Greetings! I joined a while ago but haven't really done much lurking yet. Saturday morning I'm picking up a Mercedes OM617 turbodiesel that's going in my '90 Wrangler, and I can not WAIT to get this project started! I blew the original 4.2l in it while mud-bogging 2.5 years ago and it's time to get this thing back on - I mean, OFF -the road!

I actually rebuilt the 4.2l but had problems with getting the head gasket to seal - coolant leaking out from between the head and the block is a bad sign - and I found that this was due to the PO having put a 4.0l head on. Some research told me that you have to fill in the outer row of coolant passages in the head in order to get a good seal, and this was never done. I guess he just lucked into getting one somehow, because it never leaked before I blew it. Anyway, it sat over the winter and in the spring the cylinder bores were badly rusted. I'm a diesel guy, anyway, and the 2X fuel economy will be nice too LOL

I'm keeping the build simple for now, I'm just doing the engine. The narrowed Dana 60/14-bolt will come later, as will frame patches of my own design to take care of the weld nut issue, an SRS, and SOA.

 

Welcome to db

 

Welcome to the site

Tony