Swapping a petrol engine for diesel

[Magic Potion]

I thought there was a thread a little while back some one enquire into a Ruston engines fitted to his boat,that was based on the land rover lump

 

This one? linky

[Athy]

Going back a few posts, I have just found out that a (possibly "the") 6LK survives in preservation. I saw a recent photo of it, but sadly it looked as if it was stuffed and mounted rather than actually driving anything. I've also, on the internet, turned up pictures of a Mark 1 (?) Land Rover and a Rolls Royce saloon, both driven by 4LK engines. These are current installations, the vehicles were prizewinners at a recent rally.

[ditchcrawler]

40 years ago I knew of a Damlar Dart with a Gardner engine in Gt Yarmouth

[larkshall]

Oh yes you would.. friends of ours have a Volvo kad32 4 cylinder turbo charged and supercharged diesel in their fairline, it is an awesome flexible engine that devolps a nice 170 odd bhp.

 

Some of the bigger boats have a pair of v10 Cummins that must sound awesome on full chat.

 

Hmm Fairline is hardly a canal boat is it?.

 

Anyway, you want horsepower then http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=peterbilt%20379%20for%20sale&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&ved=0CCwQtwIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D0LRZbjch0D8&ei=GG9QUL2zI4K_0QWurYGQCg&usg=AFQjCNFtXJ0VavZzoX9ja2j803HeCswBsQ

[Timleech]

Going back a few posts, I have just found out that a (possibly "the") 6LK survives in preservation. I saw a recent photo of it, but sadly it looked as if it was stuffed and mounted rather than actually driving anything. I've also, on the internet, turned up pictures of a Mark 1 (?) Land Rover and a Rolls Royce saloon, both driven by 4LK engines. These are current installations, the vehicles were prizewinners at a recent rally.

 

I think Paul Gardner had/has the 6LK, though may be wrong.

 

Quite a few car-type vehicles have been fitted with 4LK engines over the years. There's a boat here with a 4LK which came out of a Lagonda. I think Gardners fitted at least one into a Mk IX Jag.

 

Tim

[mrsmelly]

True, performance diesel vehicles are turbo, with intercooler and a suitable chip set.

However in most cars 75 - 150BHP is called for and this would make a canal boat exceed 4mph!

 

Not at all true. My buddy has a 120 hp 6 cylinder diesel in his 50 ft barge and it can pootle along at 1 mph no problem.

 

Tim

[Gibbo]

Personally for me a 'sports car' has to have a petrol engine.

 

Diesels are great for what they do but I for one don't get the concept of the current VW Sirocco Diesel for example - it just seems 'wrong' somehow.

 

Why not? Have you seen what wins Le Mans for the last few years?

 

The chance (read price!) of any design authority for a fully electronic diesel engine making a version for marine use would seem rare and very expensive, it would also need the diagnostic kit to be accessible bankside.

 

They've been doing it for years in off-shore boats. Never causes them a problem.

[carlt]

Having recently swapped a tractor engined tow car for an LPG one I will never go back.

[Black Ibis]

I have photos of a vintage Bentley fitted with a Gardner 4LW, and of a 1934 Invicta sports car with a 6LK. The latter reached a speed of 98 m.p.h.

 

[ditchcrawler]

Having recently swapped a tractor engined tow car for an LPG one I will never go back.

How do the running cost compare disel to gas?

Edited September 13, 2012 by ditchcrawler

[Keeping Up]

Comparing petrol and diesel engines: I've just swapped my petrol-engined Mazda 6 for it's diesel equivalent. Same size engine but 10% more power, 100% more torque, 100% more mpg, 5% quicker 0-60, and 8% higher top speed. Slightly heavier steering with maybe a touch more understeer but I can put up with that and with it sounding like a tractor. I wonder what percentage propulsion I should claim for the fuel?

[nebulae]

Had a Rolls Royce with a 6.2 litre G.M.v8 diesel.Same block as the Rolls engine.Sounds like a tractor,but wafts along and does 30 to the gallon.Most Rolls Royce cars do very few miles when they are in their dotage due to awsome fuel consumption.I used this one as it was reliable and cheap to run(and it had a towbar)Its on Utube with its new owner(diesel Rolls Royce)

[Split Pin]

I thought there was only one 6LK ever built, as a prototype, got the impression it had never been used, or is that wrong?

 

Tim

 

Pic of the 6LK Link on display at the Anson Engine Museum in 2004,

 

As Athy commented it was fitted to a 1934 Invicta. There is also a pictuure of the Invicta with a 4LK fitted later in the album

The 6LK is owned by Paul Gardner who loaned it to the Museum for the exhibition

 

Steve

Edited February 15, 2013 by Split Pin

[NB Alnwick]

How much heavier is a diesel 1800 than a petrol one then ?

 

I had always understood that the diesel was not a lot more substantially built than the petrol - one of the criticisms sometimes levelled against it ?

 

There isn't much difference in the weight - many petrol engined MGBs shared the same basic beefed-up crankcase and crank that had been adapted for the diesel version of the 1800 cc B Series engine - together with many other common components - some of the ancillaries are a bit heavier (the starter motor was mentioned) but then the diesel didn't have to carry the twin SU carbs of the petrol engine so all in all the weight would still be about the same. Of course, as a competition engine, the 'B Series', even in its tuned petrol form was far too heavy - all that cast iron carries a very real weight penalty which is why firms like Vic Derrington and HRG manufactured lightweight aluminium cylinder heads and other lightweight components for them. All in all, the 'B Series' diesel is probably best suited to powering a narrow boat.

 

There have been a number of successful engine transplants that have improved the performance and economy of the basic MGB concept - the latest (and probably best) of these being the LE50 from Frontline Developments

 

Edited to add that before anyone gets excited, the 'new' MGB is £52,700.00 . . .

Edited February 15, 2013 by NB Alnwick

[LEO]

Because of the extra weight of the diesel the MGB would need the front suspension coil springs uprating, if not the car would feel very flat and dead at the front end and would probably regularly hit its bump stops. Would also make the steering heavier.

 

hi,

 

Agree with you, the MGC was a poor car to drive, the big cast iron lump made them too front heavy.

 

The best drive was the Rover engined BGT and the Costello conversions were good.

 

I still have an MGB owned by me since new with 32000 on the clock, not brill to drive, no power steering and relatively slow, but nice in overdrive.

 

Marinas (especially the 1.8TC?) dreadful to drive.

 

Just collected a Hyundai ix35 2litre diesel, nice car to drive.

 

Leo.

[LEO]

Because of the extra weight of the diesel the MGB would need the front suspension coil springs uprating, if not the car would feel very flat and dead at the front end and would probably regularly hit its bump stops. Would also make the steering heavier.

 

hi,

 

Agree with you, the MGC was a poor car to drive, the big cast iron lump made them too front heavy.

 

The best drive was the Rover engined BGT and the Costello conversions were good.

 

I still have an MGB owned by me since new with 32000 on the clock, not brill to drive, no power steering and relatively slow, but nice in overdrive.

 

Marinas (especially the 1.8TC?) dreadful to drive.

 

Just collected a Hyundai ix35 2litre diesel, nice car to drive.

 

Leo.

[springy]

Semi Diesel Beetle anyone ?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mCSMOXcTMYQ

 

 

 

 

Maybe a little tail heavy !

 

I once saw an XJ6 with a 6cyl ford York diesel .... yuk

 

 

 

 

springy