[basjoos]

Another potential source of inexpensive used diesel engines are the small diesels that power the compressor on the front of refrigerated semi-trailers. They are typically 2 to 3 cylinders and 30 to 40 hp. Should be plenty of them available from decommissioned or wrecked trailers. They use a ton of them in the trucking industry, so parts should be readily available, and they have to be totally reliable because the shippers wouldn’t tolerate losing many trailer loads of perishables from breakdowns on the road.