Author Topic: Maybe the craziest engine swap ever? (Read 12872 times)

moTthediesel · « **Reply #15 on:** March 19, 2005, 07:28:09 am »

How about a MB 240 engine/tranny? While not real powerful, those engines will run forever. Also, at least here in the rust belt, they are cheap and readily available from rust outs. And another thing, unlike the later Benz engines, there were many sold with standard trannys.
For a nice divorced t case, look to early Datsun/Nissan 4wd trucks, also plentiful and cheap.

moT

Northern RD · « **Reply #16 on:** March 21, 2005, 01:14:20 pm »

Quote from: "moTthediesel"

How about a MB 240 engine/tranny? While not real powerful, those engines will run forever. Also, at least here in the rust belt, they are cheap and readily available from rust outs. And another thing, unlike the later Benz engines, there were many sold with standard trannys.
For a nice divorced t case, look to early Datsun/Nissan 4wd trucks, also plentiful and cheap.
moT

You must be psychic, man. As it happens, there`s a guy here(winnipeg, Manitoba) that has an older S-10 stretch cab who swapped an N/A Be
nz 5-cyl. It`s not a particularily neat swap but he`s been driving it for about 4 years now and he brews his own fuel as well. I`ll see if I can snap a pic of him one of these days,...
N.

Hammy · « **Reply #17 on:** March 21, 2005, 05:51:51 pm »

Northern RD;

Where are you from? Second some pics of swaps would be great.

I can get a hold of a Mazda B2200 cheap through a friend. Anyone have any ideas about a diesel swap for that? It seems to be hard to get a hold of diesel engines here. :?

Northern RD · « **Reply #18 on:** March 21, 2005, 06:44:35 pm »

Quote from: "Moonstone"

Northern RD;

Where are you from? Second some pics of swaps would be great.

I can get a hold of a Mazda B2200 cheap through a friend. Anyone have any ideas about a diesel swap for that? It seems to be hard to get a hold of diesel engines here. :?

Here in Winnipeg bud. I see the guy with the S-10 every now and again at the truck stop where I fill up. Next time I see `em I`ll ask about getting pics. Like I said it`s not a particularily sanitary swap but but it works and I`ve seen the truck driving around enough to get an idea of the relibilty
(9which seems pretty good).
N.

zyewdall · « **Reply #19 on:** September 07, 2005, 12:43:23 pm »

This thread seems to have gotten a little off topic for the orignial porche, but while we're on it.....

Anyone got thoughts about putting a VW 1.6TD in an old subaru? The engine compartments the wrong shape (H-4 vs I4), and the tranny is unlike anything else in the world that I know of (longitudinal input front transaxle with a rear driveshaft as well). Unless maybe a quantuum synchro is like that? But there's room to move stuff around and I think it could be done. I started on this project, until the lack of a milling machine to make the bellhousing/engine adaptor finally stopped me. But when I get that....

I just like the old subaru's, and their engines last forever (with head gasket replacements) but I want a diesel. Sure the rabbit would be okay most the time, but there are the few days you want 4wd -- I woke up this April to 19" of fresh snow (Walk out the door. "Geeesh -- wonder which bump in the snow is my car.....?"). I just shoveled the windshield off, and drove away in the suby (okay, it was powdery snow).

I know it's blasphemy to put anything other than a subaru engine in a subaru, but that's why I'm not posting this to the subaru forum...
:wink:

BlackTieTD · « **Reply #20 on:** September 07, 2005, 12:50:58 pm »

hook up a vw diesel to a syncro system from a G60 passat, throw that all in your vw of choice. would be tough, but likely not as difficult as fitting a diesel into the subaru.

moTthediesel · « **Reply #21 on:** September 08, 2005, 08:01:44 am »

RE: VW watercooled into Suby.
I'm sure it could be done, but you're going to be on your own. Kennedy makes adaptors to fit Suby engines to aircooled trannys, but that's not going to help you a bit. A flame or plazma cut plate might well join the engine to bellhousing, but then you have starter and clutch issues to resolve.
It could make a nice ride for you though, I love Subys, we've owned six since we first bought a '77 Brat. Ideal size and weight for Dub diesel power, but certainly a major project!
If you do it, keep us posted

zyewdall · « **Reply #22 on:** September 08, 2005, 01:11:07 pm »

Actually, what I figured on doing was bolting the subaru flywheel to the VW pressure plate (minus the actual pressure plate portion). That worked okay. Then the whole subaru clutch could be used, as well as the subaru starter (which may or may not be strong enough to actually start it -- It's a gear reduction starter and 've moved the cars around with them before so it's pretty strong, but would there be enough rpms to fire the diesel?) The trick then is that the adaptor plate between the suby bell housing and VW transmission has to be a very specific thickness to make the clutch sit at the same position. And the other issue is that the bell housing on the subaru doesn't have a centering hole, like old American car bell housings did. It's just this weird rectangular molded thing, that you have to guess where the exaxt center of the shaft should be (or measure it off the subaru engine...)

moTthediesel · « **Reply #23 on:** September 08, 2005, 04:49:41 pm »

Quote

Actually, what I figured on doing was bolting the subaru flywheel to the VW pressure plate (minus the actual pressure plate portion). That worked okay. Then the whole subaru clutch could be used, as well as the subaru starter

:idea: That's a great idea! :idea:

Laying out the adaptor plate would be tricky, but it could be done. You would have some control of the in-and-out position of the flywheel by the thickness of the plate, you could double it too if need be. It would be a great help if you could find drawings of the Suby engine hole pattern somewhere. I know I've found those kind of drawnings for water cooled VW's, so it's worth while looking. I've always found it much harder to take accurite measurements off an item then it is to layout.
Then it's "JUST" a matter of layout blue, dividers, and center punches. A good sensitive drill press should be all you would need for major tools. That and a torch to cut away the unneeded metal after you've made your holes.
I wouldn't be too concerned about that gear starter getting it done, slightly bigger versions of those Japanese reduction gear starters are used on both my 3.4L Toyota diesel and my 5.9L Cummins. I know a guy who runs a starter/alternator rebuild shop, and he says Cummins uses those because they are simply the best starters in the world.

Master ACiD · « **Reply #24 on:** September 08, 2005, 06:41:25 pm »

heres an odd one. my dads got a 914 with a 1.8 aircooled motor. my dad lugs the piss out of the motor because he grew up with america v8's which make all their torque at 1200rpm. the aircooled motor cant handle low rpm's, it gets its air from the spinning fan and running around at 1200rpm's it doesnt get enough cooling for the engines load so he constantly overheats it.

he finally blows the engine, and now wants to swap in a turbo diesel vw into it.

me, i just want to convert my gasoline automatic 84 rabbit over to a mmanual transmission diesel, and later on swap to a turbo diesel when i find one.

zyewdall · « **Reply #25 on:** September 08, 2005, 10:53:59 pm »

Thanks for all the suggestions. I had actually mostly given up because it just seemed a little too difficult for now, but I'm getting more excited about it.

Ooops. I used my rebuilt 1.6 in the GTI/rabbit now, so I'd new another VW engine...

Actually, this leads me to my question on sourcing turbo VW's. Is there any easier way to get the 1.6TD's than just hope to find a junked Quantum? It seems like the 1.6's are pretty common (compared to just about any other diesel engine in the US), but the turbo versions seem hard to come by in the US. Is there anywhere we could import a batch from maybe? Or do they still sell them as industrial engines maybe? I imagine this has probably been gone over in this forum a zillion times, but I'll ask anyway.

zyewdall · « **Reply #26 on:** September 09, 2005, 01:43:40 pm »

I put a thread on one of the subaru forums -- guess what. There seem to be alot of subaru fans out there that would kill to have a diesel subaru.

if you want to take a look at it

http://www.ultimatesubaru.net/forum/showthread.php?t=34141

watsongs · « **Reply #27 on:** September 09, 2005, 10:43:33 pm »

Somebody mentioned a mazda truck swap - my friend has a b2000 with a blown motor; does anyone know if a swap can be done? It would give me a caddy with legroom...

Greg

zyewdall · « **Reply #28 on:** September 13, 2005, 09:40:11 am »

Hmmmm. I replied to this a few days ago, but it seems to have eaten my reply. Sor here goes again.

Mazda/perkins made a 2.2 liter diesel for a while in the early 80's that may or may not be a direct bolt up to the B2000 gas transmission. If you could get the factory service manual for this it might give some insight on whether they were compatible.

Other options might be to get a VW engine and put it in there. It's a bit heavier truck than the caddy, so you'd probably want a turbo for sure. I was going to put a VW 1.6 in a B1800/Ford Courier, but then got the Mitzi truck instead.

And you can still get new Nissan diesel 2.0 or 2.5 liter engines (used industrially), which are a direct replacement in the 720 hardbody pickup, from what I have heard. They rotate the other way, so you have to flip the rear axle around to drive forward instead of backwards... But that might be an option. You also might be able to find a drivetrain from a wrecked toyota diesel pickup to transplant in there.