Geo Metro convertible / Kubota diesel engine conversion (driving!) - Page 11 - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

kimer6 · 05-08-2013, 01:36 AM

Thank you. The car is in storage. The State of California will never let me register it as a diesel. They hate diesels here, even this 70mpg one. I will drive it unlicensed during the coming zombie apocalypse. I share your enthusiasm for diesels and prefer old school mechanical injection types for rugged reliability. I adapted a 6.5 GM turbodiesel to my old boat and it is powerful, fast, and fuel efficient. Link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDyQ_VeZKx0

Sean.Heihn · 05-08-2013, 01:55 AM

This makes me want to buy a Euro market 1nd-TV turbo diesel to swap with my Yaris' 1nz-fe gas engine' except they want a crazy amount for them, I found one for £1000 but it's just the block, head, crankshaft, pistons, cams, etc internals, no outside bits like turbo, starter, etc, plus I don't know if my transmission will work, I know the diesel Yarii came with 6 speed manuals.

a8ksh4 · 05-08-2013, 02:01 AM

Hey, Kimer, now that your in NV (so shows your profile, I assume you were in CA before), can you register the car???

a8ksh4 · 05-08-2013, 02:01 AM

Also, btw, your youtube video that you posted is set to private. Can we see it?

cRiPpLe_rOoStEr · 05-13-2013, 01:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kimer6

The car is in storage. The State of California will never let me register it as a diesel. They hate diesels here, even this 70mpg one.

Gotta hate the tree-huggers for their stupidity. Diesels nowadays are getting cleaner than gassers

Quote:

I share your enthusiasm for diesels and prefer old school mechanical injection types for rugged reliability.

There is no school like the old school

Also, older Diesels are less prone to failures with alternative fuels.

Quote:

I adapted a 6.5 GM turbodiesel to my old boat and it is powerful, fast, and fuel efficient.

It's not actually my favorite engine, but makes more sense to use in a boat than any gasser. As a last resource you'd be able to run it even on fish liver oil

kimer6 · 05-13-2013, 03:04 AM

Hey...for $400 that was what I got. Lucky to find mechanical injection and the good 509 casting not knowing anything about it ahead of time. Lucky it ran well! It turned out to be lighter than the Ford diesel. I also have a marine Detroit 3-53 but it is horribly heavy and half the power. This 6.5 engine is borderline too heavy for the stern of the boat. The 3 batteries are in the bow under the floor and the fuel tank is far forward to get it trimmed right. But I would do it again. Like they say, you can fly a brick given enough power.

I have to look at my old videos to remember when 13 mph was all I could get with the Perkins 4107 inboard diesel and it would overheat after 2 minutes wide open.The tide runs 6mph here and sometimes you think you go backwards. It is nice to know that it will now do 38mph if necessary....at the cost of 5 gallons per hour. The other bonus is that I have a much bigger open space in the center of the boat by making it into a stern drive. It makes for a good overnight camper in the Delta.

Yes, tree hugging politicians have an agenda. Any readers in the UK and Europe know that any diesel that gets less than 60mpg is worthless. These vehicles are not allowed to be imported in the USA. We have few used diesel engine choices. Yes, I live in California near San Francisco. We have plenty of regulations to deal with here with no room for home experimenters.

I would have preferred the Toyota Starlet diesel for my Metro but being a really cheap chap, I was not wanting to pay $1800 for an imported one. I put in the Kubota from a light tower that was wrecked and bought 2 engines for that magic $400 number again. I paid what both sellers asked without talking them down. I get lucky every so often.

rmay635703 · 05-13-2013, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kimer6

I would have preferred the Toyota Starlet diesel for my Metro but being a really cheap chap, I was not wanting to pay $1800 for an imported one. I put in the Kubota from a light tower that was wrecked and bought 2 engines for that magic $400 number again. I paid what both sellers asked without talking them down. I get lucky every so often.

But is the metro licensed

kimer6 · 05-14-2013, 01:21 AM

No, the Metro is not licensed. I would have to put the gas engine back in, smog it, then drop the diesel in and hope I never got caught. California has MOBILE emissions check points in random roadway traps like sobriety checkpoints. They flag you in, they run the car on the dyno. Sucks, huh?

cRiPpLe_rOoStEr · 05-19-2013, 09:03 AM

All that witch-hunting against Diesels is pointless.

oil pan 4 · 05-19-2013, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kimer6

No, the Metro is not licensed. I would have to put the gas engine back in, smog it, then drop the diesel in and hope I never got caught. California has MOBILE emissions check points in random roadway traps like sobriety checkpoints. They flag you in, they run the car on the dyno. Sucks, huh?

You should move out of there before the eco nazis start shooting people on site.

Most parts of NewMexico have no vehicle inspection.