Quote:
Originally Posted by bhtooefr
The problem with the industrial diesels is that they're *HEAVY* for the power output.
And, an 800 cc industrial diesel, you're looking at around 20 hp assuming watercooled, until you turbo it.
For diesels, the 800 cc 3-cyl used in the Smart ForTwo is an excellent choice - very lightweight with good power density and emissions compliance.
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Yes Industrial diesels are heavy for the HP output compared to gas engines of similar displacement. However they are far more dependable and will last far longer if maintained decently.
More advantages are the fuel economy you will get with these engines. Any 2 cylinder industrial diesel in a properly designed light weight aerodynamic vehicle will give you 125-150mpg all day long. A gas engine will not do this for many reasons. So if you are after MPG than an industrial diesel is what you want actually but you can not just drop it in any old vehicle and expect huge MPG numbers its not that easy! The vehicle has to be purpose built from the ground up.
The Smart 800cc diesel will give you over 100mpg in the right vehicle and is not a bad option if you can get one in the US
This is why an industrial diesel is more attractive and in fact a better option compared to the smart diesel. With the industrial diesel you can go with a .5L tiny engine and supercharge it as well as hybridize it to make up for the small displacement when you need it for those rare occasions. The majority of the time however you are taking advantage of the small displacement and fuel miser abilities. Just like in racing you can not make up for displacement well the same goes for ecomodding where fuel economy (MPG) is the number 1 goal!
With the industrial diesel you can easily get it in the US and parts depending on the manufacturer can be easily had. Now I will say this though parts for industrial diesels are not cheap but taken care of you will not have to be purchasing many parts ever besides your oil filter regularly.