Dodge Ram 50 Diesels Transplant

[off-roader]

Yes, I have been doing a lot of research lately on this subject as well. I huge part of me wants to just go ahead with the project, but at the same time that is a lot of time, money and effort for someone (the gub-mint) to tell me I can't have it and redo it all back to normal or worse, take it all away and destroy it.
I have been reading other conversion posts and especially in the Land Rover forums of people running into problems importing diesel cars/engines and also completing the conversion and then not being able to legally drive it due to these same problem.
There has to be a loophole some where, and I'm going to find it! A very small and narrow one but it must exist, it's America! This my mission in life right now :wings:

Im no expert on this so verify it with CARB. My understanding is that the biggest problem is if it's not an engine that was originally imported into the US, it may be very difficult to get approved. Again you should dblcheck with CARB and their regulations on that. It may need to be checked and approved by a referee station.

HTH.

 

[4D55 Performance]

I wonder what the price difference between buying a 4d56 vs 4m40. Maybe I'll make a couple calls to the parts department and see if they can order them direct to the local dealership.

Last time I checked it was $12K to get a 4M40 from the dealer in Japan. But that was a year ago so things may have changed. I did check with Max Overdrive in Canada last month about importing a crate 4M40 but Mitsubishi has not sold the engine rights to another manufacturer. He said he has several nice used 4M40 for around $3000, but he highly recommended getting the crate 4D56 for $3400 because it is a brand new motor, it is much more efficient, and it will be more reliable.

 

[4D55 Performance]

Thanks for the great info 4d55.

So now you have me thinking about this. Since the 4d55 is fairly easy to come by in the US and you can find 4d56 heads "fairly" easily... what about building an engine from the ground up starting with a 4d55 short block? I have all the tools necessary and maybe this would give me a way to build slowly along the way instead of forking out a few grand on a crate 4d56 (which would be awesome no doubt).

Specifically speaking about the head/block, what were the differences between the 4d55 to 56? Were the blocks a completely new cast or did they just stroke it or bore it out? The heads are interchangable so i would think there can't be that many differences... seems to be mostly auxilary stuff like injection pump intake/exhaust manifold etc..

I also did a little research on the manual transmission availability for the 4d55/6 here in the us and there are quite a few used ones I could pick up and have rebuilt from around the country at various junk yards. :sombrero:

It's just not worth it. To rebuild my engine and upgrade it to the 4d56 head, watercooled turbo, rebuilt injection pump etc. I was into it $7500 plus all my and a few buddies labor. The injection pump alone on that crate engine will cost you $2500 at the Mitsubishi dealer. Even if you did everything yourself, which would require a lot of specialty tools to balance the turbo, turn the fly wheel, spray testing the injectors, pressing in the sleeves, milling the sleeves, etc. you would be into it $3000-4000 in parts a lone. It's just not worth it. That crate motor is such a screaming steal. You can't rebuild a motor for that price.

 

[red87]

I hate to rain on the diesel love here but I'm 95% sure you aren't allowed to put any diesel engine in an originally gasoline powered vehicle in CA. Fingers crossed I'm wrong.

 

[mrwizard]

4D55, I also am very interested where you got your crate 4d55. Can you post up or PM some contact info? Thanks a ton.

R

 

[Toasty]

Doing this swap as well, I've got a 4d55 with 4d56 head and turbo going into an '88 montero, 3400 dollars for a brand new hyundia 4d56 is insane! i should have totally done that.

Video running 4d55

 

[4D55 Performance]

They don't have them listed on there website, but they do sell crate 4d56 motors for about $3400 plus shipping. Shipping is usually about $150-300 if you are in the states. They usually have the engines in stock and it takes about a week to get the engine. Customs should not be an issue.

http://www.maxoverdrive.ca/

 

[Clem]

4d56

Do you know which "generation" 4D56 they are selling? If Wikipedia is right, the "second generation DI-D" torque is on par with the 6G74 at a much lower rpm and the "third generation DI-D" torque is considerably more...seems like an awesome little engine.



Clem

 

[4D55 Performance]

Do you know which "generation" 4D56 they are selling? If Wikipedia is right, the "second generation DI-D" torque is on par with the 6G74 at a much lower rpm and the "third generation DI-D" torque is considerably more...seems like an awesome little engine.



Clem

I believe it is the first gen with the water cooled turbo. It would make 90 hp and 145 ft lbs torque. If you add an intercooler I would expect to make 110 hp and 180 ft lbs of torque. My truck weighs 4700 lbs and has 33" tires with 5.13 gears and it has no issue pulling steep hills at 75mph and going 85 on the freeway. This little 4d56 engine is very capable, I would just ignore the numbers.

 

[Jeff@QuadShop]

Correct, they are the 1st gen but are brand new engines. I bought mine early last year and it is a 2010 model.
You will have to fill out customs paper work saying that it will be for offroad use only.

 

[Jeff@QuadShop]

Yeah, our local DMV could care less what engine is in it.

 

[off-roader]

Its sad how this country has such limited support and demand for diesels...

Blame that on capitalism and our stereotypical demand for clean, quite, and quick cars. Diesel engines of old were typically noisy, smoked a lot, and weren't exactly speed demons.

 

[fangars]

Blame that on capitalism and our stereotypical demand for clean, quite, and quick cars. Diesel engines of old were typically noisy, smoked a lot, and weren't exactly speed demons.

Capitalism would not prevent choice, but enhance it. Government entities such as the CA state government are to blame.
If they are offered the choice, people will buy it.

 

[4D55 Performance]

Blame that on capitalism and our stereotypical demand for clean, quite, and quick cars. Diesel engines of old were typically noisy, smoked a lot, and weren't exactly speed demons.

The 4d55/4d56 is the exception. It is fairly quiet due to the balance shafts, it is capable of passing California emissions and it is definitely fast. In 1983 when the 4d55 was introduced it was the fastest truck available on the American market. This includes all small trucks and fullsize pickups. The only truck that was faster was the Elcamino SS, but I don't consider the Elcamino a pickup. The Mitsubishi 2.3 was an amazing little diesel and it was the only one of the small diesels that was built to be turbocharged. All the mini diesels were converted from natural aspiration to turbochargers. This really reeked havoc on the rods, heads, pistons, valves etc. Here are some number to think about. This is a list of all the small diesel sold in the states during the 80's. So of the info is missing but I have done the best I could. Most of this info came from magazines from the 80's and the MPG's and 0-60 times were the observed times by the magazine like Fourwheeler. In my opinion the 4d55/4d56t was light years ahead of all the other diesels.

 

[off-roader]

Capitalism would not prevent choice, but enhance it. Government entities such as the CA state government are to blame.
If they are offered the choice, people will buy it.

You're taking that out of context. People were offered a choice with many other vehicles. They clearly proved they didn't want diesel engines otherwise auto makers would had sold them in droves.

Supply and demand is the same reason the Montero's no longer sold in the States.