Diesel Ranger

[FordMan016]

could always just use an old farm tractor engine, you get enough HP to go around town and enough torque to do pretty much anything. oh and last time i checked the mpg's on some of the tractors are over 40 to 50 mpg. just an idea

 

[Will]

A 50mpg tractor?

Let me try to get my mind around that.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

could always just use an old farm tractor engine, you get enough HP to go around town and enough torque to do pretty much anything. oh and last time i checked the mpg's on some of the tractors are over 40 to 50 mpg. just an idea

Tractor fuel economy is measured in gallons burned per hour. Even a modern tractor cruising down the highway doesn't go much faster than 30mph, and it is going to take way more than a gallon to make it happen. In the field... crawling along at less than 10mph milage/yardage/footage/whatever will plummet.

But tractor engines do make interesting swaps, there are places that sell instructions on how to do it in fullsize trucks with junkyard parts.

 

[Beanmachine7000]

The only problem with a tractor engine is weight... Our 3 cyl Case ~50hp (I think, maybe 30hp?) has to weigh at least 700lbs, of course tractors don't care about weight... They need all the weight they can get to be stable... But, imagine a 600-700lb 30hp engine...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The only problem with a tractor engine is weight... Our 3 cyl Case ~50hp (I think, maybe 30hp?) has to weigh at least 700lbs, of course tractors don't care about weight... They need all the weight they can get to be stable... But, imagine a 600-700lb 30hp engine...

Real Case engines are really overbuilt, my dad has a couple of them, light weight was not one of their selling features. After they merged with IH the waters got muddied on what was what though.

Also remember that tractor hp is measured at the PTO at the rear of the tractor, there is a lot of drag in the tractor with the big heavy gears and hydraulic pump(s). A lot of companies that made engines for tractor companies like Perkins and Cummins also made engines for trucks, so they are not totally out of place in a truck.

Here is some more info on it:
http://www.shadetreeconversions.com/

 

[Beanmachine7000]

It's a Case-International, still it's a giant engine, it has to weigh at least 600lbs... I scoured around for a diesel engine that would fit in a RBV, and not be terribly heavy, but the only one I found that was reasonable was the Cummins QSB 3.3... Weighs about the same, but only makes ~100hp...

 

[David85]

Is the cummins 3.3 a three cyl or 4 cyl? 100 Hp would not be too bad considering that is likely a constant rating and could probably be pushed up.

 

[Beanmachine7000]

It's a 4cyl... Good luck getting one though... You pretty much have to get one straight from Cummins (you don't wanna know how much)... The newest "QSB" are electronic, so no turning it up, unless you know someone who can do it...

 

[David85]

Ah, OK. I've spent too much time around mechanical diesels to switch to ECM controlled engines now. The older engines generally don't have emission controls either so they're much simpler to maintain. If you are familiar with the ECM system, then you can probably reflash the computer to bump up the power. They've been doing this on the powerstrokes for years now.

I did see a guy with a 1990-ish chevy 1500 regular cab with a cummins 3.9 once. He was very happy with how it ran, but mentioned that it shakes a lot more than a 6 cyl or V8. I'm not sure, but I don't think the cummins 4BT has balance shafts like the mitsubishi 2.3TD for example.

 

[bobbywalter]

the 3.3 is excellent. available in reman @ 2500-3800. parts are available to make it streetable.

better then a 4bt imo for a 2wd ranger. probably the best candidate besides certain benz engines.

 

[bobbywalter]

rusty is 100% correct on the california laws.the motor needs to be your year model or newer with ALL applicable emissions to be legal no matter if it runs on deisel or flux capacitor and mr. fusion.

the O.P. shouldn't do it if he lives in an area where you smog every two years unless he wants to put on a greensticker and trailer it.

thats not all of it. the new retro laws require all oem equipment for the engine in question and a opacity test on smoke too, which sux ass but is easily passed with tuning and fuel conditioning. so in reality a 8500 plus gvw diesel engine in 4 or 6 cyl variety is easier to swap in then a v8 gas engine in cali.

and these rules are further affected by the way the vehicle is titled to begin with.

 

[Beanmachine7000]

I've never seen a re-man 3.3, so I can't be certain of that... For a 2wd gas sipping rig, it would be a good deal... For my Explorer though, it wouldbe a little underpowered... The only problem with re-flashing the ECM, is that I haven't HEARD (doesn't mean they aren't out there) of anybody that has done anything with them... The QSB series are pretty new...

 

[bobbywalter]

well, they..(komatsu) made the engines intentionally to be easily rebuildable.


the joke on that is, it is the best engine cummins has as far as reliability per 100 units. thats funny as hell. (to me anyway)


the programming is within industry standards on the cr engines from what i understand also.

but i refer to the older non cr units. they can be cranked up to 120 hp and 250-280 tq the way i understand it and they sure as hell seem to run smoother then the 3.9 to me in person.

2500 was rebuild, the 3900 is new in crate last i checked. the new cr engine was 4200 plus iirc... but the old school engines were dwindling then and only cr engines were to be available new by the end of 08 from what i could gleen from t.a.d. about a year and a half or so ago.

phoenix casting has the sae#4 to whatever adapters you will need. the guys running these in jeeps report 30 plus mpg which is impressive to me over a 4.0 gasser. it wont beat a gaser in a race but it wont be showed up offroad either. compared to buying a fresh crate 4.0 gasser this is a good deal over 100k miles....

i would think a guy could do this to a 2wd ranger under 5 k new, and used under 1500 if you shop patiently.

these older units are noisier though compared to current production. considering i think the 6.5 in my truck is tolerable, these cant be too bad.

 

[bobbywalter]

over 400 HP would be a little much to ask of that engine on a regular basis IMO. 300 HP would be a lot more reasonable...but its your buck.

as you can see, there arent really any space savings to be had. the 4BT is a hog:

not to mention the added weight.

more info here:

http://www.therangerstation.com/galleries/Explorers/DieselExplorer.htm

hmm...i see 7 more inches of unused space in that pic...with a radiator under the core it wouldbe a bit more roomy, a 3.3 would look tiny in there.

 

[Chappy]

Id double check your smog laws.

I highly doubt that smog sniffer is going to happy with a Cummins replacing a 2.9L.

Diesels, like it or not, a sooty, smelly basterds that produce a ton more pollution then even a sick 2.9L could produce.

later,
Dustin

all i have to say is . . . . no . . . . gas engines produce HC, CO2, CO, 02, and NoX. diesel engines produce HC (in the form of particulate matter aka soot) very low levels of CO, and NoX.. . . the particulate matter cools and settles to the ground, carbon monoxide is so much lower in diesels than gas because of the abundance of air that a diesel takes in, and nox is just a by-product of hot combustion temperatures and its not even a greenhouse gas.

reserch

ps. please excuse my spelling

also if you want mechanical with more power go with a QSB 4.5L teir II, problem is they are industrial engines and are governed for industrial applications