Going Diesel good or bad Idea?

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planemech

planemech

10 Year 15 Year
Joined
Aug 1, 2006
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37
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129
Location
Colorado Springs
I am considering dooing a diesel conversion.
I am wondering what I should keep in mind when doing this. Also What do you think a fair price For a 1974 H series diesel with unknown mileage and rough running, Aussie Specs out of a troop carrier? Are they difficult and expensive to maintain? Also would this work with an 86 fj60 drive train? Or should I just Look The other way?
Thanks:confused:
 
i've been thinking about this for a while too. I want to be able to run my cruiser on grease, I've been thinking that would be a cool project. Sorry I can't help, I'm in the same position you are.
 
diesels rule.... i want one but dont know what all matches up.

if i do one it will be a cummins and obviously a spring over to go with it. but that will have to wait till my brand new ome springs are worn out.
 
Diesels are the way to go!!!

The "H" should mate to your tranny from an FJ60.

You'll want to get some kind of compression test on the engine before you plunk down your cash. Diesel rebuilds are not cheap and if you have low compression then the engine will run poorly. I'd be hesitant to buy a poorly running diesel unless it was for parts which I have done before.

Get a rebuild kit price from gwengineparts.net in Australia and then you'll have an idea on parts. Ask your local machine shop what they charge for boring and other machine work for an inline 6 diesel. Decide how much you want it and go from there.

gscruiserparts.com has 12H-T engines which are the factory turbo-charged version of the "H" engine. That will give you an approximate price for a decent running turbocharged engine. A turbo is a HUGE bonus on a diesel!
 
You need to drive a Landcruiser with an "H" engine first before you decide. They are very slow!. I see you are in Colorado. You'll be downshifting and going 35 MPH max up even the slightest grade. A 2H is noticeably better, but still maybe too slow to maintain US highway speeds in mountainous terrain. If I were you i would look for a 1HZ engine or something with a turbo.
 
the only thing about those diesels that are from overseas is that they are set up to run on that fuel and suck on the american crap they call diesel. The diesel there is like 90 some % sectane and ours is a mere 40 couple.
 
Yeah, the crappy fuel here is a downer. Diesels still rock.

If you live anywhere over a few thousand feet you will need a turbo. Naturally aspirated diesels just can't get enough oxygen at higher altitudes.

The Toyota 2H and 12H-T are a good fit. You will need to replace the tranny with a 5-speed, but the H55F bolts right in to a post 8/84 FJ-60. Pre-8/84 will need driveshaft mods.

The project isn't that difficult (I did it), but it is expensive and time consuming. Be prepared for the time factor. You will get tired, greasy, and sore.

That being said, it's totally worth it. I thought the 2F was a torquy beast. The 12H-T is a feakin' highway tractor. I haven't even messed around with the boost and fuel settings.

Imagine your 60 being able to pass other cars and accelerate uphill while getting better fuel economy. Combine that with bio-diesel and you pollute way less too.

Talk to these guys www.gscruiserparts.com and visit the diesel section. :cheers:
 
Thanks To all for their input. from what it sounds like I need to put a little more thought and research into a conversion of this magnitude. I heard about this h motor through a friend. It was on criagslist denver for $850.00. I thought great because we are able to use waste jet fuel from the planes we work on, and the motor would pay for itself in 10 months, but now I see what all is involved. If I decide to pursue this I will post my progress and pics as I go.
This website is awesome, and your help is invaluable.
Thanks
Plane Mech
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I agree with cruiser_guy. Take the time to get the compression tests done. A well maintained diesel will run forever, but like any engine, they can die premature deaths if they're abused (Australia, I'm looking at you, but you're spoiled for diesels over there anyway). :)

I run biodiesel in my 2H now. I'm only using B20 at the moment but will switch over to B100 as soon as I upgrade my fuel lines. The main thing to keep in mind there is that you'll need to replace your fuel filter after the first full tank or so because biodiesel will loosen up years of deposits from traditional diesel fuel. This is normal.

Assuming you find a great diesel engine, there are a couple more things to consider. Unless you're lucky enough to get your hands on a 12HT or a 1D-HT, you won't be winning any speed contests....none at all. You'll learn to appreciate this for all the other advantages of running diesel, but it's something to keep in mind. The low end torque is fantastic though. You can tow almost anything, just slowly.

The other thing to keep in mind is that if you live at high altitude you'll definitely notice a difference in the performance of a naturally aspirated diesel engine. Turbos really help in these conditions. Mountain Goat already touched on that. The 2H engine is not the best engine to add a turbo to due to the lack of piston skirt cooling, but many folks have run a '2H-T' setup for many miles with no ill effects. It's on my long-term list of mods, especially when I make the move from Texas to Oregon in the next year or so.

Most of this is probably getting ahead of where you're at, but it's stuff I've looked into for my HJ60, so I thought I'd share. I'm no expert, but there are some real diesel gurus in the diesel tech forums...
 
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Mountain Goat said:
Yeah, the crappy fuel here is a downer. Diesels still rock.

If you live anywhere over a few thousand feet you will need a turbo. Naturally aspirated diesels just can't get enough oxygen at higher altitudes.

The Toyota 2H and 12H-T are a good fit. You will need to replace the tranny with a 5-speed, but the H55F bolts right in to a post 8/84 FJ-60. Pre-8/84 will need driveshaft mods.

The project isn't that difficult (I did it), but it is expensive and time consuming. Be prepared for the time factor. You will get tired, greasy, and sore.

That being said, it's totally worth it. I thought the 2F was a torquy beast. The 12H-T is a feakin' highway tractor. I haven't even messed around with the boost and fuel settings.

Imagine your 60 being able to pass other cars and accelerate uphill while getting better fuel economy. Combine that with bio-diesel and you pollute way less too.

Talk to these guys www.gscruiserparts.com and visit the diesel section. :cheers:
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DITTO on the whole comment. You can drive my hz-t 60 at Moab if you want. Colorado -Mtns = 12ht&5speed. Save your money and go whole hog. OR - Marks 4wd sells GM-diesel conversions for the 60??

I will say the HZ with turbo is quiet, doesn't rattle, and would have adequate power for any form of a normal 60 series.
 
Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Profitt's in Grand Junction the guru of Cummins conversions? And the standard 4cyl Cummins is out of a Frito-Lay truck, but rumor has it some guy cornered them all & you have to deal through him. Also, the blocks are so tall you have to go SO.
 
Hey Mountain Goat,

We're in Oregon too... love to check out your 12 H-T sometime if you're up for it.

Sent you a PM,

-dogboy- '87 FJ60
 
Tinker said:
Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Profitt's in Grand Junction the guru of Cummins conversions? And the standard 4cyl Cummins is out of a Frito-Lay truck, but rumor has it some guy cornered them all & you have to deal through him. Also, the blocks are so tall you have to go SO.
Click to expand...

I see those trucks for sale all the time, no way one guy has them all cornered.

In the Canadian online autotrader I see them listed, from ex mail trucks and so on.
 
My 2H has had about 5 full tanks of B100 and it had 320km on it. So far, I have not had to swap out the fuel filter, but one of these days, there will be a HUGE flush of really tough gunk that will suddenly come loose and cog the filter, I'm sure.

As for those fuel lines, no need to swap them out with Viton (etc.) as a precaution, just watch them and monitor their swelling. They will not suddenly fail. Rather, they'll decompose more quickly than they otherwise would, but still very slowly (in the tens of thousands of miles).

I'm quite pleased with my 2H. Not a dragster, but will pull a large boat with NO PROBLEM and cruises at 85 mph at roughly 3500 rpm for hours with no overheating. I have not taken it in high altitudes, though, so the comments about needing a turbo in low O2 environments don't apply to me.
 
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