A truck engine in a car?

[KM2]

I know it sounds a bit ridiculous but as a what if...

... you would build a car around a truck engine. By truck I do not mean some mid weight pick-up but a propper lorry. Say the D16E engine from the Volvo FH16-660.

The advantages? Well at 3100NM torque it will be hard to beat. And it gets 660hp out of the box. And it is emission compliant, totally unstressed and made to last forever. And as related to engines they put in coaches, it can be mounted lying flat - so could be mounted in an underfloor configuration.

The downsides? Well it weights around 1400kg, so that is definitely one. Getting 3100NM to the road might be another Making a chassis strong enough to hold it, yet light enough for the overall vehicle weight not to exceed 3 tonnes might be a challenge.

As an aside, has anyone ever fitted a truck engine to a car? The two similar examples I could find were a RR Meteor powered one (cannot remember the name) and the Tank car, with an M47s engine (IIRC).

[McReis]

Originally Posted by KM2

And it is emission compliant,

... for a truck!

Originally Posted by KM2

As an aside, has anyone ever fitted a truck engine to a car? .

Dodge Viper...

[KM2]

Remember the loads will be significantly lighter, so the emissions are likely to be less, as well - just look at the emissions generated by the same engine in different cars (say a 3 litre diesel by BMW in the 3 series or 7 series, or X5).

As for the Viper, that's hardly a proper truck engine. Only 8.3 litres, petrol, high revving...

[drakkie]

With enough money and willpower everything can be done. But in this case I won't see it happening very soon. To convert a lorry to look like a car is so much easier.

When attempting it it seems to me you have a few big problems to tackle:
1) Size of the engine
2) Packaging
3) Power distribution
4) Chassis strength
5) Money
6) Brakes in the car sized wheels

[McReis]

Originally Posted by KM2

As for the Viper, that's hardly a proper truck engine. Only 8.3 litres, petrol, high revving...

It doesn't match my definition of high revving.

[:Exige:]

Originally Posted by McReis

Dodge Viper...

That is a truck engine by the AMERICAN definition. We're talking about lorries.

Example:

American Truck


European Truck

[KM2]

I agree it does not make any sense for a large scale production. However, with some race truck components to add, I do not see it as impossible. If it weight around 3 tonns, current brakes would do - the weight not being that much more compared to a Maybach, RR Phantom or even a Cayenne.

But chassis integrity is definitely a problem, I agree. There would probably be some appeal to the vehicle.

[roosterjuicer]

Originally Posted by KM2

As an aside, has anyone ever fitted a truck engine to a car? .

nissan 240

[henk4]

Originally Posted by KM2

I agree it does not make any sense for a large scale production. However, with some race truck components to add, I do not see it as impossible. If it weight around 3 tonns, current brakes would do - the weight not being that much more compared to a Maybach, RR Phantom or even a Cayenne.

But chassis integrity is definitely a problem, I agree. There would probably be some appeal to the vehicle.

it is a bit like putting aero engines into race cars as was done during the first half of the previous century... those cars are in high esteem.

[digitalcraft]

The Ford GT is basically a truck engine. It's a 5.4 liter modular V8. It is also used in the Shelby Mustang GT500. It's used in the Ford F series and Ford vans too.

[ScionDriver]

I think I read one time in European Car magazine about a guy in Sweden who had done something like this to his Volvo. I can't remember if he actually fit the proper lorry engine into the bay or not but I know he had definetely fitted the lorry turbos to his regular engine, so not really the same thing but kind of close.

[KM2]

OK, to all US members, I mean lorry, so diesel, probably over 10 litres in displacement, probably turbocharged and unlikely to rev much beyond 2800 rpm.

[henk4]

Originally Posted by digitalcraft

The Ford GT is basically a truck engine. It's a 5.4 liter modular V8. It is also used in the Shelby Mustang GT500. It's used in the Ford F series and Ford vans too.

yes and the small block chevy goes into trucks as well, but that is not what we are talking about. Think Peterbilt, Mack or Kenworth please....

[digitalcraft]

In my own defense I had started the post way before and went to a meeting :P

[henk4]

Originally Posted by digitalcraft

In my own defense I had started the post way before and went to a meeting :P

but if you have any info on using american heavy truck engines in cars....