65 CJ-5 Diesel Conversion

I would vote for the VW diesel. May want to consider an Isuzu diesel also. Jeep did use the Nissan SD33 in the tugs, but parts are expensive and getting harder to find, the Nissan was also used by IH in the Scout.

 

FWIW, If you don't want the troublesome fuel shut-off solenoid on the VE pumps to leave you stranded, (been there a couple times) you gut the solenoid and use the manual shut-off that is already there and you don't need ANY wires. If you have a manual trans. you need a shut-off rod or cable that will lock in the "off" position to prevent starting in gear if someone bumps into it. Not like I would ever get to it but how about the 2.4L 4-cyl out of a 240 Mercedes?

 

Stay away from the Nissan SD33 or STD33 used in the IH scouts or Nissan forklifts. They crack heads, parts are very expensive and I don't believe I've ever seen a more underpowered engine in anything. Sure, you can crank up the fuel, but all it does is make them smoke. If you add boost, they have even more reliability issues than they do in stock form. I'd go 4.3 if it were mine. Good luck in whatever direction you choose to go.

 

Overland Diesel from London Ontario (you can google the web page) sells a kit for adapting the Kubota 03 series engine to aT90 transmission - the web site quote $1400 CDN.

I have no experience with the kit - I am aware that there are a few videos on Utube.

 

Old thread but wondering if anyone has any experience with a swap like this. I have a 0-hour rebuilt Cummins B3.3 (the 4B3.9's little brother) in my garage and a 61 CJ5 with a highly suspect motor. Sooo many projects..

I've put a Merc into a Jeep and the results were not great. Avoid them like the plague. I see very little gained with the Merc over the F-Head.

 

When you say "Merc", what are you referring to, Mercury (as FoMoCo), or Mercury Marine (Keikhaefer)? I know they both have been used in our Jeeps. I've got a Mercury Marine 3.7 liter four stashed for a Jeep project; not a diesel, but torque is close to one.
-Donny

 

Mercedes inline diesel as mentioned above. They are trash in a Jeep. Very unlike most any American diesel you'll find (or even the stock 4-cyl motors we already have), they like/need to rev. Zero low end unless you undersize the turbo (with the boost sol removed), but then you blow head gaskets under any mediocre load (knows first hand). I would never use another one of those motors in any rig other than what they put it in aka a commuter car.

For clarification, I used a 80s inline diesel. I know very little of the newer ones as they cost more than I have or want to spend.

 

What about Perkins, since that is what was factory for the diesel CJ's?

 

I wonder what one weighs. I bet it's not all that far off from the 4B3.9T.

I got my B3.3 with the idea of putting it in an XJ since it's MUCH shorter and lighter than the 4B3.9.

I've looked into the Overland/Kubota setup but they don't seem to bring much more to the table than the F134 (which is rather tractor-y already). If I'm gonna swap a motor, it's gonna have to be better in nearly every way.

 

Novelty..... I'd only bother with an original one. Not a real great swap candidate and nearly impossible to find all the right pieces unless you find one to part out of another CJ.

 

Which is synonymous with expensive

 

According to this brochure from back in the day, they weighed 477 lbs. I intended to weigh my 203 I just brought home, but didn't get it on the scale at work like I had intended... It's kind of a heavy pig...

 

That's crazy.
2(?) pounds heavier than the F-head?

 

Right?? The F134 is a heavy little turd.

 

Jeepermc, you wouldn't happen to have the physical size dimensions on a 192, would ya?

 

That picture looks just like the engine in the ealier video.

 

I could measure one of mine I guess. They're similar in dimension to the F head too I think. I think the diesel is slightly taller though. I only have one in "Jeep dress", and it's currently in my Cj-6, although not running....I've got a 203 loose in the garage that's gonna get the jeep parts and then swapped in place of the 192 until I can afford to rebuild the 192. The 192/203 are hard to find, even harder to find Jeep specific engines.

 

Very different actually.

 

Wow, that's a lot of thoughts. I always wondered what a diesel would be like in a Jeep. I had three Isuzu Luv trucks, great little diesel, 50 mpg. Thought it would be cool to put a Luv truck FWD in a CJ 5. I had a 1927 Rolls Royce Phantom 1, that someone put a Perkins P-6 in before it came to America. We inherited it in 1967 right after we got married, it was a riot to drive around, it weighed 6,500 lbs. so the P6 was perfect for it. It would cruise at 70 mph all day long, got great mileage. The Perkins is a good diesel motor but also heavy. We sold it after 35 years went back to England and was restored back original, with an original Rolls motor now. I like the idea of a diesel in a Cj5, I will watch this conversation.

 

Yeah, I'd think a grunty American style diesel would be more akin to the spirit of the 134s than most modern gassers.

I still like the idea if an Ecotec but have never seen one in a Willys.