Your assignment Mr. Philps, should you chose to accept it, is to make it stronger, and more able to go where no one has gone before. (You did notice there was no mention of FASTER?)
The Mission
Take a once virgin 88.5 Sammy (now molested by a 2003 Ford Ranger) and mate it to an 84 Mazda 2.2 Perkins Diesel. And do this with very limited funds.
First The Sammy weighs in at about 2100 lbs. and the Mazda comes in at almost 4000 lbs. This will not be a road burner the Perkins is only rated at 59 hp. But they do get 35+mpg in the heavy Mazda pickup. The Perkins/Mazda 5 speed is 11 inches longer than the Suzuki 1.3 /5 speed. The weight is over 100 lbs more. The 2.2 oil pan is a rear sump and deeper, with stock springs it will ride on the front diff. As for the gearing, the final ratio is surprisingly much lower than the Mazda. Suzuki final ratio is 4.54/1 and the Mazda is 3.28/1, but with the Mazda transmission and the Suzuki transfer case and diff the final ratio is more like 4.41/1, at 60 miles per-hour the 2.2 engines is turning 883 RPM faster, than in the Mazda. Mazda first and second gears are very low, and will be more like a 3 speed with over drive on the road. The low range crawl should be very nice.
Should any of your IMF team are killed or captured, this board will disavow any and all knowledge.

The build has gone easier than I expected. Not really trusting my welding skills (I can stick two pieces of metal together), I did out source the engine mount install, at “The Baja Shop” in Riverside California. Had a bit of time in finding a radiator/fan that would fit. Found one in a MGB, two rows, it fit under the front/top dog house cross member and most way across the opening. Fans came from a Ford Probe, and a ?. The Wiring was way easier than expected. But did do a lot of reading and studying of Samurai and Mazda Wiring Diagram. The plan to get some pan/pumpkin clearance with fangs (shackles) to see how it runs, then put a spring over and see if I can fit 33s to help the gear ratios.

First picture is the Sammy after the molestation. It was hit on the left side at the rear wheel.
Second picture is the Mazda 2.2L/5 speed that is going in.

 

For the time being it's the stock axles. But down the road, Yotas may go in especially for the gears. With the stock Samurai gears the engine will be spinning WAY to fast, about 3400 RPM at 60 MPH stock Mazda is about 2500 RPM.

Picture 1 is where the shifter comes up through the floor and the panels.
Picture 2 The radiator, I thinking this will have to be rethought, I think this setup will trap a lot of air.
Picture 3 The radiator to engine clearance.
Picture 4 The right side engine mount, the old Suzuki mount was cut out and these were welded in to use the stock Madza rubberize engine mounts.

 

More pictures
#1 engine left side air cleaner and fuel filter
#2 engine right side revised radiator return hose and filler cap-- this setup should work much better.
#3 trans tunnel all buttoned up.

 

Update:
transfer case is back in and the fuel filter is remounted. Start up is imminent.

Pictures
#1 intermediate drive shaft
___Madza stock slip joint; bottom
___Suzuki stock intermediate drive shaft; middle
___Hybrid Madza slip joint and Suzuki transfer case flange; top
#2 Engine bay, just need to tidy up some wires.
#3 Trans tunnel closed up ready to run.

"IT'S ALIVE" Now need to figure out how to put a video in a post.

 

IT'S ALIVE.
Start up went well, engine turned and caught quickly. First test drive was interesting, gearing is way too low, at 50 mph engine sounds like it wants to come unglued. A set of 30 inch tires got the rpm down to about 2550 maybe, I think 33s would be the right size. The fangs (shackles) in the front give a real nice vibration at 25-30. Spring over should take care of this, and clear 33s. Have to wait for a warmer day to see how the fans work. Engine sounds like a farm tractor. KEWL

This has been a repost from another forum Explorer4x4.com.

This build has taken about 4 months to get to the drivable stage. For the suspension, I took the spring pack from the Mazda apart and used the second and third leafs, to help with the weight of the diesel. Still working on the front drive shaft and the SPOA. Plus 32/33 inch tires will help in the gearing.

 

 

After about 500 miles of "testing". The uglies raised their heads, the trans output seal went to the dark side. Oh well time for the SPOA any way. After two days trying to find a seal puller that would work, I gave up and made one. New seal in and SPOA and extended brake lines in, with a little taller tires, it should be back on the road by next week.

oops just noticed I said that the 2.2 was a rear sump oil pan-- wrong it is a front sump and that is/was a problem.

 

I do have a question. On the injector pump there is a tac(?) two wire pigtail, does anyone know what type of tac could be hooked this plug?