Doktor Tim wrote:
> At 12:38 PM 10/06/2003, you wrote:
>
>> Is it difficult to put a diesel engine in body that was originally set up
>> for a gasoline engine?
>
>
> Any conversion is about twice as difficult as stock replacement. With stock
> replacement there are no modifications required, with a gas to diesel
> conversion, there are many mods required, and some quite costly in
> time/money. They only way to keep costs of a swap down is compromise,
> compromise and compromise to a correct install. This tends to compromise a
> good result.

I'd add that a good conversion would be greatly facilitated if you have
a diesel donor van available to take the pieces off of, to avoid the
"oops, I forgot about this piece" syndrome that often results in
half-assed jury rigs.  The hard part may be finding a diesel van that
the I4 gas conversion nuts haven't already dismantled. ;)

Diesel vans were only sold in the U.S. from '82 through '83.5, I think.
    The '83 5-speed transmission is a nice but extremely rare option.
7-passenger vans are, of course, a lot cheaper than campers.

--

David Brodbeck, N8SRE
'82 Diesel Westfalia
'94 Honda Civic Si