel drive tranny. Then there's the 300zx dowm the road with the blown motor............................
  
  My brother went through 2 porsche's , a 914 that he got rid of when my 'bird toasted him, and a 911 with some gawdawful huge fast air cooled 6 (not stock). love to see a diesel in a porsche!
• #7 by Dr. Diesel on 17 Mar, 2005 13:25
• i'm looking for a suzuki samurai for a diesel swap. Probably will have to settle on a sidekick though. samurais are pretty rare around here.
• #8 by Northern RD on 17 Mar, 2005 13:57
• Quote from: "fspGTD"

  I love those cars.  Is it a convertible speedster?  (Images of Top Gun flashing...)
  
  Porsche speeder body...  VW turbo diesel power and reliability.  Even better!  Yet still 100% german so good to it's roots.  Lovin' your idea!
  
  Did you know that Porsche / VW had at one point prototyped and researched a diesel-powered version of their aircooled motor.  I wish I had made a copy of the old magazine article a friend of mine had about it.

  
  I have a similar article, it was an A/C twin of 28HP and was meant for military(WWII) use,
  N.
• #9 by moTthediesel on 17 Mar, 2005 22:57
• I haven't seen any commercial kit to do that swap. There are several companies that produce VW/something else adaptors, but they are intended to put the something else onto the (air cooled) V-Dub tranny, not the other way around.
  Of course back in the day, stone age mechanics used simple flame cut plates to perform all kinds of crazy transplants. I once saw a Jowett Jupitor (seen any of those lately?) with a Vauxhall (of all things!) engine installed that way,  :!: and this was not somewhere in Old Blighty, but right here in NNY. What was THAT guy smoking?
  The trick, of course, is in the v. carefull layout of the drilled and tapped holes in the plate. Then one needs to address the thorny problems of clutch and starter motor as well. That's why the kits usually include a custom flywheel/ring gear as well as a machined plate.
  Difficult? Sure!
  But for someone who has figured out how to push his electric Rabbit around with a remote controled bio-diesel powered 1/2 Rabbit trailer kicker? We're talking slam dunk baby!
  Cheers,
  moT
• #10 by dieselpower on 17 Mar, 2005 23:16
• ive been thinking of swaps like that for a while now. but do u think a 1.6TD would be able to move around a 4x4 ranger too well? when i say that i mean like a raised one with 32's on it.
  now to make things a little easyer, but probably too much more money for the little amount af work you lose would be to buy one of these
  
  http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7960513556&category=46104&sspagename=WDVW
  
  and a toyot 4x4 tranny and make that fit. other then that it looks like it'll have to be all custom. i've actually been looking for a 3.9L cummins for a older dakota or s10 swap.
  
  keep me informed as how well that project comes along if you ever get it started
  
  Mark
• #11 by Patrick on 18 Mar, 2005 03:12
• Remember the Vega? (first small GM car).
  Back in the day, (late 70's?0 I remember seeing an article in " HotRod " or maybe "Popular HotRodding" for a kit to get rid of the junk aluminum block four banger they came with and dropping in a gasser rabbit motor.  Ringing any bells for anyone?  Most of those cars came witha  saginaw 4 gear, and all those parts would make putting a diesel into a small reardrive gm (or other) a lot easier. Wish I still had that article!
• #12 by MacGyver on 18 Mar, 2005 07:44
• I presume 'Cummins 6.2' above should read 'GM 6.2'...?
  
  How about:
  http://www.thedieselpage.com/readers/vet.htm  
• #13 by DVST8R on 18 Mar, 2005 11:55
• Well there are a couple of ways to make it work. First there is a comercially avalible adapter for toyota 4cyl trannies through acme adapters.  So if you don't mind basterdising the Ford a little you could run a VW engine with a toyota transmission and transfercase. Your other option is to get a Volvo TD and tranny, and run a divorced t-case behind that. If not give Acme a call and mabey they can come up with another solution.
  
  Sorry about the Hijack, back to the TD porsche Sorry I don't have any info there, but I am very intrested to see how it turns out.
• #14 by Northern RD on 18 Mar, 2005 13:49
• Quote from: "MacGyver"

  I presume 'Cummins 6.2' above should read 'GM 6.2'...?
  
  How about:
  http://www.thedieselpage.com/readers/vet.htm  

  
  Nope.
  The badge on the fender of the doner truck, an `84 Sierra Classic, says "Cummins 6.2" and not "GM 6.2".
  GM has a history of doing this. Another example is my winter beater, an `87 GMC S-10. the original engine was an 1.9L  Isuzu,...
     :?  :?