128 mpg car

[diamondlarry]

Since there wasn't a diesel section I decided to put this here. This was in a Yahoo group.

Hi all,

I've just been a member of this group for a few days but I'd like to
throw something out for comments. In the 70's Mechanix Illustrated/
Quincy-Lynn Enterprises offered plans for a converted vehicle called
Centurion. The conversion amounted to a Triumph Spitfire with an owner
built fiber-glass body weighing 1200lbs. and a "17 hp, 3 cylinder
Kubota" garden tractor diesel engine.

With this combination they claimed and still do(plans are still
available from Robert Q. Riley Enterprises)128mpg@35mph, 103mpg@45mph
and 85mpg@55mph. Here it is some thirty years of technology later and
these appear to be outstanding numbers for a factory effort let alone a
simple backyard build.

Does anyone in the group think that a simple car like this could be
built and achieve this kind of performance?

Stan

[Sludgy]

Yup, there is no mystery to building fuel efficient cars. Light weight and small engine displacement can produce amazing mileage.

There IS demand for high mileage, inexpensive cars. I'd buy one for commuting. Why won't the automakers import them from Europe or Asia?

Maybe I should go to Europe myself and buy a vintage Citroen 2CV.

[Matt Timion]

I've heard of this story before, and mentioned it a few times on this forum. I originally heard, however, it was popular mechanics, but I could be wrong.

I would be very interested in trying to do something like this. This would be a perfect "around the town" car.

Do we have any idea if there are ways to reduce emissions with diesel? I guess running bio-diesel is an option.

The downside of this conversion is that the kubota motors are rather pricey. I think I remember seeing one for around $4000 once on ebay. It would be pretty cool though to convert an older car (old honda anyone?) to use a diesel 3cylinder engine and just cruise around town.

[Matt Timion]

Originally Posted by Sludgy

Yup, there is no mystery to building fuel efficient cars. Light weight and small engine displacement can produce amazing mileage.

There IS demand for high mileage, inexpensive cars. I'd buy one for commuting. Why won't the automakers import them from Europe or Asia?

Maybe I should go to Europe myself and buy a vintage Citroen 2CV.

Honestly for a while I was considering opening up a car dealership here in Salt Lake City that ONLY sold fuel efficient cars. Older imports, hybrids, and Metros would all be sold. If the car didn't get good gas mileage, we could make modifications and then sell it that way. We could fix up an old civic so it could get over 40mpg, or an old metro. Sticker price would be about $4000 per car.

If I had the time and the money, I'd do it. The title of the dealership would be "Gas Savers." Maybe when I strike it rich I can do it.

[diamondlarry]

Originally Posted by Matt Timion

I've heard of this story before, and mentioned it a few times on this forum. I originally heard, however, it was popular mechanics, but I could be wrong.

I would be very interested in trying to do something like this. This would be a perfect "around the town" car.

Do we have any idea if there are ways to reduce emissions with diesel? I guess running bio-diesel is an option.

The downside of this conversion is that the kubota motors are rather pricey. I think I remember seeing one for around $4000 once on ebay. It would be pretty cool though to convert an older car (old honda anyone?) to use a diesel 3cylinder engine and just cruise around town.

You're right Matt. The story did appear in PM. I did some digging and found the link to the plans. http://www.rqriley.com/cent.html Now that you mention it, I do remember you mentioning something like this. I just didn't put the two together. Maybe I'm sniffing the acetone too long before I put it in my tank.

[Matt Timion]

Originally Posted by diamondlarry

You're right Matt. The story did appear in PM. I did some digging and found the link to the plans. http://www.rqriley.com/cent.html Now that you mention it, I do remember you mentioning something like this. I just didn't put the two together. Maybe I'm sniffing the acetone too long before I put it in my tank.

It's better to be redundant IMO.

I would personally love to do something like this. Maybe I'll do this when my engine dies in the n600. Throw a small diesel engine in it... I could get 60mpg EASY in that setup.

[Matt Timion]

Wow...

When I look at this car, all I think of is "1980's version of the future."

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by Matt Timion

When I look at this car, all I think of is "1980's version of the future."

that's hilarious. and so true.

[Compaq888]

It's always been true that low body weight and small displacement= more mpgs. SVOboy seems to be on the right track, I'd bet if he does his stuff right we could see a 70mpg car from him.

[SVOboy]

It's always been true that low body weight and small displacement= more mpgs. SVOboy seems to be on the right track, I'd bet if he does his stuff right we could see a 70mpg car from him.

Haha. I'd love to get a 1.2 for my car but the engine won't mount up. Mehbe when I get to custom-land with welding I will do it and use the vtec-e head on it.

Anywho, I thought the PM article was using an MG Midget and a kubota engine to make good mpg?

[Compaq888]

You don't need a smaller motor to accomplish your goal. You need a better way to use the fuel. Like fuel cutoff, fuel heaters and engine management.

[SVOboy]

I've got fuel cut off like all the newer hondas and stuff, so that's there. I have engine management also. Fuel heaters don't work according to diamond larry which makes sense to me but meh.

I think the 1.2 versus 1.5 would be a huge difference in mileage.

[Matt Timion]

Originally Posted by SVOboy

I think the 1.2 versus 1.5 would be a huge difference in mileage.

I agree. You should sleeve your engine and use smaller pistons. That would be sick. A 4 cylinder 1.0L engine.

[SVOboy]

Sleeving (at least in its normal sense) does not affect displacement. The sleeves are the gaps outside of the piston.



The sleeves would be the junk with the holes which replace the just empty area:

[diamondlarry]

Originally Posted by SVOboy

I've got fuel cut off like all the newer hondas and stuff, so that's there. I have engine management also. Fuel heaters don't work according to diamond larry which makes sense to me but meh.

I think the 1.2 versus 1.5 would be a huge difference in mileage.

I been doing some reading on fuel heaters and I think my problem may be that I'm running too hot. I'm running straight out of the lower radiator hose and with my 195 thermostat it's probably too much. I've heard that there is a relatively narrow window of temperature that is most effective; like 140-160 or so. I heard from too many people that they do work so it about has to be my setup.

[Compaq888]

See I told you fuel heaters work, it just needs to be adjusted. Megasquirt would at least improve fuel economy by 2mpg. But spending a crap load just to get 2mpg is pointless.

[SVOboy]

Megasquirt would at least improve fuel economy by 2mpg. But spending a crap load just to get 2mpg is pointless.

I can do everything megasquirt can do with my stock ecu for free, plus a lot more megasquirt can't do, plus with more support, plus with just all around awesomeness.

[krousdb]

Originally Posted by SVOboy

I can do everything megasquirt can do with my stock ecu for free, plus a lot more megasquirt can't do, plus with more support, plus with just all around awesomeness.

Soon I will have awesomeness too! Hopefully with support!
w00000t!

[DaX]

Originally Posted by SVOboy

Sleeving (at least in its normal sense) does not affect displacement. The sleeves are the gaps outside of the piston.



The sleeves would be the junk with the holes which replace the just empty area:

Actually that's incorrect, SVO. What you are referring to is a block guard [as demonstrated in the first picture]. This essentially makes the engine a 'closed deck' design. Aftermarket sleeves appear to be fitted to the engine in the lower picture. Sleeving an engine is basically replacing the cylinder walls with stronger walls, and while doing this, you can either put in larger or smaller diameter bores. I actually had a covnersation with Earl Laskey and Dan Benson about sleeving my 1.5L down to a 1.3L or smaller. They discouraged me from doing so, as the sleeves would have to be custom. They make their sleeve blanks at a diameter larger than the diameter I would need to get below a 1.4L engine. Not to mention, custom pistons would need to be made, which would be $$$.

Originally Posted by Matt Timion

Wow...

When I look at this car, all I think of is "1980's version of the future."

Haha, it reminds me of that cheezy 80's movie, 'The Wraith'

[SVOboy]

I suck. I think I was confused by the DIY sleeving article that's on honda-tech. Seems more like a DIY block guard I guess,

[Kraig]

Seems I recall reading about a guy in California that swapped a Kubota diesel into a Metro and he got 95 mpg ..............

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Looks like one of the chinese yanmar clones. This must be the kubota. Hell yeah!

[RandyW]

Years ago in a publication called Diesel Car Digets there was an article that told about a conversion using a 1970 Mazda R-100 and a Kubota 2 cyl diesel with a Toyota 5-speed transmission that would reach freeway speeds, rather slowly, and got 96 mpg to a gallon of diesel. The publication date was around 1974.

[Mike T]

A smart cdi engine in an aerodynamic and light car like an Insight would be a nice combo.

[Ryland]

It's possible to get 104mpg in a civic vx if you only go 20mph, or 116mpg in a metro xfi at the same speed.
Road And Track Article
If I want to get 128mpg at 35mph I'll ride my moped, sure 85mpg at 55mph would be nice compared to the 65mpg that my motorcycle gets going that speed, but what's it get at 70mph freeway speeds, if it even goes that fast?

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Provided it goes that fast, probably high 60s. I dunno why anyone who's interested in efficiency would go faster than 55-60mph on the freeway...

[Ryland]

some people like to go over 65mph on the interstate to save time, or to keep from being run over, I know I've enjoyed my civic vx being able to merge on to a buissy freeway with 5 adults in to car on a number of occations, I also have ridden in vehicles that are governed to cut out the engine if you try to go over 85mph for more then about 5 seconds, to me it would make sense to drop that down to 80mph or so.
It's not very safe to drive alot slower then everyone else, I think being rearended is still the most commen form of trafic acident, and car accedents are the most commen way to be killed.

[omgwtfbyobbq]

I dunno where this fear of being rear-ended comes from... Just stay on the right where you won't get people going 85mph up your butt. Iirc, 80% of all traffic fatalities are due to drunk driving and run off the road accidents, and even then I'd rather being going 55mph and have a drunk rear end me than go 85mph in the same situation. Braking distances are proportional to KE, and go like V^2. So at 55mph I can come to a stop roughly 2.3 times sooner than at 85mph, which is a lot of real estate I'd rather not cover in a panic situation given the choice. Merging is just a matter of checking your mirror ime, but I guess people feel more secure with more power?

[Brock]

Idling in 5th my car (diesel) runs about 28-29 mpg and SG indicates between 120 mpg and 180 mpg. Some day late at night I will try driving home that way

[usedgeo]

This will go no where but...Briggs and Stratton makes nice little diesels. The price will scare you.

http://www.tulsaenginewarehouse.com/...47-580447.html

There are a lot of small diesels around but you need to get the engine at salvage price to make any sense of any conversion I could come up with.

Did you follow the earlier omgwtfbyobbq link to this link? This is one cute little bugger.

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/gw/vw1litre.htm

I need to figure out and copy that front wheel treatment. If Boeing can go 500 mph wihout covering up their wheels I ought to be able to go 1/10 of that. Some planes don't completely cover the wheels when retracted.