Greywuuf Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 Dont kill me ....i am restoring two..but I have three....and one was a badly abused parts tub. I happen to be in Alaska and have opportunity and reason to USE a weasel ( not just take it out for a trail ride once a year) but acess a remote property and haul construction supplies etc. So .....being that I am starting without engine ..i did some mental gyrations and came to the conclusion that in certain mud situations and on certain hills ....an automatic transmission would be nice.( generally not a fan of autos ....) But ..the easiest solution I had handy was an S10 with a 2.8 narrow V6 and a 700r4 ( maybe a 200c? ) ......long story short the v6 is wider than I want to deal with and I have come up with a small Kubota 4 cyl diesel. Several places have plates for mounting the engine to a chevy pattern auto. My question is I dont know about auto trannies ....what needs to be done to match the engine to the trans ....as far as making it shift correctly and work well? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-D Zernia Posted July 26, 2020 Share Posted July 26, 2020 Welcome. I’m also new to the group. We have a similar plan for our first machine. Actually ours looks like a sister to your machine. I asked a similar question of one of my Ford friends that does plenty of engine swaps. His idea for the weasel is a straight 4 cylinder with trans from a newer Ford Ranger. Keep in mind the original engine is 70 hp. You need to use the computer ignition. You get modern technology, fuel injection, good starters and available parts. Some or all of the new automatics run electronically off the computer. I know my scan tool picks up tranny sensors. Around the 60’s to 70’s a trans needed vacuum. Now I drive a 2000 diesel truck and that engine does not make vacuum. To operate accessories that need vacuum there is a small pump under the hood for that purpose. I was told that a diesel or some don’t produce vacuum. My sister has a Kubota Diesel tractor and I believe everything is run on the hydraulic pump. If you have a relationship with a good transmission shop they could verify how a new modern trans is driven. For a driver an auto makes sense to me too. I plan to drive one along the logging roads and lake ice I can access in Wisconsin. Eventually an automatic would be nice to have. For now we intend to rebuild the original drivetrain. If our other weasel drivetrains cannot be saved then I will mix and match to build at least one very original machine. Fred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywuuf Posted July 27, 2020 Author Share Posted July 27, 2020 Not doing ANY computers or electronics at all. Solenoid will be the highest tech electric on this machine. Would actually be happy if I could hand start . I do not consider electronic ignition electric fuel pumps and electronic fuel injection to be upgrades. Rather all are things to be avoided at any cost. I am aware that diesels do not produce a usable vacuum signal ( they don't have throttle plates so the I take is basically always at ambient unless they are turbo'd) Many many diesel autos are automatics ...there fore there must be rpm or other controls employed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWatkins Posted September 25, 2020 Share Posted September 25, 2020 My thought on a diesel engine is a Weasel is that the noise would be almost unbearable. I have a tub that I plan to re-power. My thought was a Jeep 1993 4.0 inline 6. Its going to be a tight fit though. For a transmission I was going to use a TF999. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Tipton Posted September 26, 2020 Share Posted September 26, 2020 @SWatkins Like a Gama Goat, although some modern diesels are certainly quieter. Since we are way out in left field anyway, I would explore an electric Weasel. Not sure how much a wrecked Tesla costs these days or even a Prius (hybrid), but there would be plenty of power and plenty of range for a Weasel. Charging in the field might be an issue for electric only, but...an EV Weasel could be pretty awesome. Patrick 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZM29C Posted September 27, 2020 Share Posted September 27, 2020 Just a left of centre thought, would it possible to adapt a Studebaker automatic transmission to your standard Weasel Champion engine? https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/33760245/transmission-from-studebaker-international Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWatkins Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 A Gama Goat is exactly what I was thinking of LOL. I want a Gama really bad, but struggle with wanting an original one vs. one that was more quiet with a gas engine that would be more user friendly and enjoyable. I liked taking my old Weasel out in the snow and down to the desert, but always struggled with carburetor or fuel issues along with track problems. My newer M29C purchase seems more reliable, but I would love to have reliability of the rubber tracks and a modern fuel injected engine when going deep into the woods. Electric would be OK except battery storage and weight and the charging issue. Batteries also tend to be less effective in colder weather and I really want to go explore in the snow with one someday. I have a bucket list goal of taking a Weasel across the Rubicon Jeep trail in the winter. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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