Hello Team!

I have a Trooper 87, whose gas motor recently blow up. I live in Costa Rica and it is not too difficult to get a hold of a Diesel motor around here.

I'm not really a technical person when it comes to this kind of stuff but I'm being assisted by a couple of friends that have made a couple of modifications before.

The first thing that I would like to ask is in regards the exact motor "model" that I should be looking for.

Right now we are after an Isuzu KB's Turbo Diesel 2.8 (No intercooler) from a 2002 donor, as we've been told that the version that has intercooler does not have "parts support" here in Costa Rica.

We've been told that the model above will perfectly fit on the Trooper with no modifications to the "mount brackets", and that we should be able to keep the original transmission as well.

We know that we may need to change the radiator and all the fuel pipes.

I would really appreciate your input on the subject.

Thanks in advance!

If you'd like an idea as to what's involved in a Trooper diesel re-power, read this thread and also have a look at the link in my signature.

I can't comment on how (dis)similar the 1987 and 1988 Trooper frames are, or whether the 1987 has the hydraulic clutch release like the 1988+ models. Other members will be able to clear this up, I am sure.

I am guessing the diesel engine you are interested in is the same 2.8l that I have, which will not bolt to any gas Trooper transmission that I know of (there is a photo on my site showing the differences in the bellhousings). I do not know whether the 1987 has the same transmission as the 1988, but I am fairly certain you will need the diesel transmission too.

As far as other modifications go, read over my project pages and feel free to ask any questions you may have. It is rather more complicated than simply bolting it in, but not impossible.

Off the top of my head, you will need to address/replace the starter, cooling system (radiator and all hoses, incl. heater hoses), clutch lines, throttle cable, exhaust, driveshafts, engine/transmission (obviously), fuel system (except the tank; everything else needs modifications), electrical wiring, gauges (if you desire a tachometer and sedimenter warning lamp), vacuum system, and add a glow plug system of some sort. Not meant to be an exhaustive list, of course...

Hello acy76!!

Thanx a lot for your reply. I have been going through the documenation on your blog and it definitely is very helpful and probably will be a lot more, once we get the new engine and engage on the subtleties of the swap.

We have indeed considered your input on the transmission and have confirmed that indeed we will need a new transmission specific for the 2.8 TD.

One thing that I would like to ask is what exactly a glow plug is?

I have seen some electrical schematics of the wiring on your site but I'm still not sure what this is exactly. I am really not familiar with the technical jargon and moreover english is not my native language.

Also one thing that I am concerned about is that I know that with a diesel engine, regular servicing and cautious monitoring of the engine is a must or otherwise it's really easy to destroy the engine without the driver's knowledge. So I would like to know if you have any recommendations on what to implement to monitor temperatures, oil pressure and all that.

On some article out there I found that is strongly recommended to fit an exhaust gas temperature gauge and keep these temperatures below 700 ?C at all times.

Has anybody implemented this kind of monitor tools and can comment.

Thanks in advance.

I can help with one of these questions.
Glow plugs are the diesel engine spark plugs. They only get used when starting the engine. Diesel engines rely on compression and heat to ignite the fuel. Glow plugs help get the fuel hot in the morning.
Others here can show you exactly what needs to be fabricated in order to put a diesel engine in a gas engine vehicle. Believe me, it is no piece of cake. Lot's of work and it may takes months and hundreds of hours of your time. I've done it, I know first hand.
Brian Rodgers

Brian has it right regarding the glow plugs - they help heat the air in a cold engine to aid in starting and cold idling. Isuzu uses an electronic timer/controller that turns the plugs on and off and also controls the voltage delivery to the plugs (low or high). All of this depends on the coolant temperature. There is a sensor in the water neck that the controller monitors. There are also a couple of relays and a large resistor. It is worth mentioning that there are at least 2 different systems I've seen schematics for in Isuzu manuals. I've adapted the older system from a 2.2l diesel for use in my project. You may have luck finding the later system. I think the later version also controls EGR.

As far as engine monitoring goes, I am using the stock gauges that came with the Trooper (with the exception of the tachometer - that must be diesel-specific, and I replaced mine) to monitor coolant temp and oil pressure. The diesel engine senders work with the gas gauges.

I don't think you need to monitor exhaust temp or go for any more ambitious gauges etc. unless you are planning on modifying the engine (increased boost pressure and fuel delivery). Generally there are only concerns when the engine's power output has been increased. Just follow normal maintenance procedures and you should be fine.