Hi folks. I am new here. I finally found a forum for the Isuzu diesel! I've been looking a long time. I'm here because I put a C223 in my 1991 GMC Sonoma. It originally came with a 4.3 auto, but I've always wanted a small diesel truck, and after owning 3 diesel Jettas, I figured I might as well build one, as here in the salty Maritimes nothing lives to be very old before it rusts out. I knew where one was and so bought it quite cheap. Removed the 4.3 (yuck), installed the diesel, and have put about 15 000 kms on it since. Great on fuel, but someone forgot to put the horses inside the engine at the factory, I think.
After reading all 23 pages of posts, it looks like the bigger turbo engine would have been the choise, except that I have never seen or heard of one here (Canada). Well, looks like this one will have to do for now.
I won't bore you with details on my first post, but should anyone actually be curious about my setup, please feel free to ask. It's nice to find somewhere that people know what you're talking about. No one here at home knows much of ANYTHING about these engines.

Welcome to the board!
A guy dropped an isuzu diesel into a jeep too, he seems to be pretty danged happy with it. That post is either on the tech or the talk. I don't personally have a diesel but I wish that my trooper had one... hehe. Those engines are hard to come across outside of the UK. Good score <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

The thread of the guy (Randy, from BC) who put an Isuzu diesel is here:
http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/showf...mp;amp;sb=5&o=93&fpart=1

It's here on the diesel forum. The engine he used was a 4JB1-TC, which is a little different creature than your C223. The C223 and C223T were Trooper option engines from the mid/late 80s. If my memory serves, the only difference between the two is the turbocharging portions, but the displacement and basic design are the same. It might be very possible to scrounge the parts you'd need to turbo your existing beast. Hopefully Curtis Johnson, AirTrooper, or Jerry Lemond might chime in on this in the near future. Excellent application of a lesser known power plant. I'm sure many would be interested in the fitment and adaptation you had to do to make it work.

Welcome!

James

Thank you for the kind responses. I tried to fit this motor into a 1992 Mazda B2200 I had first, but after removing the motor and tranny, I realized it was too much work to make it fit, so I looked for a S10 due to the fact that it was what the motor came from. 5 years before I bought the diesel S10 I looked at it, and the guy selling it said it wouldn't go, but $500 would take it. I didn't have $500 to blow on a rusty truck that wouldn't start so I left it. A year later I seen him driving it...he said the glow plugs were bad and that's why it wouldn't start. Last year, I did have the money, so I advertised for a diesel engine. Several Nissans came up, with no transmissions, or for lots of money, so I decided to go see this guy who had the S10. He still had it, parked in his yard for 2 years, unable to drive it because it wouldn't pass our yearly Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection, and wasn't worth repairing. After hearing it run, I gave him $250 and trailered it home. I sold the 4.3 engine from the Sonoma for $250. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />
Fitment was rather straight foreward, as the frames and cabs were the same in the front. Motor mounts, some wiring, and the installation of the pedal cluster (the Sonoma was originally an automatic) was the most of it. I used the Sonoma driveshaft, changed the rearend gears from the 3.42 in it to 3.73 for the diesel. I have a 4000rpm tach for a boat in it, hooked to the alternator, and dialed in to be accurate with a mechanical hand tach held to the crank. A tricky part was the speedo...the Sonoma used an electric one, and the 5 speed was mechanical. The wiring harness plugs were different for both and wired in a different order, and I had no wiring diagram to look at. After butchering 2 speedo units, I made one to work that looks stock. I used the stock aluminum 4.3 radiator, and it has yet to run hot with this set up, even when hauling a heavy load.
Probably the worst part of all this was it was last winter that most of this was done, and my garage then was unheated. It was usually below freezing.
The motor took a while to run better, as the previous owner never changed the oil or filter, or the air cleaner, which was almost plugged solid. The valves were even noisy! Yes, I could hear them over the clatter. Setting them took some noise away.
That's the most of it. By the way, the oil filters here are around $60 for a Wix. Too much. So I looked for a bit on the internet, and cross-referrenced one to a Nissan oil filter. $9.95. Much better. If anyone is curious, I have a part number for it. It fits a diesel Sentra that was here, and it was Isuzu powered.
Sorry for the long letter.

I should also mention that this motor was an easier fit due to the fact it had its own separate vacuum pump and power steering pump. Some Isuzu P'ups didn't come with power steering, but the Sonoma did, and the old S10 did too, making it easy to fit together. The S10 also had a Borg-Warner T5 transmission, which is quite common, and the bell housing is separate, unlike the Isuzu tranny. So all this was a big help in my adaption to this motor.
The funny thing is, my father-in-law had a diesel Pup sitting in his yard, rotting back to where it came from: the earth. I've tried for years to get this motor from him after he parked the truck due to a rotton frame (the truck, not him!), but he won't part with it. Now the oil and coolant has leaked from it, and it siezed about 3 years ago. I would still like to have it for parts. Oh well.
Might as well mention, the father-in-law, Raeburn, also has done a couple of interesting conversions. He has put a motor from a Massey 235 farm tractor into a 1988 Ford 4X4. The farmer who wanted this done said it was 100% more useful to him like this, compared to the 302 that was in it before. He claims the Perkins was amazing on fuel, but, like the C223, terrible for power.
The other conversion he did was similar, but this owner bought a BRAND NEW Perkins of the same displacement, but turbo. He put about 500 kms on this truck, and it has sat ever since. It needs the diff gears changed (it's 2wd) to keep the revs down, and he never did it, though he has the gears. I was interested in this truck, but he wanted too much $$ for it. It has since sat for 5-6 years , and now the owner won't sell it. *Sigh*. Whatever.
I've located 2 N/A Mazda diesels, low mileage, and 2 Ford Ranger turbo diesels (Mitsubishi) that I'm going to investigate closer soon, plus I happen to know where a Mercedes OM 314 engine and transmission are sitting for a low price, but that's another possible project....

Lots of readers, no writers. That's ok.
Here's something else to read: I filled the Sonoma up tonight, as I do once a week. Winter grade diesel here. Typical drive for me is 40 kms a day total, which is pretty much to and from work. Odd other runs here and there.
This weeks stats: 349 kms, fuel: 23.7 liters.
Calculated fuel mileage, 41.6 mpg, UK. That's 6.8 l\100 kms, for those that understand it better that way. Fuel here at this one station I go to is 71.9c\l, cheapest around.
This is the pay-off for gutlessness (?) that I put up with everyday. I have no real problem with the lack of power as most of my driving is on 80km\h secondary roads, not the 110km\h main highway. Hills are nasty sometimes, and there are lots of them here. Flat land is rare.
This is what I built it for.

Sounds like a cool swap. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" /> The smog nazi's out here in California would choke at the concept of swapping an older motor into a newer chassis, but kudos for knowing what YOU wanted and knowing how to make it happen. 40mpg makes it sound pretty worthwhile to me... I'm up to my neck in projects right now with the house, website, and truck, but out on the periphery of my mind, I've been chewing on a small diesel/electric commuter. Perhaps a 3-wheeler (2-front, 1-rear) to skirt California's ultra-restrictive laws.

The C223 is a robust little powerplant, but it just begs for some forced induction... Considering how Isuzu builds motors (STOUT!) I imagine it could withstand pretty good pressure. If you think your diesel is underpowered, a fellow-clubmember out here runs a full-size Blazer with a mosquite-killing Perkin's diesel 4. Acceleration is best measured with time-lapse photography! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Sounds like yours was a straightforward swap, other than the auto/stick, and the fun with the speedometer that resulted. My applause for you to going into the wiring harnesses with no diagram, but still coming out the other side with a running truck... that's the part of my motor swap that I fear most -- electrical connections!

Thanks for posting up the details of your swap... this is exactly the sort of dealer-won't-build-it so-I-did-it-*MY*-way that I love! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Randii (currently wrapping up dropping an EFI Ford 302 into my Isuzu Amigo, in front of a Toyota tranny/t-case for 211:1 final drive)

I realise there are many places that I wouldn't ever get away with this, but right now in the relaxed Maritimes, I'll take advantage of it. Smog laws are non-existant here, though I believe they will be here in the future. I have heard lots about CARB and all the joys they have brought to motorists there (sorry, I have a tendancy to be sarcastic, but always meant in a humorous way).
Funny you mention turbos....I just happen to have a turbo from a Ford Ranger Turbo Diesel (Mitsubishi) that I got from someone for free. It didn't look worn out, the bushings are still tight. I think I will make an exhaust manifold to work here, as creating a " U " pipe from the exising manifold to the turbo will take too much room, and finding a turbo manifold around here would be like winning the lottery: I don't think so. I have yet to ever see a turbo C223 here anywhere. I happen to have a Isuzu factory manual for 1981 C223 and it shows oil-injection under the pistons, and water-cooled oil filter base, just what the turbo versions are supposed to have. I don't think compression ratio is a big deal, as the turbo and N\A VW's run the same ratio, 23:1, although different pistons (Isuzu is 21:1). I'm thinking that with the fuel kept to a sane level, it won't be too much of a problem. Boost level isn't a big issue, it's the extra amount of fuel jammed in there that creates too much heat and reliability problems, as I'm sure lots of air would give you the chance to turn the wick up quite a bit, probably over doing it and breaking something. I drive this thing reasonably easy, as the fuel mileage shows: I'm looking for more grunt on the hills, or to put it differently, I want to loose less speed on the hills. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Another thing I want to do with a second flywheel is lighten it. Not a hugh amount, but I'm thinking a decent percentage will help to pull away a bit quicker without making it too easy to stall. I may be wrong altogether, but I've picked this thing up and it's a big weight for that little 4 cylinder. And if it makes it better, then great. If not, chalk it up to another lesson learned. That is, if I can find another one (hint hint father-in-law ). <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />
I wish my 1993 Subaru Legacy AWD got anywhere near what my truck gets for mileage. It's about half. Hmmmm. Yes, I'm wondering if I can fit a diesel in it too..... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/evil.gif" alt="" />

I'm jealous of your smog laws, but not your salt air! Sarcastic humor both ways! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

A turbo seems awfully tempting, but based on my Dodge/Cummins, it can have a dramatic effect on MPG. Stoplights can be a challenge in restraint especially if the hot-rod next to me has hs window down in the vicinity of my side-exit tailpipe! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/ignore.gif" alt="" />

Randii

You might not be able to turbo charge this motor. Can you determine where it came from? year, model.

The C223T had 3 differnt rods in it according to Jerry LeMond.

Seems Norte Americano drivers (that includes you Canadians too) were snapping rods in the turbo charged variety.

so, there is what is called 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 rods. The 2.0 being the best. Very beefy at crank journal. My 1986 has 1.5 rods in it. I would not turbo charge anything less.

you might also consider better gearing and it won't be so gutless. My 1986 has 4:56 gears factory. It can still cruise 65mph just fine. ( at least prior to soa and sas mods).

liked your idea of running an conventional tach off of the alternator. what diameter pulley did you use that matched calibaration? what triggered the signal?