Diesel applications for hot rods

...then there's always a 0-to-60 in 3.5 seconds 1965 Impala. $25,000 might take a bite out of the budget, but cheaper alternatives and less glitz could cut the budget...

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070420/FREE/70418005/1029/THISWEEKSISSUE

 

If that engine were put in a 2800 pound hot rod, your hot rod would more than likely weigh closer to 3600 pounds after the transplant....

 

Forget about diesels??

The 2007 and 2010 EPA regulations, while more strict, are not the end of the world. Manufacturers have had years to prepare and they are doing just fine.

In fact, "The Big 3" will all be releasing their 1/2 ton diesel trucks in 2009-2010.
Maybe you should send them a memo and cc the engine manufacturers on it... they'd surely be interested to know that diesels are a dying breed and that they wasted all of that time and money getting even more diesel variations to market.

 

O.K. guys I missed this thread when it started back in March. I had just started a new job so I wasn't on here much.

For starters, Ford's Powerstroke diesels in their Super Duty pickups are not much bigger physically than a 460 Ford gasoline engine. I've measured a 7.3L Powerstroke and it will fit easily in my 48 F1. That's the plan a 7.3L Powerstroke, 4R100 transmission with 9 inch Ford rearend and El Polacko's Dodge Dakota front suspension and torque arm with parallel leaf rear suspension. Weight for the 7.3L, dry, is 938 pounds. Easily compensated for in the build. Stock body and voila, one parts-chasing, daily driven, diesel-powered, pick-up that will be able to tow just about anything I find to drag home.

Not too much progress so far, but with the new job, more cash is available for the build. Enough on-line, its out to the garage to work on the truck.

 

go get a 3.9 cummins diesel,there are millions of them out there,came in frito lay and similar trucks,the engine makes only a 100 odd horse power,but around 240lbs of torque.the motor is a 4 banger,and you can run a 400 trans or manual.check it out,get a bigger turbo and a few mods and your set,check out youtube under 3.9 cummins,there is a cool hot rod truck

 

good luck ever getting a power choke or a cummins 5.9 litre to ever run, these are electronically controlled engines that require preset paramaters to run, all the way down to map sensors to comunication with the tcm, pretty much the only modern diesel engine to easily put in a rod is an isuzu 4bdt with a manual trans.
diesel is made for ships industry and equipment they run at low rmps .they stink and parts are more expensive and realy you dont get any better fuel mileage, diesel fuel has more btu's than gasoline and the way the fuel delivery systems are designed for maximum tourqe under a load.

 

All electronically controlled? The new 2007 stuff, yes, but prior to that you could get a fully mechanical Cummins B Series (3.9/5.9).
Mechanical lift pump, mechanical injector pump, mechanical governor, etc.

If you run mechanical gauges, the only things that would need any wiring would be the starter and alternator. It would be no harder to put in a hot rod than any other engine.

 

I think you need to introduce yourself to the world of the VW TDI tuners. Those kids are pulling over 450lb. ft. of torque out of their 4 cyl. turbo diesels.

Don't talk if you don't know.

 

Diesel doesn't get any better fuel mileage???? you have to be a comlete dip shit! My dad has '05 Ram 3500 with over 700hp and it gets 19mpg in town and 23 on the highway, his 460 Ford with close to 600hp gets 5mpg....they both have tons of torque and both have over 200,000 racked up on the odometer, but i'd take that stinky diesel any day. And why would you even waste your time with an isuzu 4bdt? I can name off alot more disirable diesels than that, TDI 4cyl Volkswagen, 3.9 or 5.9 Cummins, 7.3 Powerstroke, most Duramaxes, 350 olds Diesel , and many many more.

 

In a custom, I think a cummins 3.9 would be perfect. Find one that was in a bread truck because they have a chevy bellhousing pattern. Hook it up to a 700R4 and a 3.23 rear end. The 4BT 3.9 engine has 120+ hp @ 2500 rpm and 327 lb-ft @ 1700 rpm. The engine weighs around 570 pounds. The size is about...

height: 30.5 inches
length: 30 inches
width: 23 inches​

It will have enough torque to get you outa the hole quick, and yet you can probaly get 30 MPG on the highway. I think a COE with a little 4-71 two stroke detroit diesel would be cool too.

Jordan​

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Pound for pound the GMC Detroit Diesels have nowhere near the power of most other diesels. They're significantly noisier & get poorer mileage. Great for road equipment (cheap & easy to work on), not so hot for cars...

 

Hot rods & customs run on gas. Diesels are for big trucks and small german cars. Mixing the two is a hybrid of 'ratrod ignorance' and and just plain stupidity.


Don't get me wrong, I drive a Diesel everyday. 1997 Dodge Ram 3500 Dually Cummins Turbo Diesel. It's fast, it's not stock, and it gets great mileage. But it's a truck, and hot rods are just that...hot rods. And there's nothing cooler than a hot rod with that hot rod sound....not the clatter of a diesel.

 

Just for comparison...

Small Block Chevy...................575 Lbs
Big Block Chevy......................685 Lbs
Ford Y Block...........................625 Lbs
Flathead Ford.........................569 Lbs
Ford FE Big Block.....................650 Lbs
Chrysler 413..........................670 Lbs
304 Olds Rocket......................671 Lbs
Olds 371/394..........................760 Lbs
Chrysler 331 Hemi...................745 Lbs
Buick 401 Nailhead..................685 Lbs
Cadillac 331...........................699 Lbs

Cummins 4BT Diesel................570 Lbs

Jordan

 

I know detroit diesels dont make much power compared to other diesels of the same weight, but in a GMC Coe, it would be cool, as it could have really been done back in the day (Detroit has been making 2 cycle diesels since the late 30's) although, it is not likely, it could have been done.

plus, they sound cool!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5dEztlPvvv0

Jordan

 

another detroit...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xWkHuPgkLps
and a 1956 FWD with a Detroit
http://youtube.com/watch?v=XbWoweTHn4w
A kenworth with a 318 Detroit
http://youtube.com/watch?v=h8urT-sLWHU
I love that sound personaly!
Jordan

 

Iam the the dip shit, ok well then you must be the resident expert on diesel engines, so it will be easy for you to install one of these electronic engines you name off and get 23 mpg, you probably have a dealer code so you can change the paramaters in the ecm.
you think that you can name off some engine models and that makes you know all about diesel engines, you probably dont know shit.




get any better fuel mileage???? you have to be a comlete dip shit! My dad has '05 Ram 3500 with over 700hp and it gets 19mpg in town and 23 on the highway, his 460 Ford with close to 600hp gets 5mpg....they both have tons of torque and both have over 200,000 racked up on the odometer, but i'd take that stinky diesel any day. And why would you even waste your time with an isuzu 4bdt? I can name off alot more disirable diesels than that, TDI 4cyl Volkswagen, 3.9 or 5.9 Cummins, 7.3 Powerstroke, most Duramaxes, 350 olds Diesel , and many many more.[/quote]

 

the older 5.9 and 7.3 cummins pre elecronic are dog engines all they do is burn fuel, and they do not have mechanical lift pumps thats main problem with those engines

 

This was on the first page. Tinbender was right - could've saved a lot of people's time if they had read it.

 

Funny, my 92 5.9 has a mechanical lift pump.
The block off plate is still there on my 99 ISB engine.
All I'd have to do is change the cam to put a mechanical pump on it.
A good aftermarket electric pump fixes what ails most of them.
Do you run a diesel?
Most of these guys posting here understand what's involved.
You apparently don't.
You don't like them, we get that.

As for Diesels in Hot Rods, my buddy Cliff built one back in the early seventies. 33/34 Ford truck made crew cab with a diesel.
Ended up going for good money to a guy in Cali that had to have it.
It's do-able.
Most of the power of newer diesels comes from turbocharging and intercoolers.

 

Forget truck engines, they're well er truck engines! Who said "little German cars"???? German cars ain't little any more. Even the smaller Sedans are 3500lbs these days. I don't think a BMW 745d or a Mercedes S400 CDI is little. Virtually all German luxury autos run on diesel these days because it simply delivers more power all the time and stopping for fuel is a bore. Did I tell you when I was on the Autobahn between Bamberg and Lichtenfels (Google Earth it) in a BMW 745d cruising along just enjoying the spectacular scenery then looked at the speedo and saw 270kmh on it! That's 168mph. I don't normally drive faster than 130mph. Legal here of course which is why we all drive diesels, because we don't just talk about speed and drive fast for a quarter of a mile, we drive like that whenever we fucking can and at $7 a gallon, mileage matters.
Best diesels for a rod or custom are late model BMWs and Mercedes because they're RWD. BMW is always a little ahead on the game and sounds better.
Ed

 

i have probably inframed more cummins isb's than you have ever seen, i get tired of fools putting a bully dog chip on there friends ram and thinking there diesel mechanics, these are expensive engines that require percise injection timing, as for saying the newer diesels get most of there power from turbos and charge air coolers shows youre ignorance.

 

I've rebuilt two 6.5 gmc's, rebuilt a 5.7 olds diesel, a olds 4.3 diesel, rebuilt a duramax, and a 6.2 Gm diesel. does that make me a diesel mechanic???

Jordan

 

Save the name-calling for PMs & email - keep it off the board. Otherwise, the thread dies.

 

Done!
And it was actually quite productive.
We have a lot of knowledge here, we just need to learn to communicate with each other.(I'm as bad as the rest some times)
The diesel is do-able.
The thing to keep in mind is what the engine was designed for.
You could start out with good intentions and wind up with a locomotive sized car that can't outrun a tricycle.

As for the combination of parts;
This is more important than some of you may ever know.
Bigger is not always better.
There is such a thing as too much fuel.
If the engine can't burn it, it goes up the stack in a great black cloud screaming....I can't tune my engine.
If you decide to try this, join a diesel forum.
Find a local diesel shop or find one listed in the forums and get familiar.
There are tested combinations that work.
So, find the engine that tickles your fancy and get familiar.

As I get more familiar with my mercedes,I'll catch you guys up on what I find..good or bad.

 

LOL!
I can assure you that I can do more than "name off engine models" but that's neither here nor there. But you most definitely can get FULLY mechanical 5.9 Cummins engines... and the 7.3 was not a Cummins, it's a Powerstroke.

Anyway, you seem really pissed off about this

 

Great looking mill.

I hate some of the FNG's on this forum lately.

"My weenie is bigger than your weenie".

 

That's a mother beautiful engine man.
Care to share some info on the changes to the IP and Turbo?
Can you PM me with some info?

 

cummins has a 6.7 and a 7.3 also, its a meduim duty truck engine mostly see them in older ford f 650 they have been replaced pretty mutch by the cat 3126 or c11, and iam not pissed off.
the engine to run in a hot rod is the international vt 275 its a powerful little v6.

 

Tell us more.
How big?
What can you find one in?
I have a bunch of light truck projects coming up.

 

Good call. For some reason I was only thinking about the new stuff.