I've already talked to a few of you about my project, but I guess it's time to let everyone in on the secret. My plan is to swap a (almost) new Kubota v2203 engine into my 1997 F-150. I have read every single thread that I could possibly find on the internet about this engine and I think that it's up to the task of being in a full size pickup.

Goals:
Having a one of a kind vehicle
Get great gas mileage (my last F-150 averaged 9 mpg)
Learn far more than a classroom can teach me
Get to driving condition in one month
Have fun

What I have:
1997 F-150 4.2l v6, 2wd, 5 speed manual, regular cab, short bed, 32" tires, 3.08 rear end, 110,000 miles, curb weight is less than 3,900 lb
Kubota v2203 with around 1300 hours, should get here next week
kkk k03-005 turbo from '99 Audi A4
Access to my school's CNC and manual lathes, mills, etc.

The Plan:
Remove and sell the v6
Mill down the Kubota flywheel housing
Fabricate adapter plate from 1/4" steel, assuming the spacing is similar to everyone else's
Possibly fabricate the oil pan since I have a bunch of 14 ga steel lying around from a failed gun safe manufacturing I attempted to start
Fabricate all other mounts as needed

There you go! Am I missing anything? I'd like to thank everyone in this forum, I wouldn't even consider taking on this endeavor without first learning from everyone's experiences. You're all a great motivation Prepare to be bombarded by questions.

 

.02 - worth exactly what it costs...

it's got an 8.8" rear, right? I'd look at some shorter gears, or shorter tires, or both. I'd definitely lower it about 4" or more. That's a big girl for a 2.2 liter, but I guess it's not much heavier than a 4x4 Ranger, if that. The frontal area is what would scare me. I have a 95 Lightning with 30" tires (275 60 17) and 4.10's that turns about 2300 at 70 with a 0.70 overdrive... from what I understand that is pretty close to a sweet spot for that mill.

Rangmar was saying he was putting down 98hp / 287tq at the wheels so I have faith the little mill can handle it with the right gearing. The 4.2 probably didn't put 287 down at the crank, much less to the ground!!

My big question is the bellhousing on the Kubota and whether it is close to any SAE bells. I'm interested in the Phoenix adapter for cost reasons. I don't have the skill / tools to get the .005 or so I think you need for alignment. I'll be watching this one. Good luck!

 

I completely agree about the gears. I was a little disappointed with I looked at the rear axle and found that it was a 3.08. I'm fine with having the rpm at 2100 at 80 mph, but I'm worried about the acceleration getting to that point. A 3.55 or 3.73 is probably what I'll go with. I'm keeping the tires because they're brand new and came with the pickup.

A couple people have expressed their concerns about the F-150's size over a Ranger, completely understandable. Personally I would love to have a slightly larger engine like a 3.3l but those are WAY out of my price range With the better aerodynamics of the '97 model over the older models, I really don't think that the extra height and width will be too much of a problem. The stock v6 came with 202 hp/255 tq at the crank. I'm fine with half the hp and 10% extra torque

Well I hope that the picture loaded correctly. This is how it currently stands. I'll include more pictures next week when I start tearing it apart

 

Engine arrived today! Pictures to come tomorrow. I've been really busy with classes this week so the plan now is to remove the old v6 and take the necessary measurements on Saturday to make the adapter plate next week.

 

yeah definately keep us posted about your fobota swap

 

I was able to bring home the Kubota today and spent a couple hours checking it out and planning my next steps. I also made a happy discovery, my F150 has a belt driven vacuum pump I'm still trying to figure out how to mount everything onto the block, but I'm very happy to find that I can just take all of the stock accessories and use them with the Kubota.

I attached a couple crappy pictures of the engine. I'll make sure to bring a decent camera while I'm actually working on it.

 

dude, that scares me, thats a tiny engine for that truck but good luck, i put a chevy 350 v8 in a 1987 honda civic si hatch back because they told me i couldnt....

 

Update: I worked for about half of the time I had planned today so I didn't get the v6 out. Looking again, I don't have a belt driven vacuum pump so I'll have to figure that out. Hopefully Monday will be more productive.

I would love to see that Honda Trust me, I wouldn't dare attempt this swap on anything bigger than my bare bones 2wd. If it was 4wd or had an extended cab, I don't think it'd be worth it.

 

Have you seen the alternators with the pump built on the back? That's what I'm using this time.

New Alternator 3 9 Isuzu Truck NPR Models 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 4BD1 Engine | eBay

 

That was my original plan until I saw the vacuum pump on the f150. Have you felt or noticed any lack of power with 70 amps?

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Checking online it appears that the vacuum pump I currently have is mechanical, but there's no pulley and I couldn't see how it was attached. I'd rather save the money and use what I have, but will definitely consider the alternator/vacuum combo. Thanks for that link