Hello all,
I have a 2ltr petrol transit and have just got a 2.5 ltr diesel engine, gearbox and complete wiring loom but i'm having trouble finding anyone in sheffield thats willing to fit it.
has anyone done this sort of thing before and can give me some advice or know of anyone close to sheffield that could do the job?
Cheers in advance
Gordie
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Hi Gordie
I am not a transit mechanic but I have owned and driven a few over the years. I have also shamelessly picked the brains of anyone and everyone, so my advice would be - dont even think about it! Sorry to be such a misery but even as a DIY job I doubt if it would be worth the effort. To pay someone to do it for you could probably leave you seriously out of pocket. I think you(or someone else) will find that nothing will match up. I think the diffs are different, I guess the brakes are different, the batteries wil be different, steering column and so on.
You havent said why you are doing the job, is the petrol engine shot? Why not get a recon unit and fit a gas conversion? If you have a decent diesel engine I would find a diesel transit with a shot engine and swap them.
Good luck with the project, perhaps someone else comes up with a more positive answer.
Papho
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i Have had so many conflicting bits of advice so far.
the difs are the same, they aren't the same.
the rads the same, it's not the same. etc etc etc
and i dont understand about the steering and the brakes as its the engine im changing
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Hi again Gordie
I was hoping someone far more clever then me would have replied by now, sadly not! I think you have hit the nail on the head, why do manufacturers fit so many different parts to vehicles that appear identical? The steering will probably be different because the diesel engine is so much heavier. The diesel I am fairly sure has ventilated disc brakes, I dont think the petrol does. The exhaust systems will be different etc. If you have a friendly Ford dealer who has 15 mins to spare you could go through a list of parts on the microfiche and find out which parts are common. Or maybe go to a good commercial breaker and spend a couple of hours with a tape measure and a camera. Have a search on 'transit breakers' and then give them a ring? let us know how you get on.
Papho
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If this is a hobby/project then fine but financially it makes no sense to do it.
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There is no difference in running gear between diesel and petrol,brakes can vary between models anyway(vented or n.v.).Exhaust would need changing,wiring is simple as diesel 'ignition' is only fuel on/off. As Xileno said it will end up costing more than it is worth if you have to pay someone.It is not a difficult conversion,a friend was recently running an Austin Cambridge that had an Isuzu diesel engine in it,but it is the sort of project you need to be doing yourself to make it worthwhile.
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I beg to differ.
at the moment i'm getting about 40 miles out of a tenner it can hardly pull its own weight (30 miles an hour up a slight incline on a motorway is no fun) it's smoking and probably about to blow up.
I got the engine gearbox and wiring loom cheap off e-bay so financialy it does make sense.
Now i came on here expecting helpful advice not pokes, digs and doomsayers, if you can't offer any helpfull advice then it would better alround if you kept your comments to yourself.
Sorry for the rant..
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Now i came on here expecting helpful advice not pokes, digs and doomsayers, if you can't offer any helpfull advice then it would better alround if you kept your comments to yourself.
People have offered their opinions, suggestions and helpful advice.
As you said right at the start of this thread "i Have had so many conflicting bits of advice so far."
Did you have the same opinion of them as well?
If you are going to take that tone with people just because you don't like their suggestions, then don't expect any further answers.
Politeness costs nothing, whereas rudeness often gets ignored.
DD. BR Moderator.
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Anything can be done,i have a friend that has just changed a Renault petrol camper van to diesel,he has done all sorts of conversions in the past,manual to auto or auto to manual and fitted many Rover V8s into all sorts of unsuitable vehicles.It is possible,but to do it commercially is really a non starter,because there are always unforseen problems and if you are charging an hourly rate you can soon have a very large bill and a dissatisfied customer.
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you're right politness costs nothing hence the apology for the rant.
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Up until recently one of the wonderful things about Fordies was that you could pretty much swap running gear around between models with little fuss. I dont think you will have much difficulty fitting the engine into your tranny. The engine mounts and gearbox mount and crossmember will need attention. The diff will be different. Best bet is to fit the rear axle from a diesel variant. Radiator and cooling hoses are different but apply some imagination as with the mounts. As you are doing it yourself it has to be cost effective assuming the tranny is in good condition. Finally, front suspension will need some attention as the diesel lump will be heavier than the petrol. Advice here is to scour the commercial breakers for the bits but PLEASE only use NEW brake parts. Good luck with it
Andrew.
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Simplicate and add lightness!!
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Now i came on here expecting helpful advice not pokes, digs and doomsayers, if you can't offer any helpfull advice then it would better alround if you kept your comments to yourself.
Where are these pokes and digs of which you speak? :-S
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> Why do manufacturers fit so many different parts to vehicles that appear identical?
Generally, as Sierraman says, its to best suit the engine and conditions the vehicle will be used under. A saving one or two euro adds up...especially when Ford claim 90% of the vans sold in Europe are Transits!
In the Transit's case there's another reason why they all look identical: Ford designed the current model so every variant can be built on the same modular production lines with the minimum of work needed to rearrange the line between runs.
IIRC, each change takes only an hour or two as a result, giving even more savings - and probably a better van too, as less variations mean less new ways for things to go wrong.
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Andrew Moorey has it about right. It can be done, but unless you are very patient and determined, some of the problems encountered might well cause you give up. I did a similar job a few years ago and found that the prop shaft was more trouble than anything else. There are umpteen different shafts fitted to the Tranny range, and none of them fitted to my particular conversion. It entailed a lot of cutting and welding, repositioned centre bearings etc.
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one of the most major problems with this change is that dvla will these days (they did last time i did a swap) require a written statement from a recognised garage that the change has been done by someone competant,the insurance company will also require an "engineers certificate" and it is also possible i am not sure on this but may require an sva i would suggest shelf the idea and change the vehicle.
Finally as andrew moorey quite rightly says the different amount of propshafts available is mind boggling,ask to look at the different types available at a decent breakers.
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Not really worth the hassle mate,loads of variations involved including the exhaust,engine mountings,diff/rear axle,suspension springs,propshaft.All in all you'd be as well buying a diesel transit save you loads of bother and van downtime in the long run.
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How much would it actually cost you to change the van for a diesel?
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Summary:
You have:
1. Knackered tranny with petrol engine installed.
2. Diesel engine of doubtful (ebay) provenance.
Previous posters have concluded that the Frankenstine style engine transplant will be difficult if not impossible.
Why not:
1. Sell Diesel engine. You might get more than you paid.
2. Buy new(er) or recon petrol engine - at least it should fit.
Option 3 (as suggested by Hugo) would be to get rid of current van and spare engine and buy a replacement. Wouldn't cost much more than the Frankenstine approach, IMHO
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