Jean-Leon,
All I can say is WOW! Please keep us up to date. I'd really like to
see this one. If you can pull this one off, my dream of a 4-cylinder B
series Cummins in a Land-Rover may not be a pipe dream after all. You never
know. Of course my Dad and Grandpa would love the John Deere.
Robert S. Cascaddan, MBA
scaddan@pacifier.com
Author of:
Revolutionary Changes Ahead for Motorcycling
http://home.pacifier.com/~scaddan/
Articles:
"Disruptive Technology = Revolutionary Changes"
http://home.pacifier.com/~scaddan/disruptive.htm
"Attracting a New Generation of Riders to the Sport of Motorcycling"
http://home.pacifier.com/~scaddan/new_riders.htm
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jean-Leon Morin" <offroaddesign@softhome.net>
To: <lro@koan.team.net>
Sent: Monday, February 10, 2003 11:29 AM
Subject: Re: [lro] Diesel Swap
>
> > Considering that the diesel Rabbit took about 2.4 weeks to hit 60 mph
> > one would need to seriously examine the sanity of this conversion.
> > The later turbo version fitted to the Golf might move an 88 but not J-L
> > s beast. He would need something by John Deere for that.
> > John and Muddy
>
> Nothing escapes you John, nothing. I figured someone would pickup on the
> clues, and I had a strong suspicion it would be you.
>
> I spill the beans...
>
> A few years ago I had a job in a Deere dealership garage over the summer.
> There was a turbo JD six cylinder in the corner of the storage shed, that
> was attached to an SM465 GM 4 speed, and had a ton of specially made
> brackets, engines mounts, and a cyclonic air filter. I was immediately
> smitten with this huge thing, thinking it would be perfect for the
> Land-Rover (yeah, right). The shop foreman/owner, a nice old man who has
> build/restored/rebuilt more interesting machines than anyone I have ever
> met, told me a story about it.
>
> In 1981, he wanted a diesel pickup. He couldn't get one, so he made one.
He
> bought a brand new 1 ton Chevrolet with a gas motor with a super high rear
> gear, brought it home, and pulled the engine. He used a new John Deere
long
> block, built the adapters, custom oil pan, the list goes on. This truck
was
> legendary in Ottawa, almost everyone in the farm equipment business knows
of
> this chevy. The owner used it to pull a gooseneck trailer all over the
> States and Canada, to attend steam shows, farm shows, etc. It was the shop
> truck for a good dozen years, and was finally retired with over 800 000kms
> on the clock, due to terminal corrosion. The cab mounts went through the
> floor and that was it. At that time, they bought a Ford F450 super duty
with
> a 6.9 (which has 600 000 kms on it - these guys are good at maintenance).
>
> The engine's been sitting, waiting for a new use, since that time. That
> summer, when I asked him about it, he took a look at the rover, which had
a
> 2.25L 4 banger in it, rover axles, and looked pretty sorry, and told me it
> was not going to work. The engine was just too big for it. He wouldn't
sell
> it to me, knowing quite well it was impossible and the drivetrain would
> never hold up.
>
> Anyways, since that summer, he and I have kept in touch. When I needed to
> use a big lathe for the adapters for the transmission, he offered up his
> equipment, in exchange for some info on how I was planning my engine swap.
> He was really worried about it at first, but after seeing the finished
> product, was quite impressed with the adapters. Anyways, everytime I go in
> I'll show him what I've done to the rover, he's always quite interested
and
> inquisitive, as am I about his projects.
>
> Last time I was there (sporting the same tire size as his gorgeous
> PowerWagon - He had a hard time with that) I started asking questions
about
> that engine again. He looked at me kinda funny, and took a look at the
Ford
> six in Valdez. He started asking me if there was a way of moving the
> radiator forward, and after explaning to him that a stage 1/coiler front
> panel would give me a lot more space, he spilled the beans on the motor -
> all the mods, all the stuff he had done to it. We broke out the tape
measure
> and same to the conclusion that it might fit. The oilpan (which he made)
> would clear the axle, the transmission would work just fine, the radiator
> could be worked out. I'm pretty sure he was as excited as I was about the
> idea. Because the motor is offset, the pan clears the front diff- a very
> good thing.
>
> So, he said to come back in the spring (too much snow in front of the big
> doors of the shed to get the motor out). I've got a feeling this motor
might
> be the one, not because it's particularly perfect for the rover (heavy,
very
> big and overpowered). However I'm pretty sure John wants to see it hit a
> million kicks, and installing it in a fully galvanized vehicle that's
liable
> to be in use for another 800 000 kms interests him. I'm not sure if it
will
> indeed fit, I took a really quick look at it, but I remember looking at
the
> Ford 300 and thinking the same thing, wondering how in the world I was
going
> to get that thing in there.
>
> Now, some of you are thinking, aren't those engines, like, monstrous?
Well,
> not really. They are actually quite light for such a big chunk - they
weigh
> about 1100 lbs. That's a lot, for sure. However a Cummins 5.9BT is about
> 1000 lbs, the 4 cyl about 750 lbs. The Perkins has got to be 900 lbs. It's
> not a huge increase over my 800lbs Ford 300. With the battery relocated
top
> the back, it's even less. Like having someone standing on the front
bumper.
> The length is something else - 44" from water pump nose to end of the
> bellhousing. however, when you take into account that the 6" long
> bellhousing fits inside the tranny tunnel, the engine is 38" long. That's
> still pretty darn long, however on this particular engine the water pump
was
> shortened for more radiator to fan clearance. It's about 36" long where
it
> matters, which *just* fits according to my calculations. Height will be a
> problem, I might have to get creative with the turbo, perhaps move it to
> beside the engine, but it's the same height as the cummins, which wasn't
> impossible to fit. The pump is on the left side, which is good, and the
> alternator's up high.
>
> The engine itself is a 6068, which is a 6 cyl, 6.8L diesel - Don't laugh!
JD
> has always had a slightly bigger displacement than others, just for
> durability reasons, so this engine's competition is the B series Cummins.
> This particular engine has been turboed and the pump has been tweaked to
> about 160 hp. The governor has also been adjusted so it will run up to
about
> 2800 rpms when shifting. I admit it's overkill and I'd probably be OK with
a
> smaller motor, however this engine returns stellar gas mileage - 25 - 30
in
> the chevy, it's already got all the adapters worked out by someone I trust
> and I know that the setup will last. As far as purchasing cost, it might
be
> very inexpensive - He can think of it as good advertising for the shop,
and
> the brand!
>
>
>
> J-L
> _______________________________________________
> LRO mailing list
> LRO@land-rover.team.net
> http://land-rover.team.net/mailman/listinfo/lro
_______________________________________________
LRO mailing list
LRO@land-rover.team.net
http://land-rover.team.net/mailman/listinfo/lro
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Mon Feb 10 2003 - 21:34:12 EST