Can we transplant a liquid cooled Lombardini Diesel engine in a RE bullet?

kkr2k2 · 7th January 2008, 18:58

slightly OT,

i am into business of selling 3-wheeler diesel autos, these autos use a lombardini 482cc water cooled engine producing 12bhp.

A friend of mine, wants to put this into a bullet 500 frame. Is this possible???

The engine has relatively less vibrations than the Tata's ACE. But it is known as a power-pack. Unlike a regular engine, this one has the tranny, engine and all the stuff related are made into one single unit. May be the HUGE gear box can be removed, and the engine can be mounted onto the 500's tranny.

Please put in your comments and suggestions.

raj.

Mpower · 7th January 2008, 19:36

kkr, some pics of the Lombardi engine would help us give some feedback. is the engine and trans one unit like in say a hero Honda or is it separate?

kkr2k2 · 7th January 2008, 20:17

the engine is not like the HH, it looks as if the entire thing has made big chunk of equipment. I will post the pic in a day or two. I am going to the assembling unit, that should give me good view of the engine seperately.

raj.

P.S. the dimensions of the engine are something like, 2' x 3' x 2'.

greatmana2000 · 18th January 2008, 18:23

well.its possible ,but you would be better off getting a boat engine from greaves directlty

kkr2k2 · 25th January 2008, 14:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by greatmana2000

well.its possible ,but you would be better off getting a boat engine from greaves directlty

I never saw an engine of a boat. Could you tell how is it different from an auto engine.

Also if you have the specs of the boat engine please put them here.

Right now two of my friends are thinking about putting a diesel engine into a bullet frame.

BTW, the engine in question is a liquid cooled engine. If done they would be one of a kind in the country.

@Mpower, sorry for the delay in posting the pics of the engine. I have them in my cam.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hemanth

I saw 9-10 of the diesel bullets during my recent drive to Kukke Subramanya on 16th Jan 08.

During the recently held RIDER MANIA 2008 in hyderabad, two people from chennai on a diesel bull. Heard they spent only 300/- each way for the fuel. Also they happen to walk away with a prize for being only diesel bullet in a total attendance of 450 bullets!

raj

kkr2k2 · 6th February 2008, 18:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mpower

kkr, some pics of the Lombardi engine would help us give some feedback. is the engine and trans one unit like in say a hero Honda or is it separate?

here are the pics of air-cooled type:

a close-up pic near the cylinder: (cylinder fins are slightly visible. also the fule injector)

some side views:

could not find a liquid cooled engine in isolation. so i had to take a pic of the engine bay of a demo vehicle:

raj.

Mpower · 20th February 2008, 02:42

Wow the engine looks pretty gigantic and comes with an diff and half shafts integrated into the housing. I am still scratching my head on how to get final drive out to the sprocket.

kkr2k2 · 20th February 2008, 09:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mpower

Wow the engine looks pretty gigantic and comes with an diff and half shafts integrated into the housing. I am still scratching my head on how to get final drive out to the sprocket.

I guess now you understood what a power-pack means

May be the old school bullet boys can help you in thinking.

kchat, where are you? you were also interested in this transplant, i guess you should come into the scene.

@ all the bullet boys(gordon?) please put some insight.

raj.

kkr2k2 · 20th February 2008, 10:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mpower

Wow the engine looks pretty gigantic and comes with an diff and half shafts integrated into the housing. I am still scratching my head on how to get final drive out to the sprocket.

How about this:

Make use of the engine block and the carb and remove the entire transmission thing. Is there any possibility of coupling this block with the stock transmission of the bullet 500? now i guess we need not worry about the getting the final drive to the sprocket.

raj

Ajaybiz · 20th February 2008, 10:29

Its possible but be ready for vibrations and very lazy bike with lots of smoke, seen many diesel engine fitted bulls, with Suraj, Greaves, Eicher engines.

Sankar · 20th February 2008, 11:05

If the GB can be isolated from that engine then coupling the engine to the Bullet's GB can be done with some extensive modifications.

From the picture the engine looks big but can't get a relative figure in terms of hugeness to figure whether this would fit in the bullet's frame.

And if the GB can't be removed and still want to use it it's possible to get the drive out of one of the halfshafts with some internal modifications to the differential. But with that GB you have to sort out the gear shifting issue with some complex linkages or cable.

And i don't think GB can be seperated from that engine.

Greaves has some other big engines listed in their website which doesn't come with a GB and produces the same amount of BHP.

bblost · 20th February 2008, 11:10

Right beside the Mosque in Hi Tech city on the road to Novotel, is a water wash guy.
A couple of weeks back, I left my bike with him while I went for my Namaz.
The water wash is adjacent to a Auto mechanic. While I waited for the wash to complete, I was looking at the diesel engine and wondering the same.

How do I put it on a bike.

great minds think alike, what say?

and sorry buddy, the one with too many k's and too few r's in his name, I have no idea how to do it.

Spitfire · 20th February 2008, 13:31

Trying to fit this particular engine(the one in the pics) with the drive shafts will be a serious engineering exercise to fit it into the chasiss of a Bullet. And i dont think it will be worth it.

Best thing and closest you could get is fabricate a shaft drive to the rear wheel, this would require minimum modifictaion to the engine itself, the frame and mounting is a separate question altogether. The power loss due to the shaft drive will be a bit too much for the 12 bhp engine.

Why not make a Trike out of this? Would be a lifestyle vehicle and would be cheap to run too.

Thinking further why not a competitor to the NANO?

Spitfire · 20th February 2008, 13:33

Does lombardini have a more poperful engine say 30 odd bhp based on this model? Would be a killer for the Tata ACE.

kkr2k2 · 20th February 2008, 13:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ajaybiz

Its possible but be ready for vibrations and very lazy bike with lots of smoke, seen many diesel engine fitted bulls, with Suraj, Greaves, Eicher engines.

This engine doesnt smoke much. I think the old diesel engine is in your mind when you were typing. The vibrations were also less compare to other diesel 3 wheelers for the liquid cooled version, ofcourse the engine mounting also matters. If anybody want to have a look at the engine in personal, this liquid cooled engine shown in the last of the pics is the same engine which is fitted in the PIAGGIO apé truck. Heard this engine is BS III ready.

raj.

7th January 2008, 18:58	#1
kkr2k2 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Melbourne, Hyd Posts: 1,290 Thanked: 66 Times View My Garage	Can we transplant a liquid cooled Lombardini Diesel engine in a RE bullet? slightly OT, i am into business of selling 3-wheeler diesel autos, these autos use a lombardini 482cc water cooled engine producing 12bhp. A friend of mine, wants to put this into a bullet 500 frame. Is this possible??? The engine has relatively less vibrations than the Tata's ACE. But it is known as a power-pack. Unlike a regular engine, this one has the tranny, engine and all the stuff related are made into one single unit. May be the HUGE gear box can be removed, and the engine can be mounted onto the 500's tranny. Please put in your comments and suggestions. raj.
	() Thanks

7th January 2008, 19:36	#2
Mpower Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 10,397 Thanked: 1,735 Times View My Garage	kkr, some pics of the Lombardi engine would help us give some feedback. is the engine and trans one unit like in say a hero Honda or is it separate?
	() Thanks

7th January 2008, 20:17	#3
kkr2k2 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Melbourne, Hyd Posts: 1,290 Thanked: 66 Times View My Garage	the engine is not like the HH, it looks as if the entire thing has made big chunk of equipment. I will post the pic in a day or two. I am going to the assembling unit, that should give me good view of the engine seperately. raj. P.S. the dimensions of the engine are something like, 2' x 3' x 2'. Last edited by kkr2k2 : 7th January 2008 at 20:19. Reason: P.S.
	() Thanks

18th January 2008, 18:23	#4
greatmana2000 BANNED Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: chennai Posts: 703 Thanked: 59 Times	well.its possible ,but you would be better off getting a boat engine from greaves directlty
	() Thanks

20th February 2008, 02:42	#7
Mpower Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 10,397 Thanked: 1,735 Times View My Garage	Wow the engine looks pretty gigantic and comes with an diff and half shafts integrated into the housing. I am still scratching my head on how to get final drive out to the sprocket. Last edited by Mpower : 20th February 2008 at 03:06.
	() Thanks

20th February 2008, 10:29	#10
Ajaybiz BANNED Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,440 Thanked: 321 Times View My Garage	Its possible but be ready for vibrations and very lazy bike with lots of smoke, seen many diesel engine fitted bulls, with Suraj, Greaves, Eicher engines.
	() Thanks

20th February 2008, 11:05	#11
Sankar Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2005 Location: Location Posts: 5,780 Thanked: 9,256 Times	If the GB can be isolated from that engine then coupling the engine to the Bullet's GB can be done with some extensive modifications. From the picture the engine looks big but can't get a relative figure in terms of hugeness to figure whether this would fit in the bullet's frame. And if the GB can't be removed and still want to use it it's possible to get the drive out of one of the halfshafts with some internal modifications to the differential. But with that GB you have to sort out the gear shifting issue with some complex linkages or cable. And i don't think GB can be seperated from that engine. Greaves has some other big engines listed in their website which doesn't come with a GB and produces the same amount of BHP.
	() Thanks

20th February 2008, 11:10	#12
bblost Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 11,307 Thanked: 18,028 Times View My Garage	Right beside the Mosque in Hi Tech city on the road to Novotel, is a water wash guy. A couple of weeks back, I left my bike with him while I went for my Namaz. The water wash is adjacent to a Auto mechanic. While I waited for the wash to complete, I was looking at the diesel engine and wondering the same. How do I put it on a bike. great minds think alike, what say? and sorry buddy, the one with too many k's and too few r's in his name, I have no idea how to do it.
	() Thanks

20th February 2008, 13:31	#13
Spitfire BANNED Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Panaji - Goa/Bangalore - Karnataka Posts: 3,313 Thanked: 778 Times	Trying to fit this particular engine(the one in the pics) with the drive shafts will be a serious engineering exercise to fit it into the chasiss of a Bullet. And i dont think it will be worth it. Best thing and closest you could get is fabricate a shaft drive to the rear wheel, this would require minimum modifictaion to the engine itself, the frame and mounting is a separate question altogether. The power loss due to the shaft drive will be a bit too much for the 12 bhp engine. Why not make a Trike out of this? Would be a lifestyle vehicle and would be cheap to run too. Thinking further why not a competitor to the NANO?
	() Thanks

20th February 2008, 13:33	#14
Spitfire BANNED Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Panaji - Goa/Bangalore - Karnataka Posts: 3,313 Thanked: 778 Times	Does lombardini have a more poperful engine say 30 odd bhp based on this model? Would be a killer for the Tata ACE.
	() Thanks