Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - PICS! Econo Car conversion to Kubota Diesel. 1997 Geo Metro, Kubota D1005 3 cylinder

kimer6 · 11-04-2015, 08:48 PM

Great job!

The drawbacks...darned generator engine is set to 1800 RPM. I messed with governor springs to get 3600. The injection timing is fixed...by shims...and has no advance mechanism like in car diesels. Tolerable but not ideal. Under certain load conditions the fuel rack will go wide open...and the little Metro will roll coal like a tweaked Cummins with a hot rod chip...huge black cloud right in front of the cops.

I was going to add a piece...fuel integrator of sorts... from a turbo Kubota that helped limit the fuel rack under certain conditions but it never happened. The other thing I thought about doing was to link the fuel rack right to the throttle cable with no direct connection to the governor. My foot would limit the total amount of fuel and keep smoke to a minimum.

After all was said and done, the car with 5 speed was a pleasure from 30 to 50mph on back woods roads with a few hills. It was downright dangerous on the freeway when I came to my first major hill. 65 was possible on flat lands.

Driving was weird with the governor. You could take off and floor it in first and then it hit a flat spot where it just would not rev any more. It was like you hit the brakes. But leave it floored, push in the clutch and grab second, let out, and it would accelerate again until it hit the governor. Very odd. Good for smiles.

I have a small KKK turbo on my turbo/blower shelf and MAYBE I will plumb it in some day. You described it best...100 ideas, 3 projects, never finished. I am wanting to make a rat rod truck with my Detroit 3-53 marine diesel. The same engine was going to be a trailer mounted margarita mixer but I think cruising Pismo Beach in a rat truck will be the proper path.

Need a skid plate for that Kubota oil pan, it hangs a little low, and also move the oil filter to the left front of the block as the right axle goes dead center through the filter as it sits. The in-tank fuel pump works fine but you need to flush out ALL of the gasoline in the tank, make a bonfire, and put fresh diesel in the tank. Run the fuel feed line from the tank into a tee with one leg to the engine fuel lift pump and the other line to the return line to the tank so it won't overload the in-tank pump.

Keep up the good work.

11-04-2015, 08:48 PM	#30 (permalink)
kimer6 EcoModding Apprentice Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Carson City, Nv Posts: 113 Thanks: 5 Thanked 26 Times in 21 Posts	Great job! The drawbacks...darned generator engine is set to 1800 RPM. I messed with governor springs to get 3600. The injection timing is fixed...by shims...and has no advance mechanism like in car diesels. Tolerable but not ideal. Under certain load conditions the fuel rack will go wide open...and the little Metro will roll coal like a tweaked Cummins with a hot rod chip...huge black cloud right in front of the cops. I was going to add a piece...fuel integrator of sorts... from a turbo Kubota that helped limit the fuel rack under certain conditions but it never happened. The other thing I thought about doing was to link the fuel rack right to the throttle cable with no direct connection to the governor. My foot would limit the total amount of fuel and keep smoke to a minimum. After all was said and done, the car with 5 speed was a pleasure from 30 to 50mph on back woods roads with a few hills. It was downright dangerous on the freeway when I came to my first major hill. 65 was possible on flat lands. Driving was weird with the governor. You could take off and floor it in first and then it hit a flat spot where it just would not rev any more. It was like you hit the brakes. But leave it floored, push in the clutch and grab second, let out, and it would accelerate again until it hit the governor. Very odd. Good for smiles. I have a small KKK turbo on my turbo/blower shelf and MAYBE I will plumb it in some day. You described it best...100 ideas, 3 projects, never finished. I am wanting to make a rat rod truck with my Detroit 3-53 marine diesel. The same engine was going to be a trailer mounted margarita mixer but I think cruising Pismo Beach in a rat truck will be the proper path. Need a skid plate for that Kubota oil pan, it hangs a little low, and also move the oil filter to the left front of the block as the right axle goes dead center through the filter as it sits. The in-tank fuel pump works fine but you need to flush out ALL of the gasoline in the tank, make a bonfire, and put fresh diesel in the tank. Run the fuel feed line from the tank into a tee with one leg to the engine fuel lift pump and the other line to the return line to the tank so it won't overload the in-tank pump. Keep up the good work.