Yanmar Kubota engine swap

[JohnOBrien]

My YM155 engine has failed and the rebuild is prooving to be too expensive. A friend has a Kubota 3 cylinder engine which he says looks exactly same as my 02TR13A-F engine and has offered it as a present.
Has anyone ever swapped over engine from Kubota to yanmar ?
Or anyone know whats involved. My friend thinks it just involves moving the radiator forward a couple of inches and the flywheel, clutch, driveshaft and bell housing will match up correctly without any alteration.
Bizarre ?
Advise needed

 

[4get gto]

Can't give you any advice other than I'd put your wenches in your friends hand and let him go at it...

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Time to take some measurements!!

SR

 

[FleetMan]

Sounds interesting, keep us posted. Brings back memories from my “Hot Rod” days in the ‘50s. ((Boy, does that date me?)

 

[Altona]

Well, your friend may know best but to be prudent I'd do a lot of measurements and research. A lot of Korean and Japanese companies did partial manufacturing for each other and licensed designs etc (and still do) so it may be an easy swap. You may, once past the measurements, want to research the Kubota engine for HP, torque etc to ensure it downstream components can take it. Some one mentioned their hot rod days and in mine we managed to get a 454 V8 into a 66 Chevelle complete with tranny. took a while filled all the space. Being teenagers we didn't think it past there and you know what happened to the rear end and axles. LOL
If your friend is knowledgable and likes this sort of thing he'd be a great asset to have during the swap.

 

[TractorGuy]

Go for it!

 

[CoyPatton]

Well, your friend may know best but to be prudent I'd do a lot of measurements and research. A lot of Korean and Japanese companies did partial manufacturing for each other and licensed designs etc (and still do) so it may be an easy swap. You may, once past the measurements, want to research the Kubota engine for HP, torque etc to ensure it downstream components can take it. Some one mentioned their hot rod days and in mine we managed to get a 454 V8 into a 66 Chevelle complete with tranny. took a while filled all the space. Being teenagers we didn't think it past there and you know what happened to the rear end and axles. LOL
If your friend is knowledgable and likes this sort of thing he'd be a great asset to have during the swap.

I know what happened to the rear diff! Unfortunately been there did not. Also unfortunately, the lack of thought still persist. I know guys that have chipped motors to up the output torque and the HP, but did not think of the effect on other components. Usually the tranny goes quick as it is not robust enough to handle the increase in power.

 

[California]

I know what happened to the rear diff! Unfortunately been there did not. Also unfortunately, the lack of thought still persist. I know guys that have chipped motors to up the output torque and the HP, but did not think of the effect on other components. Usually the tranny goes quick as it is not robust enough to handle the increase in power.

Worst case I remember was I somehow ended up with an early Cadillac ohv V8 and Hydramatic included in some swaps for something I wanted. Maybe around 330 ci and early 50's, I don't remember. A friend in my HS car club shoehorned the whole thing into a cut down 32 Chevy coupe, with an adequate rear axle. But - another HS friend borrowed an arc welder and did all his welding - motor mounts, steering box moved, etc.

First time to the drag strip he got only a few yards when it upshifted. The engine revolved right out of its mounts and the welded chassis broke. He skidded to a stop with what was left of the coupe laid over on its side, engine roaring. Total loss. Fun times.

 

[California]

As for that Kubota/Yanmar engine swap it seems to me unlikely that would bolt up. And have the right dimensions on everything, transmission input shaft, clearance for the starter, maybe height to get the hood back on, other unexpected stuff.

No harm in trying but when we did engine swaps on old cars we generally needed a specialty adapter bellhousing to mate dis-similar engine/driveline combos.

Off topic - I once had a 56 Willys Wagon that someone long before had put a Studebaker 259 V8 into. That engine is a near twin to SBC, I suspect GM built them. Why Studebaker? Because that engine and transmission bolted up perfectly. Both used Early Jeep bolt pattern.

re excess torque, I put a spiral crack in the specialty adapter bell housing of my next Willys Wagon. The Y-block Ford 292 had too much torque. Way up in the woods. Drove all the way home with no clutch pedal function. Each of those Willys Wagons was one summer's adventures then sold, not worth the unreliability offroad. The following Wagoneer ran a decade without issues.

Ok back on topic .... (I'm stuck in town at the moment and bored silly with this covid quarantine).

 

[Altona]

LOL, sadly I can just picture that!:laughing:

 

[Altona]

JohnOBrien-I'm sure you're enjoying the reccollections from us ole boys from Toronto to California and in between; LOL but a possible next step may be to give us the engine model or serial number of the Kubota. Some of the guys here have a treasure trove of manuals and knowledge and we could see what we could find on-line to see if it would work, at least in theory. Or having read all the posts and our offering of past projects you may want to disappear from us!

 

[sd455dan]

Well, your friend may know best but to be prudent I'd do a lot of measurements and research. A lot of Korean and Japanese companies did partial manufacturing for each other and licensed designs etc (and still do) so it may be an easy swap. You may, once past the measurements, want to research the Kubota engine for HP, torque etc to ensure it downstream components can take it. Some one mentioned their hot rod days and in mine we managed to get a 454 V8 into a 66 Chevelle complete with tranny. took a while filled all the space. Being teenagers we didn't think it past there and you know what happened to the rear end and axles. LOL
If your friend is knowledgable and likes this sort of thing he'd be a great asset to have during the swap.

454 into a Chevelle is Good , we stuck a 455 Pontiac and 200-4R 4 speed automatic into a 1984 Mazda RX7 I think the spark plugs are more accessible on the V8 than the Rotaries were.

I would Hope the bellhousing clutch /shaft/ splines/ depth are all correct.

sometimes even the same manufacturer will make changes that are hard to detect that will make a swap fail.

Years back as an example the auto trans on an 81 Honda Accord i bought needed replaced, found a 1 year older auto out of another Accord. Everything bolted up fine. started the car put it in drive and boom trans destroyed itself internally. we pulled the engine and trans out and compared the dimensions and there was a 1/4 inch depth difference between the 1980 to 1981 engine/ trans difference.
Meaning only the same model year would actually work..
Now take Toyota and it's 20-22R 4 cylinder engines -many many years of interchangeability, same with GM BOP (Buick/Olds/Pontiac) from 1964- to about 1983

JohnOBrien lots of things to check and verify Good Luck and if the swap happens please post up the transformation:thumbsup:

 

[powersrp]

I bought a 82 Suzuki gs 1100 motor in 86 for my gs1100e, missed a shift an thought i spun the crank out of wack( they were pressed), replaced motor, tore into old motor and just a bent valve, fix and sold to my neighbor, he put it in a golf cart in a week of evenings work, what a riot, never had the balls to take it over 50mph, it was scary unstable

 

[JohnOBrien]

I love all the stories. In younger days when no diesels in cars here we used put BMC diesels in various bangers. Sometimes with success but mostly very limited.
I will go round an take a look at the Kubota in next couple days.
Meantime keep the storeis comming

 

[TractorGuy]

Sorry about hijacking your thread.

Maybe someone has done this and can add something useful but it sounds like a long shot. I tend to DIY everything I can but in your situation I think I would be shopping for a new to me tractor.

 

[JohnOBrien]

The new one arrives this week. Its an Iseki TU1700. But I wont abandon my old friend yet. As Trigger said "my brush has had 15 new handles and 18 new heads but its still like new"

 

[bmaverick]

IF your vehicle has a blown engine, you can swap a Kubota engine into it.

Kubota Diesel conversions - Transmission Adapters – KubotaSwappers

Maybe they have something doable for a swap too.

IF I had my son's old GeoTracker, just think of a Yanmar engine it that vehicle.

In the marine industry, Yanmar and Kubota engines for certain types are swapable. Sailnet.com has a few threads on that topic.

Another site takes these 2 engine makers and puts them in dung buggies and golf carts!
Yanmar swap

Like Altona said, we need more details of both machines.