Thanks! I live in Portland Oregon and am trying to digest what you have said. If I picked up one of the industrial equipment type could it be rebuilt to what i wanted? Or would I be looking at too much $$ and trouble? -

pengyou's Sig:

No rig yet but shopping for a 80's van (hopefully old enough so that smog cert. is not an issue) to convert to diesel/SVO and turn into a land yacht for my bi-annual 15,000 mile trot across the country.

You'll be ahead in the long run to just get an automotive engine. There are lots of them on the west coast. Take a look at dovebid .. their auctions usually include lots of breadvans on the west coast. -

kbailey's Sig:

'98 dodge 3500 12-valve cummins
#10 plate, 3000 rpm GSK, Autometer Boost and Pyro

I have heard many recommendations for the 4bt. I have also heard that they shake a lot and are loud. If I buy a good working block is there a way to build up the block so that I can reduce noise and vibration and get the desired performance that I want?

If not, is there another good recommendation for a quieter, smoother engine? How about the Isuzu 4 cylinder engines? the Iveco?

I am more than happy to insulate the engine compartment for my van - I think I can drastically reduce engine noise..but not sure how I can reduce vibration. any ideas? -

If your looking for quiet and smooth, the the 4B or the 4BT (turbo) is not the engine you want, It does vibrate quite a bit. some of them were mounted with a fluid type of motor mount to reduce vibration. most of the vibration is at idle. they smooth out quite a bit as you get the rpm up. the non turbo has abt 105HP, the turbo intercooled has abt 130 HP and abt 297 ft lb of torque. Their main benefit is the torque and fuel mileage available from them. That and its a diesel. I have been looking for a usable and affordable one for a while also. Let me know if you run into a herd of old frito lay trucks. -

Thanks! I will think about that and put that into "the equation". Would a heavier flywheel help? Right now...I am found a really good deal on a 1996 Astro. It is high mileage and immaculate. I am going to buy that. I was toying with the idea of putting a diesel in that but it is a bit light weight and I think a 4bt would be too heavy. The optimal donor vehicle is a Ford e-350 with a large block v8 - maybe a 460. The 460 weighs more than the cummins so there would be no need to beef up the suspension. Both torque and hp are high on the 460 so it may be possible to use the transmission that was hooked up to the gas v8. Is there a 3.x liter diesel engine that would fit into the astro? I know the 5 cylinder Mercedes is a 3 liter. I think the engine is not much heavier than the V6 that is in the Astro. I also don't think it is much taller than a v6 but not sure about that. With the astro, even if I can't do a conversion on it to be my "landyacht" I can at least use it to run around and pick up parts. It has a trailer hitch on the rear and also doesn't have a 3rd seat in the back so that I can haul things in it. Onward and upward. -