Right then, I'm planning to get my Triumph Courier van dragged out, after Christmas, and get it on the road.

I bought it as, basicly as a rolling shell/collection of parts. The guy i bought it off, bought it to use the interior and engine and box, in a Kit Car he was doing up.
So, i got everything except the engine and box, and the interior.
At some point, his son had unbolted everything, to start restoring it, and then left it.

I've had a few hours, putting it vaguely back together, and it all looks fairly good.

I've decided i want to fit a diesel engine and 5-speed box, this is where I'm stuck...

I'm not too clued up on small diesels, so I'm after some suggestions for what engine and box, to fit.

It needs to be fairly compact, make good power (Turbo diesel?) and reasonably light, and either needs to be RWD, or fairly straight forward to convert.

I want to be able to fit it, with no cutting, or very little, as i want to have the option of returning it to original, in the future.

I await your replies.

Cheers Frank

Budget? Power expectations? MPG?

Not too much power in that chassis though. I has a 2l vitesse which is the same chassis and its 100bhp was at the limits of braking and cornering (never take your foot off the accelerator mid corner!)

How about a small van engine/box? They are rwd and fairly modern - one of the Asian type

Budget: Cheap, sub £300, if possible, but will go up to £500 for the right combo.

Power: Anything over the 40bhp of the standard car. Hopefully, above 80bhp.

MPG: As good as possible.

I'm trying to do this as cheap and cheerful as possible, but i don't want to comprimise on the running gear too much.

I hesitate to suggest it, but the old Ford 1.8TD engine will bolt up to a Type9 or MT75 gearbox. They are pretty awful diesel engines by todays standards, but you should be able to pick one up cheap and they make 88bhp.

I have thought of using a Ford diesel, but i was hoping for something a bit more civilised.

But at the same time, i don't want a lot of electronics, like you get with a common rail diesel.

how about a taxi engine and box?

Edit: that might be too powerful - how about a rusty old toyota pickup or similar?



[Edited on 13/10/10 by mookaloid]

Not really sure you can have simple / powerfull / light all at the same time.

Based on the chassis it's going into, I would concentrate on simple and light and forego power.

Peugeot TU 1.5
58 throbbing bhp, but light and simple and nothing like as gruff and horrific as the clattering and wheezing Ford 1753cc lump.

You want more power, you need the Ford - it's the only choice. Much heavier though.

As stated above, keep it mated to the type 9 it comes out of the Sierra with.

1 engine i thought of was thePeugeot 1.9 turbo diesel, that was in the 205's. But i don't know if there's a RWD box that'll fit.

chic doig would be able to supply an original engine should you want to go that route.

How about going BEC

Perkins Prima it is not too big reasonable power good economy available from LDV vans with 5 speed gearbox. Some of the Rover car diesels are OK ish but are mostly front wheel drive and East to West rather then North to South

Caber

Just to clarify, I want to modernise the van a bit, making it ok round town, but able to cruise comfortably at 70mph on the motorway.
Basicly, I'd like it to keep up with traffic.

Electronics, and electric's are going to be your bigest problem with the more modern diesel engines, so I would agree with MikeRJ , ford 1.8td great little engine, cheap and simple, good mpg .
Here's one fitted in a westy.

http://westfield-world.com/pics_paulr.html

or go for the Audi 1.9td, a bit more work to fit, but lots of info here.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=247471

quote:

---

Originally posted by caber
Perkins Prima it is not too big reasonable power good economy available from LDV vans with 5 speed gearbox. Some of the Rover car diesels are OK ish but are mostly front wheel drive and East to West rather then North to South

Caber

---

That's why I don't want big power, because I want to keep the rest of the van standard, or at the most, updated to Vitesse/Spitfire parts.

A couple of valuable points on here already.
BUT if the courier is built on the mk1 herald chassis (built before june 1961) then it will self distruct even with a herald 1300 engine in short order. So a diesel will kill it within minutes.

And the rear end. Again the diffs are just not up to a diesel really. You may get away with a late spitfire 1500 diff (the strongest) but the early hearlds had diffs with tiny output shafts, again a 1300 is pushing your luck.

If it is a good example, I would be temped to sell it and buy somewhat less valuable herald estate, and chuck a zetec in it
These cars will cope with reasonable power (know a few with over 150bhp) but you need to do a few mods.

As to diesels, the montego engine with an lt77 is probably the best bet. Diff still worries me, though a subaru conversion is possible, but think that would cost more than £300 to do by the time it is in and bolted to wheels.

Sounds like you've got some good solutions here. I love the idea of classics that are usable.

If too much torque is the problem, then surely its easy to restrict that in the lower gears to protect the diff and driveshafts.

The simplest ways would be to fit rubbish tyres, or disable 1st gear. But there might be some more cerebral approaches!

I would worry that it is going to be a bit loud. Modern diesels make a lot of noise and so the cars include a lot of sound proofing.

Matt

How about a BMW 318tds? Smallish, reasonable power, good mpg, RWD and smooth 5 speed box. You should pick up a complete car for £300..

Prima is the easiest to fit --- by the time it became the L series it gained a lot of complex electronics.


Primas tend to be hard to find very popular for boats and converting Series Land-Rovers.


Of course you will need a Vitesse/GT6 Diff.

[Edited on 13/10/10 by britishtrident]

I was hoping someone would mention a BMW lump, but the old 106 TUD or maybe (just as old) Vauxhall 1.5 td version would be a bit better. But I can vouch the Pug's engine in pretty much bulletproof

Vauxhall Corsa 1.5TD

Pokey little motor that comes from Isuzu and as such bolts up to some of the Isuzu rwd applications.

I had one and with a bleed valve on the turbo it was canny nippy, also mechanical pump so no fancy electrics to figure out.

Or, the 1.7 in the Astra is an Isuzu as well so same goes for RWD.

Steve

nissan pick up.
Hi we have a nissan pick up as a company hack which has an in line diesel engine and box .I guess it would fit in your trumper quite nicely.
Good luck.
Denis.