I have yet to look through the 'necromicon of diesel' (I will when I get home) but I had a question thats been on my mind for a while now.

I just read that Peugot have a v12 5 liter diesel for LeMans, it has something like 600 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque. This relates to my question.

Now, I was looking for a small diesel engine for a small car project, something perhaps 2L or less. All the suppliers I've seen are either marine, or industrial. Industrial engines are too huge for what I want, usually 1L per cylinder and low rpms. I was wondering if it were possible to have say a 6 cylinder engine with 2l or less of total displacement. It would be smaller, probably lighter, able to rev higher I would think with 2 additional small combustion events, thereby having more horsepower.

Why does this not exist?

 

well i cant help on that one but it does make a fellar think but i would like to welcome you to diesel bombers and i hope somebody here can answer your question

 

Well, at least I got the idea out of my head. Have fun with it.

I really wanted to take an existing 6 cylinder and make a scale model of it. If its a 6L inline, make a copy thats 1/3 the size of the original.

I know that from a production standpoint, its easier to lop off 2 cylinders from an existing engine to make a smaller engine than it is to completely redesign a new one, but this is imagination time.

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Is there such a place that would build an engine like I am imagining?
Or perhaps modify an already existing small engine?
I was thinking of maybe a race engine builder.

I would like to do a simple roadster type of car, simple like a locost, but not as small. Perhaps a Ford Coupe or something like that.
I was looking at an old jeep, but i don't go off road so that would be a waste.

Sorry to ramble, its therapeutic to type this all out, get it out of my head ->

 

Ok- let me explain to things that are towards in a Diesel engine.
1. rpm- A high reving Diesel looses it's fuel efficency.
Rpm also acclerates wear in Diesel engines- that doesn't mean that they can rev. But it's not intended.

2. Small diesel engine still have to work with displacement to develop torque. The smallest engine I know is the 600ccm(0.6l) 3cylinder smart diesel. It sounds like a chainsaw...

VW engines are 4cylinder engines and the smallest I know is the 1.4l Diesel with 48hp( I had this engine, it was built in a 93VW Polo). There was also a 1.3l Diesel with 45hp-but wasn't very reliable.


Bmw had a 325 (2.5l)tds 6cylinder Diesel, not very reliable due to inline 6 thermal problems and very heavy and huge.
Hope that helps a bit.
to give you an idea whats possible have a look at this : ok its a gasser but a V12 scale engine, built by a german model fan.

 

mercedes has a 5 cyl diesel that is turbo and very reliable om617 3.0L

 

Ok, so the low revs are better for fuel efficiency. I figured higher revs would decrease fuel efficiency, but I wasn't sure by how much. I'm guessing now its quite a bit.

Oh well, it was just an idea.

I know that VW makes the small TDI, but I'm not a huge fan of VW, some of their stuff tends to be... finicky.

The Benz diesel does sound like a good bet, I've heard many good things about their longevity, not so many good things about their speed(at least in the car that it was built for). How hard are they to come by?

Oh and Stink3r, whats the '2.5 TD VM engine' that you have listed in your sig?

 

So since the revs are lower and the torque is higher, a taller gearset can/should be used, right?

hmmm...