Jeep mercedes diesel swap?

[DeathBlade556]

Well I got the diesel swap bug again , I saw this $800 82' mercedes 300SD its got 200k but I'll still look at it. The engine is a OM617 turbo diesel should be 123HP and 170ft*lbs it has a 5 speed auto with 3.98:1, 2.39:1, 1.46:1, 1:1 ratios(dont know if it could stand up to towing ) problem is it would need a divorced transfer case, (could a NP231 be modified?) I'm going to replace me d35 with a d44 soon anyway if I stay with 3:73s and the 1:1 on the transmission and my 31s I can get to 74mph at 3000rpms with is good since the OM617 is a high reving diesel. I add a 1.5" BL and a 2"BB to help with the clearance, I haven't found the dimensions for the engine but it 3.0l and 5cly so I guess its about the same size as the 4.0 and the weight is only 630lbs wet so might not even need to beef up the frame.

What you guys think?

[MF Steve!]

What kind of Jeep is this going in? Also, take in to consideration that Mercedes parts are not going to be cheap, and I doubt you're going to find anywhere else that is going to have a large selection of that stuff. I'd see if anyone has done it yet...you may be treading untouched waters.

[DodgeMudder]

Sounds like a cool swap idea, I would be worried about the price and availability of parts for it.

[jeepxj3]

IIRC the 231 isnt divorcable.

[DeathBlade556]

I was thinking about the OM617 because its the easiest to get model there are others like OM602 that might fit better but getting parts would be hard. From what I've read the engines in the 300Ds are as bullet proof as a cummins 4bt, and there are some mercedes site that would all the parts I need. I've seen acouple of swaps into toyotas the engine mounts will be easy, Its just the divorced transfer that would be the biggets snag, I think a NP205 from a older dodge might work, but it would mean a real short drive shaft in the rear.

edit just did a little search and most say the 300d is rated to tow 1200kg, or about 2600lbs

[highlandercj-7]

My friend has a 5 cyl turbo Mercades round the same vintage in his CJ-7. He built his own fly wheel and bellhousing to mate it to a AX-15 and then fabbbed a indexing ring to clock a D300 behind that. The lil Diesel spools way to slow so he had to run 456's with 33's to get it up faster. The HEEP PULLS 29mpg and it's not dialed in yet.

[DeathBlade556]

My friend has a 5 cyl turbo Mercades round the same vintage in his CJ-7. He built his own fly wheel and bellhousing to mate it to a AX-15 and then fabbbed a indexing ring to clock a D300 behind that. The lil Diesel spools way to slow so he had to run 456's with 33's to get it up faster. The HEEP PULLS 29mpg and it's not dialed in yet.

Would you have any pictures of his install? Is he on the board? and if he can run it with those 4.56s I might move up to 4.10s so maybe a set of rubicon d44s so the jeep will actually have reason for that sticker

[DeathBlade556]

I was doing a little math a minutes ago, for fuel savings,

Current local price of gas $3.10 (as of 1/30/08 )
Current local price of diesel $3.45 (as of 1/30/08 )
Current jeep mileage 14mpg
Estimated mileage with diesel 27mpg
Tank capacity 19 gallons


Mileage with gas 19 x 14 = 266 miles
Milage with diesel 19 x 27 = 513 miles

Cost of a tank of gas @$3.10 x 19 = $58.90
Cost of a tank of diesel @$3.45 x 19 = $65.55

Differance in cost: $65.55 - $58.90 = $6.65
Differance in miles: 513 - 266 = 247 miles

Amount of gas to go 247 miles: 247 miles / 14mpg = 17.62 gallons
Cost of gas to go 247 miles: 17.62 gallons x $3.10 = $54.69
Gallons of gas to equal diesel mileage: 19 + 17.62 = 36.62 gallons
Cost of gas to equal diesel mileage: $58.90 + $54.69 = $113.59

Cost of gas to go 513 miles : $113.59
Cost of diesel to go 513 miles $65.55
Differance: $113.59 - $65.55 = $48.04

Estimated miles driven each year 12,000

Gallons of gas to drive 12,000 miles: 12,000 / 14 mpg = 857.14 gallons
Gallons of diesel to drive 12,000 miles: 12,000 / 27 mpg = 444.44 gallons
Cost of gas to drive 12,000 miles: 857.14 gallons x $3.10 = $2657.13
Cost of diesel to drive 12,000 miles 444.44 gallons x $3.45 = $1533.31

Differnce in cost to drive 12,000 mile between diesel and gas:
$2657.13 - $1533.31 = $1123.82

All my math assumes gas and diesel stay at the price as of 1/30/08 and the OM617 engine obtains milage of 27mpg.

What you guys think my math right?

[MF Steve!]

Math looks ok to me. But, is it worth all that work for a $1200 price difference? Granted if you were to drop the coin on a bio-diesel creation station you could save tons more...

[wozz]

or just run filtered cooking oil

you could even set up two tanks, one w/ regular diesel for warm up and one w/ coolant lines running throught cooking oil for colder months. switch tanks when the motor is warm

granted this will take up space

[DeathBlade556]

Well I've made bio before just to see if it would work and I'm thinking of biodiesel during the summer, in the winter I bio likes to gell up, so dinodiesel during the winter. And a few weeks ago there was a article in the paper about someone building a biodiesel plant in western pa and they should be able to sell it a $2.30 a gallon to thats
$2.30 x 19 gallons = $43.70 per tank or $1022.12 per year
$2657.13 - $1022.12 = $1635.01 saving over gas

If it costs $2500 to do the swap I could pay it off in about 3 years or so. and then save that $1123 - $1635 for a wicked lift or for another TJ and a brute kit (if only)

[JeepGeneral]

I wheeled with a guy from WV (Morgantown I believe) that had a sweet yellow CJ with a Mercedes turbo diesel in it. I'll see if I can call and find out what his name was and email addy if you would like.

[MF Steve!]

I also came across a '94 XJ with a Renault diesel in it if you're interested. It has super low miles for it's age and is going for $3000.

[DeathBlade556]

I wheeled with a guy from WV (Morgantown I believe) that had a sweet yellow CJ with a Mercedes turbo diesel in it. I'll see if I can call and find out what his name was and email addy if you would like.

If you could do that it would be great! I'm going to go look at it later today, on my way to pittsburgh (I hear CMUs go a old tech rummage sale flux capacitor! FTW!!) I saw some images of the rear end of the 722.3/5 transmission that comes with the 300sd and I might be able to fab up a mount or a married transfer case, though probably would still need to use a NP205, since the np205 has a yoke and I think that rear drive shaft angle is going to be pretty hellish. Any body know a suv or truck that has a short rear CV drive shaft?

[DeathBlade556]

I just back from looking at the 300D its got a oil leak around the valve covers, but the rest of it is good. The vacuume systems doesn't leak, the inside is a little ruff but I'm scrapping the body anyway. Heres a video of it running.




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[highlandercj-7]

The guy from motown is my Friend I'm talking about. The Jeep is tough as hell. He had some prick cause him to roll it doing 70 mph down I79. IT slid on it's side for 100 yards. He rolled it back over with it's own winch and cleaned pieces of the hardtop off the road before the cops showed up. Then drove the thing home! The cops we like I never seens anyone recover there own rig before lol.

[Megamus]

How long do those engines last? I know most diesels last an easy 250k, but how long are you planning on running the motor with that many miles on it, you might never get the chance to get you $$ back out of it

[DeathBlade556]

From what I've seen the engines will last 300k+ what fails on the engine is the vacuume controls (egr, etc) If change out some of the wear-ables, seals, and etc the block/pistons will last forever.
One thing I was thinking about is what kind of paper work would I need to do? I remember seeing some where that diesels are emissions exempt, but I'm sure that that is something I have to do to alert penndot of the change. Searched their site last night and found nothing.
Any ideas?

[DodgeMudder]

IIRC, there is a Federal law that states you can't put an older engine in a newer vehicle. The motor in any vehicle must be as new or newer than the vehicle, and must have all the emissions of either the motor or the vehicle.

[DMG]

IIRC, there is a Federal law that states you can't put an older engine in a newer vehicle. The motor in any vehicle must be as new or newer than the vehicle, and must have all the emissions of either the motor or the vehicle.

Up until recently, diesels have not fallen under the federal emissions program. A diesel swap should be legal in this vehicle.

[DeathBlade556]

IIRC, there is a Federal law that states you can't put an older engine in a newer vehicle. The motor in any vehicle must be as new or newer than the vehicle, and must have all the emissions of either the motor or the vehicle.

From what I read the emissions only applies to gas to gas swaps, not gas to diesel, but I'm sure penndot has some kind of paper work to fill out, to get the diesel emissions exempt other than putting a diesel tag on the side of my TJ and getting my inspection.

[trailerrails]

When I get an inspection I just tell them it is a diesel and they say "ok you do not need an emissions test." I don't think you need any official paper work, just having the engine in there is proof enough.

[DeathBlade556]

When I get an inspection I just tell them it is a diesel and they say "ok you do not need an emissions test." I don't think you need any official paper work, just having the engine in there is proof enough.

Thats what I got told hobogan a minute ago. Since its a 196k mile engine I'll keep it in the 300D and drive it about till I get all the parts for the swap, now to find a TC and figure out the how to convert a NP231 speedo cable to the NP205,

[highlandercj-7]

I don't know what your planning on iunstalling this in but I'd be worried about the length if your going to run the mercades auto and a devoriced t case. I know in a 7-yj etc your gonna be hurting.

[DeathBlade556]

Depending on what the Ujoint size is on the 722.3 and the Np205 I might be able to use a use a ujoint to connect the two yokes without a shaft, so it subtracts a ujoint and will make it shorter. And depending on the spine count on the output and input of the TC I might be able to mill a tail cone and marry the two.