Diesel Conversion
- Thread starter germanauto1991
- Start date
- Tags conversion diesel
Amen, worked a few of those converted Olds engines.
Blocks were not strong enough I saw the main webs broken right out of them.
Then you had the old mechanical fuel injection which was total crap. And the glo-plug system JUNK.
Your coming up with a fuel system would be pretty tough, ever see a run away diesel engine, not pretty:scared:
Fired by high compression which is major stress on all engine parts not designed for it, fuel needs to be shut off to stop it.
All that said could probably be done with a major time and cost factor.
Blocks were not strong enough I saw the main webs broken right out of them.
Then you had the old mechanical fuel injection which was total crap. And the glo-plug system JUNK.
Your coming up with a fuel system would be pretty tough, ever see a run away diesel engine, not pretty:scared:
Fired by high compression which is major stress on all engine parts not designed for it, fuel needs to be shut off to stop it.
All that said could probably be done with a major time and cost factor.
Go back 10 earlier and Gm tried it with an V8 called the Toroflow. WE called them the Explody series. Anyhow they were a diesel convertion of the old big block V6s from the GM heavy truck div. Great gas motors BAD diesels....
To make a diesel of a 5hp briggs I say no. Hot bulb / Semi diesel is possible but not practical for a road machine
To make a diesel of a 5hp briggs I say no. Hot bulb / Semi diesel is possible but not practical for a road machine
why screw around you will have more time and money wasted. I think these guys got it figured out allready for you.
Results for Diesel Engines
Results for Diesel Engines
Like those tractor puller folks that do spark ignition conversions on their giant ag diesels and run multi-stage turbocharging....They have pretty cool crankcase explosions once in a while. 
ut: :thumbsup:
To answer the original question, there isn't any component in a Briggs flathead that would withstand the rigors of a diesel conversion. The aforementioned GM diesel conversions and their subsequent failure are examples of why engines designed for spark ignition are not robust enough to be diesels. Aside from that, raising the compression of a Briggs flathead from 6.5:1 to at least 16:1 would be a feat of redesign in itself.
The average "environmentalist" in North America is stuck in the 1970s when the stereotypical diesel was noisy and dirty. It doesn't matter that most modern diesels don't smoke at all and have carbon emissions the same or lower than their gasoline counterparts. They are too hung up on pseudo-green options like hydrogen(currently produced from oil) and hybrids(whose manufacture is at least as environmentally destructive as operating a straight gas engine) to even consider
ut: :thumbsup:To answer the original question, there isn't any component in a Briggs flathead that would withstand the rigors of a diesel conversion. The aforementioned GM diesel conversions and their subsequent failure are examples of why engines designed for spark ignition are not robust enough to be diesels. Aside from that, raising the compression of a Briggs flathead from 6.5:1 to at least 16:1 would be a feat of redesign in itself.
The average "environmentalist" in North America is stuck in the 1970s when the stereotypical diesel was noisy and dirty. It doesn't matter that most modern diesels don't smoke at all and have carbon emissions the same or lower than their gasoline counterparts. They are too hung up on pseudo-green options like hydrogen(currently produced from oil) and hybrids(whose manufacture is at least as environmentally destructive as operating a straight gas engine) to even consider
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what is you built the head form scratch ? you could get the comp you would need . granted you would have to run the valve timing tighter then well tight .
if some one really wants to look in to making your own diesel motor i would look here and talk to the guy he builds some very cool machines and motors .
Elden's Junky Web Page
if some one really wants to look in to making your own diesel motor i would look here and talk to the guy he builds some very cool machines and motors .
Elden's Junky Web Page
Diesel minibike
I bought this a while back, but haven't gotten around to fixing it, working too many hours.
YouTube - Explanation of my Diesel Minibike
I bought this a while back, but haven't gotten around to fixing it, working too many hours.
YouTube - Explanation of my Diesel Minibike
derrr derr ok im a idiot i missed the flat head thing :doah::doah::doah::doah:
ya i see your point i was thinking if you took and made it in to a over head valve set up with long push rods . you could run the piston up till it dam near kisses the valves . granted if the timing is off your done it will lunch something
ya i see your point i was thinking if you took and made it in to a over head valve set up with long push rods . you could run the piston up till it dam near kisses the valves . granted if the timing is off your done it will lunch something
Well, an OHV head conversion might get the compression right. One problem I see with that is head clamping around where the original valves were. There is not a lot of material under the deck right there for adding head bolt holes.
Also, when I read "standard 5hp Briggs," I assumed we are talking about a 5hp flathead. Nothing would really change if germanauto was talking about an OHV, though. The stock head probably still wouldn't have enough rigidity to keep gaskets from blowing out.
One thing I would like to know is if the single-cylinder utility diesels have direct injection or indirect. IDI works well for naturally-aspirated diesels, but introduces the liability of blowing out the prechamber at elevated power levels. It would also make a spark ignition conversion a lot more difficult.
Also, when I read "standard 5hp Briggs," I assumed we are talking about a 5hp flathead. Nothing would really change if germanauto was talking about an OHV, though. The stock head probably still wouldn't have enough rigidity to keep gaskets from blowing out.
One thing I would like to know is if the single-cylinder utility diesels have direct injection or indirect. IDI works well for naturally-aspirated diesels, but introduces the liability of blowing out the prechamber at elevated power levels. It would also make a spark ignition conversion a lot more difficult.
but if you took and where the valves are now made that a pig of metal on the head and just ran passages for the push rods.you could use the factory bolt holes ,and with the cylinder and exhaust not being in that spot you would not have to deal with lots of heat . on the head gaskets maybe copper ones would be able to handle the pressure? or what if you fire ringed it ? granted that is some weird machining , but if your building something like this idea then you will have lots of strange millings .looking on the site i linked to he built a mechanical diesel and got it to run . but it has no real power and was a pain in the ass to start . he did a gas conversion on it after messing with it for some time .