Transmission gear selector rod ajustments

When I went to go to comment the rod to

the transmission and the shifter I realized the rod was to short.

On the spot where the rod

connects there was a piece of the old rod I removed it and welded it to the rod to extend it. I adjusted the length the cut off the old connection piece. I placed it in the right position and finished by placing coder pins through the holes.

Transmission Shifting Alternative

So, more or less, we are out of luck on finding a wiring diagram for the TCM of this vehicle. after looked over the interenet, through blogs and forums, and even having peter contact dealers in japan with a translator, still no hope.

so we've decided to take an alternate route.

what we will do is use the 2 shifting solenoids that determine the gear position, and splice them into a 'manual switch' type method. its almost like a manual transmission, were u change the gears yourself, but using an automatic transmission.

to test to see if it even works, we got some light switches and used wire to splice onto each solenoid. there are 4 solenoids in total: 2 for swithcing gears, 1 for the lock up, and the other for line pressure?. we attached the first 3 to light switches that are positioned convinetl in the center consol of the trooper.

so technically what happens is, when both the switches are ON and/or OFF in a certain pattern, it determines the gear it switches to. this is a chart with the proper sequence for the trooper.

SWITCH 1 SWITCH 2 GEAR

ON OFF 1st

ON ON 2nd

OFF ON 3rd

OFF OFF 4th

after further testing, if everything goes well, we will purchase a shifter knob with all the gears (it looks like a real stick shifter) instead of using the light switches to change gears.

Front engine bar repeair

When we want to pull the engine out. We diceded to cut the Front enginr bar to clear the way and let engine inside. Now in order to let the hood to close we have to install back it again.　And if we choose the Welding than it will stay stronger but can't be remove again . So I make and new Bracket for it. On both side. I cut some strong metal and cut the shape fit the bar and drill holes on it one bracket 6 holes makeit very tight.

Vacuum system

We had no vacuum canister so we got one. The vacuum canister was rusty and old it came from a junk yard. I Sanded the canister and used a metal epoxy to fill in the holes on the canister. The epoxy hardends in 5 minutes. Then I painted the vacuum canister black. Well it was dry I figured out how to mount it. I used All Round wire. I attached a hose to the vacuum pump and one going to the break power booster.

For testing I attached all the hoses to the canister. We started the engine and the vacuum Gage said it had 15 inches of vacuum. We shut off the engine and the vacuum in the canister disappeared. We realized that the canister had a one way value. I change the hoses and attached the canister beside of the car battery.

Passenger side engine mount changes

The driverside mount is in. Next I did the passenger side mount. The changes I made to the passenger side mount were close to the changes I made on the other mount. The different changes were that we had to put in a spacer to

lift up the enigne. After the mount was drilled and welded we put in the place. One of the holes in the mount was in the wrong place. I drill another hole. Put the bolts in place and torture them by feel.

Ignition Problems

So now that everything is in place, we've had a few troubles starting and stopping the engine.

To start it, using the ignition key wasn't working. for some reason, the wire isnt receiving a proper connection, but weve decided to figure it out later, as the larger issue at hand is stopping the engine.

With the key in the ON position, we took a direct connection from starter to the battery to start the engine. it turns on fine. but then once we put the key in the OFF position, the engine kept running, leaving use to block the airway to stop the engine.

It's strange that it wasnt working, so we got a Volt meter to check voltage. with the key in the ON position, it receives the 12volt reading, which is the needed amount to start. once in the OFF position, it received 1.3- 1.6 volts, instead of zero. The wire is getting a voltage from somewhere else, which is enough, we assume, to keep the engine running and ignition pumping fuel.

so for an alternative route, we used a 12v relay switch. The relay would have an internal switch that turns on, to allow power to ignition, when there is 12v or more form the battery. when there is less ( under 12v, so that includes the random 1.3 volts) the switch would shut off, leaving zero Volts to the ignition wire to the pump, shutting off the engine. once the wires were in their positions and grounded, as well as some volt meter tests, it looked promising.

we 'hotwire' started the engine again, letting it run for a bit, but once the key was put in the OFF position, the engine kept running. the ignition was still getting power and we couldnt figure out why or how.

we removed the relay switch, since that didnt work out and we looked for other possiblities.

the ignition wire is connected to the PCM which has other wires leading to many parts of the engines/tranny, and it could be grabbing some volts from there. i removed the center council trim of the trooper, and unplugged the 3 connectors from the PCM. after another ON/OFF runthrough, still no luck stopping the engine, leading us to unplug the wires for a shutoff

We tried using a restitor to shave off the volts, still giving enough volts to start, but not enough to keep it going, although that method didnt work out either, mostly because the resistor that we used wasn't strong enough.


This is a minor problem we came across in this conversion, and if only we knew some smimple answers, it would have been easily bypassed, but with some further investigating, we'll figure it out. stay posted!

Air Conditioning Installed

So Now with the Rad in, its time to move onto the Air condition.

We purchased a new filter for the AC. after carefully replacing the filter, making sure not to damage the steel lines or the AC condensor, we then put it in place. the coorisponding hoses were then put into position, but we will have them crimped (at an AC shop) professionaly to the fitting.

Radiator and Hoses complete

so now that all he hoses are in position, its time to line up the radiator.

fresh out of the box, the gasoline model rad needed some adjustment. at the bottom, we needed to switch the steel line (inverse for diesel) so we simply switched it around. it worked out perfectly :).

to make sure the radiator is lined up were its needed, we tac welded the hood cross support that was cut off back in place. the rubber from the old Rad was used at the bottom of the new one, to be aligned properly. . now that the Radiator is in, we tested the connections.

For the bottom connection of the rad, we used the old hose left over from the gas engine to fit to the coolant heater. for the top, leading from a large Rad fitting to the smaller thermo housing fitting was a bit more complicated. Don went out and found the perfect hose peice thats has just enough length to reach, and it has the right size for both ends.

now that the rad is in place, we put both the fan blade and shroud in at the same time. since the engine is leaning more toward the passenger side, even though the fan shroud was cut to compensate the lack of space, we needed to cut some more so the blade wouldn't scrape against it. too bad the engine is leaning quite off, but its easier to cut some plastic than to do major adjustment again to the motor mounts, although in reality, its not too bad overall.

So now all the connections are made, i topped it up with coolant (50% coolant, 50% water). and once the engine starts circulating the coolant, we will fill up some more.

Repiar the Oil pan

The pan it's self is not damage by the rust or dust . Befor the engine was shipped to here . The whole engine was just sit on the oil pan for a Long time and the wight of the diesel engines wight damage the oil pan. after we install the engine on mount, the pan was hinting the front driveshaft and make a hole on the edge, So I graiding the damage part to smooth and put special pad inside,To field the gap of the hole,

After the pad was dry and I put a blue color glue gasket to make there no space between engine and pan.

Fuel/coolant systems complete

For the last couple weeks ive been working on both the fuel and electric systems of the trooper. now that the fuel tank is comeplete, were getting closer to putting things back on the trooper

We fed 2 rubber hose fuel lines (one coming in to fuel pump and one out). and followed a path along the frame under the vehicle, on the passenger side. we fed another rubber hose for the coolant and followed the same path.

Peter and I lifted the tank, and put it in place, along with connecting all the coorisponding hoses to their connection, clamping them in securley.

our main idea was to keep the coolant very warm, keeping the fuel thin, so to assist the coolant hose to maintain its heat, we ran an electrical heater strip along the hose, then electrical taped it tight, leading the pronged plug end to be under the hood. afterwards, we used 'noodle' foam type insulation to wrap around the 2 fuel lines + coolant line, to further prevent heatloss.

once all the lines from the tank to the hood were insulated and tie strapped securely to the vehicle, there needed to be some adjusment under the hood for the hoses. to run the fuel and coolant lines together as much as possible to keep in the heat, we traced the fuel lines and one of the coolant lines (red hose) behind the engine against the firewall.

the plastic connector that connects the coolant hose (running under the vehicle) and the hose running from the heater was in an awkawrd position ( facing down and too low) so after much specualtion, we used connected an extra hose to make it longer. this increases the chance of a coolant leak (with more connetions and all) but i guess thats what happens when things are overlooked in the early stages of installation. hey it happens.

Driverside engine mount changes

In that past week I have started to modify the engine mounts. Don my teacher teached me how to weld. Before we started this project I had not idea how to weld. I cut two pieces of angle iron which I welded to the driverside engine mount. I marked and drilled holes for

the bolts that mount the mount to the frame of the Trooper. The holes were all most lined up

perfectly so I made and holes bigger by cutting them larger with the plasma cutter. To g

et the modified mount in I had to pushed the engine to the left to place the mount. My teacher helped me to place the engine mount bolts because the bolts are in awkward positio

ns. The diverside mount is fully in place.

Engine adjustmant

The engine is in place but after we put the in place we realized that the engine and transmission were to far back. For the driveshafts to line up with the differentials the engine needed to be moved 1 1/2 inches forward. We flipped the transmission mount which gained 1 inch forward. To gain the remainder 1/2 inch we are going to modify the engine mounts. With the engine and transmission forward the transmission cross-member fits in place. Also the engine is to close to the driver side the the vehicle so we are going to move it 2 inches closer to the passenger side. The engine mounts well have to be cut and welded to fit in place. When the engine in moved forward it will no longer be hitting the firewall. This process will take a long time and will require lots of problem solving.

Engine placement tweaks

So once the engine was in, we needed a few tweaks in order for everything to fit right.

once the engine mounts were roughly aligned, we realized that we left the coolant hoses jammed in behind the engine, squished. this prevented the engine mount holes from aligning so after lifting the engine a bit, and taking those lines out, we attempted to align the engine mount yet again for the bolts to fit it.

another problem appeared. the clamp holding the exhaust piece in place was stuck, not allowing the engine to go further in for the bolts to line up, so John temporarily removed that, and finally the holes aligned.

so once I placed the bolts on, everything seemed OK on the engine side, but now the transmission and transfer case were leaning on an angle toward the passenger side, about 6 or more inches, so the next task is to figure out how to align it straight. whether it be installing the cross member underneath while prying the tranny into place, so its constantly under tension, or somehow adjusting the position of the engine, for it all to be aligned properly.

ill keep you posted

engine is in!

We successfully got the engine and transmission into place today!  It was a tight squeeze and unfortunately we damaged the oil pan as it slide against the front axle.  Good thing it is easy to remove and we can weld it to repair or replace if necessary.  Pictures and details to follow soon!

Engine Coolant Heater (block heater)

The 3.1t Diesel didn't come with a block heater. My teacher got a coolant heater that pumps heated coolant through the hoses into the top of the engine. On the hoses i put T's that go to the fuel tank which is at the back of the vehicle. The coolant heats the biodiesel in cold winter conditions. A coolant heater is very similar to a block heater. The thing is that the block heater heats the oil pan and the coolant heater well heats the coolant. The coolant heater pumps heated coolant up (the flow of the coolant). I made a mounting bracket out of 16 gage steel. I pre-drilled holes and mounted it with 4 self-taping screws. I bolted the mounting bracket for the coolant heater with two bolts. The are

pictures of the process and of the finished product.

Replace Rear Disc/Drum Brake

Because the rear brake are worn out . So in oder to Pass the vehical safety test. I have to Replace the Rear Brake it's have drum and disk both in one parts, To stopping when car is driving. disk will do the jobs ,and when the car is paking drum are do the jobs, the brake are have diffrent system. and the Parking Brake wire are seize up so I have to take off the whole cable out ,To Replace a New one

Fuel tank (continued)

So after the wiring work, i've gotten back to the fuel system.

now that the pump is removed and replaced with a hose,thenextstepistoinstallanin-tankcoolant heater loop. Hot coolant is being looped to reach inside of thetank right near around the fuel

hose, to keep the bio-diesel thin, so it runs easier.Steel hosing is twisted in ovals with an entrance and exit end. So the next step to install it in the tank, was to cut 2 holes on top of the cover, and then carefully solder around the steel lines, creating a seal. the steel line is tie-strapped rightnear the hose to ensure its fixed in the tank as well as staying close to the hose.

Once the engine is in, we will connect coolant hoses to the lines, which will also be bundled into a larger insulated hose with the bio-diesel fuel line, so that the fuel stays thin all the way

through the lines.

i wanted to connect the fuel fitting to the tank but the company gave us the wrong nuts (too small), so were waiting to find more special bolts to connect. (the original bolts are too rusted and damaged)


Venting for the tank is needed so that as fuel level lowers, air is pulled in, so that suction doesn't occur in the tank, which could create problem in not allowing fuel to flow. A diagram shows us that the venting system isn't needed for 'general export' diesel tanks: it just doesn't display any. but we thought it'd be good to have one, especialy since we could with the given venting peice on the gas model tank. I had to figure a way to attach a hose, so that air enters but doesn't escape. i found a filter piece that allows air in one way but not out from the vacuum canister from the trooper. i attached a hose to the venting lines, to the piece,to another house, which i will later have ti-strapped in the most convenient spot under the vehicle.

Engine Maintenance, Alternator and Starter Rewiring

The Battery terminal leads needed replacing on the diesel engine. We used the terminal leads from the gas engine because they are in better condition. I attached the positive terminal wire to the starter motor. I had to crimp a new eyelet. On the alternator the wiring got hard. The electrical plug the connects to the alternator was different on the diesel engines alternator. I found some wiring diagrams and i problem solved and eventually figured out which wire was which. I labeled the wiring and sodded the wires and put shrink rap in them to protect the wires. There is a picture to the right that shows the finished wiring.

Replace Front brakes and bearing

The front brake are so damage and rust. So

we decide to Replace it. Not thing was hard to me. New rotor and New shoes.

After we done the Brakes, we found the Bearings need to clean too. I take out the bearing on the axis inside the whole space was full with the grease. I take out and wash it. than I put the new and clean grease in it.









Use the Grease packing tool to filed the grease in bearing with out any spce in the bearing in it.  And Remove the old damaged oil seal reinstall a New one and just hammer in carefully bake.

Engine Maintenance Heater Hoses

On the 3.1t diesel engine most of the coolant hoses were cracked and had unwanted stuff in the hoses. Some of the hoses were in positions that were hard to replace them. I replace almost all the heater and coolant hoses

around the engine

. I had to cut and fit the hoses to perfectly fit in their proper positions. One of the hoses had a

one way valve. I cleaned the valve out and put it in place with the new hoses. There are some pictures of some of the hoses i replaced.

work is progressing!

We've been working so hard in the shop that we've fallen behind in our posts!  Each of the 3 guys have been very busy with different tasks related to the conversion or repair project. Time for an update!

Dennis has spent the past week studying wiring diagrams to figure out how to match the electrical components of the diesel engine systems to the electrical wiring of the vehicle.  A conversion process that requires step by step patience and attention to detail.  It's not an easy job to decipher wiring diagrams and match it to the components on the vehicle. Well done Dennis!

Peter completed the conversion of the power steering hoses and reservoir and has been working this week on replacing the front brakes with new components and servicing the wheel bearings and axles.  Meticulous cleaning  and fitting of components and gobs of grease in the right places makes for a job well done!  Good work Peter!

Jonathan took on  the task of engine maintenance, which involved replacing the timing belt, accessory belts, glow plugs, replacing heater hoses and rewiring the alternator and starter cables.  Following the correct procedure to disassemble the components and replace the belts, and then reassemble everything according to procedures, required careful reading and interpretation of the service manual for details on how to do the job right.  And sometimes no information was available, so he had to problem solve on his own.  Excellent work Jonathan!

The engine on the left is the gas engine we removed, the engine on the right is the diesel engine.  We hope to be ready to install the diesel within the next week.  A little more to go on wiring diagrams... :)

Electrical system (Engine)

It's..well, complicated :).

figuring out the porper connections that need to be transfered from the gas engine to the diesel is, as one might think, quite the handful. but a simple method of 'breaking it down' to looking at each component and wire individually at a time, is a very important in working the most effectively

So for the electrical system, the general summery of what to do is to match various wires from the gas to the needed ones for diesels. the diesel connections that are needed are listed below (taken from a trusted forum in which someone had done a conversion or transfer using the same diesel engine).

Glow plug rail:
The Glow plug rail will be inputed imore in depth in another post, since we will make our own cuircuit for it.

Starter
The start system was done by john, usuing similar wiring from the gas engine to be attached to the rebuilt starter.

air conditioning
air condition was the most straight forward. i found the single wire on both the diesel and gas.

12V to Injection pump
The injection pump is a mini 'engine' in itself. its quite complex, but in the late stage of wiring, don found a wiring diagram of which components connect to where. the tach-ometer wire is here as well.

REV counter
tachometer incorpirated in injection pump wiring

Oil-Light and Gauge
Both of these were found attached to the engine

Temp from Plug on Thermo Housing
Temp
Temp
Temp from plug on Thermo Housing
Temp: Note this is teed in on same wire to Ignition pump.

The above 5 'temp' listings are all connected to the 'thermo housing'. we will identify the function of each when connected to the trooper so we can test and check to see which work with the corresponding function of each wire.



What we've done is, after identifying the wires, is snipped them with a decent amount of length from the gas, and we will solder the wires from the diesel to the cut wires with plug fittings from the gas engine. we want it to be easy to plug and unplug the wires still, instead of permanently soldering directly from the engine to the car.



stay posted for more on 'Electrical system (transmission)'

Engine Maintenance Timing Belt

Earlier in a post i said i was going to change the timing belt. I change it and I'm going to share with you the steps on changing the timing belt on the 3.1t Diesel engine.

Step 1

Remove the crankshaft pulley and the timing belt shield

Step 2

Turn the crankshaft so the key lines up with the TDC timing mark

Step 3

Aline the camshaft pulley and the Injection pulley but putting a bolt through the alinement hole on both of the pulleys to mark sure that they stay at their TDC position.

Step 4

Mark the timing belt on the injection pump and camshaft pulley.

Step 5

You are now ready to remove the old timing belt loosen the tension pulley and remove the old timing belt

Step 6

Transfer the marking to the new timing belt. MAKE SURE YOU LINE UP THE MARKS PERFECTLY!!

Step 7

Place the new timing belt into position and line up the marking.

Step 8

using a scale put a 9kg load on the timing belts using the tensioning arm to transfer the load

.

torque the tension pulley to 76Nm. Remove the alinement bolts from the injection and cam

pulley. Rotate the engine 45 dgrees anti clockwise and ensure all the slack is on the tensioner

side.

Step 9

Return the engine to TDC the ensure that the bolts go into the alinement holes

Engine Maintenance Starter Motor

The Starter Motor is a the motor that turns over the engine so you want it to work. I removed the starter motor and my teacher "Don" sent the starter motor to be rebuilt. One of the connections was different because we are using the battery positive cable from the gas engine. The rebuilt starter came in and i put grease on the starter motor gear and placed the motor in the right position. There is a picture showing the rebuilt starter motor in place.

air conditioning

In order to re-assemble the air conditioning, the hoses from the compressor had to be re-fitted and relocated, because the compressor is on the opposite side of the diesel engine.  The compressor connector ends were taken to a local a/c shop where they were welded and crimped with new hose (see picture).  Extra hose was used so they are long enough to later be reconnected to the a/c condenser and a/c evaporator.  The original condenser and evaporator can be reused by re-fitting the lines. The receiver/dryer will be replaced before the system is recharged after installation is complete.

Relocation the Power steering pomp contianer

Today, I removed the Power steering pomp contianer ,and put it on a New location .

First I take off the contianer from the braket ,Than I removed the Base braket .

And Find a now place to set in the right front of the car , I drill 3 holes on the Front and make a new braket for the 3 holes adjust the position,

Engine Maintenance - Glow Plugs

The 3.1 turbo diesel has about 100,000 km so we decided to check the glow plugs, better to check well the engine is not in the trooper, much easier. The glow plugs are under the inter-cooler so I removed the inter-cooler. the inter-cool was attached by four bolts and two air hoses. There is a picture showing the inter-cooler being removed. I checked the glow plugs for their resistance with a volt meter. The resistance should be around 1.3 to 1.5 ohms. All of the glow plugs were in that area. To be safe we ordered new glow plugs from the United Kingdom. When they come I well replace them.

Jonathan

Engine Maintenance Belts

Early this week we decided to do so engine maintenance on the the engine. I removed the engine fan so that I could check the condition of the belts. There are two belts that are the same length. After talking with my teacher we decided to remove and replace them. I released the tension on the two belts. The Alternator moves to titan or release the belts. The belts were removed. We are ordering new belts soon.




I removed the timing belt inspection cover to take a look at the condition of the timing belt.  We decided to change the timing belt. So I remove the crankshaft pulley and removed the plastic shield that protects the time belt and pulleys. The service manual would have the information on replacing the time belt but we don't have the manual. Via internet search we found a write on a form how to do replace it. Below there are some picture of the process.

Fuel tank changes

Ealier in the week, i observed the variouse compenents of the fuek tank.
After disassembly, we we tried to find the best way bring the tank into good condition.
A quote from a shop to coat the overly rusted tank, and replacing the steel vent line seemed the best way to go.
But after further research, don found an auto recycler from the southern states that could provide the same gas model fuel tank of the isuzu trooper, and in good condition with almost no rust, for lower cost.

When the tank arrived yesterday, i removed all the ripped off lines and clamps, prepairing it for new ones.

i needed to find a way to remove the pump its self and find a new method to retrofit it into a pickup, as the diesel engine does not require a pump.

When i removed the pump from its bracket, the steel lines it was attached too floated about 5 inches from the base, so we got a rubber fuel line, in place of the pump, and cut it to float about an inch from the base of the tank so left over debris and heavy gunk would not be sucked from the botton. After a clamping and simple tiestrap fitment, the retrofitment is complete.

The tank is being reassembled and will be connected in a later stage of the diesel conversion.

Oct 5th edit:

Continued on preperation for fuel tank. I got under the car and removed the 2 fuel lines. The vent line was left in place just in case it would be needed, but if it wont be neccisary, it will be removed aswell.

Engine and Transmission Removal

Its time to remove the Engine!

So we started out with placing chains with bolts around the engine in the most convenient spots for it to be lifted out.

after connecting the chain to the engine crane, we started to lift an inch or 2 and checked if

there are any connections left. We disconnected some small ground wires and the positive battery terminal wire.

after lifting some more, the engine was lifting the trooper itself. the transmission was lifting

the car because the angle was too shallow,so Don got under the vehicle with the hydraulic jack lift to adjust the transmission height appropriately as the engine was being lifted from the front.

the largest problem we got into was the oil pan being stuck against the drive-shaft. with some tweaking, lifting and lowering, nudging and the help of a crowbar, we had enough clearance. Don lowered the transmission in the back and I kept lifting the crane while peter pulled the

crane back, so the engine could be pulled up and out.

it's so rewarding to see the front of the car without the engine, all the various components seperated, we have a broader view now on that we can see the space were working with for installing the diesel engine.

Under the hood - almost ready to remove engine/tranny!

Today we lowered the trooper from the hoist, back on the floor.

We removed various components to prepare for the removal of the engine.

-We removed bolts from the motor mounts

-The frame cross member was removed, and we used the floor jack to support the tranny.

-Both the the air conditioning lines and power steering lines were disconnected

-Disconnected all the vacuum lines and electrical connections

* We made sure all the lines and electrical connections were labeled with tape/marker as well as saved to identify for when we reassemble and be retrofitted with new connections for the diesel engine *

Under chassis parts

First we lift the trooper(BIG HORN) on electric lift.

Amd we Remove the

- Front & rear drive shaft

- fuel tank & disconnect fuel line

- Disconnect transmission connectors & linkages

- Remove transfer case shifter

- Remove the complete Exhaust system (the bolt of the Exhaust are very tight So we used OXY/ACET torch)

-Disconnect the starter motor wire & alternator wire

Plasma cutting the frame to allow engine removal

Today we decided that the best method to remove the engine and transmission out the front of the isuzu as a whole.

-In order to lift and remove the engine and transmission, the cross member support for the radiator must be removed to have enough clearance.

-After further inspection and discussion, Peter's idea was the greatest, which is to remove the cross member support was with the plasma cutter, at the most convenient spot for both enough clearance for the engine/transmission and ability to replace the cross member

-It would be easier to cut the cross member and replace with either re-welding or bolding steel plates, rather than separating and transmission, which would involve removing the engine from the top and transmission from the bottom of the vehicle

Remove radiator etc

Today we continued to remove the front end parts of the trooper:

-A/C condenser

-Fan & shroud

- radiator system

-Hood

* unfortunately we broke one hood mount bolt & windshield washer connector.  we'll have to fix that later!

Front grill parts

In the first day we removed the:

-front grill

-front headlights

-skid plate (a metal plate cover under the engine for portect the engine)

-Front bumper

- drained the engine & cooling oil

Introduction to our gas to diesel conversion project

Welcome to Rockway Tech's blog for our first ever diesel conversion project!  The vehicle of choice is a 1994 Isuzu Trooper 4X4 with a 3.2L V6 gas engine with auto. transmission.  The plan is to remove the gas engine and install a 3.1L diesel (4JG2) engine and auto. transmission in its place.  A group of 3 students and their teacher will perform the transplant in the fall semester of 2011.  The projected finish date is December 2011.


To begin the conversion, we needed to educate ourselves on what we were undertaking.  We researched the vehicle and engine information of both the gas and diesel engines.  We acquired an online manual for the original gas engine model of the 1994 Isuzu Trooper.  We also found an excellent PDF file manual online 4JG2 diesel engine Trooper.  The first few days were spent educating ourselves to understand the conversion process and the changes we would need to make to get the 4JG2 to fit in our Trooper.

The picture of the Trooper was taken after some work was already done.