Can I Drop a Diesel Engine into My Classic Muscle Car?

This weekend I saw this story from Hot Rod in which John Gilbert is working on his tricked out '66 Chevelle. His aim was to get this classic 60's muscle car ready for the ARMO Booth at SEMA this year. ARMO, he explains for the uninitiated, is an acronym for the Automotive Restoration Market Organization.

I clicked on the article because at first I thought it was unusual that John Gilbert was working on an old car. As it turns out, John Gilbert of Hot Rod fame is not the John Gilbert the car guy who had a syndicated column in which he wrote about new cars. 

I had lunch with the latter John Gilbert once. He had some kind of deal with all the Detroit automakers in which he was given new cars to drive around so he could write about his experiences. Free cars for Gilbert, and publicity for the automakers. Kind of a nice gig if you can get it, eh?

John Gilbert the syndicated columnist drove new cars and didn't fuss with what was under the hood, to my knowledge. 

By way of contrast, John Gilbert of Hot Rod is a grease-under-the-fingernails kind of guy. He knows cars inside and out. At one time he was tech editor for Super Chevy magazine and, if I remember correctly, I believe he is also an artist on the side. Of course for many of us, cars and trucks have always been an art form. 

The objective for Gilbert's project car was to incorporate as many convenience and performance upgrades as possible while maintaining the factory appearance. This overhaul went from front to rear, including wire kits and headers, stainless steel mufflers and more. 

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Now to get to my reason for writing all this. The article made stirred my mind with this thought: Is it possible to drop a diesel engine into a vintage muscle car? What I wondered was whether the Daimler diesel engine I wrote about in September could be dropped into a four-barrel SS or Classic Mustang? Or John Gilbert's Chevelle.

One of the first articles I found on this topic is titled 10 Things to Consider Before Swapping and Engine. The answer is yes you can, but you have to be careful. And what kind of money are you prepared to spend? 

Truck Trend has all the relevant information for those who want to drop a high-powered Duramax diesel engine into a gas-powered truck. The article is titled Our Complete Guide to Parts and Providers for Gas-to-Diesel Engine Swaps. Reading the article through makes it apparent that the undertaking, while possible, is not for the faint of heart.

One of the rules of thumb to be aware of is that to satisfy smog rules, you can't install an engine that is older than the year the truck was produced. Just a word to the wise.

As for engine swaps in trucks, have you ever done it yourself? How did it go?

Till next.

Turbos and Heat: They Get Hot, Hot Hot!

One of the most interesting parts of trade shows is the educational aspect. I’m not simply referring to the seminars and classes many shows offer. Rather, I am referring to the displays many companies produce that show us how things work. 

I remember a display at the Louisville Truck Show that had a transmission made of see-thru plastic so one could witness the manner in which gears and fluids interacted. It was fascinating, especially because we’re accustomed to only seeing the opaque external shell. 

This brief blog post has to do with turbochargers and heat. Turbos are a forced air induction device designed to increase an internal combustion engine’s efficiency and power. (Regular engines rely on air pressure and normal air-flow.) Essentially, the turbo is a compressor that enables more air to be forced into the combustion chamber, along with more fuel.

It was at the AAPEX Show during SEMA Week a few years ago that I saw the most interesting cutaway of a turbocharger. In fact, it was a virtual 3-D projection like a hologram. Someone there pointed out several features, and explained how hot this little spinning area gets. In short, if you don’t have a lubricant up to the challenge, it’s going to be trouble for you.

One of the functions of oil is to reduce friction, a major issue when you consider the RPMs at which a turbo spins. (We’re talking 80,000 to 250,000 RPM, if you can wrap your mind around that.) A second function of the oil is to carry heat away from the hot spots to cool elsewhere. Poor quality oil won’t do either job well, if you have really poor oil it can form carbon deposits, which you really don’t want.

 

Another reason this area of the engine gets so doggone hot is that it’s powered by exhaust gases, which are already hotter than blazes.

Heat can be a real problem, which is why there are precautions associated with turbos. First, researchers have noted that turbochargers have to be carefully matched to the engines they serve. Second, because they get so hot, especially after a hard run, you need to let your engine idle a little before shutting it down. I’ve been told that this one little trick will trick can add significantly to the life of your turbo.

Since replacing a turbo can cost a pretty penny, increasing your turbocharger’s service life is a wise thing to do. You may be able to cut costs with aftermarket replacement parts, but you still want to make sure you have someone help who knows how to do the work. 

There are many little things you can do to make your turbocharger last longer. One of the simplest things to do for preventive maintenance is to check you oil and fluid levels. If the supply is not sufficient to properly lubricate the system, a lot of bad things can happen.

Photo: Remanufactured Cummins Turbo

Over-Fueling Causes Black Smoke

Modifying a Cummins, Powerstroke or Duramax diesel engine with some sort of OBD-II plug-in or computer-controlled engine management system is one of the simplest ways to improve power for diesel racing and pulling. It’s really not that complicated. You don’t have to take the diesel engine apart, and the modifications cost far less than what’s required to get similar power gains as, for example, from a gasoline-powered motor. 

Because diesels “throttle-push” the amount of fuel injected into the engine rather than limiting the amount of air entering the engine, notable power gains can be achieved by just increasing the amount of fuel delivered. All that’s required is the aforementioned electronics box to alter the signals from the onboard computer that controls the timing and length of the fuel injector pulse and the fuel pressure. There are all sorts of diesel tuner boxes on the market that promise plenty of big power.  

While you can make more power with more fuel, if you don’t do it right, exhaust gas temperatures can go out of sight. This can spell eventual death for the diesel engine or turbocharger. Many diesel racers and pullers are unfortunately unaware of such potential engine damage. They love to increase power and are willing to assume some ownership of the risk, and that’s just what you do when you over-fuel a diesel. 

It is only after getting more airflow into, and out of, a diesel engine that max-power can be achieved safely.  These enhancements include a bigger or less restrictive intake path, inducting cooler air, bigger valves or different camshaft timing, a less restrictive exhaust system, increasing cylinder head flow through porting, turbocharging, or supercharging.

It’s no secret that max-power increases happen when you control both fuel and the airflow. If you don’t burn the extra fuel, then you’re increasing the exhaust gas temperature of a diesel engine  If the exhaust temperature isn’t too excessive, and if it occurs for only for a matter of a few seconds at a time, most diesel engines can withstand the abuse without incurring permanent damage, but there is always that risk.  

The telltale sign of over-fueling and lack of a balanced air flow strategy is excessive thick black smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe.

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Reminder: Be sure to check out the live streaming of this Saturday's Blackout in the Country. To find the feed, click on the button at the top of the right hand column.

One Reason Why We Love Diesels: More Torque

Why do we see diesel pickups competing in sled pulls and we don't see Mustangs or Ferraris doing the tug of war? Well, it has to do with torque. Hot cars can master the horsepower game, but when it comes to raw power in a pulling competition, you need to bring in the big dogs for that.

A 2016 article in Car & Driver helps explain what torque is: "Torque is a rotating force produced by an engine's crankshaft. The more torque an engine produces, the greater its ability to perform work." 

You don't need to understand the science to recognize the difference. If you've ever been to a tractor pull, you can see it is a very different experience.

I mention all this because even though diesel engines are far cleaner and quieter than they were thirty years ago, they still get a lot of bad press. Diesel owners have a target on their backs. That's why it is important to remind folks once in a while why half the vehicles in Wyoming are pickup trucks and why diesels still have a function. 

The article that caught my eye is titled, 5 Reasons Why Diesel Engines Make More Torque Than Gasoline Engines. The 2018 Motor Authority story by Jeff Glucker begins, Horsepower is fun in its own way, but torque can be just as entertaining. If you want to rip stumps out of the ground, you'll want a whole lot of torque. That also means you'll likely prefer a diesel engine. Compared to their gasoline-swilling counterparts, diesel engines are the torque kings. Why is that?

Glucker then turns to Jason Fenske from Engineering Explained to get the answer.

According to Fenske these are five of the reasons diesels are Torque Monsters. 

1. The compression ratio

2. The speed of combustion

3. Bore and stroke size

4. Turbocharging

5. Diesel fuel packs more energy density

Fenske explains each of these five points in language that is relatively easy to grasp. For those unfamiliar with these things it is quite eye-opening. I strongly encourage following this link. It's a relatively short article and you will learn a lot.
https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1116200_5-reasons-why-diesel-engines-make-more-torque-than-gasoline-engines

For more, check out the article Torque vs. Horsepower: What's the Difference? (Car & Driver)

Did the Millennium Falcon use OBD-II?

“You’ve never heard of the Millennium Falcon? It’s the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs,” exclaimed Han Solo, starship pilot. We’re sure they had OBD-II. If dashboard’s ‘check engine’ light came on, Han Solo would have known what to do.

For years vehicle manufacturers have fitted on-board diagnostic (OBD) systems that provide codes to help identify specific issues. You can find the most recent diesel powertrain codes for Duramax, Powerstroke, and Cummins in the right column of this blog. (See the button Diesel Technical Bulletins.)  

But what are these systems and what do these codes mean? Put simply, an OBD system, or on-board diagnostic system, is an on-board computer fitted to your diesel engine that monitors the performance of your truck, including its powertrain, ignition, gearbox and emissions system.

When the truck’s on-board diagnostics system identifies a problem with the vehicle’s performance, it turns on a dashboard warning light and registers a code that identifies the issue.

This engine code, called a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC), is stored in the OBD-II system and can only be accessed by connecting a scan, or diagnostic tool into the OBD-II diagnostic socket and reading the DTC off the display of the scanner.

This light is to let you know that a possible fault has developed in the engine management system or another function and may require attention. When you see this appear, check your handbook for instructions on what action to take for your make and model of vehicle.

Diagnostic Trouble Codes, also known as engine fault codes, are five-digit codes that identify a particular problem in the car. These codes are displayed on the scanning tool when it’s connected to the OBD system.

The five-digit DTC includes one letter usually followed by four numbers (e.g. P1234). Each individual combination of letters and numbers relates to a specific problem within the car, whether a generic issue or a manufacturer-specific error.

A DTC won’t tell you which specific part of your car needs fixing or replacing, but it will tell you -- or your mechanic -- what you need to test in order to diagnose the issue. Within the five-digit DTC, one of four letters (P, B, C, U) always comes first and relates to the part of the car that has the issue: P - powertrain, B - body, C - chassis, and U - network.

The second digit (either 0 or 1) relates to whether it’s a general issue (0) or a manufacturer specific problem (1), while the third corresponds to the specific system with the issue, such as the ignition, and can be either a number or letter. The final two digits are numbers that relate to the specific fault description, and there is no pre-approved key to help decode these final two digits. 

“May the Force be with you,” --Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi Master.

World's Fastest Door Slammer

It’s been an on-again, off-again year for the Outlaw Diesel Super Series (ODSS). However, most recently the ODSS finale event sparked national attention with a new speed record for the Firepunk Diesel S-10 Pro Mod Race Truck.

The S-10 diesel powered pick-up not only retained its title as the world’s fastest diesel door slammer, but it also extended the world record to 4.213 seconds at 178 mph in the eighth-mile at the Hardway Sunshine Showdown at Emerald Coast Dragway. The run also secured another Pro Mod championship for the Firepunk Diesel S-10 Pro Mod race truck.

“We finished the season undefeated without losing a single race and topped it off by setting an all new world record as the fastest diesel truck on the planet," said Kyle Fischer, Hot Shot’s Secret Director of Branding & Promotions and a sponsor of the S-10. “You can’t ask for a more exciting finish to this season. It was amazing to be there and see the results. Congratulations to Lavon Miller and to the entire Firepunk Diesel team.”

Firepunk Diesel purchased the S10 in 2019 and gave it a Hot Shot’s Secret themed wrap at the beginning of the season. The season began at the Suncoast Spring Shakedown where Larson Miller collected gold in the Pro Mod where he pulled off a 4.28-second pass in qualifying and a 4.36 at 173 mph in the semi-finals. Throughout the season Miller, car #3393, never lost a race. He finished the season with 198 points followed by Ben Shadday, #6250, at 98 points. The diesel S-10 will finish racing this year at South Georgia Motorsports Park in October.

Where Do You Turn When You Have Trouble?

I'm not talking about trouble with the law here. I mean, who do you turn to when the Check Engine light comes on or you fry some wires, or your engine keeps shutting off while driving?

In the old days, it helped to have a friend who was a mechanic whom you could call in time of need, assuming you were near a phone. We didn't have cell phones then. (Even better would be a brother.) Today we have something still better. Diesel forums.

Yesterday someone had a dash fire in their Powerstroke and has been dealing with shorted brake light switch wires. Within 16 hours he had five people discussing the situation with him.

Nine hours ago someone named Juniebuck posted some steps they had taken to resolve some issues in their Powerstroke and less than an hour ago there were suggestions of steps that could be taken.

In short, online forums have been a real life saver for all kinds of vehicle owners, especially those in the Diesel World. Instead of relying on your brother, you have a whole family of diesel lovers, many of them directly experienced with your engine type, whether Duramax, Powerstroke or Cummins.

IF YOU LOOK below in the right hand column you'll find links to a full range of diesel forums. If yours isn't listed I would like to add it. Please leave the name and URL in the comments.

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