Hey guys! So a few years back I was itching for a project. This is what I decided to build. Its a 1987 Suzuki Samurai with a 2.2 Izuzu diesel from a Chevy Luv truck. The project was started with strict budget in mind, under $3,500.

When I found the motor it was in an old farm truck that had been parked behind this mans barn for many years. Even though it sat for 15+ years it still fired right up, and still runs great! The motor makes more torgue than I could ever use.

Here are a few pictures.

Cool ride. I would like to have something like that to go back into our swamp hunting down in south Georgia.

is that mounted to a sami trans or luv trans?

Luv trans then from the luv trans to the Samurai transfer case. The divorced t-case from the Samurai made this possiable.

Bad little project you have going there. I bet that 2.2 puts down a hell of a lot more power then the tired 1.3 or 1.6 that probably came in it. What kind of MPG are you seeing?

Well I don't really know MPG since its not road legal, but I do know that I can wheel it hard for a whole weekend and only use about 7 gallons of fuel.

any pics how you got the trans to meet the t-case? how about motor mounts and such? i have a rock crawler sami as well and the 1.3 is on its way out the door. been thinkin of doin a diesel swap and this has caught my attention :D

I was kinda slacking with the pictures when I was building the Sami but I did get a few of the motor, trans, and t-case mounts. What made everything a little difficult was the fact that the Luv trans is longer than the stock sami one. This pushed everything farther back. So I had to make a extension mount for the trans and make a completly new mount fot the t-case. The motor mounts were pretty straigh forward, just some 1/4 inch plate (solid mounts). As far as going from the luv trans to the sami t-case it was actually pretty simple. I used the original luv out-put shaft coming from the back of the trans and attached it to a drive flange from a stock samurai drive shaft using a u-joint. I did have to increase the size of the u-joint holes in one of the parts (I don't rememeber which one it was though) to get a standard size u-joint to fit. I was concerend about the strenght of this part when I first built it, but it hasnt failed yet and I have put it through some S&*T!

They make kits to swap in VW diesel but I think if you have some mechanical skills and a welder anyone can do this swap. Oh and if you are worried about getting parts for and old 2.2 don't! Thermo King refergeration units still use a version of the 2.2 and many of the parts from them can be used.

thanks old iron! the hard part is finding that diesel out this way though. i cant even find a vw for a decent price lol

Yea they are getting to be a bit of a challange to find now. I was lucky enough to find mine on Craigslist for $400 bucks which was a heck of a deal.