Corvette V8 diesel conversion - 40 mpg (US) avg.
 

http://ecomodder.com/imgs/diesel-vette.jpg

More info & engine pic: The Diesel Page - Readers' rigs

That is a pretty genius engine swap...talk about having your cake and eating it too!

Very cool...

I recently saw a diesel conversion of a 5th gen Honda Civic hatchback (the same age as my car), at least I assume it was a diesel converion. It had an official looking Diesel logo sticker in the location where the Civic CX/VX.DX normally is on the tailgate. I'm guessing they had swapped a Rabbit or Golf engine/transmission into the car.

that is pretty amazing mpg for a V-8, even if it is diesel.

They can do better with trans/gearing upgrades. ;)

Good point. I'm not sure what this means... did they upgrade?

Means it has a .70 4th gear overdrive. And they probably have a toggle switch or something on the dashboard to lock the torque converter. :)

700r4 is basically the older non electronic controlled version of what GM is using in current cars. I would guess it has 2.73:1 rear end ratio plus the .70 overdrive and probably 225-70/15 tires so it does pretty low rpms at highway speeds.

According to that guess it's still at around 1250rpm@55mph. Good for a 4L engine, but still kinda high for a 6.5L lump. With something like 6+L idling down the highway at 55mph is probably the best bet.

after reading that id be curious to see how the 6.2 diesel would do , or a powerstroke in a mustang

Actually this guy has been around for some time.

One thing he had working for him is that everything GM ever built will bolt up into everything GM ever built, so the engine conversion had some minor challenges but since that model corvette could have had a 454, the 6.5 was an easy conversion. Going with the mechanically-injected NA 6.5 saved him a bunch of heartache doing electronic brain surgery or the plumbing involved with turbo engines.

The 700R4 is probably the reason he doesn’t drive it more. I had a 6.2 with a 700R4 and went through transmissions like a teenager through potato chips. Not just noise but spectacular failures with parts and tranny fluid scattered down the road.

I do agree that much better performance could be possible with a stick and a very low gear ratio, but getting much below 3.08 is problematic. A T56 has a 0.5:1 overdrive that would drop RPM a lot.

This is a very do-able conversion. There are lots of C4s and some older C5 ‘Vettes available for under ten grand. Find one with a stick – stick ‘Vettes are moderately common – hoist out the gas engine and bolt on the 6.5 (or 6.2 if you really want good MPG.) You will have to monkey with the accessory drives a bit.

Get a set of front springs for a 454. The 6.5 is 200 lb heavier than a mouse motor.

‘Vette have good aerodynamics to start with as long as you stay away from the “Sting Ray” mid-60s versions, but these are all held by collectors anyway. ‘Vettes take a little getting used to. To many people they seem “loose.” They are. Fiberglass has a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than sheet steel has, so the car has to be built loose so it won’t buckle in mid-summer.

Why not install a 4L80 from GM. That would handle the diesel with no problem.

Here's a thought:
Get a late-model C4 or early model C5 'Vette with a stick and instead of the 6.2 or 6.5, find a Benz engine out of a Sprinter van. 150 HP. 280 ft-lb @ 1200-2400 RPM. Much lighter and the RPM is OK for running chevy accessories.

I bet 60 MPG would be achievable. Would that ever give the TDI guys heartburn.

That would awesome. I do not think it would be that hard to find a vette with a bad or no motor for cheap.

This is really good mpg for a vette. That engine is really jammed in there (not room for much anything else).

With a fiberglass body, you can use it as your winter car!
Just make sure other corvett owners don't flogg you.

Other 'Vette owners would be up in arms. You'd have to be like this guys - doing a "Corvette Rescue."

A C5 with 3.45 gears and a T56 manual cruises in top gear at 1300 RPM - just perfect for the Benz sprinter engine.

Sprinter engines should be available in junkyards of from rebuilders like Jasper in a year or two.

You think that 'Vette engine compartment is tight, you should see my Super Duty. I'm pretty sure they had to grease the engine to get the cab down on it.

I found a source for the Sprinter engine. About $4500 for a rebuilt I-5 2.7 liter diesel. Not a bad price for a rebuilt diesel.

No dimensions, but just looking at it I see a problem. Like all inline engines it is tall and would have to go into an engine bay desgned for a 90 degree Vee engine.

There are v6 diesels available. I know VW has at least 1, but I'll bet Mercedes does as well.
This is awesome, and another higher MPG one would be even cooler. (just incase you thought the TDI guys would be mad lol)

My thought on ultimate tdi fuel economy is a Polo 1.6 tdi (or equiv. from another manufacture) in an insight (or Aero Civic).

2008 Sprinters come with a 3.0 V-6 that looks a lot like their Blue-Tec engine. There is no chance of getting one on the used market right now. a crate motor might go over $15,000. That will change with time.

The corvette is a very seductive start. It is light, sturdy, and aerodynamically excellent.

Well... I wouldn't call that Corvette aerodynamically excellent. I can't find the Cd for that body style, but I'm betting it's well above .30.

I think the 'Vette' Cd is about 0.30.

All the same, starting out with a 'Vette sure beats starting out with a pickup truck or station wagon or SUV.

I'm a huge fan of sprinters, that would be awesome.


Any idea on frontal area on a vette?
CD may not be all that great, but should be reasonable.
Could do a lot of different small front engine rear drive cars similar to this.
I wanted to do a Diesel Supra for a while, but the Idea never got off the ground.

Along similiar lines, a .32CD vw corrado (19.4 sq ft area) and a tdi might bolt together pretty well, add a hiway gear and off you go.

edit: oops the tdi corrado has been done, a few times:

swap thread:
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2303271

I'd like a 3.8 V6 gas... 6 speed manual. With overpumped 205s and geared high enough, that would get amazing highway numbers while truly being a gran turismo.

vette's for sale

http://www.usedcorvettesforsale.com/..._price&a_d=asc

my specs
92 LT1 auto, Dana 36 2.59 ratio, 700R4
6.27 CdA
Weighs 3200#, 800# per wheel
Tires 11" wide
Best one tank highway mileage 30.

The engine from the bottom of the pan to the top of the intake it is 24" high.

my buddy started hypermiling his 90 vette and hes pullin off 38mpg..

up from his 29mpg average..

if hes only pullin 40mpg with that serious of an engine swap,
he needs to learn how to drive..
The cost of diesel vs premium isn't that big of a deal..

but the torque combined with the low weight of the car would make that a serious hypermiling machine..

I know this is a scary thought for some of you, but what about the 5.7L Olds diesel in a Vette? Those things got 30 MPG in Fleetwoods and Lesabres. GM even made a 4.3L V-6 diesel off the Olds block. I also know that they put the 5.7Ls in trucks with a manual trans.

Finding a working 5.7 or 4.3 diesel will take some serious looking. They would bolt right up, though.

6.2s and 6.5s are readily available and are generally more reliable engines. Newer ones (still avaialble through Hummer dealerships) are quite a bit better than the old ones but at the price of increased weight. 1000 lb for new vs 700 lb for old. a well rebuilt 6.5 T would last forever in a Corvette. Again, these engines are bolt-ups. The Vette's T-56 has a 0.5:1 ratio top gear that can take advantage of the tremendous torque of the 6.5 or 6.2. 70 MPH @ 1200 RPM. GM diesel guys will tell you that the 6.2 - with its smaller pre-cups - gives better MPG but these engines have cooling issues.

Putting a 6.5 in a C5 Corvette would be a fairly easy engine swap project as such projects go. The gearing would be optimized from the git-go and a perusal of Bonneville 'Vettes would give good insight into aero improvements. No point re-inventing the wheel if somebody else has already done the work.

'93 Corvette Calloway CR-1 aero package best Cd

what can you do about the 275/35/17's? (11" wide)


5.7L Olds diesel, the engine that single handly changed the motor car as we know it.

Good Luck affording a Calloway, let alone the Zr1 it was based off of.

But take a Look at the aero package on one for some good ideas . . .

Theres a C6 in the family, and I've driven it several times.... http://lesbaru.com/stuff/Picture/C6/C64.jpg

Even with the 6 liter V8, I can get the MPG on the heads up display to read well over 40 MPG regularly, cruising along. Up until about 60 mph, if you drive it like a normal car, it gets well above 30 mpg almost constantly. Even at 75 mph the engine is still pretty much idling. I'm sure he could do better, but I bet he isn't driving it like I am, and I don't blame him. :)

Talked to a buddy with an 08 ZO6 (7 Liter 505 hp) Bone stock.
He took in on vacation and got 36mpg (calculated) round trip. Not bad at all for a "supercar". Not great for a normal car, but well . . . . . .

my buddy rob called me earlier today and said he pulled off 41mpg in his stock 1990? vette..

I wonder what the epa rating combined is for that one..

Just goes to show the importance of starting with an aerodynamic vehicle to get good MPG. Its reinforced by how poor MPG that trucks get and how bad aerodynamically they are.

My Dad used to have a '05-(I think) Z06. I also noted high 30's and 40-ish on the HUD during 6th-gear cruise.

Side Note: I'll be honest -- the one vehicle I've driven that scared me to drive it as was intended (traction control off) :D...:eek:

RH77

oh, I donno.. 33mpg isnt too bad for a truck :thumbup:

4 wheel drive hurts the mileage as bad as the profile. I know someone who just bought a new Equinox.(SUV) I could not believe the mileage 18-19 mpg avg. My stock Caravan gets 28 mpg and I can haul more cargo.

So why hasn't anyone converted a minivan to diesel?

Diesel in a Camaro vs. Vette?
 

Hi Y'all,

I feel that a Camaro would be a much better platform than a Vette. It is much easier to modify and is more practical.

The 4.3L diesel is underpowered and unreliable, but it does have some great torque. Here a seller claims to have one, but I seriously doubt it: eBay 310032148099. Likely it is a 5.7L diesel V8.

A 4.3L injection pump is available on eBay for $295 and the rebuilt engine long block is available at any Chevy dealer, for a tidy fee. Make your own steel fuel lines and accessory drive mounts.

FYI: The Chevy Colorado is available as a crew cab diesel in Vietnam. Chevy should take a hint as that front end ROCKS! The EPA is killing light truck and auto diesels!
http://www.isuzu-vietnam.com/view_pr...443C&spegrID=1

Heck, I could get a '78 El Camino show truck for next to nothing, then drop in a used 6.5L Turbo, 6-speed T-56 manual trans and a set of 2.73:1 gears with positraction. $$$ sponsors anyone? I'll do the fabrication work. :cool:

Cowspots