So I've been doing my homework for almost a year now on the diesel swap situation. I was an engineer in a former life, so I've got excel sheets left and right comparing the pros and cons (my wheeling buddies gave me s*** already so let's have it! hah). Anyway, there are several criteria I've been looking for in a diesel swap. I don't want to downgrade the current performance (96 FZJ80 with SC 1FZ-FE), I don't want to turn the truck into a paint shaker table, and I would like to increase my range. There are various additional reasons to convert to diesel that I probably need not preach to the choir, but you get the idea.
Anyway, in my search I've done a lot of research on older diesels in an attempt to avoid the complex wiring issues we all hate. 1HD-FT, FTE, 6BT, 4BT, OM617, 602, 606, 4BD1T, etc. I recently started reading about the Dodge Ecodiesel built by VM Motori. The engine is known by several different names: Ecodiesel 3.0L DOHC, A630 (Euro Spec), and L630 (US) (that should help anyone out there on google). After much searching I discovered this page:
http://www.bankspower.com/special/engines
I called them and they said they are no longer selling engines. I was pretty disappointed, but I plan to call them again tomorrow and see if they can provide a standalone ECU since it seems like they've already done the homework there and, honestly, why would they throw away their investment when the Dodge Ram 1500 and Jeep Grand Cherokee are now offering this same engine? I'll report back what I find out.
As for here on ih8mud, the only significant mention of this engine that I've seen is this thread:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/ca-legal-diesel-100-build.820793/#post-9406448
But the thread died almost a year ago. I can do the engineering and fab work to make it fit my 80, but I don't want to end up with a tangled loom of copper wire and an engine I can never get to start because of it -- I'd really like to find a crate engine but it seems less and less likely the more research I do.
So my question for you guys is...what do you know about the engine? What do you know about the ECU and getting it to run standalone?
Thanks!
Anyway, in my search I've done a lot of research on older diesels in an attempt to avoid the complex wiring issues we all hate. 1HD-FT, FTE, 6BT, 4BT, OM617, 602, 606, 4BD1T, etc. I recently started reading about the Dodge Ecodiesel built by VM Motori. The engine is known by several different names: Ecodiesel 3.0L DOHC, A630 (Euro Spec), and L630 (US) (that should help anyone out there on google). After much searching I discovered this page:
http://www.bankspower.com/special/engines
I called them and they said they are no longer selling engines. I was pretty disappointed, but I plan to call them again tomorrow and see if they can provide a standalone ECU since it seems like they've already done the homework there and, honestly, why would they throw away their investment when the Dodge Ram 1500 and Jeep Grand Cherokee are now offering this same engine? I'll report back what I find out.
As for here on ih8mud, the only significant mention of this engine that I've seen is this thread:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/ca-legal-diesel-100-build.820793/#post-9406448
But the thread died almost a year ago. I can do the engineering and fab work to make it fit my 80, but I don't want to end up with a tangled loom of copper wire and an engine I can never get to start because of it -- I'd really like to find a crate engine but it seems less and less likely the more research I do.
So my question for you guys is...what do you know about the engine? What do you know about the ECU and getting it to run standalone?
Thanks!