4600 Engine Conversion

I'm really scratching my head and looking through parts books trying to decide if I can convert a 4600 gas with 8 speed with independent pto to diesel. I have several 4400 diesel engines and one 445 diesel head setting around. The gas tractor only has 2000 hrs on it and the only reason it was torn down was that rain got into the exhaust and stuck it real bad. I did get the pistons out without too much trouble and ball honed out the rust and it doesn't look too bad for a gas engine but I will rebore it for a diesel. My uncertainty is about the flywheel mainly and maybe the front pulley. The original flywheel is the lighter one with an 11" disk. I have a 66 3000 diesel 4 speed flywheel that is a lot heavier that looks like it will match up to the original pressure plate and throw out assy. but the part number is not the right one. I also have 2 4400 diesel flywheels with 13" discs but when assembled they are an inch or two thicker and both have a ring instead of fingers touching the throw out bearing. I could change the throw out brg. assy and fork and maybe it would work but I just don't know about any of the flywheels being the correct one. Also, according to the Ford parts books, the front pulley is different between gas and diesel. And a 4600 diesel is different from the 4400 diesel although they look the same. I'm pretty confident converting the engine but the clutch and pulley is my issue. I have searched this site and can find nowhere that someone has done this conversion. I have two of these gas 4600's and two 3600 diesels but they have smaller engines and different flywheels since they are both double clutches. I have a 2810 and a 3910 diesel with IPTO and maybe I could look at their flywheels if I took the starters off but they are smaller engines. Maybe leaving them gas is the smartest choice but I like diesels and I would like to try the conversion so others may know if it works. I would like to post my progress and how it works on this site but I need some expertise I'm sure is out there. Thanks and more as I progress and this is a follow up to my earlier post on (4600 Head Swap).

Put this on the FORD forum for better responses.

The clutch and flywheel MUST stay with the
transmission it came with. Ford used about a
dozen different flywheels on those 3 cyl
tractors and it can get confusung if not
downright vexing if you start switching
things there. It is not difficult to switch
one of those engines from gas to diesel.
You will need to change pistons, head,
intake manifold, front timing cover and put
the injector pump + lines and filter in
place of the gas governor and distributer.
Everything is a direct bolt up switch. You
will also need to switch the air cleaner and
tubes and replace the firewall tin with a
diesel bracket. Also the battery tray.
All diesel heads - 2000, 3000, 4000, 4400,
2600, 3600,4600 and 65-83 derivatives will
interchange up untill you get into the 10
series. Those headbolts are bigger. You must
use the intake manifold that is correct for
the head but otherwise they will all
interchange. You need to switch ring gears
on the flywheel. Gas used fine tooth, diesel
used coarse tooth and use correct starter.
Temp gauge sender is different between 65-75
and 76-83. Older is 1/8" pipe plug later is
1/4" pipe plug. Easy to drill/tap an older
head to 1/4".
Couple of other small details involved in
switching things around but it's all easy
stuff.
There are differences in cranks and blocks -
bore and stroke of course to get 158, 175,
183, 192 and 201 CI engines but cranks,
cams, rods, bearings, lifters, push rods and
and rocker assemblies are all
interchangeable on all 65-83 3 cyl engines
both gas and diesel.

Thank's for the info Ultradog. I have copied my post to the "Ford" forum per the suggestion of JMAR. Back to my original post and your reply, Since the 4600 gas has a light flywheel wouldn't that be incorrect for a diesel which normally has a heavier one? On my hundred series tractors the gasers always had a lighter one but when the xx1 series came out both gas and diesel had the heavy one. It makes sense that you can use a light or heavy on a gas but it seems like keeping the original lighter gas one with the transmission would lower the torque that diesels are known for. And Ford lists some 4600's had a 13 inch clutch with a real heavy flywheel which I have 2 in my parts stock with all the throw out assemblies too. The 8 speed's have the same length shafts even though the gear counts on the input shafts do vary. I have even put a set of 4400 gears in a 4610 case and the only draw back is it is a little slower through the gears but he uses it to bale hay and that didn't matter. Please ponder these thoughts and if you respond please put it on the Ford forum where others can jibe in. Thanks again

I had a 65 Ford 4000 (4100) that all stickers said was diesel but it was a gas. If it had been a diesel it never would have gotten to this farm. Same way with the 68 4100 and 68 5100. Stay with the good gas engine. Will never own a diesel of any kind. They physically make me sick, was told I was green after using a diesel and drove others, all bad.

(quoted from post at 07:07:42 07/27/16) I had a 65 Ford 4000 (4100) that all stickers said was diesel but it was a gas. If it had been a diesel it never would have gotten to this farm. Same way with the 68 4100 and 68 5100. Stay with the good gas engine. Will never own a diesel of any kind. They physically make me sick, was told I was green after using a diesel and drove others, all bad.

Click to expand...

Really? Diesel doesn't bother all of us!

If diesel is so bad then everyone who served on tanks from the US Army's first diesels ones should be dead. I remember well sitting in the motor pool, on alert, waiting for the order to index or to move out, 58 tanks with 1970 cubic inch engines idling along with all the support vehicles, most of them diesel for hours. As much diesel fumes as we inhaled we should all be dead. Same with all the mechanics who worked in tractor, truck or heavy equipment shops before they started ventilating them. Sorry, I don't buy into the hype. Here is the sad part. The EPA claims that "thousands" of children died due to diesel particulate matter in the 50's and 60's. In the first place most medium duty trucks, some semi tractors, some construction equipment and a lot of farm equipment was GAS! They don't have one, not ONE autopsy report to back up their claim from that time period!

Rick

The flywheel pertains to the tranny not the
engine. Some of the different flywheels they
used were for 8 speed LPTO, 8 sp IPTO, 8 sp
trans Pto, 4/6 sp trans pto, SOS, 4 sp
shuttle shift. Fuel type has NO bearing on
flywheel type. For example, the 2000/3000
with lpto - both gas and diesel have a Much
heavier flywheel than any other 3 cyl.
Another example: some 4000 with IPTO use 6
bolt pressure plate. Some use 8 bolt. 3 cyl
Ford clutches and flywheels can be a huge
can of worms with all the different ones.
Trust me on this. Stick with the flywheel
and clutch that came with the tranny. Change
the ring gear if needed. Then you will be
ok.

PS,
Another thing to add to the mix is the spline count on secondary input shaft. Some are 10 spline, some are 13 spline. Dunno why they had so many changes but they did.