nicholastanguma
Los Angeles, San Francisco
It's not uncommon knowledge that several decades ago Ford built a few experimental pickups (either Rangers or F150s, I don't immediately recall which) equipped with air cooled Deutz diesels under the hood. A quick YouTube search reveals a few videos of some of these surviving prototypes that somehow found their way into the hands of private owners after Ford cancelled the project, so these things are not a gearhead myth, they genuinely happened and some still exist.
Some other YouTube videos show a few modern day Deutz air cooled diesel engine swap builds completed by some skilled and adventurous lads around the world, from the USA down to South America, all presumably inspired by those experimental pickups of yore.
Air cooled gearheads are absolutely FANATICAL about vintage air cooled engine tech, and diesel gearheads are exactly the same about vintage oil burner tech--obviously neither of these statements should surprise anyone in this forum. Therefore the fact I'm seriously wanting to do a Deutz air cooled diesel swap project of my own should be completely understandable.
But which air cooled Deutz diesel would make the best candidate for such a conversion project, anyone in here perhaps know?
It needs to be an engine I can somehow (legally or sort of legally) acquire here in the USA, and it needs to be equipped with (or at least be capable of being equipped with) a mechanical automotive style pump, a la old school Cummins 4BT for instance--no electronics! It can be either NA or TC, and doesn't have to be a huge power maker, but it does need to make or be capable of tuning up to make decent streetable power for an old Ford Ranger or F150 (probs a Ranger, as clearly a lighter weight vehicle will require less power to get moving).
Some other YouTube videos show a few modern day Deutz air cooled diesel engine swap builds completed by some skilled and adventurous lads around the world, from the USA down to South America, all presumably inspired by those experimental pickups of yore.
Air cooled gearheads are absolutely FANATICAL about vintage air cooled engine tech, and diesel gearheads are exactly the same about vintage oil burner tech--obviously neither of these statements should surprise anyone in this forum. Therefore the fact I'm seriously wanting to do a Deutz air cooled diesel swap project of my own should be completely understandable.
But which air cooled Deutz diesel would make the best candidate for such a conversion project, anyone in here perhaps know?
It needs to be an engine I can somehow (legally or sort of legally) acquire here in the USA, and it needs to be equipped with (or at least be capable of being equipped with) a mechanical automotive style pump, a la old school Cummins 4BT for instance--no electronics! It can be either NA or TC, and doesn't have to be a huge power maker, but it does need to make or be capable of tuning up to make decent streetable power for an old Ford Ranger or F150 (probs a Ranger, as clearly a lighter weight vehicle will require less power to get moving).
Last edited: