PICS! Econo Car conversion to Kubota Diesel. 1997 Geo Metro, Kubota D1005 3 cylinder

[kimer6]

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.

[oil pan 4]

The most important question is will this one be able to roll coal too?

[kimer6]

Roll Coal. Absolutely!

So you like 6.5 Chevy diesels? I put this one together.

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

[oil pan 4]

I don't roll coal with my 6.5L one I am too cheap, 2 I run a mechanical injection pump so if I wanted to it would take an hour to tear into the engine turn up the rate screw then bleed the air out then another hour to undo the excess smoke.

What all did you build that 6.5L with?
People who build 6.5Ls tend to grab anything laying around and bolt it to the engine so there are some interesting combos.

[kimer6]

Its a stock 6.5 with +1/3 turn on the juice screw. It has a 180 degree T-Stat, huge heat exchanger, 180 T stat oil cooler, power steering cooler, extra spring on the waste gate for 10psi. Mechanical injection pump, too. Dual mass flywheel. What do you want for a $400 engine off Craigslist... dang outdrive was $1600. I have a water intercooler but never hooked it up. Runs good as is. Top speed was 43mph on gps but the hull gets squirrely over 30. It originally had a 47hp Perkins inboard so it was never meant to go fast.

[oil pan 4]

Try the air to water aftercooler, you will like it.

[100MPGUS]

Subscribed! I am planning, well thinking...ok, dreaming of doing this to a First generation Insight.

[rustygirl]

Originally Posted by planejob

I have options. They both mount the same.

That is, they mate to each other the same.

I've transferred over all of the bolt holes from the Kubota mount to the aluminum, and have started getting the center of the aluminum cut out- - I lack the proper tools so I'm doing it with a drill bit and a grinder - NOT FUN.

Hello Planejob,
You have a good project there. Kubota’s are great little engines. There are two different oil pans. It looks like you may have the deep one. Takes like 5 quarts. If you replace it you need the pickup tube also. I stuffed a generator engine (d905) into an MG Midget a few years ago. If she behaves anything like Bridget she will get her best mileage if you keep her around the magic 1800 rpm. Above 2400 or so the engine will crack, I guess from the timing not advancing. It’s kind of a fun noise but I suspect unburnt fuel. Bridget eventually got a d1105T which made her a much more fun car. Attached is the drawing for the adapter plate. Maybe it will help you. It’s pretty accurate as the dowel hole lined up. Spend a lot of time getting the trans input shaft and crank correct. I tossed 2 clutches before I figured out my 2mm mistake.
Good luck

[Xist]

Five quarts for such a tiny engine?

[rustygirl]

It was called the extended run option or something like that. Yes it is a crazy amount of oil. maybe because it didn't have an oil cooler? my d1105t had the smaller pan but an oil cooler under the filter.