Some manufacturers (I know of at least one) converted a standard gasoline engine into a diesel engine (usually without a lot of long term success). I was wondering if anyone ever considered converting a diesel into a race engine? Seems like a true diesel engine can run 22:1+ compression, and if "detuned" would almost be a granade-proof set-up (if converted correctly). Anyone know what it would take, and if anyone sucessfully converted a true diesel engine to a full blown race engine?...

 

Aftermarket race blocks are generally $1500-2300 and are proven performers time and time again. The costs of buying a good core diesel block and trying to get decent flow out of the heads or converting conventional heads to fit the diesel would likely exceed this figure. Not to mention the lack of aftermarket crankshafts, cams, rods and pistons.

You could use the stock stuff but those giant rods and pistons probably wouldn't like being revved to anything over 3k rpm. People do drag race diesels though, I've seen a 9 second truck before with a Cummins. However you could have built a nice 600+cid gas engine for alot less money.

 

There has been thought into this I'd heard also in addition to Brandy's comments that diesel's basic engine design is built up around optimizing diesel fuel power output. They generally have a long stroke to take advantage of diesel fuel's long burn time, & beefy bootom ends to survive the long haul of compression ignition. As said before they're not built to spin the rpm's gas motor do, diesels by nature are torque monstors & the motors are built to take full advantage of this.

 

There's no way to convert one to gas power. The design of a diesel is extremely different from a gasser.
The combustion chamber is in the piston, not the head. That would pretty much negate any possibility of making it run with a spark-ignition system.
Not to mention that the air and fuel delivery are radically different from a gas engine, and the rotating parts are very heavy.

I suppose that given unlimited time and resources you could somehow convert one. But you'd probably end up spending a hundred times more than you would on a purpose built gas engine.