Kyle Boatright wrote:
"kumaros" wrote in message
news:1110044717.534886@athnrd02...

joe_323 wrote:
snipped

GM "converted" a gas V8 to diesel once. It led to mass recalls and
class-action lawsuits IIRC.


Boy are you behind the curve as regards modern diesels. Go read a little
about modern GM (Isuzu) turbodiesels.


I don't think anyone referenced modern diesels or turbodiesels. The
mid-70's disaster that happened when GM reconfigured a gas V8 to a diesel
was pitiful for a company with the engineering resources of GM. My
grandparents' Caddy got a free engine change out of that one. GM actually
paid to rip the diesel out and replace it with a gas engine.

I'd call GM's experience a good data point against converting a gas engine
to diesel...

KB



I think Ford also tried that trick, with similar results. Typical gas
engines have compression ratios of 9:1 (give or take a couple). Diesels
will run as high as 25:1. Well, at least that is what I was told by the
mechanic who was relating the Ford conversion debacle to me.

The typical gas engine is already engineered to handle the ratios it was
meant to have. That means thin walls on block and pistons, light crank
and piston arms. Swapping out the rings and calling it a diesel (what
Ford did I was made to understand), is just asking to buy a lot of
people new engine 8*)