Nice work! I am just going old school and use the v-belts. Maybe I am missing something, but in your last pic it looks like the belt routing will turn the water pump counterclockwise. Mine is made to turn clockwise.

 

How are you going to get enough air through the radiator and around the engine to cool it with the steel plate design?

 

FTE, you are correct, the water pump is going to turn the wrong direction, THANKS for the watchful eye that could have caused the engine to overheat!! That just sucks! Now I have to come up with a way to come over the top of the water pump to make it turn the correct direction. It shouldn’t be that big of a deal just a bit more engineering. I will probably have to use another idler to drop down between the W/P & A/C sort-a like the idler between the P/S & Crank. I will also have to find a multi groove serpentine pulley for the W/P.

SEAGLF, the plate shouldn’t affect the cooling. I’m going to use electric cooling fans and the engine sits further back in the truck than the stock engine did so it should be fine. I do agree with you though, the plate is bigger than I would like. I had to make it that big to leave space for the A/C lines and turbocharger/exhaust plumbing.

 

Well here’s my answer to my water pump goof. I took the original Kubota pulley and a serpentine idler pulley and made one. I cut them down on the lathe, fit them together, and then welded them into one. I had to add another idler pulley to bring it over the W/P, wished I could have done it without the extra idler but for a first build I’m happy with it.

 

Here are some pics of my adapter plate. It’s actually two water jet cut plates centered on dowel pins. I could have used a single thick piece of aluminum and pay for a bunch of mill work to recess the flywheel but this actually worked out better. The transmission fit as it should and I was able to set it into the truck. I’m starting on the motor mounts tomorrow, they look like they should be pretty easy compared to the Accessories Plate or the Trans Plate.

 

Nice work on the pullys and adapter plate! What are you doing for an oil pan? I just finished building mine from scratch, just need some free time to get it installed.

 

I have an sheet metal oil pan that I'm planning on altering to fit. Put some pis up of your scratch made oil pan, I would like to see that. I haven't considered making one from scratch, how did you make the flange where it bolt to the engine?

 

I made the pan rail out of 1in angle and 22g sheet for the rest. I cut upthe pickup tube and extended it to fit, turned out well. I was going to post pix, but my kid jacked the memerory card out of my camera and she is in Hawaii for a week! O-well when she gets back I'll post some, maybe I will have time to make some progress. I was doing some reading about a guy in Eugene OR that built a car for the X prize challange and used a 3cly Kubota. He is getting 80+ mpg out of the car after refining it. It is only 1100cc, but powers it just fine. I'm getting excited!

 

I read about the X prize guy too, that's a cool project. I hope ours will get in the 40's MPG but we'll see. There is another guy on here "Jake Built" with a Kubota powered Ranger. I think he gets around 32-34 MPG, he's running a different engine, lil-smaller than the 2203's but his has a factory turbo. I've done a bunch of math on it, theoretically it should get in the 40's but the real world may be different. If it doesn't that OK I have really enjoyed the build and will enjoy taking it to some local drive in car shows.

 

Great post, usedkubotaman. I have a restored 1984 Nissan 720 King Cab, 4WD, 5sp. I was looking at the engine, wondering if a diesel implant similar to what your are doing would work as well. I am not the craftsman, machinist, engineer that you are, so I would have to find sources for that kind of thing. I'm thinking that if I could figure out the adapter, motor mounts, etc. I might be able to get something going. I don't have AC but do have power steering, alt, etc. The Z24d powered the diesel version and they are hard to find here. That's why I'm thinking swap.

Good luck!

Hyspeedz