NC Lurker

[BabyDiesel]

Good evening y'all! I have been a lurking around here for a couple years... even with a profile! Feels good to finally come out of the closet

I'm a country boy going for an agricultural degree. I've grown up driving gas guzzlers my whole life... so my current car is a bit radical even after two years of ownership!

I own a 1998 Ford Escort ZX2 with the 2.0 Zetec DOHC motor and ATX. It has 253,000 on the original motor and tranny I have modded it somewhat with the following - max. tire pressure, Spectre drop-in filter, filter housing mod, full synthetic everyoils, involuntary passenger mirror delete, muffler delete, and as of this weekend, the coveted SCANGAUGE!!!

There is still a lot of room for improvement though... I am getting 33-34 according to my SG

The hog I own is a 1988 Chevrolet K5 Blazer it is broke down at the moment. Gave up on a 6.2 diesel-manual conversion awhile ago to focus more on school smh...

That be me though

[MetroMPG]

Welcome, BabyDiesel!

The ZX2 is nothing to sneeze at, though the automatic is holding you back. Still, you'll still beat the diesel conversion with the A.T.

I chuckled ad the "involuntary" passenger mirror delete.

Might want to consider getting a muffler back on there though -- the back pressure helps lower RPM engine efficiency. Which is where we spend most of our time driving.

[BabyDiesel]

MetroMPG - The ZX2 is a great car, no doubt. I have acheived a few hand calculated 40+ mpg tanks with the ZX2 (pre-SG). If driven right, it does not seem to hinder fuel efficiency as bad as one would think. Especially considering the ATX slurps up 10% more power than the MTX!

The mirror LOL. That was from a mailbox during the spring semester

I'm going to second the muffler undeletion. Even with the cat and resonator left on with 1 7/8" pipe out the back, it has lost some low end (1000-2000)... I'll run an A-B test and report the findings back! Would the stocker do well or would a long glasspack or Thrush muffler suffice??

[BabyDiesel]

I'm still contemplating a diesel-manual swap with WVO on the K5... fuel cost of 4-6 cent per mile vs. 20-25 per mile with the gas motor creates some dreams during the day

[MetroMPG]

Yup, WVO tilts the equation, doesn't it?

I can't really say which muffler would be best. My guess is the difference would be tilted slightly toward the stock one, but in real life the difference would probably be close to impossible to detect/test.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by BabyDiesel

I'm still contemplating a diesel-manual swap with WVO on the K5...

I guess you already know that IDIs are more suitable to run on WVO. Despite the popularity of the Cummins 4BT engines for repowerings, the GM 6.2 and 6.5 are still a good option for what you're willing to do. BTW you may also consider to get an electric fan for the radiator instead of the engine-driven one.

[BabyDiesel]

MetroMPG - It really does. The start up cost is what's stopping me. One day it will happen! And I'm going to go with a 25-30" Thrush glasspack for my muffler as my brother has already took the old muffler to the scrapyard -_-

Rooster! - You're correct, I do know about the IDI's. I was planning on a 6.2 powerplant. Oil Pan 4's pre-turbo build is what I would be copying with my own twist... Amazing work he did! The 4BT or 4BTA is an awesome option in longevity and durability, but they are seriously over-rated to me. People see the Big C and think it's worth it's weight in gold

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

I still believe you could consider some sort of forced induction...

Originally Posted by BabyDiesel

People see the Big C and think it's worth it's weight in gold

I actually like Cummins engines.

[BabyDiesel]

I still believe you could consider some sort of forced induction...

I have considered a turbo on a 6.2L. However, a reoccuring theme when they are turbocharged is that FE goes down my guess is that they are suddenly more fun to drive!

If I were to turbo... I'd want a small turbo that would spool quickly (i.e. 90-100% by 2000 rpm) and max out the boost at 5-6 psi. If I'm thinking right, this would help low-rpm efficiency while sacrificing top-end <-(Don't care for TE!)

I actually like Cummins engines.

I like as well. I'm definitely not anti-Cummins! My post probably came off that way... didn't mean to step on toes. I just do not like the fact that the motor has become a kind of hyper fad in the automotive world, resulting in higher prices for used motors, parts and vehicles that they come in. Of course, part of this comes from the fact that they are great motors! There are other options out there for economical minded though

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by BabyDiesel

I have considered a turbo on a 6.2L. However, a reoccuring theme when they are turbocharged is that FE goes down my guess is that they are suddenly more fun to drive!

Actually, in Diesels, a turbocharger leads to an increasement in the efficiency.