With the MD2350 Diesel engine producing only 38 hp, Mahindra was on the look out for a more powerful engine for its vehicles.
MD2250 was an attempt to convert the F4-134 Hurricane Petrol Engine to a Diesel engine. This appears to be a major re-engineering work during the late 70s.
The F-head concept of the Hurricane Engine was converted to I-head concept with both inlet and exhaust valves on the cylinder head. Also, it was an Indirect Injection (IDI) with pre-combustion chamber in the cylinder head. A inline fuel injection pump with timer was added by redesigning the timing cover.
- Plant – Kandivli (Bombay)
- Production – 1977 to ?
- Model – MD2250 Diesel
Engine Specifications –
- Type – Indirect Injection Diesel (IDI)
- No of cylinders – 4
- Capacity – 2199 cc (134.2 cu.in)
- Fuel Delivery – In-line, Jerk pump with Pintle injectors
- Governor – Mechanical , All speed Governor
- Power – 44 hp at 2500 rpm
- Torque – 13 kg-m at 2200 rpm
Author’s Note – Appears to be an interesting diesel engine design, with the torque and power peaking around the same engine speeds. This engine was plagued by combustion leakage and was shortlived.
The Museum by Samuel Premkumar 
The MD 2250 was probably India’s first indigenously developed, manufactured and commercially sold engine.
What is significant is that the team comprised a few under 30 postgraduates with no experience or resources. They had to find solutions that included – finding space for an FIP, finding solutions for push-rod buckling, injection pressure compensation, compensating for increased rotational mass, new cylinder head design, clutch issues etc and that to on an antique engine design that was born in the late 1930’s.
The fact is that they found a solution for head gasket leakage also by changing the gasket design and applying a paste which sealed the block/head surface. So, they did complete the design successfully.
However, by then the “jugaad’ solution of MD2350 had commercial traction and MD 2250 was still not mature. So, it was dropped.
But that does not take away from the team their achievements, in fact this should be celebrated.
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Yes, it must have been a major Engineering project to convert a F-Head Petrol Engine to an I-head IDI Diesel engine. Kudos to the team who attempted it. That too in the 70s without digital tools, computer simulations, rapid prototyping etc. Won’t be surprised if they had used slide rules instead of calculators.
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I find in this MD2250 engine, a version of the Mitsubishi KE31 engine, moreover your image of the cylinder head is identical to that of the KE31 whose production stopped in 1970. Can be a production transfer??
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