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4020 Gas to diesel swap

K

kwhite63

New User
I recently bought an early 4020 with a bad gas engine. It come with a diesel engine that came out of another 4020, but I was wondering how the wiring would work? I was also wondering how hard of a conversion this is to do?

Any help would be appreciated.
 
This would be ideal time to go to the 12 volt system
instead of 24 volt early 4020 diesels had. Somebody
will know who to get a new harness from. Should be
able to simply plug in your lights.
 

I agree now would be an excellent time to convert diesel to 12 volt electrical system. If one was installing a diesel engine in a tractor that previously had a gasoline engine and was going to convert diesel to a 12 volt system I see no reason why the gasoline wiring harness couldn't be utilized. But the 12 volt starter for a gasoline will not have enough cranking power to crank the diesel.
 
I can't address the 4020 directly. But I did the same thing to my 2520. It's all the little things that take time. I had to manufacture some throttle linkage. With the 4020 so much more should be available than for the 2520. I also had to manufacture some of the air intake.
You'll have to decide if you'll go with OEM battery box/mounts, or something different, because you definitely need more cranking power. If your wiring harness is good enough to use, you just won't use the coil feed wire. On the 2520 that same wire went to the injector pump.

Believe it or not, my biggest challenge was getting the plug out of the top of the tank, to install a fuel return line. I had to drill it out.
 
TimS has done a few. One thing I think is that you will have to manufacture some pieces for the throttle linkage, as the carburetor is on the left side of the tractor and the injection pump is on the right side, other than that it should be pretty straight forward if you have diesel water pump and fan, balancer pulley, starter, etc. Not sure if flywheel is the same or not.
 
Yes the Flywheel is different, the clutch parts are the same, you can use the gas water manifold and the exhaust manifold too, but you need to cap the intake heater hole, the throttle linkage is a bit of a pain but I can help you with that, a few things need changed up front, a 4230 style engine works out the best, which is a non-turbo'ed 6600/20 engine, be sure it's a 404/466 ether one will work fine..and yes stay with the 12 volt system, and add a right battery/box, your stater won't work, try to find a Nippendenso starter is you can,,one may come with the combine engine..
 
I did one last year with Tim's advice. Turned out
to be a good tractor. Powershift narrow front.
a183826.jpg
 
I agree on the batteries Tim. 2510 is running ok after the gas to diesel conversion but I only left one battery in it. It was plugged in yesterday for 4 hours to feed the cows and didn't start, put battery charger on it for 10 minutes and it started like a new one. It sure started better in the winter for a chore tractor as a gas.

I would recommend making sure your 4020 alternator/starter is 12 volt, then get 2 6 volt batteries and hook them up in series. You will get more cranking amps.
 
I still stand behind a single "8D" industrial battery, 1600 cca 12volt and it costs less than 2 batteries. I have had one for about 4-5 years and I will not ever consider any other set up. I grew up with a 2 6volt battery 12volt 4230 and it was abysmal, I hated it almost as much as the 24volt headache. I put a smaller 1200 or cca battery in dad's 4020 about 2 years ago replacing the 2 12volt in parallel batteries (that were not that old but already junk) and now he can start better than ever, it cranks longer than the 24volt set up and with a lot more power than most 12 volt set ups. You can use 00 cable, mount it right by the starter for maximum power and you will not have to worry about that many connections and different cables and which battery is dead etc.
 
Our 4420 combine unfortunately still has 2 batteries and it is a fight every year to get good connections with all the cables and the batteries don't seem to ever match in power. If one of them batteries die this year (hopefully it does) I am getting a single large battery for it. The one I put in dad's 4020 fits nicely in a tray made for 2 long skinny batteries. You will never get a consensus on this forum which set up is best lol. To many of us are set in our ways and are certain it is best. I just like the simplest, most effective solution with the least spots to go wrong.
 
It turns out the engine I got with the tractor is really weak and don't have the time to rebuild it right now... Does anyone know of the easiest engine to swap in besides an engine straight out of a 4020?
 
A non-turbo 6600/7700 engine, it would be a 4230 style engine that works well, but remember any used engine can have it's goods and bads...It's the Luck of the Draw..
 
What about a combine engine with a turbo? That's the engine my cousin has for sale right now and is a good deal. Would that fit under the hood?
 
You will not need to extend the frame for a conversion, and the turbo'ed engine will have a inline injection pump, it will fit but not as well plus the non-turbo engine will have better low end power and still give you 120hp, this matches up with the rest of the tractor better..
 
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