American trucks have an unique style that is beloved by much people, but the engines are not the most fuel-saver ones. Having the engine replaced by a diesel unit may solve that matter, but finding the right engine for the vehicle is not so simple. Many options available, from 3-cylinder agricultural engines to V8 turbochargeds often larger than the petrol engine intended to be replaced.
Deutz 912w (indirect injection), 912 and 913 (direct injection) can be found in versions with 3, 4, 5 or 6 cylinders, with turbo available for the 4 and 6-cylinder units. These are still enjoyed because of the air cooling, saving space and weight from a radiator setup.
Perkins 4.203, 4.236 and 6.357 are old-school powerplants, but still well-known for a legendary reliability. On a sidenote, the 6.357 was designed to fit easily into the engine bay of any vehicle fitted with a stereotypical American V8 from the 50s, including passenger cars in spite of their tighter engine bays.
Mercedes-Benz has a wide variety, from the die-hard OM616 and its 5-cylinder OM617 version, which are still reasonable for the F-100/150, to many low-speed units which are still no overkill to the frame. OM904 is a good option for the F-250, still able to retain a honorable towing capacity.
From Nissan, TD-series and ZD-series are other options to consider. TD27 for the F-100/150, with the TD42 still able to move the F-250, benefitted from its size comparable to the MWM, a Brazilian engine which had been available for the '98-'05 RHD F-250 in Australia and Southern Africa. ZD30 can be found in naturally-aspirated and turbocharged versions, and in spite of its DOHC head it can fit easily even into tight spaces, making it easier to retain some comfort features such as a high-capacity aircon.
Isuzu is another strong player in the diesel field. Nearly any engine which was available for the NKR and NPR can be used in a Ford full-size pickup. Even the slow 4BA1, once the standard for jeepneys, or the 4JB1, are enought for the F-100/150, providing a satisfactory performance even for a brand-new F-150, and altough it's quite risky they also work into the F-250. If it can move an overloaded jeepney, might not be that hard to move the F-250 actually. Anyway, I would not recommend anything smaller than the 4BC2 for the F-250. 4HF1 is another great powerplant for a full-size Ford.
2 comments:
A mate who lives in Brazil told me there is a rumour vented there about the F350 getting its production resumed locally and a small hi-speed 3.0L Iveco turbodiesel with DOHC heads has been pointed out as a possible engine option. I know it sounds quite like WTF at a first sight, but Iveco is already outsourcing a larger engine for Ford to use in a long-hauling tractor for Latin America, and Hyundai is using in the HD78 the same small Iveco engine quoted to be fitted in the F350 in order to increase the locally-made content due to a Brazilian gov't demand to cheaper allow financing. It sounds confusing at all, and I really believe it would be more reasonable to just get a Cummins since they probably won't get another International, and International owns MWM.
One can only guess what's gonna be the engine for the next version of the Brazilian F-Series if it's really gonna happen, altough such a small engine straight from the factory in one of the most iconic American trucks would be kinda weird to say the least.
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