small pickup engine swap for better mpg?
 

Hi all,
I've been doing some searching for examples of small pickup trucks that have had a more efficient engine swapped into them, with no luck. I need a small pickup in the worst way, but my options here in Puerto Rico are limited due to money and availability. The newer ones from the mid-80's to the present are awful on fuel economy; I'd do just as well with a bigger truck with a 6-cylinder. The older ones that had much better economy like the Chevy LUV, etc. are very rare, and if there is one for sale it is either an extreme rust/bondo joke or extremely expensive. Are there any real-life examples of a small pickup having a different motor swapped into it for better fuel economy, like maybe a Honda 1.3 liter or Suzuki 1.0 liter. I know it sounds crazy and probably underpowered for a truck, but with a manual trannsmission it wouldn't be too bad I don't think. I guess the greatest challenge would be the front-wheel drive issue, since all trucks are rear-wheel drive.
Thanks!

VW Caddy Pickup is front wheel drive. It is based on the VW Golf. Most are diesel powered. They demand higher $$ considering the age of the vehicle. :turtle:

The only thing I can think of is getting an older Dodge Dakota w/ a 2.5 in it. You can then swap in a 2.0 from a newer Neon, but you'll have to use the starter and all from the newer engine. (The starter ends up on the other side.)

If you have access to export Neon engines, you could also swap in a 1.8, which is the same block as the 2.0.

The next choice is a Ford Ranger, which comes equipped with a 2.3 4 cylinder. The engine from a Ford Escort (1.9 or 1.6, either one) will fit directly against that transmission. You use the flywheel and pressure plate/clutch disc from the Escort engine.

I don't know if the diesel engine is the same bellhousing from a Escort as the regular gas engine or not, so I can't say if you can use that one.

There is a toyota pickup with a vw tdi over on tdiclub.com

How about a small car and a trailer? Or get a 4 banger pickup that has higher ratio rear axles available. So you'd swap the 4.11 rear axle out for 2.73 or whatever the big engine version of that truck had.
I like the neon engine swap too, make sure its a SOHC as they have a bit more torque than the DOHC.

Stick shift 4 cylinder Chevy S10? That thing will get you over 30mpg.

Otherwise, i'm still looking for a VW Caddy Pickup. the thing is diesel, and will get you over 50mpg easy.

I have seen pickup conversions that have put in a Mercedes OM617 turbo diesel. The OM617 is a 3.0 liter engine. I suppose the smaller 2.4 liter OM616 would work but its not turbocharged and lacks power.

Even the stock 2.3 isn't bad. Long before I heard of ecodriving, I acquired a basket case '86 Ranger (5 speed, tiny wide ghetto wheels) and still managed 24 mpg driving like hell.

I had a '91 s-10 2.5l 4cyl., 5-spd, no a/c, no ps, regular cab. It would get 28 mpg highway (80% of what I drove).

My dad had a '91 s-10, 4.3l v6, 5spd, a/c, ps, extended cab. (it would get 32 mpg highway (80% of what he drove).

Funny thing that low end torque.

Could be gearing too. I imagine the more powerful engine comes with taller gears.

If those older S-10's follow the second gen formula, it would have been 3.73 for I4, and 3.08 for the V6. Same transmission ratio's.

I second this: as much as I hated the S10 I used to have, it managed 30mpg at 75mph. If I was aware of hypermiling when I had it, I could probably have squeezed 35mpg out of it with minor mods and driving habit adjustments.

The 2.3 in the Ranger, Pinto, Turbo Coupe, and Mustangs are not the same as the 2.3 in the Tempo. Tempos and Escorts have a transverse engine with a transaxle.

Wikipedia says that it's the same engine, and later was stroked 7 mm to form the 2.5L 4-cylinder used in later Rangers.

I have a old Benz 300d turbo diesel that i ran veggie in , cant drive it any longer but the engine and drive train are good, I'm always keeping a eye out for a good donor vehicle to drop it in.. I always though a old mid sized truck shell would be perfect, like the Jeep trucks, they had inline 6's in them so there plenty of room for the inline 300 d motor etc.. the benz turbo diesel engines are bullet proof and take veggie oil great.. could be a great option if you want to go vegan and get rid of the dino.

Otherwise i know they drop the Cummins 4 cylinders in chevy small block v8 trucks easily.. and I know in a S10 you can drop in a v8 small block.. in a suburban the 4 cylinder cummins' get 27 mpg with them.. in a smaller truck I bet you'd see low 30's easily, biggest hurtle with diesel is the motors usually arn't cheap as gas motors.

Really it all depends on what you want to do , if you need to haul alot youll need alot of extra power on tap if you need it.. But if not you could get a smaller motor that puts out less HP and that would hopefully give better milage.. JUst like any economy car there not rockets, and wont tow 6,000 pounds, but that why they get better MPG's