Diesel swap: help needed

[ZEUS]

I am a believer of one-stop shopping when it comes to swaps. I know you would rather not use the bighorn but lookie here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/91-96...spagenameZWDVW

Of course, it would be even better to have the entire vehicle with computers, senders, and preassembly. Taking a carcass AND a donor vehicle to someone is the most efficient way to get the job done, IMO. I would suggest talking to a shop near you and asking them if they would even take on such a project, then question them on specifics to see what you are up against.

[tom4bren]

JHarris - Welcome to my commute nightmare (45 miles & 1-3 hours each way, prolly why I've become such a procrastinator).

"So maybe I will deraise (lower it to stock) and see if there is much of an increase in mpg."

Lowering your vehicle won't help with gas mileage unless you put whimpy rubber on to match. Lifts are almost always accompanied by taller & more agressive tires. That's what kills your mileage. The taller tires effectively lowers your gear ratio & the more agressive tread increases the rolling friction. The only thing lowering the vehicle will do is MAYBE increase your aerodynamics & MAYBE decrease the friction at the CV joints (neither will be measurable differences). IMHO - it would be a waste of time.

[Chopper]

The mix and match route is the toughest. Dump the tranny, and TOD too. The easy route , is to go with a donor vehicle, and transplant the entire driveline.

[dforester]

Alright, already some good thoughts and suggestions.

tom4bren: You're right about the auto and the TOD. Plus I really like driving a stick. One of my main reasons for doing this is mpg, so that makes the most sense. Joe Black, what would a custom adapter to keep the TOD for a manual transmission entail?

Zeus & JoeBlack- I think this is an even better solution:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=280170384684

But, WOW does that cost some money. Has anyone out there seen half cuts for less? Does anyone have any experience with an imported half cut? My fear with the 4JG2 is that I will have a tough time finding parts for it, and that it really won't gain me much in the mpg department. Joe what is your estimate for an improvement in mpg with this engine? And while I'm at it, what was the ballpark price you came up with when you were shopping for a 4JG2? All the reading I've done on the internet suggests that the 2.8 is a better built engine, plus the lack of parts thing...

There's a place in Wales that is dropping 2.8s into Troopers:
http://www.mbs4x4.co.uk/engine.php
and I've gotta think there is a reason they are using this engine instead of the 3.1.

And then there's this site on using an NPR motor:
http://www.isuzudieselswapper.com/
I used to drive an NPR and it was a great truck. What are the chances that one of those could get shoehorned in a Viacross?


Billy- well, at least I got one of the letters right. Sorry about that, it was an end of the day, my brain is dead typing gaff. Hopefully I can be forgiven.

Again, I really appreciate the feedback, the suggestions and the brainstorming. Keep it coming!!

Dave

[Triathlete]

No worries....just ruffling your feathers a little!:bwgr:

[Ldub]

I know a guy who has an 86 Trooper Turbo D for sale in MN...almost 47 HP & high twenties for mileage. Not the fastest vehicle on the planet, but still chuggin' along with well over 100,000 miles on the clock.
Yes, it's the little red Trooper that could & for $900.00, it's yours.

[Piotr]

Hi,

http://moto.allegro.pl/item264113261...dtl_160km.html

If You think aboout diesel maybe this engine would be better than old and week 2.8 and 3.1 engines. There are many diesels here in Europe.

regards

[dforester]

I know a guy who has an 86 Trooper Turbo D for sale in MN...almost 47 HP & high twenties for mileage. Not the fastest vehicle on the planet, but still chuggin' along with well over 100,000 miles on the clock.
Yes, it's the little red Trooper that could & for $900.00, it's yours.

Ldub, which engine does it have in it? What is your sense of how the Viacross would handle with this diesel in it? How much heavier is the Viacross than that generation Trooper? The $900 price is sure attractive, certainly compared to the $4500 half cut.

[Chopper]

I know a guy who has an 86 Trooper Turbo D for sale in MN...almost 47 HP & high twenties for mileage. Not the fastest vehicle on the planet, but still chuggin' along with well over 100,000 miles on the clock.
Yes, it's the little red Trooper that could & for $900.00, it's yours.

He said 47 hp. Come get some!!!

[Triathlete]

I know a guy who has an 86 Trooper Turbo D for sale in MN...almost 47 HP & high twenties for mileage. Not the fastest vehicle on the planet, but still chuggin' along with well over 100,000 miles on the clock.
Yes, it's the little red Trooper that could & for $900.00, it's yours.

Dub, if you guys didn't live in another world I'd be knocking on the door cash in hand. That would be a great project vehicle. 4 link and 1 ton axles, some 36 inch crawlers and a cage and it would be unstopable!

[ZEUS]

Alright, already some good thoughts and suggestions.

Zeus & JoeBlack- I think this is an even better solution:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=280170384684

But, WOW does that cost some money. Has anyone out there seen half cuts for less? Does anyone have any experience with an imported half cut?

Dave

I saw that one yesterday after I posted but didn't understand what a half cut was I have never heard of that. Did you figure it out?

[Joe_Black]

A "half-cut" is where you literally receive one half of a cut-in-half vehicle, so you'd get everything in that half like the driveline, suspension, hopefully the electronics and such. That's not too bad a price if it's already here and convenient to go get, at least the engine would have the mounts, harness, accessories and should be somewhat protected by the rest of the truck.

Piotr, that 3.0L is the dreaded 4JX1 which is absolutely the last diesel you want to be looking at. Ask any Australian Isuzu enthusiast about it and they'll either roll their eyes or admit to being some kind of weird masochistic diesel fetishist.

As for mileage with the 4JG2, it should be in the mid twenties. But remember, going diesel isn't necessarily about economy so much as it's about using a more environmentally friendly fuel you can brew at home, should you so desire. If you go with the 4JB1 you'll see less as you'll be working it to death in the VX. Go drive an '84 Diesel VW Rabbit and if you like that go with the 4JB1. The NPR motor is the 4BD2 and is quite popular with the light-truck crowd, but is just too heavy for the VX. You'll kill the handling and would have far too many suspension mods and clearance issues. One thing you have to remember is that all Isuzu diesels have industrial counterparts and Isuzu is very, very big on drawing from the common parts bin which translates to good parts interchange.

Another thing: How much of a diesel mechanic are you? If you aren't at least a fairly competent one now, you better have some extremely deep pockets. Diesel mechanics see dollars flying past at warp speed when someone wanders in with this kind of project.

[dforester]

As for mileage with the 4JG2, it should be in the mid twenties. But remember, going diesel isn't necessarily about economy so much as it's about using a more environmentally friendly fuel you can brew at home, should you so desire. One thing you have to remember is that all Isuzu diesels have industrial counterparts and Isuzu is very, very big on drawing from the common parts bin which translates to good parts interchange.

Another thing: How much of a diesel mechanic are you? If you aren't at least a fairly competent one now, you better have some extremely deep pockets. Diesel mechanics see dollars flying past at warp speed when someone wanders in with this kind of project.

Well, I'm not much of a diesel mechanic. I've worked on a DD 4v71 & 8v71 during my bus to rv conversion phase, but these engines were probably among the world's simplest. I have a good friend here in Santa Fe that does JDM engine swaps as a sideline business and he works at a GMC dealership during the day. His estimate is around $3,000 in labor and some misc parts for an engine swap. Plus $2,500 for the Viacross and this puts me at $5,500. The $4,500 front clip puts me a bit over my budget, but that would give me a custom diesel Viacross for around $10,000, which is comparable to what most people are selling their Gas powered ones for.

Joe_Black, I hear you on the biodiesel front. I think it's the wave of the future: more sustainable than E-85 and much easier than Hydrogen. So, having an engine that will run for several 100,000 miles and runs on biodiesel (or at least B20 for now) and gets a decent mpg will work for me (my econo Subaru Forester doesn't get any better than the mid twenties and I don't complain about its gas mileage). I'll put some more energy into finding a reasonably priced 4JG2, since it is becoming clear to me that this will be the easiest swap (hey, you only had to say it a half dozen times before I got the message).