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Can I make a diesel-powered street rod from tractor?

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DAN9-Midwest

12-23-2007 16:13:46

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I have been thinking about building a "street-rod" type of car but using the engine and trans from a 50-60HP or so farm tractor. The car would be a 1920s Ford roadster and weigh maybe 2400 lbs.

The problem I see is sufficient gearing to get to highway speeds of 50 to 65 MPH. I'd like to use a Ford truck rear axle but have no idea of what the gearing of the farm tractor final drive might be.

Anyone have any idea of the practicality of this idea or the gearing that might be in the final drive of a farm tractor? I don't want to go fast, I just want to build something more my agricultural style. Plus, a small four cylinder would fit nicely in the model T.

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glennster

12-24-2007 05:26:18

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Re: Can I make a diesel-powered street rod from tractor? in reply to DAN9-Midwest, 12-23-2007 16:13:46

how about running an oldsmobile 350 diesel??? here is one of my employees 1982 olds cutlass, runs a blown methanol 350 diesel block with batten heads. motor makes 1600 hp, runs the quarter in the mid 7 seconds at 190 mph!!!

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L.C.Gray

12-24-2007 04:45:31

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Re: Can I make a diesel-powered street rod from tractor? in reply to DAN9-Midwest, 12-23-2007 16:13:46

Look for a back issue of Hot Rod Magazine from earlier this year. Its the edition about 3 or 4 months ago covering the "2007 Power Tour". They showed a model A pickup rodded with a 3.9 Cummins B with a wicked turbo setup above the hood line and a simple vertical stack exhaust. It was different to say the least, couldn't help but catch a lot of attention. There is currently a growing trend towards diesel powered hot rods.

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Mark - IN.

12-24-2007 04:30:23

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You can do whatever you want, if you really want to in reply to DAN9-Midwest, 12-23-2007 16:13:46

Well, it wasn't diesel, it wasn't a street rod, and I've never been an Oldsmobile guy, but it sure was cool for the short time it was alive. Twin blown 425's, one for each axle, seperate gear shifts and throttles. It had to have been quite a ride. Found a lot of hits, even color photos googling "Hairy Hurst Olds" for the old timers that remember this guy, Hemi Under Glass, Little Red Wagon. Ahhh, them were the days.

HaHaHaHa. Merry Christmas Eve to all. Enjoy and have fun.

Hairy Hurst Olds

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Mark - IN.

12-24-2007 04:36:14

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By the way in reply to Mark - IN., 12-24-2007 04:30:23

From the picture, its hard to see that second 425 setting in the back seat, but trust me, it was there. What a ride!!! HaHaHaHa.

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super99

12-24-2007 01:25:18

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Re: Can I make a diesel-powered street rod from tractor? in reply to DAN9-Midwest, 12-23-2007 16:13:46

Not sure it's what you want, but years ago in Farm Show there were guys making truck-tors. Used front of pickup with motor and tranny and bolt up to tranny and rear end of a tractor. would run about 45 or so. Chris

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Bob

12-23-2007 23:30:25

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Here's a couple of diesel-powered street rods for you! in reply to DAN9-Midwest, 12-23-2007 16:13:46

Here's a couple of diesel-powered street rods for you!

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DAN9-Midwest

12-23-2007 23:06:20

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Re: Can I make a diesel-powered street rod from tractor? in reply to M Nut, 12-23-2007 16:13:46

tiresntracks said: (quoted from post at 19:38:18 12/23/07) If you use a 4BT Cummins, instead of a tractor engine, you can get bellhousings to bolt several different transmissions to them.
A tractor trans. case bolts directly to to the differential housing. There's no drive shaft in between, like on a car. You'd have to make a cover for the back of the trans. with a support bearing and seal in it and you'd have to make an output shaft that didn't have a pinion gear on it, but splines for a u-joint yoke instead. A lot of tractor transmissions don't have syncros, so they'd be hard to shift. I can think of a lot of reasons to use an automotive trans. instead of a tractor trans., but nothing's impossible if you have the talent, the tools, and the money.

OK, I like this idea but the weight of a 3.9 or 4.0 Cummins is 700+ lbs. I searched it and the good news is they bolt directly to a chevy bellhousing. Are these common?
I could do this with a different body style but wonder if anyone knows of a similar diesel that might weigh less. I do like the 3.9/4.0 Cummins. You guys do have some good ideas here.

Thanks for www.blastolene.com it gave me a few ideas

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Mathias NY

12-24-2007 05:01:36

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Re: Can I make a diesel-powered street rod from tractor? in reply to DAN9-Midwest, 12-23-2007 23:06:20

A Cummins 4bt shouldn't be too hard to find. I think they were commonly used in Frito-Lay bread trucks.

I dunno if you have cable tv, but a couple years ago there was a show called 'Monster Garage.' Each episode they would hack up a perfectly good vehicle to turn it into a completely impractical vehicle. One episode they turned a semi-tractor into a 3-wheeled motorcycle.

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Dachshund

12-23-2007 20:08:46

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Re: Can I make a diesel-powered street rod from tractor? in reply to DAN9-Midwest, 12-23-2007 16:13:46

When I was in High School, there was a guy who ran a Mustang with a Diesel motor in it at the local dirt track. Didn't do real well, but didn't do bad, eother. He ran what they called "Bomber" class.

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CCer

12-23-2007 19:10:45

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Re: Can I make a diesel-powered street rod from tractor? in reply to DAN9-Midwest, 12-23-2007 16:13:46

Look at www.blastolene.com, they build unusual rods.

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tiresntracks

12-23-2007 18:38:18

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Re: Can I make a diesel-powered street rod from tractor? in reply to DAN9-Midwest, 12-23-2007 16:13:46

If you use a 4BT Cummins, instead of a tractor engine, you can get bellhousings to bolt several different transmissions to them. A tractor trans. case bolts directly to to the differential housing. There's no drive shaft in between, like on a car. You'd have to make a cover for the back of the trans. with a support bearing and seal in it and you'd have to make an output shaft that didn't have a pinion gear on it, but splines for a u-joint yoke instead. A lot of tractor transmissions don't have syncros, so they'd be hard to shift. I can think of a lot of reasons to use an automotive trans. instead of a tractor trans., but nothing's impossible if you have the talent, the tools, and the money.

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tiresntracks

12-23-2007 18:48:16

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Re: Can I make a diesel-powered street rod from tractor? in reply to tiresntracks, 12-23-2007 18:38:18

I guess I didn't read jdemaris' post close enough. He said pretty much the same thing about the Cummins.
By the way, I saw a Chevy pickup with an 8V-53 Detroit in it and it looked like a lot of fun to drive.

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gold-leaf-deere

12-23-2007 18:00:09

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Re: Can I make a diesel-powered street rod from tractor? in reply to DAN9-Midwest, 12-23-2007 16:13:46

I had a idea once upon a time to use a 1959 Cadillac from the windshield rearward and mount a W John Deere power unit in front of the Caddy, for gearing I was going to use the (W) to run a Hydraulic pump and a flow valve to run a orbit motor attached to the Caddy rear axle. It sure seemed like a good idea to me, but my German War Bride used her veto power.

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Spook

12-23-2007 17:48:28

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Re: Can I make a diesel-powered street rod from tractor? in reply to DAN9-Midwest, 12-23-2007 16:13:46

I think the powerplant is doable, but the tranny is a problem. Most tractors top out a 15 - 20 mph. And the rear ends aren't engineered for speed. I like jdmaris ideas.

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Walt Davies

12-23-2007 17:17:10

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Re: Can I make a diesel-powered street rod from tractor? in reply to DAN9-Midwest, 12-23-2007 16:13:46

The question is not can I, but Why would I.
Walt

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jdemaris

12-23-2007 17:12:37

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Re: Can I make a diesel-powered street rod from tractor? in reply to DAN9-Midwest, 12-23-2007 16:13:46

Why not use an automotive-type diesel that has a better RPM range and power-to-weight ratio?

I've seen several rigs built - cars and pickups with tractor diesels. Interesting to look at and hear, but not much fun to drive. I saw a Deere 239 in a 1/2 ton truck, a Detroit 3-53 in an IH pickup, a Cat something-or-other in a a Chevy pickup. All dogs in regard to driving.

Of course, you can have the best of both worlds and use a Cummins 3.9. It's used in trucks and tractors. Many Chevy P30 bread-vans have them as do many Case tractors. Tractor version uses a different governor setup, I believe. Anyway, a Cummins 3.9 works really well in light trucks and cars, but is a bit heavy at 725 lbs. before any accessories are attached to it.

Here's a project where somebody did the opposite. Put a Chevy 6.2 diesel V-8 into a Massey Ferguson tractor.

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DAN9-Midwest

12-23-2007 16:56:16

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Re: Can I make a diesel-powered street rod from tractor? in reply to NBAllen, 12-23-2007 16:13:46

buickanddeere said: (quoted from post at 17:32:12 12/23/07) Is high gear direct drive? Then just figure the rear ratio required and the tire dia.
Then again the tractor trans will be large and a brute for heavy. What you are looking for is a Borg Warner T-56 trans and a 4.11 ratio rear diff.

The trans in a tractor would certainly be beefy. The appeal of a car/truck trans is appealing but I figure that would be a lot of work to figure out a bellhousing or adapter. I'd like to keep it simple.

I figure the highest gear would be direct drive. How do I figure out the rear axle ratio of a farm tractor? Are utility tractors direct drive in final gear? Suppose the ring and pinion tooth count would show in a parts manual?

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glennster

12-23-2007 17:10:37

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Re: Can I make a diesel-powered street rod from tractor? in reply to DAN9-Midwest, 12-23-2007 16:56:16

i'd pass on the tractor trans and go with something like a lenco, or a 6 speed with a tall overdrive, or what would be the berries is a cvt trans, that way you could run the motor at peak hp and use the trans to vary the speed. for a bellhousing, use a scattershield and have it drilled to line up the crank with the trans input shaft. there are a lot of aftermarket hot rod bodies and chassis available soo you wont need to carve up an original. how bout building a copy of a minnie moline comfort tractor with a drop front axle, and a narrowed 9"ford rear end??? wooo!!!

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12-23-2007 16:32:16

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Re: Can I make a diesel-powered street rod from tractor? in reply to DAN9-Midwest, 12-23-2007 16:13:46

Please, please don't mess up another antique car to make a street rod.

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in-too-deep

12-24-2007 08:24:05

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Re: Can I make a diesel-powered street rod from tractor? in reply to HW, 12-23-2007 16:32:16

I'll second that.

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buickanddeere

12-23-2007 16:32:12

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Re: Can I make a diesel-powered street rod from tractor? in reply to DAN9-Midwest, 12-23-2007 16:13:46

Is high gear direct drive? Then just figure the rear ratio required and the tire dia. Then again the tractor trans will be large and a brute for heavy. What you are looking for is a Borg Warner T-56 trans and a 4.11 ratio rear diff.

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Gerald J.

12-23-2007 18:47:39

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Re: Can I make a diesel-powered street rod from tractor? in reply to buickanddeere, 12-23-2007 16:32:12

Good transmission, poor axle ratio. Remember the tractor diesel isn't made to run over 2250 RPM, maybe not that fast. Needs a 2.79 rear axle to get above 40 mph.

Gerald J

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buickanddeere

12-24-2007 07:07:01

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Re: Can I make a diesel-powered street rod from tractor? in reply to Gerald J., 12-23-2007 18:47:39

T-56 has a .5 to 1 overdrive ratio in 6th gear. If running with a 2.56 ratio rear end. 1st gear would be too fast even at idle rpms. No syncromesh in most old tractor transmissions. Cheap highway diesel engines can be had from those 2-1/2 - 5 ton Isuzu trucks on ebay.

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