How to build a diesel 40 on a budget w/ an Isuzu 4BD1T

[longbow]

Dohcdelsol,

Hey, Almaras Machine is making the adapters for the Isuzu to Toyota auto on a limited basis. I don't know how much they charge for the kit, but their stuff is very high quality CNC built parts, much higher quality than the Isuzudieselswapper stuff that we bought a couple years ago. I have a simple drawing of my adapter plate for the Isuzu bell housing mated to the A440 if anyone wants it to build their own. The joining of the two torque converters could be done by any torque converter rebuild shop.

Just food for thought.

Don

 

[astr]

Congratulations Don!

Beautiful job. You have that A440F adapter down pat.

Andy

 

[ElHefe]

Don, thanks for posting this up. I've been subscribed to your YouTube channel for a while now. Thanks for responding to my comment a few weeks ago.

Looking forward to some MPG updates!

 

[longbow]

Hi Andy,

Thanks for the nice comments and thank you for all the info you have posted over the years on the Aisin autos! Your thread is what inspired me to start working on the auto conversion and now I have built two A440F's and am getting ready to build a third with some serious upgrades to the valve body and clutch packs. I plan on doing a tranny thread here soon so others will see how easy it is to build your own auto tranny. I always thought that it would be a nightmare to pull one apart, but after the first one I was supprised how simple the mechanisms are.(providing you work methodically and keep everything labeled and organized)

Ten years ago the biggest job I had done to my cruiser was to swap carburetors and change out an alternator. Now, thanks to people like you who have posted up so much technical info and support, I can build just about anything that I can think up on a cruiser! Many thanks to all the mud members, this is such an amazing community! I am a member of some of the other forums and really, there isn't anything out there that compares to the quality of people on this forum.


Austin,

Glad to see you found the thread, enjoy!


Don

 

[Chamba]

Very well done Don. I'm impressed with your conversion. I love those wipers on mine and always thought they should make the in LHD configuration; glad you agree

 

[astr]

...I have built two A440F's and am getting ready to build a third with some serious upgrades to the valve body and clutch packs. ...

If you don't have an allergy to electronically-controlled transmission, you might consider using the core from a A442F or AW450. They already incorporate some extra beef and all the adapter development that you did for the A440 would apply.

 

[jeffsclan]

I followed your link from the 60 section. I'm liking your new project.

 

[longbow]

Jeffsclan,

Thanks man.


Andy,

Funny you should mention that, I'm planning to do another one of these engines in the wife's 80 series and I'm going to use an A442 with a compushift controller. When I first started working with the autos I was intimidated by the electronics, but I have the manual for the A442 and the ability to adjust shift points via the computer and have electric lockup control for the torque converter really will be the best all around auto setup in my opinion. The only thing left that I have to figure out is how to get the cruise control system to work with the earlier A442 tranny. But this project will be a while because the darn 1FZFE just won't die and the wife won't let me tear it out until it does!

 

[Chamba]

Can it be used with the h55? Why are you so keen on the a442?

 

[longbow]

Hi Chamba,

Well that is a long story. I originally converted my 60 with an H55 behind my Isuzu and I had all sorts of problems all due to the compounding of tolerances between an adapter to convert the Isuzu to fit Chevy bellhousings and then a Toyota to Chevy bellhousing to adapt the H55. Well I had all sorts of problems with the setup burning up pilot bearings about every 4 months and after the second time, I lost it and decided to go with the Toyota auto. I'm a huge fan of the H55 tranny and I put one in my original FJ40 behind my 2F and loved it. Well behind the diesel it was not as cool because I was always shifting that darn thing. Being able to shift at 2800 to 3200RPMs with a gasser is much better with that tranny than shifting at 2200 to 2500 with the diesel. The .85 overdrive of the H55 is just a little low for a diesel as well and I was limited to about 68 MPH on the highway with it. I converted to the A440 and have loved it ever since. It cruises down the highway at 75 at a nice 2050 RPM and gets great gas mileage for an auto on the highway (24mpgs).

The reason I think the A442 is such a great transmission is that toyota took the A440 which is a great tranny in its own right, and they made it more efficient with a better torque converter and better cooling circuit and electronically controlled and they last hundreds of thousands of miles if taken care of. It is a very heavy duty built tranny with no bands to adjust when they wear, only clutches and plates which self adjust with wear. In Japan, Toyota put them in commuter buses and Isuzu puts the later version called the AW450 in the NPR trucks that are up to 19,000GVW and they have a great track record in those trucks as well.

I have been a manual transmission guy my whole life, but after learning how to rebuild these trannys, I have become a convert to the auto tranny for good, especially with a diesel engine. When shifting up through the gears, you lose a bunch of momentum every time you shift and that just doesn't happen with the auto, so it is more enjoyable to drive for me.

Just my 2c.

Don

 

[wrongway around]

Beautifully done and on a dime budget,I bow to thee sir. I know one thing for sure when you post up the hydrolic upgrades for the a442f I will be doing it right away on the valve body .I've had top tyranny guys looking into it for me and they couldn't nail it down,I know every coastal cruiser guy will follow suit after me that's for sure .hopefully sooner than later for that info. Love the barn raising part too.

 

[Butt Ugly Chuck]

That is one sweet looking engine bay! Nice work!

Butt

 

[longbow]

Thanks Chuck!


Wrongwayaround,

It's probably going to be a while on the A442 mods because I don't have one to play with yet. The two trannys are very similar in design and function other than the valve bodies and output shafts. The A442's cooling circuit is one area that makes it a more desirable transmission as well as the better designed torque converter that doesn't produce the heat that the A440 one does.

I will be doing an A440F tranny rebuild thread here soon that will detail my performance mods and improvements to that tranny and I'm sure some of these improvements will crossover to the A442.

If you want detailed instructions for mods you can do on your valve body, PM me and I'll tell you what to do. It would take up a bunch of space on this thread to explain everything.

Don

 

[Pacer]

Thanks Chuck!

Wrongwayaround,

It's probably going to be a while on the A442 mods because I don't have one to play with yet. The two trannys are very similar in design and function other than the valve bodies and output shafts. The A442's cooling circuit is one area that makes it a more desirable transmission as well as the better designed torque converter that doesn't produce the heat that the A440 one does.

I will be doing an A440F tranny rebuild thread here soon that will detail my performance mods and improvements to that tranny and I'm sure some of these improvements will crossover to the A442.

If you want detailed instructions for mods you can do on your valve body, PM me and I'll tell you what to do. It would take up a bunch of space on this thread to explain everything.

Don

Don, please don't do that privatly. I'm about to drop my trans pan and swap in a new valve body from Wholesale Automatic, so I'll have my core to play with. New thread maybe?

This is a really cool build you've put together here, you're making this look easy.

 

[Chamba]

Damn Don, that was worth way more than 2 cents. Thanks. Great write up.

 

[AKcruiserfreak]

great write up! I would love to diesel one of my 40s! Just have to find an Isuzu!

TK

 

[twoturtlesracing]

Awww Man! You beat me to it! I'm glad though! It's looking good! As soon as I get done with school and I'm working, this is my next drivetrain mod!

 

[Wheelingnoob]

Great job as always Don! Was so hard keeping it under wraps, especially after seeing the pictures a month or two ago. Amazing 40!

Talk soon,

 

[Griffin]

holy smokes well done, sir! Inspiring stuff for sure!

 

[bigfj62]

You are living my dream, but I am a poor cop whose wife does not have a care in the world for the thing taking her spot in the garage. Some day when the 350 decides to go I will do a diesel swap of some sort. I had not heard of the Izuzu until I read your thread. Beautiful work!.