LOOKING FOR INFO ON THE DIESEL MOTOR THAT WAS IN THIS YEAR OF TRUCK
parts availability , reliability, milage any info
other places to get help
thanks john madsen

 

It's a Mitsubishi engine if that helps any. I'm sure the mileage is excellent.

 

As mentioned there mitsu. I havent seen much for them in diesel anymore except for some of the forklifts made, Cat I think uses them. You might try a jap engine importer for info or parts.

 

Awesome little engine. Had the same in a Ford Ranger kicked the crap outa it and it never ever quit. Used to shut it off by goosing the throttle to spin the turbo up and then shut it off and hear it whine. Mileage wasn't great but with the turbo it pulled pretty well. Ran red diesel all its life. Got oil changed when we thought about it. (it was a service shop truck) Oil filters were expensive as I remember. HTH

 

As I remember, the parts could be a little hard to come by, but those things were tough as nails. I had one in an '85, and it got about 40 mpg in all kinds of weather.

Mine was 4x4 and there was not hardly anyplace it couldn't go.

If you don't want it, let me know where it is and I will go get it.

 

MADSEN;
WELCOME TO DTR
ramguy

 

It does have a mistu engine have only seen 2 come through a yard

 

My "Standard Catalog of 4x4s, 1945-2000" lists only 3 years with a diesel for the 4WD version: 1983-85. Here are some specs from same:

Cast iron block, aluminum cylinder head, in-line 4cyl, OHV, OHC, turbo diesel. Displacement 140ci (2L), HP=80 @ 4200rpm & TQ=125 @ 2500rpm. Fuel requirements: Diesel (ya think!?).

Here are some fuel economy #'s from www.fueleconomy.gov :
RAM50 PICKUP 2WD -- 33 37 44 143/4(DSL,TRBO) M5 FI
RAM50 PICKUP 4WD -- 30 34 39 143/4(DSL,TRBO) M5 FI

Good luck.

EDIT: Oops ... forgot to provide headers/explanation for fuel #'s. 1st is EST (estimate but take that to mean CITY), 2nd COMBINED & last HWY.

 

I looked at the Mitsu D50 TD 4x4 back in '83. At that time the Mitsu regular cab had the most room of all the mini trucks. Very nice truck and suprisingly peppy. But I ended up buying a Datsun king cab 4x4 because of the extra room in the cab. If the Mitsu had a extended cab I would have bought it in a heartbeat.
A buddy of mine did buy a '84 model Mitsu TD and loved it.

MikeyB

 

The only diesel mini trucks of that era that I've found to come with a king (club, extended, etc) cab was the Mazda B2?00. Found one in one of the local junkyards last year. Head had been removed & the frame was so rusted that when it was picked up with junkyard forklift it actually started to fold in half & that was how it was left. Ignoring that, I was really impressed with the interior room & actually started looking for one but apparently they must be rarer than hens teeth bc I never found one. I suspect that it may have been a Canadian model. Somehow it managed to find its way to south FL.

 

Back in '82 and '83 you could get a diesel in the Datsun. But it wasn't turboed.

MikeyB

 

My first diesel was an 83 D50 4X4. consistantly got 30mpg. I sold it when I bought the blue beast. The milage kept getting better as it got older, maybe because of the rust making it lighter. 420k and it still ran like a champ. The truck still lives but the local authorities banned it from the road. It now pulls a hay rake on a farm. Put out to pasture so to say.

 

My Father in Law had one of these. Barely pull itself. 0 to 60 in 15 minutes. Couldn't pass a bicycle with this POS.