Hey new here looking to get any ideas on a crazy idea I got.

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SuperRallyRoo

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So I have a 1970 subaru 360 micro van... If anyone know what that is its basically the size of a go kart. I am interested in putting a small diesel engine in it maybe from Kohler. Such as this... http://www.kohlerengines.com/onlinecatalog/productDetail.htm?productNumber=KD425-2
Some of you may know this van came from the factory with a 360cc 2cylinder 2stroke. It is extremely difficult to find parts for the factory motor. I would like to be able to drive this van and have some power to spare being able to take the kids around and stuff. I am in the process of restoring it, and I am just trying to figure out what kind of possible differential & Tranny setups I could run in this lil beast to make it be able to run on the freeway at 65-70mph powered by a 19-30 hp diesel motor. I am also open to just dropping a newer motorcycle engine in it. It would be nice to redo the whole rear suspension setup to make this work. I know people have put VW aircooled engines in these things. Anyway, here is my van if anyone has any ideas or suggestions for me that would be great.



And btw my name is Matt and I live in Tacoma, Wa
 
Bluethunder3320

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sure is a project.

how about a vw turbo? youd have tons of power, i dont think a kohler engine will do well in a car, i doubt youll get 60mph.

what about a motor bike engine? then youll have a trans built in... and just run a chain to a rear sprocket, mount the engine, hook up some cables and your good!

p.s. welcome here!
 
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SuperRallyRoo

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Mmkkk this is the stuff I need to know, If I was going to build a gasser i would like it to be off a bike that came weighing in at 800-900 lbs or so so that the tranny would handle the extra weight. But I guess I could just gear it differently? I would still have to run an independent rear suspension setup centrally located I assume with some kind of diff to allow me to turn. I also don't know how much room I have to work with yet either :/ I think a vw setup would be far too complicated, and honestly I have enough vw powered cars around here and the lack of reliability makes me not want to go that route. Hence my 86 vw vanagon with the subaru 2.2. :)
This diesel has almost double the torque of the original motor, and I don't think the 360cc 2stroke revved all that high... Perhaps I could find a 4 or 5 speed for this? Automatic? http://www.kohlerengines.com/onlinecatalog/productDetail.htm?productNumber=KD477-2
The OE engine on the 360 was like 25hp 25 ft lbs
 
sideways

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Hi, I would try and keep that as original as possible, that's a very rare vehicle and is reasonably sought after. Did they have the same engine as the Subaru 360? If so it wouldn't be too hard to find a good engine, or parts. You could also probably track down a Suzuki LJ10 or LJ20 engine. Was it air or water cooled?

If you've still got the original engine then you can modify that and probably get over 70mph.

The original engine probably only did about 5000rpm, my experience with 2 stroke Kei car engines is that you can modify them to do about 10'000rpm thus pretty much doubling your top speed.

Here in Australia we had a fair few Suzuki LJ50s, they were 539cc 2 stroke predecessors to the Sierra (Sierra=Australian Samurai), they did about 5500rpm stock and 80kp/h flat out, a few guys have modified them (custom reeds, GT550 carbs, porting, pinned crank, expansion chambers ect) and have gotten them to 140km/h with standard gearing. Of course at highway speeds they are doing 8000rpm or so.

How ever, if you're going to modify it away from the original engine, a 1000cc+ modern bike engine would have a lot of the rodders and ricers wandering what the hell just kicked their arse in a drag race. Of course, you'd have to get (or make) a chain drive diff.

It would be deadly slow with the diesel Kohler, that'd be difficult to adapt to the gearbox too.

Good luck, keep us posted. :thumbsup:

Thanks

Hayden
 
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SuperRallyRoo

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This is a subaru 360 they came in the 2 door coupe looking thing they called a sedan, the little 2 seater truck, and this van. So it does have the air cooled 360cc 2 stroke. There is a whole 360 forum that I am a part of but it is still pretty hard to find parts. The fact that my tranny has a window in it is mostly the reason I would like to get something different in there.
 
sideways

sideways

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SuperRallyRoo said:
This is a subaru 360 they came in the 2 door coupe looking thing they called a sedan, the little 2 seater truck, and this van. So it does have the air cooled 360cc 2 stroke. There is a whole 360 forum that I am a part of but it is still pretty hard to find parts. The fact that my tranny has a window in it is mostly the reason I would like to get something different in there.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I know. I thought the van ones had a different name? Sambar springs to mind, not sure though.

What parts do you need?

Thanks

Hayden
 
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88carfreak

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You could run a hayabusa 1300cc engine, they have a single or twin turbo application for this engine and get a drive shaft for a tractor (the small PTO type),have a yolk made to fit on the trans out drive of the engine, and mate it up to a Honda CRV independent rear end where it has a stationary differential and CV axles run out from that. you could get the rear end from a junk yard for between $100-$250. the rear end has a "core support" so installing it wouldn't be that hard. You could run the engine in front or behind the diff. It would be very fast and have the torque your after.
 
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MatthewBasaraba

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Wow that thing is AWESOME! Would love to have something like that! GREAT Find!

I wonder if an old Saab 63 engine would work? My brother just sold his but I think there might be a lot more parts for the Saab motors.

Matthew
 
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MatthewBasaraba

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Also, as far as the crotch rocket motor. If you look at dune buggy sites they do make a gear case that allows you to have reverse, I am sure it could be figured out how to swap it over. That way you would have a nice powerful water cooled motor and it would scream if you wanted it to.
 
Bluethunder3320

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i like the idea of the saab motor.

and toystory has a good point.... has to pass safety inspection!
 
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You could get a large displacement bike engine that is shaft driven, Like one of the BIG BMW cruisers. Then just connect a drive shaft to the original rear axle, then you can use the same diff, you have the trans, and you don't have to yank out/HEAVILY modify anything (any chain driven engine, you would have to do some sort of swap.

If you want to completely rebuild the rear suspension set up, you can use a chain driving engine, then I know RPM sells reverse gear boxes that have a sprocket, then the out put from those boxes to to CV holders. There designed for Motorcycle driven dune buggies, so they should work for your application.
Just a suggestion.
 
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SuperRallyRoo

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robotmickey said:
You could get a large displacement bike engine that is shaft driven, Like one of the BIG BMW cruisers. Then just connect a drive shaft to the original rear axle, then you can use the same diff, you have the trans, and you don't have to yank out/HEAVILY modify anything (any chain driven engine, you would have to do some sort of swap.

If you want to completely rebuild the rear suspension set up, you can use a chain driving engine, then I know RPM sells reverse gear boxes that have a sprocket, then the out put from those boxes to to CV holders. There designed for Motorcycle driven dune buggies, so they should work for your application.
Just a suggestion.
Click to expand...
And this wouldn't work because the rear diff is built into the tranny. Which is broken :surrender:
I think the motorcycle setup with the reverse gear is what I am going to look into.:thumbsup:
 
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robotmickey

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Oh okay... ha ha that sucks. You could go to the pick n' pull and just get a small rear end. What ever man, up to you. :wai:
 
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SuperRallyRoo

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Oh ya I do have the title and since I don't have to take it to emissions I could practically make this thing run on rocket fuel and they wouldn't have anything to say about it.
 
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