Fascinating. So I wonder what has to be done to run a diesel on propane...the mind staggers.
Builds The "Red Rocket" Troopy (2 Viewers)
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The technology has been around for decades. I remember as a kid, the local peanut mill running all of their tractors and forklifts on propane.
Hello,
This is an analog device.
I remember reading that the FSM mentions an "IC regulator" for newer models.
Are there external solid-state voltage regulators? Less moving parts, fewer things to fail. And, likely, adjustment is a bit easier.
Juan
I replaced my external regulator with a solid state one can't remember where I got it from.
I found a decent stateside deal on my 3B starter by searching for toyota forklift parts.forklifts have 3b's too, everytime i go to the lumber wholesaler here i hear 70 series sounds coming from the lumber yard
they are on propane tho
good to know, as the alternator on these is hard to come by too
jblueridge
SILVER Star
I think the forklifts use the same starter but not the same alternator.
Still, some Denso components for our trucks are available from the forklift people.
Still, some Denso components for our trucks are available from the forklift people.
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- #1,548
Well a couple of updates to come, the Red Rocket is continuing to just be a beast. Averages 19mpg going full throttle around a mountainous city loaded with 10-15 people. Just drove it 330 miles home for thanksgiving without any issues. Holds 70mph at 2500prm easily, 900f for the EGTs. The more I drive it the more I appreciate the engine. It just feels right in the troopy.
sunset on the parkway
In other news that mine I took @svsisu to a bit back was blocked off so you can only really explore the first 2% of the mine if I had to guess (it was the largest iron mine in America for 40 years) Well I was able to break into the deeper part in the mine, first people down there in 30 years since the blockade was put up. WOW it was absolutely breath taking, you go from the a little tunnel with mine tracks as tall as your head to then a massive expanse 150ft tall. Haven't seen rock structures this big/crazy since Moab
sunset on the parkway
In other news that mine I took @svsisu to a bit back was blocked off so you can only really explore the first 2% of the mine if I had to guess (it was the largest iron mine in America for 40 years) Well I was able to break into the deeper part in the mine, first people down there in 30 years since the blockade was put up. WOW it was absolutely breath taking, you go from the a little tunnel with mine tracks as tall as your head to then a massive expanse 150ft tall. Haven't seen rock structures this big/crazy since Moab
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- #1,549
also bought a 1986 Isuzu Trooper, been sitting in a field for 20 years. $600 delivered to my house by the guy, parked due to the fuel pump failing and brakes being shoddy. Well a week later I have it braking and kinda running... these late 80's carbs are mechanical, electrical, and vacuum controlled, what an absolutely stupid design. "lets just combine 3 possible failure points all into one" Rebuilt the carb but it runs horrible, for some reason the fuel mixture is controlled mechanically with a screw but it doesnt even matter if the electronics aren't in working order, or if the vacuum diaphragms are worn out... looking like I'm gonna have to fork $400 up for a weber 32/36 conversion kit to just get it to run. Other than that I'm happy with it.
Bought the Trooper with the intention to flip it. The mercedes wagon I had I made $4,000 of of it and drove it for 7,000 miles. Buy it cheap, get it running/braking, repair the rust and make some money. I'd like to get confident with welding sheet metal for the troopy and will use this as my testing grounds, rockers are shot and need replaced.
Bought the Trooper with the intention to flip it. The mercedes wagon I had I made $4,000 of of it and drove it for 7,000 miles. Buy it cheap, get it running/braking, repair the rust and make some money. I'd like to get confident with welding sheet metal for the troopy and will use this as my testing grounds, rockers are shot and need replaced.
Really cool picture with the flare. Be careful and don't do the mine exploring thing by yourself and or without telling someone where you are going.... I did my share of exploring in the mountains by myself when I was at Clemson. Almost fell off a cliff once. Went into a stupid small cave sliding and crawling on my belly at times. It scares me now to look back and think about how close I probably came to being seriously hurt/trapped in a isolated area when noone will miss you or know to look for you.......If you are serious about exploring the outdoor world in places with no cell network, with and without your troopy the garmin/delormie "inreach" devices are quite affordable for what they are. 2 way sattellite message device with preprogrammed messages with position, or free text when blue tooth paired to your phone by app. (type on your phone and it sends through the sat communicator). Pay as you go/pay when you need it plans that are cheap(less than $30 a month) You can pick them up on Ebay used for less than $125.
Nice to have a good solid engine pushing your troopy. Even better one that is good on fuel/direct injection. If you want to feel even better about the advantages of a old mechanical diesel in times of emergency check out Make Black Diesel - US Filtermaxx - https://usfiltermaxx.com/en/content/9-make-black-diesel Such practice is good for people with a good free supply of cheap oil and the time/ability to fix your engine yourself if you screw it up.
You got a good deal on the troopy. If it runs and stops reliably and is 4wd you should be able to flip it for $2-3K easy even with the rust. They made a turbodiesel version that was well known for the overworked engine to blow while going down the highway.
Carburetor work is an art in itself. Dirty jets, bad filters, and vacum leaks I would check before anything. Sticking/non functioning choke and acceletor pump to follow. After that I'd probably look to just replace it with a cheap new carb. I did a 32/36 dellorto conversion on a samurai when I was stationed in WA state. It was cheaper than the factory carb. It ran better than the worn out factory carb but didn't make much more power. It wouldn't pass emmissions so I had to register it in my home state of SC. Know what NC inspects before you do it. I believe if your vehicle is older than a certain age, or "pre-OBD" it is exempt in NC.............I made my carburetor adapter plate out of plywood. Use a high quality multiply plywood, cut it out, countersink and attach bolts/seal, sand , get a syringe of epoxy and a brush and paint it thouroughly to seal, use copious amounts of RTV. 32/36 dellorto copy. You can buy a carb cheap on Ali-express (less than $200) either a dellorto kit or a replacement carb that bolts on. You'll have to deal with their screwy search engine and find something compatible. IE: dellorto kit- https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255800434296438.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.51.7854k2a4k2a4KT&algo_pvid=fa04374c-a02f-4e97-893e-48595475eec8&algo_exp_id=fa04374c-a02f-4e97-893e-48595475eec8-25&pdp_npi=4@dis!USD!195.99!195.99!!!195.99!!@210318cb17004980228544545e4f9c!10000004165254876!sea!US!0!AB&curPageLogUid=EgYx0HxcaUEv
factory carb- https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832651034097.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.47.7854k2a4k2a4KT&algo_pvid=fa04374c-a02f-4e97-893e-48595475eec8&algo_exp_id=fa04374c-a02f-4e97-893e-48595475eec8-23&pdp_npi=4@dis!USD!211.75!182.1!!!211.75!!@210318cb17004980228544545e4f9c!65167496166!sea!US!0!AB&curPageLogUid=gSzybyfTWGvW
Good luck!
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Nice to hear the Red Rocket pays back the blood sweat and tears put into it 
Good for more amazing adventures...
Cheers Ralf
Good for more amazing adventures...
... your only and best excuse for derailing into the competitors here
Cheers Ralf
FJBen
SILVER Star
Nice pick. I’ve owned exactly 2 Isuzus. Both were 4wd diesel pickups. Both decent for what they were, a NA 62hp truck.
I owned the first one as a kid in the mountains, at 8100’ elevation…so put that at 45hp…oh and drivetrain losses so that puts it down to low 30hp at the wheels so significantly faster and more HP than a 3B….
Carbs for these rigs and in the 80s suck. Not uttered very often at all on this site, go Weber.
That’s what I’m getting for our little red Dodge D50/Mitsubishi.
I owned the first one as a kid in the mountains, at 8100’ elevation…so put that at 45hp…oh and drivetrain losses so that puts it down to low 30hp at the wheels so significantly faster and more HP than a 3B….
Carbs for these rigs and in the 80s suck. Not uttered very often at all on this site, go Weber.
That’s what I’m getting for our little red Dodge D50/Mitsubishi.
Super cool pictures in the mine! There is nothing quite like opening up an old mine and exploring places you know people haven't been in decades. One thing I would highly recommend if you're going into parts of mines that have been closed up: get an oxygen meter. You never know what the air quality is like down there after all those years, especially if there is wood timbering in the mine. I've had the alarm go off a couple of times deep in the bowels of the earth, not a great feeling!
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- #1,554
Thank you everyone for the concern and warning to me and my friends for all of this exploration. We have trackers on our phones and left "breadcrumbs" by spraypainting certain colors going down different routes of the mine. Didn't really feel bad for spraypainting a pink dot on history ever 200 feet since there's graffiti from back in the 80s when the gate wasn't there blocking off the mine. Not a bad idea on the sat phone either, definitely plan on getting on for my next out west adventure. If not sooner than that.
I was running my old Mercedes station wagon off of really anything that was combustible. I had an old farmer give me 60 gallons of ancient hydraulic fluid and was running the OM617 off of that for 3-4 weeks. Totally shut it up and smoothed it out. When running on diesel it would shake and just sound worn out but the hydraulic fluid made it silent. Once I have a place of my own, or a place to store the equipment I'll start messing with black diesel. Just don't feel like experimenting now with such a nice example of an engine. Want to make sure I have to money to do everything right the first time and have everything properly filtered. Thanks for the heads up on the carb, I guess I'll see how an aftermarket one does.
I am too, I'm amazed that its still going so strong. I figured I'd have dropped the trans 2-3 times by now up in Boone just to keep it running but it's just going along great. I cant stop thinking how much more enjoyable the cross-country trip would have been if I had this engine in it...Nice to hear the Red Rocket pays back the blood sweat and tears put into it
Good for more amazing adventures...
I would kill for a diesel pup... let alone a 4wd one! I love my little isuzu pup, 2wd, gasser, and a 4spd but I still love it. But man that is the HOLY GRAIL in my opinion, would rather have one of them any day and swap a Toyota pickup solid front axle into one... would be great. Or even better just swap a 1.9tdi into a 4wd one and actually be able to drive it comfortably lol!
Think I'm gonna try aftermarket first and if not then yes the weber. Good news is the Isuzu pup already has a 32/36 on it so if I end up going that route the pup will get the brand new 32/36 and the trooper will get the old worn out one
Thanks for the heads up, would have never even considered that! Will grab one before we go down there again. I actually reached out to a historian that helped the corp of engineers document everything ever about the mine. He sent me a 300 plus page PDF about all the research and full of photos that arent available anywhere else on the internet!! Lots of news clippings about lots of gruesome deaths...
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- #1,555
In other news... feels good to be home
With the 3B I had to air down to 20 psi anytime I even LOOKED at the sand and even then in low range I would be barley making it down the beach, EGT's high, water temps high, etc etc. Now with the 4BD1T I can go on the beach 45 psi without a second thought. I have power left over where I can still pull. On pavement there's obviously a difference you can tell, still not fast by any means but off-road in sand its night and day. Water temps didn't crack 180f and my EGTs hit a max of 900f
Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving
With the 3B I had to air down to 20 psi anytime I even LOOKED at the sand and even then in low range I would be barley making it down the beach, EGT's high, water temps high, etc etc. Now with the 4BD1T I can go on the beach 45 psi without a second thought. I have power left over where I can still pull. On pavement there's obviously a difference you can tell, still not fast by any means but off-road in sand its night and day. Water temps didn't crack 180f and my EGTs hit a max of 900f
Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving
I sense you are now forever "hooked" by the --nearly famous-- "Red Rocket Troopy" for life! With all the blood, sweat, and tears shed breathing life back into this machine, you are now doomed to a bond with it like the rest of us are with our own Cruisers. I can think of worse predicaments.
I have thoroughly enjoyed (as I am sure many here have) sharing the ups and downs, all the lessons learned, the heartaches, the joys, the invaluable input and knowledge of this community, and the practical life skills and character-building this has undoubtedly provided to you. The perseverance and outside the box thinking on this was both impressive and admirable. Kudo's to you and your dad, I am sure he is proud of his son.
Here's to many many years and miles of enjoyment. I look forward to the further adventures of the Red Rocket....
Hi
Take the current use as a prolonged shakedown run for the next big adventure.
When you were fighting to get the Troopy back to life, all of us hoped for you and your party to catch up on the missed trip.
Keep it up!
Cheers Ralf
Na, wrong perspective I guess: The cross-country trip was a great adventure in its own, probably even because of the 3B. Everybody could have done it in a whatever decent and powerful truck, but in a oiginal vintage Troopy , that's no mean feat.
Take the current use as a prolonged shakedown run for the next big adventure.
When you were fighting to get the Troopy back to life, all of us hoped for you and your party to catch up on the missed trip.
Oh ja. And the cool and artistic photos. Cool that the Red Rocket Troopy can take him to interesting places again to take photos for us
I hope so too. We all know the Troopy had and has a few other issue than only the engine. But after this masterpiece of patience and endurance I'm confident he can solve those. And I found it very encouraging when he mentioned at one point to address some of those ironoxide issues soon. I like the approach on practicing on the other trucks. And I have all sympathy for also getting some joy out of the Troopy first.
Keep it up!
Cheers Ralf
FJBen
SILVER Star
Yeah pretty crazy I was able to own 2 4wd diesel pups. First one I was 17 and just beat that thing like a rental. It Never faltered. I wish I had a picture.
The 2nd one I picked up a few (10) years from a the city of Firestone CO. It was a park/recs rig with less than 100k miles…it didn’t have a straight 4” of metal on it lol. Was used to drag baseball fields and had 1/2 an infield worth of dust in it. Summer help drove it. Bought for $400. Sold for $3k a few years later.
Awesome little trucks. Dog slow, tough as all get out.
They actually one the pickup class baja 1000 twice. I was always wanting to build one up to look like that.
When I was 17 in high school I had a isuzu diesel PUP. Gas was $0.58 a gal back then and I was getting 37-42 mpg. On the weekends I'd get my friends to kick in $1 for fuel and we'd go anywhere.
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- #1,560
Well about 4 days ago I used up around the last of my luck I believe. Was driving down the beach to go have a fire with all my friends before we parted ways back to all our different colleges. I drove down this beach 2 days prior and there was nothing there prior. Well I'm cruising down the beach at about 20mph, pitch black, I see a little lump in front of me but didn't think much of it cause there are lumps all down the beach.
WELL turns out it wasn't little!!! a 4-5ft cliff had formed somehow, never see anything like it on this beach before. Well the tires didnt make contact from the moment they left the edge of the cliff to the sand below for a whole 10ft!!! A massive amount of air. Got launched into my ceiling so hard that my head hit, then bent out of the way and my shoulder hit it. Immediately got out and looked underneath and was absolutely amazed it wasn't pissing oil out from the pan. Then I saw the DENT
a nicely sized differential sized chunk has now been imprinted into my oil pan
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WELL turns out it wasn't little!!! a 4-5ft cliff had formed somehow, never see anything like it on this beach before. Well the tires didnt make contact from the moment they left the edge of the cliff to the sand below for a whole 10ft!!! A massive amount of air. Got launched into my ceiling so hard that my head hit, then bent out of the way and my shoulder hit it. Immediately got out and looked underneath and was absolutely amazed it wasn't pissing oil out from the pan. Then I saw the DENT
a nicely sized differential sized chunk has now been imprinted into my oil pan
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I think I am too... like you said, not the worst thing. I don't know if anyone would buy this thing now lol, body damage, a roof riddled with rust... well pretty much the whole body, a very crude engine swap. Definitely the most "South American" troopy that isn't actually from south america. Yet it's known all across America, it has and will continue to connect me to great people I wouldn't know otherwise. It's amazing how many opportunities have opened up for me just cause of a car. Glad you and everyone else have enjoyed it, without this thread and the community behind it I would have had nowhere near the drive to have been able to finish the swap, let alone all the wisdom and knowledge offered to meI sense you are now forever "hooked" by the --nearly famous-- "Red Rocket Troopy" for life! With all the blood, sweat, and tears shed breathing life back into this machine, you are now doomed to a bond with it like the rest of us are with our own Cruisers. I can think of worse predicaments.
I have thoroughly enjoyed (as I am sure many here have) sharing the ups and downs, all the lessons learned, the heartaches, the joys, the invaluable input and knowledge of this community, and the practical life skills and character-building this has undoubtedly provided to you. The perseverance and outside the box thinking on this was both impressive and admirable. Kudo's to you and your dad, I am sure he is proud of his son.
Here's to many many years and miles of enjoyment. I look forward to the further adventures of the Red Rocket....
Very true! Something that I doubt has been done by anyone our age and with this kinda vehicle and something that will probably never be done again due to the 3B becoming more and more obsolete every passing day... also what other group of fresh highschool graduates had a 3B powered troopy at their disposal to travel across America with? haha Appreciate all the kind words. It still has so much more work until it's where I want it, but slowly every day its getting closer
Now that's COOL!
An entirely different time, all I hear just makes me more and more jealous of having a diesel pup
