i am just wandering if there is a good diesel engine out there that i could drop into my '88 Bronco II. i read on some other sites that ford made a diesel version until '87 but that it was not a reliable engine. any suggestions and opinions will be appreciated.

 

try a nissan diesel there are two of them get the one that they use in there fork lift's it's a very good one i had one in a nissan extended cab p/u not a lot of hp or tourque it has removeable cylender sleeves also look on sone nissan 720 truck fourms there is one i know. cant remember ther name sorry.

 

The Ford 2.2L diesels were kinda weak or had a bad rep, but the 2.3L turbodiesels weren't too bad, if I remember right. The old Nissan diesels are good, as well as Isuzu, Volkswagen and Toyota. You could get really oddball and find a Kubota, John Deere, or Caterpillar 4-cylinder diesel and swap it in. I think for power and economy, though, one of the best I have seen lately would be the Volkswagens (1.8/2.0 TDI Jettas) as far as smaller engines. Just remember, though, diesel engines are usually heavier, so you may have to level out your front end and whatnot. Wouldn't surprise me if you could "tune" an 'original' 2.3L Ford turbodiesel engine.... and your best bet on finding one would probably be in Canada.... good luck importing that!

 

I was kind of curious if you could modify an old tractor diesel to fit in a bronco II. I love the old International diesels (tractor ones). They have few electronics and too much torque for their own good. Plus you clould get your pick of size and power.

 

Ford of Austrailia offers a diesel for their Ranger. Try:
http://www.ford.com.au/servlet/Conte...idth&c=DFYPage

I'm not sure how you would be able to get ahold of and import one. That would be the catch.

 

Yep, Europe, Australia, Canada... pretty much ANYWHERE but the USA offers diesels in most of the cars that DON'T offer it as an option here. I'm sure the new Ford Ranger diesel engines are a lot better than the older ones. Todd, I hear ya there. I think the big issue would be bolting up a transmission that will handle that kind of torque. The other key factors to consider would be axles, driveshafts... pretty much the rest of the drivetrain. You wouldn't want to snap anything

 

check it out go to www.BroncoII.org in the general discussion forum is a guy (brickhead) user name. from lancaster,pa that has a cummings diesel 4bta turbo charged no less in a B2 well it's a full size frame with the WB shortened 10 " and a BII body on it. still if it fits between the fenders it will work on any BII or ranger

 

OMG... that is exactly what I was looking at doing myself. Cummins 4BTAs are stout engines and have a lot of power and torque. I guess if you're not so much about the speed but the power to go through anything... the only thing I could see is the weight issue, but I guess if you have the right axles, gears, tires, etc., it'll work out well. One of the things you have to remember is the fact that you're probably looking at either flushing or replacing your current fuel tank and possibly all the fuel lines in between. I tell ya, this makes me want to put this in the list of things to do to mine.... check this out... Cummins 4BTA-powered Bronco II

 

pretty cool

 

That video would be brickhead's BII starting for the first time, too. That's just wicked!

 

Many people use the abundant VW diesel engine in their 4x4 Geos and Suzukis and get mid-30s mileage.

 

my father inlaw had a VW rabbit diesel. great on milage but took three blocks to get up to 35 mph. no ***** at all.

 

The newer VW turbodiesels have plenty of *****. The older ones weren't so great, but it wouldn't surprise me if you could tune 'em and tweak 'em and get better power/torque numbers.

 

My 99 VW TDI diesel dyno'd 255 lb-ft torque at only 2000 rpm! That's an estimated 300 lb-ft at the crank! I surprise V8s on the road and at the pump.

53 best / 48 average / 42 worst

 

Im glad I wasnt the only one thinking about doing this!! I have been looking into ANYTHING to replace my 2.9 v-6. By the way, if anybody needs any parts made, I can do some really nice work in the shop. Im a machinist, and I make my own stuff alot. Drop me a line if ya need anything.