commuter means different things to different people
i generally commute 100-200 miles one way and then need to go 1-15 miles through nasty conditions often. with gear and tools cars just dont get it all the time.
depends on how many miles a guy drives on the whole for most people to do a swap....
okay....you have an ol 2wd 4 cyl wheezer ranger. runs on cheaper gas, gets 25-27 freeway...21 average driving easy.
you swap in a 3.3. average goes to 25-28 and hiway goes to 35-36.
you mix used auto trans fluid/oil with your diesel to around 30 oil 70 diesel...
your engine is already beat in your ol truck...and in need of a refresh anyway.
take 4-5 grand to do a complete diesel swap verse 1800 for a fresh 2.3.
you drive 35k plus a year....
not sure where a diesel will lose in that situation.
seems this went right by you. if you have a nice truck thats a 2wd 4 wheezer cause you need it, swapping the diesel in is a straight win...you remain at useable power or gain power in its work cycle but gain car economy. you have a useful truck that gets better economy then many escorts.
If I drove a lot I would get a car, my college roomate's Focus got 37-38mpg easy on the highway, could probably get two of them older Foci before one of them engines is paid for still sitting on a pallet. A car is 10x the cruiser that a pickup can ever hope to be, ride nicer, handle better, catch less wind... a pickup can't match it. A diesel VW car can flirt with 50mpg.
It would be different if a guy could actually do something with the truck than just reap the milage benefits and drive it like a car.
There are a ton of little ag engines out there that I would rather experiment with and actually risk getting a usable truck out of the deal.
I would do something along these lines, they have videos on the left side:
http://www.shadetreeconversions.com/
They can do it for whatever reason they can come up with, it just doesn't add up to me. People said the same thing about my engine choice with my Ranger and I am as happy with it as the 3.3 guy is so take it for what it is worth. Just to me, for something as boring as MPG, if an OEM can do it better I would rather go that route and leave my creativity for something a little more exciting.
well, i do drive alot and have to have a truck in majority to do what i am doing most of the time. i drive the car when i can as its cheaper on tires etc, concerning related costs with the mass i am using, many times i need exactly what i built...as its built to serve that need.
and the oem does make this 4-6 cyl diesel truck in some forms capable of 1 ton duty everywhere except here...
The 4.0 is a dog with 3.27 gears, I can only imagine how fun it would be with the 3.0x that the guy with the Jeep used.
my truck with 327 gears and 33's would be a beast with a dialed in turbo. 25 mpg easily as well. spank a typical 302 like a bad monkey...
25 mpg in a lifted 4x4 with 33 in tires, never ever happen predictably with a 302.
if i could only have one vehicle...i would build a light as possible ranger 4x4 custom-extended with a 4 cyl diesel. unfortunately, i can not only have one vehicle to do what i do now, but some people live their whole life without any vehicle.
where i live insurance is ridiculous, and i plate and insure 3 vehicles just for myself to use.....
van, 23 mpg hiway with medium load...5 man crew
ranger 18 mpg hiway loaded
escort....maxed out and have to selectively leave shit behind and hope for best...25-26 mpg.....unloaded to light load 28-29...just me and my rags with 1 tool box 31-33 mpg
65-70 mph on all of that.
van goes through less shit then car depending on conditions, it needs a 4wd conversion...its old and not good for short trips...when it dies its done. need to find a fresher one and start over...cummins 4x4 van is my goal.
to be clear, for straight up commuting the shitbox 40 mpg car is the best solution. will has stated that plainly enough over the years and anybody that can add can agree with that.
if you need a 1 ton capable ride that needs to go many miles per year, a diesel swap is a money making investment for those capable of doing so.
if you can add....
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