Cummins 4BT

[Gene Climer]

ISB170 Common Rail

I have purchased a 2003 ISB170 off eBay. Still waiting for it to get here. It has a common-rail injection system. The fuel is not really pre-ignited. It simply has a very high pressure "common rail" of fuel that is direct injected into the cylinders, and it uses what is called Pilot Injection.

Pilot Injection is when a small charge of fuel is shot into the cylinder which starts a slow burn process, then more fuel is shot in on top of that, which adds highly atomized fuel to the existing burn process. I think they may shoot as many as 2-4 times at low rpm. Each shot is small, so the giant detonation noise is not there, just a series of smaller bursts, each with a significantly smaller peak amplitude. This is what quiets the motor down. Instead of one big bang, like older diesels, it is a series of smaller pops. Hope this helps. Gene

[Gordon Maney]

I have purchased a 2003 ISB170 off eBay. Still waiting for it to get here. It has a common-rail injection system. The fuel is not really pre-ignited. It simply has a very high pressure "common rail" of fuel that is direct injected into the cylinders, and it uses what is called Pilot Injection.

Pilot Injection is when a small charge of fuel is shot into the cylinder which starts a slow burn process, then more fuel is shot in on top of that, which adds highly atomized fuel to the existing burn process. I think they may shoot as many as 2-4 times at low rpm. Each shot is small, so the giant detonation noise is not there, just a series of smaller bursts, each with a significantly smaller peak amplitude. This is what quiets the motor down. Instead of one big bang, like older diesels, it is a series of smaller pops. Hope this helps. Gene

Very exciting news. I was hoping that there was a 4BT that paralleled the 2003 6BT with regard to noise level.

Please keep us posted on this project. Also, I would really like to to include an article in the Power Wagon Advertiser on such a conversion. Would you be willing to be a part of that?

Did I mention that this is very exciting? The noise level is something that has kept me from pressing very far into one of these 4 cylinder conversions in an early Dodge.

[MoparNorm]

Gordon,
If you are seriously thinking about the newer diesels, wait a few, there are motors coming in 2007 that will knock your socks off! One example is a 4.0 with 375 HP and & 700 lbs of torque getting 35 mpg. These motors are not on the drawing boards, they are real and waiting for the new low sulfur fuels in the fall of this year. Exciting times are ahead for clean quiet diesel technology. Cummins and Dodge are on the verge of warrantee certifying B20 and higher bio diesel also.
MN

[Bruce]

How Long A Wait

Hey Norm,
What kind of $$ are we talking about, if & when this happens?

[Gordon Maney]

Hey Norm,
What kind of $$ are we talking about, if & when this happens?

This is not an answer to your question, but is offered to give some sense of scale.

I was on the phone several years ago with our local Cummins distributor, asking about 4BT engines as new purchases. There were some alternative configurations, and I sensed that the guy thought I was not a serious buyer, so he would not put much effort in to pricing. Having said that, we were in the $7,500 range, as I recall.

Perhaps others here can offer more specific, factual information. I don't really know what a new 6BT would cost, with accessories and flywheel.

[Bruce]

I Can Wait

I Guess?
Hello Gordon,
That does seam a little pricy, I will play the "wait & see" game.

[MoparNorm]

The wait is probably at least a few years for a used unit. If they are available in the Fall of this year, and like the 4bt powered Frito-Lay trucks, they cycle out of service after 150,000 miles, it could be as soon as 2-3 years or as many as 5. That doesn't allow for the occasional crash and burn that you may stumble across at a salvage yard. The $7,500 is about right for a new unit, the salvage action rigs are way cheaper, but way far on the horizon....
MN

[BobbyMike]

That would be wonderful!!!!

Just bumping this to see if/when this series will be coming in the future. There's a few of these MB's around here that go for relatively cheap (all the salt around here). I'm interested in doing this myself, but would need the guidance.

[Gene Climer]

ISB170 in a 1949 Dodge Power Wagon Crewcab!

Very exciting news. I would really like to to include an article in the Power Wagon Advertiser on such a conversion. Would you be willing to be a part of that?

Absolutely! I have had the motor for quite awhile, now.

The ISB170 came with a rear gear drive for the fuel pump. Meaning that the common rail fuel pump was driven off of a gear housing on the flywheel side of the motor. The ordinary 4BT and all Dodge Cummins motors have the gear drive on the front (Fan) side of the motor.

Anywho, this caused gloom, despair and great agony. The problem being that the ISB170 most often has an SAE#3 Flywheel Housing. The ISB170 would not accept the Dodge Flywheel Housing I had bought for the conversion. And you can not buy a Cummins Flywheel Housing for the ISB170 to mate it to the Dodge pattern. However, you can buy a Ford Housing if you lean that way, if you know what I mean (I am a Dodge man, however).

So, I decided to fabricate one. Yup. "Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh..." cuz that would be easier, cheaper and faster than fabricating one of these Bell Housings! I have two of them completed now. One to use and one to sell. I started two just in case I flubbed one of them up along the way.

Anyway, I hung it all together just about a month ago. The ISB170 with the SAE#3 Flywheel Housing, connected to the custom Bell Housing, connected to the NV4500HD transmission, connected to the NP-205 Twin Stick Transfer Case. It was a glorious day when all those parts came together.

Now I am tweeking my fabricated motor and tranny brackets. I am using the Lord's Fluidlastic motor mounts, and a Dodge transfer case tranny mount. You can see the bits and pieces coming together by clicking -here- . Or you can type it in like so: http://www.beckersauto.com/GeneClimer.htm

I'd love to help out with an article on this when I get further down the road.

Gene

[MoparNorm]

That...is quite the project!

[Andrew Hunt]

Mercedes 3.0 Ltr 5 cyl Turbo Diesel Conversion

When this thread 1st started I said I'd supply more info and a potential article on the conversion to using a Mercedes 3.0 liter, 5 cyl turbo diesel engine and I’ve unfortunately gotten side tracked on multiple other projects.

There’s a Mercedes-Benz forum for those of you who are interested where you can learn more about this conversion and meet some other folks that have done it with other 4X4s that I'm sure would be helpful.

My member name in this forum is MB300se65 and you will see that I still have many questions about what I’m doing, but I’ve found this forum to be a great place to get answers and buy engines or parts.

I recently purchased a good running 83’ 300 Turbo Diesel on this forum for $200 that had been in a slight accident, which I’m having the body work done on and giving to one of my daughters as a Christmas present.

One of the threads on this forum that goes into a lot of detail on this conversion is located at: http://www.mercedesshop.com/shopforu...ight=mb300se65

[JimmieD]

When this thread 1st started I said I'd supply more info and a potential article on the conversion to using a Mercedes 3.0 liter, 5 cyl turbo diesel engine and I’ve unfortunately gotten side tracked on multiple other projects.

There’s a Mercedes-Benz forum for those of you who are interested where you can learn more about this conversion and meet some other folks that have done it with other 4X4s that I'm sure would be helpful.

My member name in this forum is MB300se65 and you will see that I still have many questions about what I’m doing, but I’ve found this forum to be a great place to get answers and buy engines or parts.

I recently purchased a good running 83’ 300 Turbo Diesel on this forum for $200 that had been in a slight accident, which I’m having the body work done on and giving to one of my daughters as a Christmas present.

One of the threads on this forum that goes into a lot of detail on this conversion is located at: http://www.mercedesshop.com/shopforu...ight=mb300se65

Hey, Andrew, just wanted to let you know: I'm up for adoption, have all my shots, papers and everything. Self-supporting and would promise to continuously honor my new proud parent telling the whole world all about the slick rides I get for Christmas. We might even be able to finagle a dandy tax write-off on it. Something to think about, dad......

[Andrew Hunt]

HA!

My wife wants to know if you cook ,clean and do dishes?

: )