Rich Rebuilds has some ambitious projects. Since he founded his Rich Rebuilds YouTube channel, he's shocked and annoyed many people with several offbeat, unusual vehicle conversion endeavors, even recently creating an LS-swapped Tesla Model S made around the time of SEMA 2021.
This next project Rich is undertaking goes even further: placing a Cummins Diesel engine in a Tesla Model 3. Granted, the Tesla Model 3 unit used in the project already came pre-damaged, but these two vehicles and their parts were hardly compatible in the first place, and attempting any kind of fusion will require a degree of modification and flexibility that may not be practical to achieve.
Read on to find out more about Rich Rebuilds' attempts to fuse a Tesla Model 3 with a Cummins Diesel Engine.
A Cummins and a Tesla are hardly compatible, so trying to merge the two in any capacity will be quite challenging. Specifically, using a Cummins 4BT four-cylinder turbo diesel engine for this project is Rich's idea. Also of note is the large footprint the 3.9L Cummins 4BT carries. Adding to the incompatibility is the front frame rails of the Tesla Model 3, as both they and the space between front seats are closer together, and the transmission of this fusion vehicle will be placed in that space. This diesel engine puts out 105 HP and 265 lb-ft of torque, usually used in small commercial trucks. It also is made of cast iron and displaces 3.9 L.
The engine is fairly tall, large, and heavy, and the Tesla has a sloping nose, adding to the list of complications with this project. Even further, the end result of this fusion will actually decrease the speed of the Model 3, especially when compared to a functional factory model. And this fusion is not even going to look functional, as the Cummins engine is going to be completely displayed thanks to the height of the engine, meaning the Tesla hood must be sacrificed.
How do Diesel Engines even work? They operate under a few simple principles. When Rudolf Diesel invented his first engine in 1897, it was all about high-compression, though it has since evolved into a bit more complex concept. Internal combustion in diesel engines creates an expansion of high-temperature, high-pressure gases. These gases move pistons, and these movements turn chemical energy into mechanical energy.
Another development came in 1919, when Clessie Lyle Cummins founded Cummins Engine Company. The company goal was the improvement and development of diesel engines, mainly for applications involving heavy-duty, consumer trucks. An all-inclusive block is the key point of a modern diesel engine, as this block has all the parts for the basic internal combustion process.
Each cylinder has an open space in the block for combustion processes to occur, and the resulting engine emission byproducts have to be treated to comply with global environmental emission requirements. In order to make the emissions safe, the cylinders constantly have to get air, fuel, and lubrication from the engine. Cummins later created turbochargers in the 1950s to regulate oxygen density to compensate for air temperature and altitude.
You must be logged in to post a comment.