My wife asked me this last night. Has anyone put one of those new Biodiesel burning engines in an Aero?

 

Pablo-ua has a diesel in a Aero.

 

A biodiesel engine isn't a new one - you can run biodiesel in any diesel engine, assuming you have synthetic fuel lines. Did Ford ever offer the 2.2 Mazda or 2.3L Mitsubishi diesels that were available in the Ranger in the mid '80s?

 

Parts for these engines are getting scarce. True, you can still get gaskets or an maybe a valve through the aftermarket, but ever try getting a used crank or head or ANY part through your Ford dealer for these engines? Support through Ford is gone.

If anybody would try putting a diesel in an Aero, make sure it's an inline, keep it at four cylinders and make sure it's a common engine that parts are still available for. The cummins 3.9 4 cyl would be my choice. Maybe add the turbo option. Anything smaller would be really slow in an Aero.

The only problem with a diesel swap is that you'd never pay for it. The Aero would rust away before you recoup your expenses.

 

No, my friend has diesel in aero. To use biodiesel better find old-generation diesel with mechanical fuel pump. Common-rail engines are not designed for bio-diesel.

About used diesel. As I can see, there are some weak points in old diesels.
1. Injectors. Nossels of ingectors are $150-200 for 4 cylinders. Dont use Bosch Turkey injectors. They are cheapper, but made in Germany, Brazil ore USA are much better. The problem is not in its life but in cyl. ballance operation. With Turkey injectors this operation is more difficult.
Wanna run in clouds of black smoke - do nothing.
2. Seals. Diesel engine require more frequent seal replacement. Especially maine crank seal and valve seals. If diesel is with timing belt, leaking oil may damadge belt. It happend with our Gaselle. Stalignrad inside. So use diesel with timing chaine ore timing gears.
3. Timing chain/belt. Replace immideatly.
4. Bearings. Just replace. $50 is not a money.
5. Check Turbine for play. If turbine bearing is bad, turbine is loud, becous blades toch a turbine body and oil consumption is .... well.... To check a turbine remove an air intake hose and check for axe play (radial play is normal).
Yes, you can easily replace bearing youself, but always ballance turbine to zero (ask any dealer). Disballansed turbine kills bearings and shaft may crack!
6. Chek for intercooler and boost lines leakages. There are usually drops of oil in leakage points. If there is a hole in intercooler, repare it with epoxy.
7 After installation do boost pressure road test. There is a port on intercooler. Connect manometer to it (I use long hose to put gauge inside a cabine). Check pressure under the full load. Boost pressure if different for different engines, but if hosepower is from 30 to 40 HP per litre max boost pressure is 1.7-2.1 BAR.

Good used diesel here is $500-700 for mercedes 5cyl engine, $300-400 for Ford-Pegeout 4 cyl engine, about $400 for Mazda E2200. Trannies are much cheapper, about $60-150.
Always purchaise diesel with alternator, PS pump, A/C compressor and vacuum pump (may be installed on alternator).

 

Cummins 3.9 4 cyl is difficult to put inside the tiny doghouse of aero. U need to install lower radiator to add Air/Air intercooler and boost lines. The better choise is Austrian Steyr 2.8 TDI. GAZ makes based on it GAZ-560 engine, that fits all GAZ vans, so it may easily fit aero. The othe interesting choise - small diesel engines for boats. Iveco Marine is good and cheap choise.

 

diesel is the fuel of the future
more energy per volume
lower cost to produce. less special additives
safer and easier to transport
safer to pump into rig
far safer in rig, never see an exploding Mercedes diesel fuel tank
engines last far longer

 

Diesel may explode if it is mixed with gas.... It is funny, but Oct.80 gas is cheapper then diesel.

 

Here in SoCal, grade 2 Diesel is now at $3.10/gal, while 87 octane unleaded is $3.40. It is cheaper at the pump, and with the greater efficiency of Diesel engines, that's a double win. But those engines are such expensive options.

 

Yeah.... the only way is to find used diesel, rebuild and install. I called my friend and asked him about fuel milage. He sais, that about 7-8 l/100km on hightway.
Diesel use less fuel, becouse gas engine have very poor gas milage when it is not warmed uo well. To warm up to 60 dgr C in winter aero runs about 5-6 miles. Diesel has good fuel milage when it is warmed up to 20 dgr C.

 

Thanks for all of the info! It's something to think about...

 

How about a diamler Sprinter 5 cyl diesel? These get 30 mpg unloaded, and 20 mpg fully loaded.

 

Possible, but a lot of work.

1. You have to modify oil pan with welding to put engine inside
2. You have to modify air intake (engine is too hight)
3. You have to install mercedes manual tranny. Wanna use mercedes auto - forget about a/c.
4. Intercooler must be installed on place of tranny cooler
5. A lot of work with hoses of coolant, a/c, PS. fuel lines.
6. I'm not sure, what an fuel injection system use mercedes in nothern America (common rail, PLD ore traditional mechanicalli driven and cabel controlled hight pressure fuel pump). But imagine a job installing 2 ECUs, wiering (with can bus) and tuning up with DaimlerCrisler StarDiagnose (R).
7. Stock driveshaft does not fit mercedes tranny and U have to make dual driveshaft and ballance it to zero, but it is not a greate job if you have a lathe end welding mashine.
8. 5-cyl engine is longer then aeros 4.0V6 and you have to use electric fan only.

Better look for Cummins 2.7-3.9, mazda 2.2 (slow), Mitsubishi L200 2.3 TDI ore Pegeout 2.5-3.0 TDI engine with mechanically drivef HPFP with cabel controll. Ore use 1st ore 2nd generation EDC, becouse patrs and sensors are much chepper then gen 3 ore 4.

 

Electronic Foot Throutle actuator was fogetten. It is made of plastic pedal with integrated dual resistor. Fits all MB diesel.