diesel engines?

are there any diesel engines that can fit 356 kits? i'm not a hippie, but am really interested in the theory of running bio-diesel fuel. Speed is nice, but cruising is the main goal and doing it earth friendly would make it feel even better!

Cam, until we reach the point where we can produce diesel engines which do not emit potential carcinogens, I don't think these engines are necessarily earth friendly. Also, putting this issue aside for a minute, I don't think you would like the wave of diesel exhaust smell which you would almost certainly get each time you came to a stop when driving top down.
just my 2 kroner
John H.

FWIW, Catapiller ran a diesel car in this years LeMans 24 Hours. Eddie

Eddie,

Was it a D-7 or a D-8?

Bruce

I have a diesel truck. I'd like a diesel Jetta. You don't really want a diesel speedster. Really.

i'm just learning about bio-diese right now, but i think you have some of the facts wrong. bio-diesel is fuel made from a variety of everyday oils such as soy and vegetible. It can be run in any normal diesel engine and produces no green house gases. I haven't personally smelled the fumes yet, but it is supposed to be largely free of aromatics. it is a totaly sustainable fuel source that is very earth friendly. i'm still reading about it but i recommend checking it out on-line.
cameron

Late model diesel engine emissions have come a long way .
I drive a Volvo VN eighteen wheeler that emits no smoke and little if any, noticeable fumes. Installing that motor in a speedster would be a bit it a fit problem and the 6.7 mpg might be another disadvantage.

the 15 litre cat motor in my kenworth might be a bit of a squeze. and with that fuel mileage. you may have to seal every nook and put fuel in it. sort of jet fighter style.
with 1850 lbft of torque hills should not be an issue.
i wonder though, if something along the lines of a hybrid setup(toyota prius or honda insight)). nmhi batt. in the front would keep the front planted.

Found this site that cover the install of may non-vw engines into bugs - frost.bbboy.net/vwengineconversions

Give it up. Yeah, I know Cam- diesel gets a bad rap in this country. In europe, where fuel costs (through taxes) have driven automobile efficency to a much greater extent than government mandates, diesel makes up something like 40% of all new vehicles sold. In the land where $2 fuel about causes a revolution- the economy of a diesel fades. Due to the particulate emmissions of older diesels, some enviornmentalists are leary at best, and hostile at worst. Modern diesel should be the future, but it never will be- it's a more economical, better solution than a hybred.

That said, a speedster is a bad application. Think of it this way- Most guys don't drive their cars 5000 mi a year. At 25 mpg, they will burn (at the most) 200 gal of fuel a year. At $2/ gal thats $400 for fuel- tops. Lets say you could find a diesel to fit your speedster (you couldn't), and adapt it to your car (again- I think not)- even if the fuel was free (french fry oil, etc.), ther would still be a phenominal amount of work involved for the pre-heating of the oil (its gelatenous at room temperature) even if you had the space in the car(you don't).

Bio-deisel is unweildy and largely impractical even for people who drive trucks 100K mi/ yr, and own a french-fry and fried chicken emporium- because of the modificatios required WHEN A DIESEL ENGINE IS ALREADY IN THE TRUCK.

A cold fusion powerplant, or a jet engine, or a super-conducter rail set-up would be neat too. We can't even engineer good heat in these cars, and you are trying to re-invent the wheel. You want to tinker with the idea of a diesel convertible? Buy a deisel Rabbit and cut the top off.

I know it's quite common to put a Golf diesel into a water cooled VW van. The problem with a diesel is that they're water cooled. If you're going to go to all that trouble, then go John's route and get a water cooled Subie flat four. A diesel speedster....I've been on the forum for over 4 years and I've never seen those two words together. Next thing you know they will be putting those diesel turbos into SUVs!!!
Ron

Nothing is impossible for someone who wants to do it badly enough and is willing to pay for the results. I do think, however, that a diesel engine, conventional or bio, would be an enormous task and I don't think the results would be too great. However, for those of you who are bike people, you have probably heard of the "Boss Hoss" motorcycle which uses a V8 engine for power. One dude I met at a biker ham and egger was building his own and using what I remember to be a GM diesel for power; there was no doubt of it when he fired it up to leave. Wierd, man! Never say never.

sorry for the double post

Nothing is impossible... a 1000c Yamaha Virago installed a unique one off go four wheel, independent suspension with rack n pinion steering ! Cart sat for a number of years until a friend of mine inspired me to ......" Get 'r done" .... Tank is no longer located anywhere near the family jewels....
Now in the final R & D department in a top secret below ground bunker facility where we are wrestling with a pending wheel stand problem!
Cart soon to be completed, the guy that does my speedster body and paint also leases a dirt track... When completed, I hope to out run the Sportsman cars during a 80-90 mph opening pace lap.

Its interesting that in North America we have the impression that deisels are foul smelling, polluting engines but that's not the case in Europe. I was reading an article in the Daimler-Chrysler mag where the company predicted that in 3-5 years most cars sold in NA would be deisel. According to the article, the problem is not the engines but the fuel in NA. Deisel fuel in Europe is 6 times cleaner than what is available in NA but according to the article the industry here in NA is working to clean up their act.

Brian

...and Ron they do put those diesels in SUVs. Check out the V10 deisel Tourag.

Brian

Alan, You seem to get your hands into some of the same project as me. I gave away my gocart project at the same time I started the speedster. But I still have pictures of what I did in case you are interested: www.chriskate.net/gocart

On the diesel topic, anyone see that Monster Garage where Jessie took a peterbilt engine and made a 3 wheeler out of it. It was basically just the massive engine with a seat next to it (like a side car). At first he wanted to make it a 2 wheel motorcycle, not a pussy 3 wheel trike, but when he saw just how big the engine was when they took it out he changed his mind.

Chris I seen that one, it was great. Funny I was thinking the same thing it would be a lot of fun till you had to stop. Then tryin to keep the damn thing up would have been a b#$%!!

I know, Brian. Torque figures are something else! So it the price!
Ron

The best diesel's I know of is in the Land Rover Defender's - those things just run and run.

I drive a diesel Jetta here in Michigan because my employer actually gives me a larger car allowance AND an allocated parking space. They are trying to push diesels as a viable alternative to gasoline AND the hybrids. As the largest producer of diesel injection technology worldwide this is not an altogether altruistic effort on their part.

In 2006 the level of sulphur in US diesel fuel is scheduled to be reduced from 200ppm (i.e. a hell of a lot) to 6ppm which is inline with Europe. It is the sulphur that causes the momentary stink everytime I start up in the morning.

The issue of carcinogens is always raised in any discussion concerning diesels in the US. Studies have found that whilst diesels do emit an intially higher level of particulates than gasoline engines, the emissions actually plateau and from then on do not increase. Gasoline engines, on the other hand, whilst emitting a much smaller level of the same particulates actually increase as the vehicle and engine ages. Cumulatively, this means that when particulate emissions over the life of the engine are compared, there is very little to differentiate between diesel and petrol.

Whenever someone drives with me it always seems to come as a shock to them that there is in fact an 'oilburner' under the bonnet (or hood).

With mileage pushing 50mpg on the highway, and 40mpg around town I'm not complaining.

It was reported that sales of diesels actually exceeded sales of petrol cars recently. For many Europeans diesel is not just a choise of economy but also one of power due to the massive low-end torque viz. the V10 in the Touareg and various also V8's being developed by MB and BMW.

There is actually a diesel Boss Hoss (built by some bloke who works here) in the reception of my office right now, so I will try to post some photos.

Jim

PS speedster is on road right now from MO to MI, should be here around 5pm today. Yippee!

Clean burning diesels may be the wave of the future. If I sounded down on them, it was only because I have read about their emissions in the past. I was a very happy owner of a 1978 Rabbit D Diesel which served my family and I faithfully for 123K miles over the course of nine years. The car consistantly returned in the high 40's average MPG in all kinds of driving. It was a slug on the on ramps, but came up to speed quickly enough and would just hum along all day at highway speeds. Full bladders were more often the reason for stops rather than an empty tank. We named the car the "family truckster" as a paraphrase to the "wagon queen family truckster" in the movie "Vacation." We were very sad to see it go when we sold it.
John H
ps. I agree that hybrids may not be a panacea for our energy conservation or earth friendly issues but it is good to know that options are being explored.

Mike,

Convert it to beer and that may well be the case. Also I remember reading about the tar sands in Alberta containing mega barrels of bubbling crude. Do you know where that stands? The company my wife worked for, Unocal, spent millions in western Colorado trying to convert the oil shale there to crude but it proved to be too expensive. Sure would be nice to have a breakthru on the oil and now that you have a solution to the water surplus it looks like happy days ahead for Canada.

Happy trails, Bruce

That would be bubblin' beer, Canadian Crude.
Then the next thing you know ol' Mike's a millionaire
Kin folks said, "Mike move away from there"
.....

Seriously when the oil per barrel is over a certain amount, the tar sands are lucrative. And we all know that the price per barrel is high. So high infact the the province of Alberta has paid off it's debt.

......

The sooner we wean ourselves off oil but still use our vehicles, the better. I think the solution is already there. But governments cannot face themselves to no more tax revenues if it's, water.

So then Mike, when the 80% comes bubblin' up and you become a multi millionaire, will you supply all the beer for Carlisle? I assume you already have plans to gobble up the lakefront property and wetlands to get a corner on the market. Think of all of us poor bastards coughing up $5 a gallon for petrol and have mercy on us, right brother?

As I recal the Germans pioneered the diesel and I know for a fact they made a air cooled version But not Vw . I dont know if a conversion exzist But that would be very different . but a t-4 case would be stout enough to build on. The heads would be a unknown

don't worry John. The new sheiks will look like BOB. Tuques will be in vogue. You are on the FREE beer short list.

Ballard fuel cells. Public company out of Vancouver. They already have perfected the Hydrogen cell. You need not even replace your existing car. An adapter and a new tank and your car runs on water. Vancouver city buses are already testing this technology. BMW and FORD have contributed hundreds of millions each.

Which brings up the thought about Canada, 80% of the world fresh water supply. We are the next gulf state?

www.ballard.com/be_informed/fuel_cell_technology/products_and_prototypes/demonstration_programs

I'm already paying upwards of $200-$300 a month for water in my house...don't tell me I'm going to start paying to put it in my car?

My 83 Mercedes 300 Turbo Diesel has over 400,000 kms on it. It starts in temps down to minus 50 Celcius (about minus 40 something F) as long as it has 0W-30 (or even 5W-30 if I'm cheap), battery blanket and frost plug warmer plugged in for an hour or so. Its usually the battery that causes the problem and not the engine in these low temps.

Last time this car was in the shop for anything was about 120,000 kms ago in June of 1997...change the timing chain as a preventative measure prior to a 13,000 km trip across Canada. The car can go 900 kms on one tank if I stay within the speed limit and it cruises all day long at highway speeds.

Brian

Years ago I owned a 1984 Volvo 240 sedan with a 4 cylinder 4 spd automatic. This car was a fortress on wheels, I bought it from the orginal owner in near mint condition with 240,000 miles on it and added another 100,000 plus before conveying it to the now former "Mrs" M.
The engine was an orginal with the exception of replacing a rear main seal and injectors. Even with the super high miles the engine never used more than 1/2 a quart between oil changes.
Volvo utlized a diesel short block with a gas head in the 240's that being the "why" of a long life.

I had lots of Volvo 240's Alan and you are right about it being a fortress. Never heard it described as such but it truely was. My good friend in CT used them solely in his business and they all had 400,000
plus on them and he was a hard driver. He took a 81 240 wagon after 400,000 miles and had a guy in Maine that does conversions put a Mustang 5.0 H.O. in it. What a sleeper! Loved to destroy Bimmers at stop lights! He is now buying a Honda Element because all the Volvo's are finally worn out.

Bruce

The main problem with hydrogen is making it. From what I've gathered, you need electricity to get hydrogen from water. Now, where does the electricity come from and what fuel is used to produce it. Hydrogen consuming vehicles may be pollution free, but producing the electricity to convert is wasn't.
Ron

Does anyone know of a Subaru Turbo installed in a speedeter?

Thanks

Dave B

Steve at SAW has plans of installing one in his #3 Subytub. check out his website.

Check these..

www.saunalahti.fi/~hecekiel/dieselboost_demo.mpg

190 with a 300 turbodiesel. And here's the dyno print of the black one, 426 hp from rear wheels.

www.saunalahti.fi/~hecekiel/merssu1.jpg

If you want to have VW diesel, from 1.9 tdi you can have pretty easily over 200 hp...

Here is an air cooled 2 stroke diesel intended for airplane use but it is a radial.

www.zoche.de/