Swapping to a LD28 - You Opinion

[Brendeni]

Hi All

I am thinking about swapping out the 2.3 Vauxhall Slant petrol motor to a LD28 Diesel. Has anyone done this and is there any point. Lots of the older boys around here reckon that those LD28 engine will have plenty of go and it wil have heaps of grunt to tow and so on. The van is going to be a 9 seater so it will usually have young people in it and I suspect that I will be towing a trailer as well. The current motor just has no go and I just want something in it to do the job and be able to keep up on the open road.

Kind Regards
Brendon

[Bas / NZ]

PM, Busy Kiwi on here, sure he knows the in's and outs, think he might have a drive shaft for this conversion.

http://www.buga.com.au/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=2&action=profile;u=29

[BusyKiwi]

Lots of options with the LD28, 4spd, 5 spd, auto and auto with overdrive.

You'll have to cut the floor and get the petrol tank changed to include a return pipe for the diesel.

I went from 2.3, to 202, to ld28 to V6 in my standard van, the 202 was least hassle, then the v6. The ld28's biggest hassle was the box as I went from manual to auto and had to remove the tank to make the cross member mounts and the gearstick re-routing was tricky but everything is doable.
Once done can be a reliable engine, biggest expence in repairs is head repairs (blowen head gasket) and alternator (thats about $400 by itself). they don't like to be over reved

[umph]

i see its quite common to put the LD28s in as a diesel conversion, shy does no one put anything larger in? i would be keen to see a TD42 transplant. i would imagine its not very different? just a bit larger perhaps

[ShaneJ]

The TD42 is a massive engine. I don't think it would come close to fitting. I have one in my truck is anyone wants measurements.

[Brendeni]

Besides the LD28, is there any other diesel engines that you would consider?

[greasey monkey]

there was a blue Beddy Jumbo on trade me sometime ago,that used to live round the corner from me -  that had a Toyota Dyna 13B diesel truck engine, gearbox and diff conversion done to it. they used it for lugging their band and gear around in it

[likemagic]

Besides the LD28, is there any other diesel engines that you would consider?

the ld28 are getting a bit long in the tooth now - I would look for something more modern

[ShaneJ]

The ZD30 might be worth looking at. Millions of them around, come with a rear sump and are available in non turbo versions.