I had the OM617 in a Cherokee, now I have the Kubota. Better in just about every way, mpg was my goal but this little motor has way more torque which makes it more fun to drive. Mine will spin to 3800 now but don't need it. If you are looking at a wheeling rig then Kubota will be a better choice imo.

 

This is going to be more of a rally car. I'm not going to be going over huge rocks or anything, mostly just dirt and gravel trails at high speeds, a bit of mud.

 

Ok, maybe a V8 gasser would be better for a rally car.

 

If I wanted a gas engine and poor milage I would just fix my inline 6. I also want a turbo, which I can't have with any ease in a v8. On top of all that, v8 swaps are notoriously difficult and very very few have ever been done with any great success.

 

To get the upper HP figures you are talking about on the MB will require a very substantial $ investment. Sort of out of the range of most folks. $2000 for the upgraded injection pump alone. With that said the little Kubotas are the very similar in price or cheaper if you are spending $1000 on a benz. You just have to look. My net on the last 3 mb'S engines was about $0 meaning I got the whole cars for in the $250-300 range each and sold the engineless chassis for about $ 300 . My Kubota was $500 but then I had to pay shipping. If you buy just the engine you are paying some one else's labor for the engine pull, Which is reasonable enough. There are a few of the guys on this forum that got kubotas for less than $250.
The MB will turn more RPM, but like others have said anything much over 3000 is not very useable. My NA benz jeep will spin up higher , but the power goes pretty flat above 2500.
As for what you can ultimately get out of a Kubota has yet to be seen
Good luck with whatever you decide and have fun with your conversion

I have a Koch adapter on my MB jeep I was happy with the product and the service. Is there a reason you don't want to go with the Koch adapter from the link you have up top in your post # 1

 

Ok, just trying to figure out your goals.

 

Thank you for a straightforward answer. This is the first time I've heard of any substantial investment to get more power from the MB. I was told I could get to the 150-175hp range mostly without spending much cash, and that to get upgraded IP elements and have them installed would be around $1000.

I've also been told that the MB gives good power up through the upper range when mated with a larger turbo or compounds, is that true?

I have no problem using the Koch adapter, I just wanted to find other alternatives, especially if there was anyone on the forums to make them for cheap or anyone who has plans so I could easily make my own.

The Kubota option is still on the table, I just really need to get into the 150-175 hp range to make this swap viable. I haven't been able to find any information about getting more power out of the Kubota. I would love to tear into the uncharted territory of a faster Kubota engine, however I am hesitant to because I have yet to find an engine or refeer unit for under $1200 while I can get a full MB for cheaper than that and still sell or scrap the body.

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My goals are this:

No computers
Turbo
Up to 150-175 hp without much investment
Able to get the engine for $500 or under, this can be directly for $500 or like the MB, buy a car for $800 sell the body for $300.
Decent MPG
Must fit in my car, a v8 will simple not. The trans in my car is offset a few inches from center, so inlines work best.

 

You keep talking hp #"s, but in the diesel world tq is king. Right know my Kubota is equivalent in hp to the Benz but has @ double the tq. It is also delivering 20-40% more mpg's as well not to mention it's much lighter and smaller package so fitment is easier. Seems like the only drawback is cost, but I wasn't that happy overall with the Benz sooo.

 

Go with whatever you're passionate about. I love those SX4s! There's been one for sale here locally for relatively cheap that's been tempting me for quite a while. If I didn't have far too many expensive projects already I'd be jumping on it.

I can't speak to the Merc diesels, because I've never had one, but if Alpar.com is correct that the SX4 is close to 3000lbs, it would be FUN with the Kubota! With the AX15 your swap would be very similar to mine in the TJ, except 600-700lbs lighter and some semblance of aerodynamics... I can tell you that with the fuel turned up and the right turbo it lights off and pulls hard up to and past 3000RPM. I only stop there because I don't want to tempt fate THAT much with my daily driver.

 

You seem to have some vendetta to turn me to the Kubota. hp and torque are directly related via RPM, so speaking about one and an RPM you speak about both. If I have 150 HP out of my diesel engine, I will have more than enough torque to keep me satisfied.

You keep trying to talk me into the Kubota but I'm already considering it, as I've said already the money is the only thing stopping me. Not only is the engine itself much more expensive than the MB, its also going to take a lot more to get a turbo on it, where as with the MB I've already got the whole set up and it's already running.

On a side note, I have 3.08 gears.