Crazy idea...diesel in a 96 Isuzu Trooper

[Diesel JD]

Hey guys,
My brother has a 96 Isuzu Trooper going to waste in the yard. Body has some cosmetic front clip damage I can easily fix and he'd probably let me have it for little or nothing. I hate the gas guzzling 3.5 V6 in there and this truck is so cool it deserves a diesel. Having said that, I have 4 engines in mind.
1) 6.9/7.3 IDI- pros I know them, relatively cheap
cons, heavy maybe too heavy for the stock suspension. Axles might be fine. I don't know how easy the trooper is to upgrade that way. Any ideas? Might also be a tight fit. I need to get some idea how big the engine bay is. It is roomy though.
2) Cummins 6bt - pros, very effcient, I'd like a Cummins in the fleet,, cons,
Expen$ive, harder to come by, maybe even heavier. Length of the I-6 may be a problem here...again have to check dimensions.
3) IH DT360- Pros, best engine of the bunch, cons hardest to come by, heaviest of the bunch, hard to adapt to any light duty transmission. May be more than the truck can handle... probably going to wait for an F-250 or 350 to do this...
4) GM 6.2 diesel- Pros, cheap, lightest of the bunch, familiar Stanadyne DB2, most of my IH IDI knowledge will be useful here. Great efficiency. GM offered these in the Blazers and Jimmys so it can't be all that much too heavy for the similarly sized Trooper. GM and Isuzu worked closely together I might shock myself with the amount of compatible and interchangeable parts. Cons, 6.2 cracked block problem, low on power, more expensive Bosch poppet injectors, slow and smoky. I could probably get away with some pretty aggressive mods since I would be using this as my DD and saving the hard work for my Ford. I could see using a 6.5 turbo or adapting an ATS 088 here and turning up the fuel, studding the heads and maybe getting a hot pump from Ken or Mel and not blowing it up.... maybe also have to do the main block girdle. Your thoughts?

Transmissons. I want a manual, no ands ifs or buts. The Auto my brother has in there sucks, and probably not that strong behind the gas guzzler it has let alone a diesel. Truck is 4WD. It would be cool if I could use the Isuzu transfer case, but that's not mandatory. A Muncie 4 speed with the GM diesel pattern from a Blazer or Jimmy is probably the best choice backed by a laycock O/D or DNE2. Did GM offer a 5 speed that was any kind of decent behind a 6.2 or 6.5?
Just thought you all might jumpstart my brainstorming on this idea. Thanks for any ideas.

 

[freebird01]

fo something that size you would be better off with a 4bt cummins

 

[Diesel JD]

Sure, but that engine is pretty expensive and relatively hard to come by according to what I've read here. Aren't they also a challenge to hook up to a light/medium duty trans? Or will they bolt up to GM trans because of their use in the bread trucks?

 

[greg_a_morton]

yes mine came from a chevy van and it has a th475 auto. the fords have the 4 speed in them.

 

[tech51]

I have seen one with a TDI and one with a 4bt in it.

 

[freebird01]

i couldnt imagine any of the motors you orginally mentioned in a trooper except maybe the 6.2l. the others are just way to big and heavy for that platform.

i would think you would be better off with something like a 4bt....izuzu 2.2L....or maybe even a toyota 2.4? diesel

the TDI would be ok just alot of electronics to go with it. in canada they made a VW1.9L TD thats still the older idi diesel and not the TDI. this may be a better option too

not to mention people have a had enough time putting a medium duty trans in a full size truck...i cant imagine trying to do that to a trooper and still have enough floor pan left to put your feet and the pedals

 

[Diesel JD]

Alright so you all think the 6bt and the 6.9/7.3 are a no go? Then probably the 6.2 with a turbo would be my next choice. I can't imagine if it goes in a Jimmy/Blazer it would be too heavy for a Trooper. The TDI sounds really interesting as does the 4bt. In all the 4bt would be the best engine I agree, but I don't see me getting one for less than 2000 do you? By the time it gets swapped I'm sure it could go up a lot from there. Thanks for the feedback and please keep it coming.

 

[freebird01]

i would say no on a 6bt or the 6.9/7.3. think about tryin to stuff a big block into that thing and thats what you will have a 7.3. the inline six is just way long.

i think a 6.2 is about the same size as a chevy 350 but i could be off base here.

the 6.2's are not really known for longevity but its a play toy that may or may not be a concern

 

[The Warden]

I have no idea how large or small the engine compartment is, but I have a feeling that ANY V8 diesel isn't going to work without a LOT of modifications. For something like that, you'd be better off with a smaller engine...a 4BT as others have mentioned, or maybe a VW TDI or an M-B OM617. What are your goals with this? Are you looking to build a powerhouse, or do you want something for fuel economy?

 

[Diesel JD]

I'm hoping for over 20 mpg in a DD, and burn my biodiesel without having to go the car route. I guess I need to figure out just how much room I have to play with under there and then how big my prospective engines are. I'm leaning toward the GM stuff just because I think I could get out cheaper with all the 6.2s that are still out there and matching up Isuzu and GM stuff might be easier than trying to do something exotic like a Mercedes or VW engine. I know the 4bt would be a better engine and probably fit better and it would probably bolt to GM transmissions, but the budget for this will not be big.... Yes I know the 6.2 doesn't have the reputation for longevity that the Cummins and the 6.9/7.3 do but that's really for people that work them hard, like I say, I have the F250 for hard work. I think as a DD and light work vehicle the 6.2 would live a long life unless I get unlucky and get one with the cracked block problem. I suspect you may be right about the need for some mods to get the Trooper to accept a V8, but I keep going back to.... the Blazer is the same size, it had a 4.3 V6, a 6.2 diesel or a 350 V8 in certain years right? I see one at work all the time, same size if not smaller than the Trooper. Might have better suspension...or maybe the Trooper does. I've got some stuff to think about. When measuring the engine bay dimensionally where are my correct start and end points, how about the engine itself?

 

[BioFarmer93]

Hey guys,
My brother has a 96 Isuzu Trooper going to waste in the yard. Body has some cosmetic front clip damage I can easily fix and he'd probably let me have it for little or nothing. I hate the gas guzzling 3.5 V6 in there and this truck is so cool it deserves a diesel. Having said that, I have 4 engines in mind.
1) 6.9/7.3 IDI- pros I know them, relatively cheap
cons, heavy maybe too heavy for the stock suspension. Axles might be fine. I don't know how easy the trooper is to upgrade that way. Any ideas? Might also be a tight fit. I need to get some idea how big the engine bay is. It is roomy though.
2) Cummins 6bt - pros, very effcient, I'd like a Cummins in the fleet,, cons,
Expen$ive, harder to come by, maybe even heavier. Length of the I-6 may be a problem here...again have to check dimensions.
3) IH DT360- Pros, best engine of the bunch, cons hardest to come by, heaviest of the bunch, hard to adapt to any light duty transmission. May be more than the truck can handle... probably going to wait for an F-250 or 350 to do this...
4) GM 6.2 diesel- Pros, cheap, lightest of the bunch, familiar Stanadyne DB2, most of my IH IDI knowledge will be useful here. Great efficiency. GM offered these in the Blazers and Jimmys so it can't be all that much too heavy for the similarly sized Trooper. GM and Isuzu worked closely together I might shock myself with the amount of compatible and interchangeable parts. Cons, 6.2 cracked block problem, low on power, more expensive Bosch poppet injectors, slow and smoky. I could probably get away with some pretty aggressive mods since I would be using this as my DD and saving the hard work for my Ford. I could see using a 6.5 turbo or adapting an ATS 088 here and turning up the fuel, studding the heads and maybe getting a hot pump from Ken or Mel and not blowing it up.... maybe also have to do the main block girdle. Your thoughts?

Transmissons. I want a manual, no ands ifs or buts. The Auto my brother has in there sucks, and probably not that strong behind the gas guzzler it has let alone a diesel. Truck is 4WD. It would be cool if I could use the Isuzu transfer case, but that's not mandatory. A Muncie 4 speed with the GM diesel pattern from a Blazer or Jimmy is probably the best choice backed by a laycock O/D or DNE2. Did GM offer a 5 speed that was any kind of decent behind a 6.2 or 6.5?
Just thought you all might jumpstart my brainstorming on this idea. Thanks for any ideas.

Hey JD,
this looks like it might be a better fit/weight.. May be a little down on power from what you were dreaming about, but buddy these little 3L five cylinder engines wind up tight... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercedes-Benz-W124-300D-Diesel-Motor-1990-Engine-/260706132431?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cb34be1cf#ht_500wt_1182

 

[crashnzuk]

. I suspect you may be right about the need for some mods to get the Trooper to accept a V8, but I keep going back to.... the Blazer is the same size, it had a 4.3 V6, a 6.2 diesel or a 350 V8 in certain years right? I see one at work all the time, same size if not smaller than the Trooper. Might have better suspension...or maybe the Trooper does. I've got some stuff to think about. When measuring the engine bay dimensionally where are my correct start and end points, how about the engine itself?

I don't know what Blazer you're looking at, but a trooper isn't the same size or bigger than a full size Blazer (the only blazer that came with V8 or 6.2). If the trooper is the same or larger than the Blazer you're looking at, maybe it's an S10 Blazer? I recall way back the trooper was available with the GM 2.8 V6 I believe. I would say the trooper is comparable to the S10 or Durango as far as size. Engine compartment layout is what will determine what will fit in there. If they designed it around small engines, you will need to do lots of moving or eliminating to make a larger V8 fit.
Travis..

 

[tech51]

This is what I have seen a TDI and a 4bt in a 87 or 88

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...fW_Cw&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=13&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0

 

[Diesel JD]

Hmm, I'm comparing it to most Blazers I see around town. I'm a Ford guy, not GM for the most part. Your post to the trooper collection there is what I'm talking about but it's the larger, heavier 2nd generation that came with a V6 or rarely an Isuzu diesel. That article you have says the curb weight on these things was 5510 lbs. The 87 and 88 early stuff was built around 4 bangers and small V6s. Maybe I'm mistaking the S10 blazer for the full size. Have to do some more digging. Again what dimensions am I interested in. I'm thinking length of the engines from trans/bellhousing to the fan, width from valve cover to valve cover, height of the engine. and for the engine compartment the width and length of the area not consumed by the fenderwells and radiator support. I guess also the front axle's capacity should figure in.

 

[Diesel JD]

Looks like you guys are right, this thing is closer to the size of an S10 or S15 Blazer than a fullsize. It's still nothing like those 1st gen Troopers, pretty stout heavy vehicle. I guess only the measurements and the tolerance of the front axle for additional weight tells the tale. Thanks for all the feedback. If the V8 is not an option I may have to go back to the drawing board. Just seems if people have stuffed 6.2s into all kinds of offroad toys, Jeeps etc it should be able to physically fit in this truck, but I'm no engineer after all.