Diesel applications for hot rods

There is an early/mid eighties four cylinder Spirit that shares a VW bellhousing. I'm pretty sure it's mentioned earlier in this thread.

 

Well, you forgot this part...

 

you definetely dont want a chevy car diesel they were basically a gas motor converted i believe i grew up in a salvage yard and they were junk.
a 3.9 cummins would be decent its like the cummins used in fullsize dodged but with 2 less cylinders and finding one with a turbo would be easy
maybe a early 80s mercedes car you could pick up a wrecked one for a grand but they are slow
a 7.3 power stroke is way to big and heavy for a model a size rod
some thoughts

 

I think they are using deisels in some of the new smaller Jeeps, not sure if the come in a RWD application or if they would be 4WD. Also GM is going to have a smaller V8 unit coming out, 4.8L I am thinking. They are also looking into a small 4 cyl (1L) and maybe a 6.

 

oh, super, that was really helpful. except not.

Kilroy, are you looking for specific engine examples or build examples?

for several years now I've wanted to put a 4BT 3.9L Cummins in a yacht-sized 4 door cruiser in place of one of the giant big bocks. or one of the mercedes/dodge sprinter van engines, the M-B 2.5L I5 with a 5 speed auto trans in my little chevyII...it would be fast, quiet, get roughly 35mpg and should weigh less than a BBC.

 

I hope this thread is still alive.

I have wanted to put a 603 turbo benz engine in a 53 chevy which I think would be cool as shit. It will have more power and tourque then that that stock six that it came with and I want to run it on straight veggie two tank system.

How does 200 miles per gallon sound!

That is what you burn, just starting and stopping on diesel fuel, the rest is free filtered veggie oil.

I have been running my daily driver, 87 benz 300 Turbo 603 engine, on straight wvo now (www.frybrid.com) system for 20,000 miles and this engine puts out plenty of power so it could move a chevy around with out a problem.

Only problem I can see is connecting the benz 4spd auto, which has a rubber flex disc, to a gm style drive shaft.

 

Someone asked about putting a T5 behind VW turbo diesel.......

How about a Toyota 22R tranny..... These guys do it....

http://www.acmeadapters.com/store_engine.php

 

eww. What's up with the clenched buttocks?
The Biodiesel Hot Rod Club of San Francisco installed a 6.2-liter GMC diesel engine from a 1982 GMC Blazer into a '74 El Camino

 

1st diesel supercar????

http://autoshow.autos.msn.com/autoshow/Detroit2008/Article.aspx?cp-documentid=6001833&GT1=10763

 

Defiantly. I almost put a VW TDI in my Jeep CJ2A for the torque, but flatheads are cooler
That said they are fuel efficient but in a few years everyone will realize the benefits of Diesel, driving the fuel prices on that high. JMO.

 

i modified and 97 ford power stroke into my 1992 truck and runs great and way more power. i think a COE with a diesel set up would be a killer application for this. i have done a lot of hot rod stuff to 6.0l fords and they are amazing the power that can be made

 

you think that's amazing, you should try a Cummins!

 

Hey All... if you are serious about the 4-BT you must check this out!!

www.powerwagonadvertiser.com you will have to register in order to join the forum but worth the small effort. in the 'forum' tab look for the section about 'diesels and conversions' and look for Charles Talbert and JimmieD. They have probably forgotten more about diesels than most of want to know.

 

a guy here in perth runs a chev 6.5 v8 turbo in a fendered early 30's pick-up will try an find pic's .

 

biringing this thread back (sorry)....


so, is this your car???

Just wondering, I've seen it in a mag a month or so ago, and elsewhere on the net...got any info on it? This was the car that gave me so thoughts...thanks JL

 

I watched something on speed vision about diesel drag racing..those trucks were in the 10's and some in the 9's
hell there was one funny car styled pickup that had flames rolling out the stacks as it kicked another drag styled rails ass..those friggin diesels were not messing around

 

I have friends who own big diesel trucks and I have ridden in them, pre and post remapping. HOLEYYYYY SHIIIIIT They MOVE! And, I think it would be cool to do something outside of the box and piss people off. At least its American....

 

I think diesels are the future. They can run on fuel from petroleum or organic sources. And that's the key. Oil. Organic oil works as well or better to make fuel.

 

wow what a thread.
so many answers to a simple question. here's several of my thoughts that you can take or leave.diesal power in a hot rod has never been to my knowledge a traditional modification.(maybe some research on the first appearance at bonneville is in order). it is diffinately not a common swap,but it does happen. actually seem prety cool when you consider the difficulty of making the swap without being able to call up 1-800-bolt it up- for -me.
p.u. truck engines are really heavy&computer controlled. heaven forbid that a wiring harness gets lengthened to hide cpu. older engines are manually controlled but do not produce as much power.
smaller passengher car motors are lighter, probably are easier to adapt to a geater variaty of trannies,but most newer units are also computer controlled.
diesal power means the ability to convert to other fuels, but there are drawbacks there too. used oil requires filtering,preheating,starting and stoping the engine on diesal(which requires 2 tanks).
biodiesal requires you to brew your own or be located in region of the country where someone else is cooking large quanties.
then theres legalities to deal with. in most parts of the country the swap it self is exempt from regulation but there are certain areas where it would be problematic.
THE FUEL ISSUE IS MUCH MORE CUT AND DRY. IF YOU USE ANY FUEL THAT HAS NOT BEEN TAXED WITH THE APPROPRIATE ROAD USAGE FEES, YOU ARE SUBJECT TO U.S. TAX EVASION CHARGES,UNLESS YOU KEEP A LOG OF MILES DRIVEN&GALLONS USED, AND REPORT THIS ON YOUR TAX RETURN.
PERFORMANCE: it's relative. do you want milage or do you want whip lash? perhaps you and john force just want to go fast enough to see god. Build it like you would any other combo-how ever you want and can afford. SPEED COSTS MONEY!
all that said, i met a fellow with a toyota 4banger diesal in a 40 chevy p.u. and at 38cents a gallon (cooks his own bio.),i think i might build soething similar in the future.
thanks for the chance to rant!

 

the problem with plant based fuels is that unless you use, used oil, you are increasing the burden on our farms to produce more food or put the country on a diet. when that happens food prices go up. no simple answers i guess.

 

This country could use a diet. But that's another thread for another web board.

I don't buy the "it will burden our farms and drive up food prices argument". Way too much open land in this country to convince me that bio-based fuels are not a viable option.

 

Not to mention the programs that pay farmers NOT to plant a field.
It's a good thing.
the price isn't bad for new oil, especially in bulk.
Ever buy a goallon can of gas...can and all?
If tradition is based on years and racing, Cummins had one at Indy one year, until the intake (Under the car) became plugged with rubber fragments.
My thanks to the boss and the mods for allowing this thread to continue.
Bunch of good info with links to more specific stuff.
Smoke 'em if ya' got 'em.

 

farmers get paid not to farm at different times for different reasons, but while not to turnthis into an agri/politico agrument,anytime you divert one resource(food) to replace another you will adversly affect the sales prices of said resources.
more corn for fuel=less corn for feed
lees feed=higher beefand beef products.
as far as open land goes,who's gonna farm it? and another thing it's hard to farm worthless land no matter where it's at and to many people are turning usable farm land into one and two acre yards. like i said no easy answers

 

If money is involved people will farm it.

 

Alright, I don't want to stray too far from the topic, but since you brought up farming....

First of all, food in America is way too cheap. Farmers have gotten too good at producing and this has lead to a society in which agriculture is not valued. We take our producers for granted.

Secondly, the problem is not lack of land, it's lack of water. Almost any type of soil can be made suitable for some type of farming, but if you ain't got water you ain't got shit.

Bio-fuels are a viable option. Just as we have found ways to become the most productive agricultural society the world has ever seen, we can also learn to farm for fuel.

You are right though, there aren't enough people to farm the land. The avergare age of the American farmer is 65 and less then 2% of the world's population is involved in production agriculture. We need new young farmers, but even farmers want their children to "leave the farm."

I know a few farmers who use bio-diesel in their tractors and trucks. Crazy Californians!

 

several good points. my point is that there is no quick fix. good land is being miss used, people in general don't want 24hr a day jobs that depend on the weather,the environment,and hard work.
as far as farming for fuel, we are there. my neighbor just spend last year in the dakota's rebuilding and building three giant refineries to cook corn(big stills).
my other point is that this is a viable alternative to mineral oil but it doesn't eliminate environmental concerns and it will have a economic impact. if groceries cost more, then thats less i have to build my diesal powered hot rod.
as far as food being too cheap,that 's a tough one for another forum i think.

 

I think quite a few 94-98 12v Cummins 5.9 owners out there would disagree with that.


- Matt

 

I am thinking along the lines of a 4BT Cummins, turbo, 5 speed, quick change rear end, installed in a SLAMMED and chopped Tudor, built to pass Bonneville inspection and RUN IT HARD! Wonder if they'd let me run it? hmmm

 

try this link google "used diesel engines" there is great diesel stuff here

www.dieselenginetrader.com/

 

you've clearly never driven a modified 94-98 cummins dodge!! I'd rather have this one than the new common rail. these are the easiest ones to turn up to high power...only problem being a fully mechanical injection pump is when it's a really fast truck it's not very streetable. above 400-500hp they don't tow very well. 4-600 they're pretty much a hot rod, above that it's only good for a race truck; so with these ones, you have to pick a primary intended use to decide your power level.

the computer controlled ones are more popular because they're more versatile. like my brother's 06 ram lifted on 35" tires, it's his 17mpg daily driver and he's in the 12's in the 1/4; or the 4x4 tow truck we hauled the 9 second race truck to famoso with that ran a 12.6 and got 14mpg .
don't forget the duramax, those are great engines and being a rev-friendly V8 instead of an inline, they're very fast.