Anyone familiar with this motor?

[jonrpick]

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/pts/3404630958.html

Isuzu 3KR1. It's a 3-cyl, supposedly 35hp motor. I immediately remembered that the original VW Beetles were about 35hp, albeit gas engines.

I think this came out of a forklift or something. Anyway, I wonder if something like this could be adapted to an old mini-truck, like a Toyota or S-10. Something small and 2WD to be used as a cheap commuter.

I'm not considering buying this or a donor truck. Just seems like a cool idea to get from point A to point B using very little fuel--IF it could be adapted to an existing transmission.

 

[jonrpick]

Actually a Jeep DJ5 (mail Jeep) would be awesome with a tiny diesel in it...

 

[Deuling]

Looks alot like the motors in my gpas backhoes... I know those are 3cyl

 

[jonrpick]

Wonder what the peak torque is? I couldn't find it on Google...

 

[DEMON44]

not much. less than 100 I can bet you. its a natural, and rated that low. maybe 60 ft lbs. but really, the VW 1.6L natural that my Jetta originally came with is rated 49hp or something like that. It moved the car around ok. Like just good enough for getting around. Don't expect anything more. or bolt a tiny VW turbo on it and help it out. it'd be cool I think.

 

[jonrpick]

not much. less than 100 I can bet you. its a natural, and rated that low. maybe 60 ft lbs. but really, the VW 1.6L natural that my Jetta originally came with is rated 49hp or something like that. It moved the car around ok. Like just good enough for getting around. Don't expect anything more. or bolt a tiny VW turbo on it and help it out. it'd be cool I think.

Well, I'd suspect that at the same horsepower rating as the old VW motors, it would probably have to have better torque, being diesel and all... I was wondering the same thing--if putting a small turbo on it might make for a pretty good commuter engine. Remember, Geo Metros had 3cyl gas motors...



But then again, this would be for building something that was designed to commute cheaply, and nothing more.

 

[DEMON44]

Putting a turbo on it will increase efficiency. That's a good thing. Because you turbo something doesn't make it hotrodded.

Natural engines have poor thermal efficiency. Turbocharging steps that up a bunch.

 

[jonrpick]

Right. But in this case hot-rodding wouldn't necessarily be a good thing. Keeping fuel consumption down while maintaining a safe level of driveability would be the goal.

Oh course, this is all theoretical, as I couldn't afford the project right now...

 

[DEMON44]

Your not hearing me.

I said.

Putting a turbo on a naturally aspirated diesel, is not hotrodding it.

 

[jonrpick]

No, I understand that...

 

[Deuling]

Trackers had a 3cyl i think.

 

[diesel4me]

Some "industrial" engines had a round "SAE" bellhousing ,there are a few different ones in use...there are adapters available for some of them that allow them to be coupled to a typical GM or Ford bellhousing....I've seen some on Perkins inline six diesels guys swapped into a Ford pickup truck from a farm tractor..not sure if one is available for the Isuzu,but being a GM derivitive,I wouldn't doubt one is available,or that a competent machine shop could make one fairly easy.......

 

[harry 387]

a trike?