Converting a drag bike to run on diesel?

Jacob 76

Jacob 76

Let'er Buck
Joined
May 3, 2011
Messages
365
I've had the idea for a while and its slowly evolved to an actual desire to build. What all would it take to actually convert an engine that runs on gasoline to run on diesel? Best I can figure thus far; a standalone computer, a single cp3 (or some other HPFP), custom injectors/lines, custom head/piston combo, basically the strongest bottom end components you can get... I think just for simplicity it would be better run a blower instead of a turbo to alleviate the lighting and lag issue and to simplify tuning. I know there have been some gas or alcohol engines converted but I've never seen any technical aspects of them, just a magazine article that says "its a converted HEMI" and stuff like that. So from an actual mechanical standpoint, what do you think would be needed and who could do that kind of work?
 
Is it just something about the thin air up there?



Why?

Find you a 75-80 year old GM engine engineer. I'm sure he could walk you through it....
 
I'm also kind of curious about the reasoning behind this.

Sounds like lots of problems, for something that could end up being mediocre at best.

Gas is cool too.
 
I think we all remember in the eighty's when GM did this
it was a catastrophe.
 
I knew Chevys abortion of a diesel would come up. But no nothing like that... There has been several "semi successful" conversions and I'm just looking for some information on those. If your idea of the pinnacle of engineering was chevys 5.7 then I'm sorry for you. I'm talking about a purpose built dry block engine that wasn't made to please the masses or pass emissions.
 
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BigPapa said:
Is it just something about the thin air up there?



Why?

Find you a 75-80 year old GM engine engineer. I'm sure he could walk you through it....
Click to expand...


Have y'all forgotten about Blown Smoke already?!
 
Comparing blown smoke to a project like this is like telling somebody to convert their civic to nitro because it works for the top fuel guys.

Gas is exponentially better for many applications. The major one being for a gasoline engine.

Plan to spend 20 grand easy. You might as well build an engine from the ground up as you wouldn't reuse much if any of the original engine doing this.

Blown smoke isn't a 5.7 hemi with some injectors crammed in the plug holes.
 
zfaylor said:
Comparing blown smoke to a project like this is like telling somebody to convert their civic to nitro because it works for the top fuel guys.

Gas is exponentially better for many applications. The major one being for a gasoline engine.

Plan to spend 20 grand easy. You might as well build an engine from the ground up as you wouldn't reuse much if any of the original engine doing this.

Blown smoke isn't a 5.7 hemi with some injectors crammed in the plug holes.
Click to expand...

How do you think blown smoke started? With an idea. Then a bunch of guys said it would never work and here we are. I don't give two ****s how many people think it's gonna be mediocre at best. If we get right down to it, diesels will NEVER be as fast as spark ignition engines. PERIOD. Fastest diesel in the world is still like 3 seconds off the pace. So I'm aware that I'm not gonna go run in the pro stock bike class on this. But traveling around from April to October already going to diesel events, I think it would be fun to take along with the race truck. There isn't a class for it so it's not like I'm competing for anything. So I'll do my best and "cram some injectors in the plug holes" and see where I end up.
 
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Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk
 
I dont see why you could do it, but it will take a lot of engineering before you even pull the engine apart to start. Not saying its not possible, but I just cant see you making enough power out of it to make it worthwhile, and the number of custom parts you'd need may make it unreasonable.

BTW, the Olds 5.7 DX block wasnt all that bad, it was the 5 years of D block insanity before it that destroyed its rep.
The DX block made for some very interesting gas race engine builds back in the day. ;)
 
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Blueboy said:
I think we all remember in the eighty's when GM did this
Click to expand...

GM never did any such thing. The 350 Olds was pure-diesel. Outward appearance is similar for two reasons:
1: Its an engine.
2: It had to fit in the same space as the gas engine.
 
Bodacious said:
I'm still hunting for one of those Polaris diesel 4-wheelers to take in the race trailer with us.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't waste my time. That is one one vehicle I prefer the gas version over diesel. It does run on diesel and it does have great low end power but that's it. They are very slow, noisier, and more expensive to buy and maintain.
 
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