Smaller diesel engine, that would replace a gas inline four?

[Gearstix]

just a reality check, take it with a grain of salt if you wish, but id be hesitant to invest that kind of time and money on a minitruck that looks that rough.

for a first timer, especially a teenager on a shoestring budget, id be looking at smaller engines.

remember, that truck has a four cylinder in it, that means to drop a 6.2 in it not only the trans and rear end have to go as mentioned, but forget about the front suspension you have in there now.

and after all that, it's still been wiped hard across the nose.

youre young, this is your first project, lets keep your goals realistic and affordable so you can succeed.

I've been planning on going airbags all the way around with a 3 link in the rear and a notch.

I'm sure the 6.2 is not my only option...
Is there any other simpler diesels I could put in the truck?
Rear end swap is no issue to me.

Heres some stuff I could get aswell for the 6.2
http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

http://www.jegs.com/i/Dynomax/289/88332/10002/-1

Also, my uncle is a ticketed welder with a welding rig and my dad is a mechanic with a service truck.... so I don't think I'd have any issues with fab/repair..

[steponmebbbboom]

well, all the power to you if you can pull it off. i'm just looking at risk versus reward. you seemed a little less confident in some of your earlier posts here, sorry if i misunderstood.

you brought up cost, fuel mileage, mechanical failures and expensive repairs, reliability, all good arguments for a small engine (title of your post) that needs the least mods to your truck as possible.

you wanna go whole hog, be my guest. you'll find lots of support here either way. good luck!

[Gearstix]

Well, what are some of my options as regards to engine/trans combos?
6.2L, what else....? I dunno about VW diesel, im not sure where I'd find one.

Keeping the stock rear end might be a bonus... if I bag the truck, most kits are meant for the stock rear end.

[steponmebbbboom]

well any diesel jetta should have a nice little diesel in it, they were pretty reliable and great on gas. check the scrapyards and classifieds. not sure about what trans you could mate to it but the broader point i was making is that the indirect-injection diesel engines found in passenger cars would be more suitable to your conversion because they are lighter in weight, quieter, reliable, and also rev higher than direct-injection industrial engines.

6.2 is a good engine but it is a huge jump in weight and you definitely will have to change the whole suspension and driveline. there are members on this forum that have done the VW jetta engine conversion to various vehicles, a forum search should bring up those threads. i'll do a quick look and see if i can point you to someone.

[convert2diesel]

I know this is supposed to be a GM diesel site, and the 6.2 swap would be a great project buuuuut!!!! if you are looking for a brick solid, dependable engine tranny combo you would be hard pressed to beat the Mercedes 3.0 5 cylinder turbo diesel with the four speed auto. They were also available with a four speed standard but these are a little harder to find. These engines consistantly get 500,000 miles before overhaul and match your current engines power output pretty closely. Have seen some that have been dialed up to 150hp but don't know how that would effect their reliability.

The last ones were used in the 1985 123 and 126 bodies and are strictly mechanical. You could expect well over 40mpg with this engine and maybe considerably more. Certainly won't impress the boys on Saturday night but you won't be spending alot of bucks on rear tires.

It is a little heavy but as you say you are doing airbags and the engine and tranny mounts are easily fabricated. Would have to fab up a driveshaft yoke and will probably have to shorten the shaft. These are a high RPM diesel and most probably you won't even have to change the gears in the rear end. They seem to love 3,000 RPMs (about 65MPH) in the cars and redline (governed) at about 5,500RPMs.

Mercedes used a great vacuum pump on these engines and they were designed for vacuum brakes, thus no hydro-boost needed. Wish there was a way to modify this pump to use on the 6.2.

Lots of parts availablity, reasonably cheap, and there is even some hot-rod stuff available. If you do want AC, Mercedes used the same compressor as the older (pre 93) GM trucks and cars.

Just a thought.

Bill

[steponmebbbboom]

i wouldnt disagree with bill's input, MB makes a good engine.
the search feature on this site doesnt allow for such a small search term as VW though im sure ive seen a conversion discussed here, but here is some more food for thought, visit this website:
http://www.rocky-road.com/diesel.html
the kit is meant for a suzuki samurai but with a samurai transmission and possibly alteration of your driveshaft, i doubt youd need much else to pull off the conversion. you could likely get the whole thing done and on the road for a reasonable price, especially if you find the engine and trans at the wreckers. you could also sell off your existing engine and trans to offset some of the cost, if theyre in good shape.

[gophergunner]

Nobody has mentioned this one yet.....but I recall my brother's roomate having a little toyota 4x4 reg cab pickup with an I-4 n/a diesel.

I even drove the truck after the engine was rebuilt. It started and ran great, sounded pretty nice too. But to be honest, it was gutless in even that small of a truck. The fuel mileage was great however, but I think it could have used a turbo.

Anyways, just one more option...

[Gearstix]

Only thing is where I live..
the junk yards are very picked over, theres not alot of selection.. I have to get my family to drive to Edmonton, Alberta, which is about 5-6 hours away.


You'd be very hard pressed to find a diesel powered car in the yards around Fort McMurray, theres only two here...

The gas engine in my truck now is known as the "gutless wonder". I'd like to swap in something that has a bit more jam, but still want to get decent mileage.