Ranger Biodiesel Swap - First Start (Video Post)

 The first start and run of my Volkswagen 1.6NA swapped 1999 Ford Ranger. The process required several hours of bleeding air from the fuel lines and purging old diesel residue from the system, and now it runs perfectly! It's been approximately 20-25 years since this engine ran, and it was eager to clear out the cobwebs.

Ranger Biodiesel Swap - VW 1.6NA Engine Refresh

I debated which engine to select as a donor, and settled on the iconic Volkswagen inline-4 cylinder. There are multiple options for displacement, natural- or forced-induction, electronic or mechanical, unit or common-rail, so I spent months researching and browsing Facebook Marketplace. 

One day, I stumbled across a 1.6L NA barn-find engine from an early 80's Rabbit. The price was right (super cheap!) and it was mostly complete, so I drove to Lancaster PA to retrieve it.

The 1.6L NA engine was only rated at 55hp, and was considered SLOW even when new. This particular one was also in less than ideal condition (as you'll see), and may not run well enough to be the final donor engine for this project. Despite that, these do have a reputation for reliability and fuel economy, so it was worth the risk.

However, one major advantage of the VW 4 cylinder diesel, is that the bolt patterns and block dimensions are nearly interchangeable across 30 years of production, so fabricated adapters will be reusable. Any engine mounting brackets, flywheel adapters, or bellhousing adapters that fit a 1.6L NA will also fit a 1.9L Turbo engine. Worst case scenario, this 1.6Lwill work perfectly as a mock-up engine.

Barn-Fresh and ready to rebuild.

Quick trip to the carwash for some quality time with a high-pressure wand.

Unfortunately, a mouse had built a nest inside the cylinder #1 combustion chamber, so it was necessary to pull the head and perform a quick top-end refresh. I scraped the carbon off all 4 piston domes, cleaned the bores of all debris and corrosion, and relubricated everything to soak the rings.

I also discovered stress cracks between the intake and exhaust valves on all 4 cylinders, which is apparently a common and ignorable design flaw with these engines. I decided to grind out majority of the cracks, and polish the remaining affected material to prevent localized overheating.

Finally, I retapped all of the external threaded lugs, scraped off the loose paint and rust, degreased the block, and repainted with a fresh coat of "Detroit Diesel Green"

The top end was treated to a fresh set of gaskets and seals, a new timing belt and tensioner kit, and the intake from a later-model engine.











 

Ranger Biodiesel Swap - Fuel Pump Override Switch

My Ranger is a 1999 model, equipped with a standard OBD2 system that monitors emissions and onboard mechanical diagnostics. To avoid this added complexity, most diesel swaps are performed on pre-OBD2 vehicles, or the builders will seek to remove/bypass/reprogram the ECU. 

For my build, I'm trying to retain as much of the ECU functionality as possible, and my goal is to pass the NJ MVC inspection honestly, with minimum codes and without an illuminated check engine light. 

In preparation for the swap, I'm making a number of modifications to the truck's electrical, fuel, and exhaust systems. The first of these will be described below, where I'm installing a fuel pump override switch.

The Ford Ranger ECU is programmed to run the fuel pump for approximately two seconds when the ignition is switched on, to prime the fuel injection system in preparation for engine startup. After this, the pump is shut-off until the ECU detects that the engine is running at sustained idle.

I'm replacing the original fuel system (single fuel line, regulator/return inside the tank, internal fuel pump) with a complete recirculating system featuring both sending and return lines, an external pump, and a water separator/filter. 

This type of system requires sustained operation of the fuel pump prior to startup, to circulate fuel and purge all trapped air from the lines. Rather than bypass the original fuel pump controls and wiring, I decided to install an override switch.

As shown on page 24-1 of the Ford Ranger Electrical Manual, the fuel pump is powered by the switched-side of the Fuel Pump Relay, through the Inertia Fuel Shutoff Switch, and on to connector C422 on page 24-7. 

The coil-side of the Fuel Pump Relay is connected to +12VDC on one side, and ECU Pin 80 on the -12VDC (Ground) side. To run the pump, ECU Pin 80 is switched to ground (logic output 0), which completes the circuit and triggers the relay coil. Therefore, an override switch simply needs to connect the existing Pin 80/Fuel Pump Relay wire to a switch, which can manually ground the circuit. 

Step 1: Shut off the truck, remove the connector from the ECU (engine bay on top of firewall), remove the protective covers and tape, and identify the wire connected to Pin 80.

Step 2: Carefully remove a 1/2" stretch of insulation from the wire on Pin 80 (do not cut the wire!!), wrap the stripped end of a new override switch wire around it, solder the joint thoroughly, and wrap the exposed conductors with electrical tape.

Step 3: Tuck the wires back inside the protective covers, including the new override switch wire. Route the new wire along the original harness and through the firewall of the truck, and rewrap the covers with electrical tape.

Step 4: Install a SPST toggle switch in the cab, and connect one side to the override switch wire that was just pulled though the firewall. Connect the other side to a wire that is grounded to the truck chassis.

This switch will now allow the driver to manually override the fuel pump at any time, without altering the original wiring or throwing any OBD2 codes.

KZ400 Diesel - Rebuilding A Wrecked Engine

During the construction of my KZ400 diesel motorcycle, many people had asked about the reliability and longevity of the Yanmar L70 clone engine. I had supercharged it, boosted the horsepower and max RPM, and taken it to the absolute limit numerous times.

Now, I have an answer for that. After 7 years of development, as well as:

-4 certified land speed records
-2500 miles of riding.
-Disabled speed governor
-Supercharged to 5psi
-Upgraded valve springs

...the crankcase split in half directly below the cylinder, nearly blowing the top end clear off...

 

 After careful examination, I was confident that the guts of the engine were fine, and the damage was limited to the crankcase. So, rather than simply swap engines, I registered an account with AliExpress and purchased a replacement crankcase to transplant as much as possible out of the blown motor.

 

After working through my backlog of projects, I put the bike back on the bench. The first step was to disassemble the drivetrain, clean the frame, and improve some of the mounting hardware and wiring.

I finished stripping the engine, and was able to examine the inner assembly for the first time. Overall, the components were in excellent condition, the only major issues being excessive carbon buildup in the combustion chamber, and wear on the output-side plain bearing.

I also inspected the camshaft, and found no evidence that the stronger valve springs had caused any damage to the lobes.

Next, I refurbished the original engine internals, deburred the new crankcase, and installed everything with fresh bearings, gaskets, and seals.

Finally, I brewed up some caffeine and locked myself in the garage for a marathon reassembly session!

Honda CB500F Rebuild Part 8 - Carburetors And Exhaust

The final parts of the rebuild were the intake and exhaust systems. I prefer round slide carburetors to vacuum carburetors, so I purchased an incomplete set from eBay. I completely rebuilt them only to discover that Honda had they have a different center-to-center spacing then the engine I had installed.

Apparently, when Honda switched the CB650 from slides to vacuums, they changed the spacing of the cylinder head intake runners, rather than modify the carbs. I decided to disassemble my set, fabricate custom piping and brackets, modify the throttle and choke linkages, and respace them to match the head.

Disassembly Begins

Grinding clearance into the carb bodies

Custom crossover piping

Narrowing a factory fuel fitting

Drilling new holes in the throttle linkage

I modified a set of spacers from the later vacuum carbs to lock the rack together.

Finally, I fabricated a new exhaust system. An aftermarket 4 into 2 CB650 exhaust will not clear the footpegs on a CB500 frame, so I purchased several rotten sets of original CB650 pipes. A few weeks with a hacksaw and hand file, as well as a pair of stainless 2 to 1 pipe fittings, and the bike was complete!

Honda CB500F Rebuild Part 7 - Seat

After refinishing the tank, I turned my attention to the seat. The foam cushion had completely disintegrated, and the pan was suffering from serious rust, so I started by removing the cover and disassembling all the parts

 

Cover removed. Not too bad....

Nope, that's beyond saving

As suspected, the foam was totally ruined. Luckily, the pan was still solid and hole-free, so I sent it out for sandblasting and powdercoating. Meanwhile, I began searching for a suitable replacement cushion.

Unfortunately, I was unable to find an aftermarket cushion for an early CB500, but after some research I determined that an early CB750 cushion could be modified to fit. I purchased one, carved out a relief in the underside to clear a hump in the pan, and shaved down the front to match. I then attached it to the pan with rubber cement.

 

 Finally, I installed a replacement cover, and lined the edges with self-adhesive flexible chrome detail edging from the auto parts store.

Honda CB500F Rebuild Part 6 - Gas Tank

After rebuilding the rolling chassis, I started refinishing the bodywork. The gas tank and seat both required extensive repairs, and took several months of careful work to complete.

First in line was the fuel tank. My brother had designed and applied the original custom paint job in 2005, and the years had not been kind. Chips, gasoline spills, and a failed attempt at stripping the interior KREEM coating had left the paint faded, stained, and damaged by solvents. I removed most of the old KREEM coating, followed by several days of careful wet sanding, as well as compound polishing by a much more patient friend of mine. I then touched up a few chips by hand, waxed it, and installed a new petcock.