Installing Diesel Motor???

[Dargo]

Somewhere in the late 80s A buddy of mine had a 1981 Olds Cutlass with a 350 olds diesel motor. Me and 3 other buddies took that car for a 1200 mile rode trip. The 4 of us with the air conditioning on and cruising 70 mph down the highway consistantly got 29 miles to the gallon on that trip. Kind of makes you wonder why we aren't driving diesels now?

They were complete junk. Same sort of question; why don't you see 20 Yugos at every stoplight. You may have had one of the miracle engines, but I could not name one single diesel mechanic who would want any part of them. They were so bad that it nearly killed GM way back then. Now that I think about it, I wish it would have; it would have saved the taxpayers hundreds of billions in tax money given to GM that we will NEVER see again. Sorry, but GM is a case in study (literally in some college classes) in how you can still wreck a giant company when you simply rely on perceived customer loyalty and deliver total junk to those customers. Eventually they do go away.

 

[vpd66]

They were complete junk. Same sort of question; why don't you see 20 Yugos at every stoplight. You may have had one of the miracle engines, but I could not name one single diesel mechanic who would want any part of them. They were so bad that it nearly killed GM way back then. Now that I think about it, I wish it would have; it would have saved the taxpayers hundreds of billions in tax money given to GM that we will NEVER see again. Sorry, but GM is a case in study (literally in some college classes) in how you can still wreck a giant company when you simply rely on perceived customer loyalty and deliver total junk to those customers. Eventually they do go away.

I really wasn't praising the Olds 350 diesel. I must have converted about 10 of them to gas engines back in the 80s including that one. I was just using it has an example how a car that was built 30 years ago could get that kind of mileage by being diesel powered. Image what they'd be like now if the auto manufactures would have stayed with diesel power and improved on it.

 

[Renze]

I have never done any swaps but have thought about swapping JD 3029T into a 90s jeep and turn it up just a little (~10hp).

JD engines are offroad engines and weigh 20% more than a comparable Cummins. In the wheel loaders we build at work, the Deere 6068 lives twice as long as the QSB5.9 at 190hp because the Cummins is too light to generate this amount of power 24/7 but the Deere weighs 670kg dry, vs. 440 for the Cummins.

A 4BT 3.9 would probably weigh less than the 2.9 three cylinder Deere.

 

[Dargo]

I really wasn't praising the Olds 350 diesel. I must have converted about 10 of them to gas engines back in the 80s including that one. I was just using it has an example how a car that was built 30 years ago could get that kind of mileage by being diesel powered. Image what they'd be like now if the auto manufactures would have stayed with diesel power and improved on it.

As someone else said, Europe is dominated by diesel vehicles. GM had a good idea, but their concept was in line with taking advantage of their huge base of loyal customers. Rather than put in a real diesel engine, GM simply 'made' a diesel out of a gas 350. Clearly, that doesn't work on many levels.

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

Cummins 4BT. There's oodles of swap info out there for these engines. Check out Pirate 4x4 for lots of stuff on this.

2nd that idea -- search around the web and you seel plenty if info on it.

 

[Rancher Ed]

JD engines are offroad engines and weigh 20% more than a comparable Cummins...

A 4BT 3.9 would probably weigh less than the 2.9 three cylinder Deere.

You are right. I looks like it weighs ~200 pounds less dry weight vs dry weight than the 2.9L JD. It also makes more power.

 

[PoorMansCat]

To the OP..... why not just spend some $$ on the current setup and acheive much better fuel efficiency without the 10K price tag?
First, install an overdrive unit for highway use.
Second, improve efficiency by throwing the carburetor in the trash and installing a throttle body injection system.. Talk with some of the mail order catalog tech lines about making a camshaft/cylinder head swap to improve flow characteristics and upgrade the electronic ignition system....
The little gasser CAN be made to get better F/E... its just a matter of selecting the right parts for what you want to acheive !
IF you jsut want a diesel, just go buy one already equipped with a diesel, you will NOT come out money ahead by doing a conversion on the current truck.
As a side note: didnt the Blazers have the light weight wanna-be 1/2 ton axles and X-fer case? If so, NONE of that can be used with the diesel..... it will simply destroy it..

 

[Boeing]

Interesting suggestions about the gas engine....I put a "torquer" cam in it along with roller rocker arms and a holley 4BBL. The heads are stock basic 350" 260HP (I think). It does have headers. The tranny is a 700R-4 w/overdrive. The transfer case is also new (both tranny and transfer were for a '86 Blazer. This required the driveshafts to be shortened... The axles are DANA (or is that the pumpkins?) I think the ratio is 4:11.......I could change those for something higher but I'd have to change BOTH front and rear. expensive. I've done NOTHING for a year awaiting body work...... I need a body guy/welder to finish up the restoration project.
The truck is in Columbus, Ga but can be brought to Roanoke (area)Virginia or S. Florida.... suggestions....offers? HELP WANTED...

 

[jetboat]

those 4:11's will kill your milage, put in a highway gear like a 3.56 and you will see a big improvement. I still say a 6.5 diesel is your best bet for power and milage. Its an easy swap and dirt cheap.

 

[PoorMansCat]

I think the ratio is 4:11.......I could change those for something higher but I'd have to change BOTH front and rear. expensive. ...[/I]

I would look into a Gear Vendors unit.... you can keep the 4:11 and run the OD unit on the highway.... that will drop the RPM and save some $$$$$

 

[Boeing]

I just looked at the GEAR VENDER site.....everything is $2995, then figure out how or whom to install it??????
About those diesels....weren't the 350" gas converted to diesels known to be trouble? I don't mind "sluggish" but I DO mind unreliable......
Thanks:ashamed:

 

[Scooby074]

weren't the 350" gas converted to diesels known to be trouble?

In a word. Yes.

Later years were better, but still suffered from issues of not being a Diesel block to begin with

 

[Doppelgangar]

Watch putting a 6 cyl 6 ltr motor in the blaser as it is a tight squese to do.

There is plenty of small 4 to 5 Ltr motors to choose from. Problem some of the later motors red line at 2800 the 4 Ltr isusi red lined at 3600 but you could make them run ti 4000 with no reliable probs.

I did this for a job and my personal work vehicle was a Hilux up graded from the 2.2 ltr to a 3 ltr with turbo. The rear diff was a Dyna van (land cruser) running at 4.5 - 1. Anything higher would have made it over geared.

Your petrol Auto gear box will fall apart with a deisel in front of it unless you get a deisel toque converter.

As for a new fuel tank and lines that is not correct as every manufacture uses the same tank in a deisel amd petrol. You just need to drain it out well.

Just a warning unless you are going to use it daily it is not worth it.

 

[slippery48]

I KNOW some of you guys have considered installing a diesel motor in your SUV's or Pick-ups.
I have a 1975 BLAZER with a gas guzzling 350 Sure would like to go diesel. And I'm not talking a 600 cu in diesel, I'm talking a little motor.
Remember the VW diesel mini-pickups in the 80's....what happened to them? Isuzu built cars and mini's in the 80's....where'd they go?
I'm getting pretty sick of paying $4.00 a gallon and getting 17 MPG. (The Blazer gets 12 MPG) If you go to Europe EVERYTHING is diesel....cars, cabs, trucks....well, not motor cycles but it wouldn't surprise me
Any ideas here? Anything available? Can we get an old JD engine and fit it into a pickup?I]

year ago 1 of the college took a triump spitfire in stalled a kobota tractor motor. Hook it to a datson trany.They were getting 80to100 a gallon . I saw this on chanla 13 news call them an the said they were no showing this but i was watching it at the same time they would not tell me what college it was. But it can be don

 

[JimAnderson]

I KNOW some of you guys have considered installing a diesel motor in your SUV's or Pick-ups.
I have a 1975 BLAZER with a gas guzzling 350 Sure would like to go diesel. And I'm not talking a 600 cu in diesel, I'm talking a little motor.
Remember the VW diesel mini-pickups in the 80's....what happened to them? Isuzu built cars and mini's in the 80's....where'd they go?
I'm getting pretty sick of paying $4.00 a gallon and getting 17 MPG. (The Blazer gets 12 MPG) If you go to Europe EVERYTHING is diesel....cars, cabs, trucks....well, not motor cycles but it wouldn't surprise me
Any ideas here? Anything available? Can we get an old JD engine and fit it into a pickup?I]

75 Blazer at over 5000 pounds empty(Have it scaled if you don't believe it),Cast iron 205 or 208 transfer case (depending on transmission) and
it only gets 17 miles per gallon.Hum?Don't believe anyone could live long enough or drive enough to make conversion to diesel pay off.Diesel
fuel used to be relatively cheap but not now !The old vw diesels were non turbo and SLOW.Who cares if you get forty miles to the gallon,if
you forgot why you were going in the first place by the time you get there.JMHO,Luck,JimAnderson

 

[2458n]

yeah the rabbits were slow but nobody cared because you were driving on home heating fuel or ag diesel.

 

[buickanddeere]

I KNOW some of you guys have considered installing a diesel motor in your SUV's or Pick-ups.
I have a 1975 BLAZER with a gas guzzling 350 Sure would like to go diesel. And I'm not talking a 600 cu in diesel, I'm talking a little motor.
Remember the VW diesel mini-pickups in the 80's....what happened to them? Isuzu built cars and mini's in the 80's....where'd they go?
I'm getting pretty sick of paying $4.00 a gallon and getting 17 MPG. (The Blazer gets 12 MPG) If you go to Europe EVERYTHING is diesel....cars, cabs, trucks....well, not motor cycles but it wouldn't surprise me
Any ideas here? Anything available? Can we get an old JD engine and fit it into a pickup?I]

A 38yr old vehicle was junk decades ago. Not worth bothering with unless a collector item.
Check the price of diesel vs gasoline in the US and in Europe. Emissions regs too. A huge hint of why light diesels are popular outside of the USA/Canada.
Want to run that old vehicle and get better efficiency? Drop in a duel injected engine and auto transmisison with lockup torque and overdrive from a 99 or later truck with the new style LS small block.
Want the lowest price PER mile over the next 10 years instead of a diesle Blazer? Purchase a four cylinder direct injection Terrain or Equanox AWD and a 3500lb capacity landscaping trailer with electric brakes.

 

[buickanddeere]

Maybe someone can confirm it, but I think I remember the 6.2l GM diesel block is a 350 cu. in. block, just different other parts. The 6.5l GM diesel is also the same block, different stroke and a turbo. Both are mechanical motors, and the weight isn't too much different. The idea of a tractor engine mod is pretty cool, but way past my patience. I think you will find one of those two will be a better fit for you. Put a solinoid on the inner fender for with a switch on the dash for glow plugs, fuel filter swap, and maybe a little research for your fuel tank, and I think it could be done. We bought a '84 gmc with a 6.2l diesel for $2500 last winter. You can find them pretty often for prices like that. The glow plugs are a pain to change, being located under the exhaust manifolds. We used to swap the 6.2l's for the turbo 6.5l's in Humvee's when I was in the Army. Overall, motor wise, the 350 should be a bolt in for the 6.2l or the 6.5l. The fuel filter and housing I picked up at Napa, I don't remember the price. The solinoid is also a very common Napa item.

Only similarity between the 6.2/6.5 blocks and GM gasoline V8 engines is. It has 8 cylinders and is a V8.

 

[CliffordK]

Engine swaps, of course, will depend on where you are. Some cities with SMOG testing get a bit **** about changing engines.

The Cummins 4BT is supposed to be a good fit for the Blazers.
There is a fairly new Mercedes V6 engine used in some of the Sprinter vans. It looks like it would be worth considering, but they are a bit spendy at the moment.
You mentioned the VW Caddy Diesel Pickup. There are also older Chevy Luv Diesels around, and a few Ford Ranger Diesels.

Mahindra had planned on bringing a small Diesel pickup to the USA, but apparently it has fallen through.

 

[buickanddeere]

They were complete junk. Same sort of question; why don't you see 20 Yugos at every stoplight. You may have had one of the miracle engines, but I could not name one single diesel mechanic who would want any part of them. They were so bad that it nearly killed GM way back then. Now that I think about it, I wish it would have; it would have saved the taxpayers hundreds of billions in tax money given to GM that we will NEVER see again. Sorry, but GM is a case in study (literally in some college classes) in how you can still wreck a giant company when you simply rely on perceived customer loyalty and deliver total junk to those customers. Eventually they do go away.

The later years of the 350 Olds diesel was built the way the engineers wanted to build it instead of how the accountants wanted to build it. Unfortuately the damage to the diesel image was done.
The later Olds diesels had roller cam followers, a stronger block and some other upgrades.
Didn't help either that the typical owner/operator of the Olds diesel did not service them as per the driver's handbook. Gasoline engine oil instea dof diesle oil was another problem. Dirty fuel/water contaminated was another common problem. Dumping Methal alcohol gasline antifreeze into the diesels ruined the injection system.
If GM had started in 78 with the 81 style engine with the HD block, roller cam followers and water separator in the fuel system The Olds diesel would have had a fair chance instead of being doomed.