i would bet that a 300 would make a fine diesel engine, i have seen on the net where people have converted their engines to diesel, but i have never heard about a 300 becoming a diesel, has anyone heard of this?

 

I seem to remeber back in the late 70s Ford had a "Dorset diesel". They were in some delivery vans and such, but I think they were only inline 4 bangers, and I don't recall the cubic inch displacement. Anyone else recall more about those?

 

anyone?

Come on!

 

In the "Ford stuff" box there is a paper that says they used a Dorset 242 4cyl (VIN code J) and 363 6cyl (VIN code W) in 1971. I don't really know anything about these. They also used Cummins, Detroit, CAT, and Ford in heavies that year.

As for the diesel conversion, the 300-6 is supposed to have a bore and stroke ratio and gear driven cam that make it a decent candidate. But gas to diesel conversions rarely seem to turn out well; GM had an absolute disaster in the 80's. Gas and diesels are supposed to have some inherent engineering differences that make a conversion possable but not easy. But heck, some people like a challange.

 

Id think your biggest trouble would be reliabilty. A diesel engine uses alot more compression then a gas. That is why any good diesel engine has a very heavy block with lots of thick castings. However a straight six is the best setup for a diesel engine they tend to run soomther with more power then a v style engine does. It would makea fun project thats for sure. Rich

 

Asked and answered (sort of) a few months ago right here. If you have the money and want to destroy a 300, have at it. Good luck adapting or making your own fuel injector system. Good luck holding the 18 or 19:1 compression you need to make it a squeeze fire. Good luck getting to that CR with the head and pistons you have to work with.

There are tons of well developed fine running oil burners out there, no need to cobb one together.

 

The question I have is...if you turbo'd an I-6, wouldn't you get extra air to bring the compression up to burn diesel? I mean, could you mod it for diesel without killing it?

What would you be worrying about...blowing the head gasket, temps, etc.?

This subject really has me thinking. I really am basically learning the in's-and-out's on working on my beast. Kind of a newbie when it comes to engine mechanics. I have at least rebuilt my I-6 to learn!

 

a gasoline engine works by igniting fuel from a spark.

a diesel engine has no spark, it ignites the fuel from extreme pressure.

i do not believe you have enough time or money to convert a 300 to a diesel.

 

I would think you would need a forged crank and a heavier block casting at a minimum.
I'm not positive, but I think that SVO makes a 300 block.

 

You would need 3 to 5 times the money it would take to buy a running, proven, existing oil burner from any of a dozen sources. And you would still have a smoking POS at the end of the day.

 

you summed up my thoughts perfectly.

i have owned mercedes-benz deisels in the past and they were cool, it is just that all the engineering was done already on them.

besides the cost of diesel fuel is just about the same anyway.

or do propane conversion and than you would have something.

 

If you can find a Perkins 354D, it will bolt right in. I'm kicking myself for letting a new one get away this winter for $3k. It included a clark 5spd tranny.

 

Not that I would ever do this swap, but what do you mean "It will bolt right in."? The engine bolts to the tranny? The engine bolts to the motor mounts? With home-made motor mounts it bolts in? What exactly do you mean by that statement?

I also assume that the Clark 5 speed tranny was from an early 60's truck? I've got a couple of them. Is this the tranny where 1st gear is all the way down and to the right and 2nd is all the way up and to the left?

 

heh. don't remember the shift patterne. But it will bolt right up the bell housing. Ford actually offered this combo in Australia. You would have to improvise radiator fittings, Maybe motor mounts, and throttle linkage.

I think top speed was about 65 mph, but milage was around 25-30, and if anything, they were MORE durable than the 300.

 

Well, kick yourself no more!!!!
As of a few minutes ago, there was one on ebay in the "buy it now" section. It's listed for $2300 and it includes the Clark 5 speed tranny. It appears new or rebuilt, but I guess a can of yellow paint can do miracles for appearances....
Anyway, I just was looking there to see if it showed the bolt pattern on the backside and sure enough, it did.
A little research shows this engine powered a lot of different equipment, from Fords in Australia to late 60's Dodge trucks and various farm tractors and off-road equipment. There is also a lot of availability of parts yet. PLUS, it has removeable sleeves, unlike a lot of Cummins engines.
Anyway, my curiosity has been quenched. Still, if I won the lotto and had nothing to do it would be a nice project for me.....