+1 for the 1.6NA VW. Dependable, cheap, simple and very fuel efficient.

Look for any eighties VW rabbits, Jettas. Don't scrap a VW PU though. Those things are fetching a good sum of money. I sold mine to the first looker for $4800 last yr. I got around 48mpg with the four speed.

I like the VW engine fine, but IMO you want a more modern diesel with a better power to weight ratio. Don't even look at one without a turbo IMO for that goal.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

I have a nice Mitsubishi L3E rated 22.7hp@3600rpm. It is 3cyl,952cc Sitting in an engine stand ready to run.I had a project in mind for it but have got doing other things and dont really need it now. If you are interested email or PM me. Don

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Red Green "This is only temporary,Unless it works!"

97 E300D 157000 miles
87 300TD ?141k? miles

The Japanese tractor engines are a good match for what you are looking to do, since operation at fixed speed is not required. Tractors run at all different speeds and have a way to match that to an accelerator pedal.

The problem with tractor engines is that they tend to be pretty tall and thin compared to car engines, so they will sit pretty high in the average vehicle.

There was a car conversion on EBay some years ago that was something like a small British sports car with a Kubota engine in it.

Found some information here about others:
http://www.gassavers.org/archive/index.php/128-mpg-car/t-524.html

Ken300D

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--------------------------
1982 300D at 351K miles
1984 300SD at 217K miles
1987 300D at 370K miles

Another draw back to tractor engines for street use is they don't rev very high, so gearing can be a problem. Many don't rev over 3000 rpm, so matching the gearing so it works decently can be challenging.

My father in law put a Perkins tractor engine in a 1991 Ford F250 4x4 for his neibour, and the Ford was a 5 spd, and worked out no too bad. He did a second one for another guy with a similar truck, but 2wd auto, and the rear gears needed to be changed. That second truck had a couple hundred miles put on it and sat ever since (about 10 years). Too bad, as the engine was a brand new Perkins turbo diesel.

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1991 GMC Sonoma Ext Cab w/Isuzu diesel (converted March Mar 2003) - sold
1994 S10 Ext Cab w/Isuzu diesel (converted Mar 2008)
1998 Toyota Sienna XLE
B6100HST Kubota CUT DIESEL

1994 S10 with Isuzu diesel and 5spd
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...S15/SigPic.jpg

will you be using the standard VW trike setup?

That is still to be decided. I am building for fuel economy
so I will basicly build around whatever motor/trans combo
I decide on.

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81 Mercedes 300SD 289k.......SOLD
82 Mercedes 300CD 252k......slow ride

82 mercedes 300 SD...mi Unknown
83 Mercedes 300D ????ksniff..gone too
84 Mercedes 300D 148k........SOLD
85 Mercedes 300TD 386k and holding some one elses project

A diesel Isetta would be cool.

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

1.2L or 1.4L 3 cyl TDI from a LUPO or AUDI A2 will probably yield the best MPG's. You can probably find one in Canada or maybe fleabay.

A1.7L 3 cyl CDI MB smart car would work also.

http://www.dieselbike.net/

Depending on your build weight and aerodynamics I would think 80+MPG

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1999 E300DT (131,800) 154,000 Black on Black SOLD

2006 CLK 500 coupe Capri Blue on Grey (zoom,zoom)
47,000mi

04 VW TDI Passat 80,000mi
(Techno)

How to eliminate oil dependency through market-driven approaches.
“We could cut oil use in half by 2025, and by 2040, oil use could be zero,”
The Sound of Diesel Speed
Ode to MB

A small diesel with a CVT would work great.

I have a kubota 23 hp, 3 cyl in my sailboat, great little engine, it started in the middle of winter when it hadn't been run in 4 months... we had to do a little ice breaking to get out of the slip.

1/3-1/2 gal per hour, redline 3400ish, its a tractor engine that was marinized. its kind of heavy compared to todays diesels, but good for 5k-10k hrs if properly maintained.

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Cheers,
Robert

the VW Tdi motor is probably your best bet. with a light chassis (like a trike) you will be able to get 60+ MPG's and it will be fast.

If life was perfect I would find a 1999.5 model year motor. get EVERYTHING!! motor/ tranny/wireing harness, computer, and gauge cluster. really buy the whole car. like I said in a perfect world something that had been in a rear end crash. . .

you want a 99.5 because the electronics are easy to deal with. 99.5 is pre-immoblizer. all you need is a key. no fancy codes.

or as someone else suggested get a smaller VW TDI like the 1.4L 3cyl from Europe. but you will be hard pressed for parts in the States.

check out the "conversions" section of www.tdiclub.com

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87' 300DT (Grey w/ red leather)
87' 300TDT (silver w/ palamino tex) SOLD

2012 VW JSW TDI (on tdiclub.com all the time "btcost")

If I go with a standard trans aft configuration, most
likely I will do something along these line. but much smaller


If I go trans under.......

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81 Mercedes 300SD 289k.......SOLD
82 Mercedes 300CD 252k......slow ride

82 mercedes 300 SD...mi Unknown
83 Mercedes 300D ????ksniff..gone too
84 Mercedes 300D 148k........SOLD
85 Mercedes 300TD 386k and holding some one elses project

How about Briggs and Stratton Diesel? 920cc, 190 pounds 34 horses.

http://www.tulsaenginewarehouse.com/catalog/briggs/bshoriz/430447-580447.html

B+S makes engines that big?

__________________
81 Mercedes 300SD 289k.......SOLD
82 Mercedes 300CD 252k......slow ride

82 mercedes 300 SD...mi Unknown
83 Mercedes 300D ????ksniff..gone too
84 Mercedes 300D 148k........SOLD
85 Mercedes 300TD 386k and holding some one elses project