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Been looking at this for quite some time now. Anyone out there with experience on the D or DX series blocks? I know they have a robust bottom end and are sometimes used to build stroker SBC's. The Olds diesel has a warped and curious reputation, but I think it would be an interesting swap into a Luv. Considering the astonishing lack of overall power in the C223, as far as swaps go, this seems to make some sort of sense to me. The '79 LF9 engine was rated at 105 HP, nearly twice a stock C223. The 5.7 had weak head bolts which now, after 20 something years, has been addressed. Plus it has mechanical injection, which is SVO friendly, and a relatively simple wiring circuit. Olds 5.7's seem to come up on craigslist for between $50-$200, which is cheap compared to a decent C223. Torque might be an issue, but it seems you could retain the stock rear end. There are guys running 1.8's with 100+ horse, right?

I'd like to hear from you guys that might have experience with this block. I think a TH350/400 will bolt up to this engine as well, so the trans bracket would be more familiar territory. What about the water pump? If the block is the same as a 350, would it interchange with a shorter one?



As to the why?!?...I'd like to try to run a truck on veggie oil, and I'd like to try a V8 swap at some point. Seems like if I'm going to actually tackle the project, I might as well build what I want, right?

Like to hear your comments

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"If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves" - Thomas Edison

I don't know of a shorter water pump offhand. And the pump is an olds pump. I don't think sbc stuff will fit it.

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If you think no one cares, try missing a couple of payments...



FIAA!

SFPP!

olds diesels and all olds blocks having nothing in common with chevy smallblocks.

another thing you might want to address is the weight issue. DXs are heavy suckers.

in my eyes its just not a very cost effective swap for the power your lookin for.

but im never one to turn away a project. i think itd be cool. and if you ever wanted to put like a 455 in the truck when you were tire of the diesel, you could. motor mounts are the same.

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"but its that gut feeling of you're drawn to what feels right for yourself and what you're passionate about..."

Im waiting on someone to drop in a Duramax....

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The Old's diesels did have issues but they are easy to over come , lets see what you need.

The engine can be installed as some gas one's have been used.

The weight of the motor is about the same as a chevy big block.

Any BOP trans will fit if you have the vac pump and valve on the injector pump for the auto trans (they also use a different governor)but that can be gone around.

You are going to have to change the rear end as you are going to need a gear ratio of at least 3.25 and would be better off with 2.73-3.00 due to the lower RPM,s the diesel run,s at.

Any used motor you will have to rebuild the injectors and the pump as they will be wore out and when worked on they will be upgraded witch will make the motor run better than it did from the factory.

This all adds up to a pretty good expense but if done with the right gearing and tune up you will get some where in the 30-35 mile per gallon range and it will still be spunky when you hit the throttle because of the low weight of the pickup.

There is more info if you decide to go on with this project ,and i think you should as it would be different and cost effective when done.

So a hardy good luck and go on with it and just ask when you need help and you shall receive.

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1978 pro street step/side 455Buick, 4sp,4.11s, 31/18.5s

Wow, thanks guys!

So the mounts for the D/DX are actually chevy big block mounts? I know the block is heavier, but I thought the external dimensions were the same as an SBC? Anyone seen an Olds diesel that's been converted to a gas SBC?

On Ben's truck, he used a longer pump I think. From the photos I've seen he ended up using an electric fan. Not having actually done this, I'd have to do some measuring on an actual 5.7 diesel. But it sure seems like it should fit...

I'm thinking either a TH3500 or possibly a TH200R-4? Not sure what was stock behind the diesel. There is an Olds wagon with a factory diesel for sale locally, I may ask the guy if I can just go examine it. The price is right, but I've got too many vehicles as it is. It might be a good choice for a donor car though, as it already has the pump/injectors and trans.

As for the rearend, would an S-10 rear be the way to go, are 2.73's available for it? Or an '81-up, P'up diesel rearend? What about a diesel Ranger rearend?

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"If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves" - Thomas Edison

Nukeday, nothing on it will convert to a small block chevy. I don't think the motor mounts are the same either. It's slightly larger than a small block chevy, also. The engine will swap a lot of accessories with a 350 olds, also, a 455. The starter won't interchange with the chevy either.
We converted an olds toronado diesel over to gas once, but we just swapped in a 455.

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If you think no one cares, try missing a couple of payments...



FIAA!

SFPP!

mytmouz is right nothing off a Chevy will fit the Old's but there are a lot of 350 old's powered cars out there to get parts.

It sounds like you have answered all of your questions and needs with getting a diesel powered car for the parts you need.

I don't know what gears a available for the S-10 but i do know the gears are the same as the 82-92 F-body cars and a good source for limited slip carriers.If you use the 200R4 you can get by with a 3.54 gear cause of the over drive but 2.73s would get you the best economy

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1978 pro street step/side 455Buick, 4sp,4.11s, 31/18.5s

I had a 1980 olds delta 88 royal 5.7 diesel what a pos . Why would you do this vs. say a isuzu or little detroit or cummins . Not trying to dog your idea , but the one i had was a lemon .

The ultimate goal would be to run the truck on SVO and to try to come in under the cost of a 'mainstream' diesel engine. It's probably not the best idea ever, but it would be a culmination of several interests of mine in one vehicle.

As any of you diesel guys know, just a decent mainstream engine will set me back between $1000 and $5000. An Olds 5.7 starts to look pretty appealing if cost is the driving factor behind the project. It's not a matter of overlooking it's reputation, it's a matter of addressing the known issues with the engine. This can be done, and has been done very effectively and economically. This engine is no-one's first choice for a diesel, but for this application it seems like it would work. I won't be pulling any 18,000lb 5th wheels with a Luv, so it's a little about the 'can it be done' factor also.

The car I'd really like to build is a chopped and channelled, closed cab, Model T rat rod with a turbo'd 7.3 & 5 speed, but my dreams far outweigh my skills...

Anyway, this swap seems a little closer to what I might actually be capable of accomplishing skill-wise and dollar-wise. Maybe.

Thanks for the input folks, this has turned out to be very informative!

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"If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves" - Thomas Edison

[quote="nukeday"]
The car I'd really like to build is a chopped and channelled, closed cab, Model T rat rod with a turbo'd 7.3 & 5 speed, but my dreams far outweigh my skills...
Now were talkin'

I stopped reread the original post and see where your going .

I have owned a few old's diesels. I was the only one who worked on them at a GM dealership for awhile. No one had any diesel engine experance. A lot of the problem with the d/dx engines were car drivers did not know how to drive a diesel engine. The DX engine fixed most of the problems.

DO NOT reuse the head bolts!!! This was not something that people understood. It is Not a converted gas engine. GM did not know how to design a diesel engine. Still don't. It has a very strong heavy block. Forged Steel crank. DX block was improved, more nickel in the block too I think. I have seen a Luv with a 350 olds gas engine on ebay a a few times(same truck) I have 2 DX's at home that I was going to put in a S10 at one time.. A luv would work too. 400k miles on one, 300k on the other. The 400k engine wore out three cars-trucks before being retired.

Olds only made one size V8 block like Pontiac. They all have the same outside dimensions.

The engines came with a "TH350" or "TH200r4" transmissions. There were a few with manual transmissions in pickup trucks, but I never saw one. Mine used a 200r4.

There a few turboed engines out there. Some bad ass ones for what the were-are. No 500hp Cumins, Power Strokes or Duramax ones. I have seen a 200+ HP one. Somewhere I had a dyno sheet on it. There is a delphi forum on the 350 olds diesel. Not this type of forum, a old style one.

The biggest problem with these engines are finding oversize pistons for them. Use ARP head bolts!! Main bolts are good to, but head bolt are a must.

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75 Luv, 350 V8, TH350, Camaro rearend. New 1975 Luv Step side. Stock for now.
Grandmaster of the "Shade Tree" way.. I can't see the yard for all the cars. Come on down and we will sit on the porch and watch the grass grow.

In the 80's I went to UTI, Phoenix ( mechanic school). The school had an Olds. diesel powered Vega race car. I don't know much about it, but it was pretty cool.

And they had a couple on running eng. stands. One had no harmonic balancer on it and it would rev like a two stroke.

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OK, I'm over it. Where's the beer?

A 4bt, 3.9l cummins is not bad. A 105 or so horse power. I am on a yahoo group on this engine swaps. It is big and heavy. There is a S10 with a 5.9 diesel 6cyl engine in it , so anything could be done.

If I really wanted to put a diesel engine in a small truck, I would use a early VW TDI engine, 94-98 engine. They make a transmission adapter to use a toyota 5pd and automatic with it. It is used in samurai-vw diesel engine swap. A yahoo group too.

Early TDI's had fewer electronics on them, and a few people make non electric pump conversions for the TDI engines. VW also made a 1.9 turbo engine (non tdi) and a n/a engine.

I have done a lot of WVO research. It can be a lot of work, but I think it can be worth while. Finding a good supply of WVO is harder than anything else.

The problem right now is my old '95 chev 3/4 ton gas engine truck (305k miles) and my son's 98' 3/4 ton dodge diesel (100k low mileage) both get the same fuel mileage. My fuel just cost less. Strange, as diesel is mostly a by product of making gasoline.

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75 Luv, 350 V8, TH350, Camaro rearend. New 1975 Luv Step side. Stock for now.
Grandmaster of the "Shade Tree" way.. I can't see the yard for all the cars. Come on down and we will sit on the porch and watch the grass grow.

If I remember right, one of the Tech Schools had the "fastest or quickest" diesel drag car. I thought it was a camaro or firebird. But that was more than last week too.

If you search on the web, there are several cars with diesel swaps. A GM 6.2l or 6.5l Corvette. A 5.9l in a Chopped '50 Merc.

I missed out on a 56 Ford truck that my d/x engine was going to go into.
I am always a day late or a dollar short.

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75 Luv, 350 V8, TH350, Camaro rearend. New 1975 Luv Step side. Stock for now.
Grandmaster of the "Shade Tree" way.. I can't see the yard for all the cars. Come on down and we will sit on the porch and watch the grass grow.

So, to continue with this line of thought, I now have a truck that has been pretty much gutted and the 350/350 pulled. It has the TH350 tranny mount, and welded in engine mounts.

Dimensionally, what is the difference in the mounts from a 350 to a 5.7/6.2 diesel?

I've learned that one of my co-workers is a certified welding instructor and he's offered to take a look at what I've got. I have no idea how to measure or calculate where new mounts should go. Would I need to look for a big block swap kit? Or is the DX the same as the BOP engine?

I'd guess the way to do this is to set the engine and tranny in the truck, using the driveshaft/trans mount to locate the engine mounts?

The older I get the more amazed I am at how far I've gotten by knowing so little....hahahaha...

Thanks!

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"If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves" - Thomas Edison

To figure your motor mount placement is simple(maybe) put your motor/trans in the truck and bolt the trans mount down but not tight so you can move things around,now all you have to do is square up the motor and build the mounts.

The diesel and the gas 350 Olds use the some motor mounts,so try the early 350 olds mounts (60s) and you may be able to come close to using what is there already. good luck.

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1978 pro street step/side 455Buick, 4sp,4.11s, 31/18.5s

Should the current mounts be completely removed before trying to put the Olds engine in? Or could they be modified and moved?

My two biggest questions really are about cooling and exhaust for this setup. The Olds 5.7 I've found is complete front to back, and has the flywheel (auto), starter and exhaust manifolds included. It also includes the fuel lines, fuel distributor and glow plug wiring harness. It's basically as close to a drop in engine as I could find.

It's a large engine, and long, so I would probably retain the externally mounted radiator. Not exactly my first choice, but it would allow this engine to drop in with minimal mods.

If I clean/boil the existing fuel tank, can I re-use it? What about the fuel pump? It has mostly hard line already, but the soft lines would be replaced with Viton hoses. I'm thinking that a WVO tank could be added in later where the bed has already been setup for a fuel cell.

Honestly, this engine setup is the cheapest I've found. Since the truck is a budget build anyway, this is looking more and more appealing...

Thanks for your input and suggestions.

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"If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves" - Thomas Edison

Most diesels do not use a lift pump. That would be a fuel pump between the fuel tank and the I.P.(injection Pump) I don't think it is a bad thing to have a lift pump, it will get fuel up to the IP quicker if you run out of fuel. My feeling is that the injection pump, pumps, not sucks.

Use the stock exhaust manifolds. Several ways to hook up the glow plugs, and there are a fast and a slow plug. Don't mix parts. A fer different relays, one is better than the other.

New fuel lines are good idea. Boil-Clean the tank should work. You need all of that done if you run bio diesel anyway.

DO NOT bend any of the fuel lines that go from the I.P. to the injectors !!!!!! BAD BAD

If it was a running engine untill you got it, it should be ok, as long as no one ran it hot.

Get the 200r4 transmission for it.

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75 Luv, 350 V8, TH350, Camaro rearend. New 1975 Luv Step side. Stock for now.
Grandmaster of the "Shade Tree" way.. I can't see the yard for all the cars. Come on down and we will sit on the porch and watch the grass grow.

Your getting some real good advise now on your diesel swap,also keep in mind that the gas exhaust manifolds and headers will fit.

The diesel already has a lift pump on it and if its in good shape use it ,if you don't trust it put a good electric one on it but you don't need a high dollar high out put one either just a good pump from any parts store to work on a V-8.

Take measurements to see how it's going to fit or test fit it,cause you don't have a dist. to worry about you can get it as close to the firewall as the exhaust will allow you.Some where on this site was a truck with a gas Old's motor in it so your diesel will fit. I think that when don this would be a fun truck to drive when done cause it is so much lighter than anything else the the motors were in by no less then a 1000 lbs.

So please keep at it and make this project run and as you drive by getting 35-40 miles per gallon (depending on your gearing) or better you will get the last laugh and when you leave some in a cloud of smoke at the stop light give a laugh for me.

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1978 pro street step/side 455Buick, 4sp,4.11s, 31/18.5s