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-   -   Om617 96 Jeep Cherokee build thread (https://www.dieselbombers.com/diesel-engine-conversions/118649-om617-96-jeep-cherokee-build-thread.html)

Evenglass 01-28-2014 09:23 PM

Om617 96 Jeep Cherokee build thread
 
1984 om617 in 1996 jeep Cherokee. 4.5" BDS long arm lift, Ford 8.8 LSD disc rear, NP231

New here, here's my build. Questions welcome.

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Ok, pictures didn't post?

Evenglass 02-02-2014 09:19 AM

Here they both are
 
5 Attachment(s)
Attachment 34038

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Motor pulled

Attachment 34040

Sanden 510 bracket in progress

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geddy's uncle 02-02-2014 09:55 AM

Looking like a tasty project. I like the "square-o-kee":tu:

redghost 02-03-2014 03:42 PM

:jump: keep it coming!

Evenglass 02-03-2014 07:26 PM

I've got so many pictures, is there anything people might want to see specifically?

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I don't have the fastest connection and it takes a long time to load the pics to photo bucket.

dieselxj 02-03-2014 08:50 PM

have you got some pics of the engine/motor mounts? What Rubber mounts did you use?
Also what about your track bar and steering? and steering stabilizer? What adapter did you use? what transmission are you running. Pics are always good

Evenglass 02-03-2014 09:04 PM

Might be a good idea to post what I've done to the Jeep this far.

Body:
1996 Jeep Cherokee Classic. 97+ side mirrors. Hide-A-Hitch. Homemade sound deadening undercoating.

Interior:
New Carpet. Custom leather back seats made from WJ seats. Boost and EGT gauges. Digital volt meter in dash. Pioneer AVH4300 7" screen DVD, navigation blah blah touch screen, 8" bass tube. Auto dimming ZJ rear-view mirror. Some switches.

Suspension:
BDS 4.5" long arm lift. Front end HP Dana 30 with 4.56 gears. Rear end Ford 8.8 limited slip disc brake with 4.56 gears. Tires are 31" Firststone AT.

Drive train:
1993 Chevy 700R4 out of an Astrovan rebuilt by Kevin's Performance Transmission in Orlando, 1800rpm stall torque converter. Jeep NP231 transfer case with Advanced Adapters SYE.


Engine and accessories:
Engine: 1984 Mercedes OM617.95 with KKK turbo and MW injection pump. Bosch 115AMP alternator. Diehard 880CCA AGM battery and upgraded cables. 9 blade cooling fan with matching clutch. 3 row all aluminum radiator with aux electric fan.

I couldn't have done most of this without forums like this one, so now I feel like its time to give back some. Feel free to ask questions regarding any of the above mods.

dieselxj 02-03-2014 09:29 PM

what engine to trans adapter? And what are you doing with the flex plate/converter, and mb flywheel?

Evenglass 02-03-2014 09:34 PM

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I've got an old Linde welder and as you can see from the welds on the frame I couldn't get the damn thing set right, by the time I got to the upper mounts I had worked it all out.

dieselxj 02-03-2014 09:43 PM

Nice work.

Evenglass 02-03-2014 10:04 PM

10 Attachment(s)
Attachment 33707

IRO double shear trackbar before I straightened it, i'll get better pics of it.

Attachment 33708

Drop pitman before notched oil pan.

Attachment 33709

AC pulley clearance.

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Steering stabilizer

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Notched pan

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Speed Gems Trans Adapter and gear reduction starter, GM flex plate matched balanced to Mercedes morphindyke flexplate/flywheel by Luke at 4x4 Labs in Cali.

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You can see the Jeep oil pressure sender on one of the above pics to the left of the filter just where the Mercedes one used to be.

FTE 02-05-2014 11:07 AM

You will want to make sure to have some limit straps added to the motor mounts because the Benz mounts only work on compression. They will rip apart without. Looking good!

Evenglass 02-05-2014 08:21 PM

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FTE, first off massive respect to you sir. I've gleaned much information from you for awhile here and over on STD, In fact your build persuaded me away from the Cummins. I respect and consider your advice....Thank you for posting on my build.

Now the motor mounts;
I mulled this over for some time and this is how I decided it was right for me.

1. I don't wheel hard and vibration reduction and comfort was priority, not to mention these mounts work flawlessly on the Mercedes and they are supper smooth in the jeep. The whole idea for this build was "the best of both worlds" Capable off road but well mannered, like a dos equis commercial.

2. I considered what would happen if they did come apart, again they worked in stock Mercedes configuration, if you look at my mounts they retain the factory engine shocks which further reduce vibration and act as a limiting straps if the rubber mount fails.

3. The OM617 is not a torque monster at peak 220ft/lbs torque, torque in my application is multiplied in the transmission and differentials.

4. The transmission mount I utilized was used in the 70's? Chevy 400, it's pretty stiff and beefy I believe this helps with the rotational torque of the engine.

If I planned on wheeling harder I would not have used these mounts and sacrificed comfort for strength. I would recommend these mounts if using them at the level I have stated.

As it sits now the jeep only vibrates more than the 4.0 when at idle in drive with the brake depressed and then only slightly more. I was very surprised at the sound level in the jeep, it is no more then the 4.0, just a deeper tone. I used Moroso's Spiral Flow muffler to 2 1/4" pipe all the way back, it sounds great highly recommended.

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Here's how you make the gauges work.

<a href="http://s508.photobucket.com/user/evenglass1/media/IMG_3118_zps76cc71c1.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i508.photobucket.com/albums/s324/evenglass1/IMG_3118_zps76cc71c1.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_3118_zps76cc71c1.jpg"/></a>

The Jeep reads the RPM from the flexplate via the CPS. Measure the Jeep flexplate do the math figure out the difference, I think the Mercedes was like 37% smaller then the Jeeps. Lay out your marks on the Mercedes damper but do not reduce the size of the reading notches(I think 1cm). Machine out the notches on the Mercedes damper with whatever means available, I used a drillpress and an angle grinder. The key here is time, take your time measure twice.

<a href="http://s508.photobucket.com/user/evenglass1/media/IMG_3272_zps691dc86c.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i508.photobucket.com/albums/s324/evenglass1/IMG_3272_zps691dc86c.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_3272_zps691dc86c.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s508.photobucket.com/user/evenglass1/media/IMG_3274_zps4ec61402.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i508.photobucket.com/albums/s324/evenglass1/IMG_3274_zps4ec61402.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_3274_zps4ec61402.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s508.photobucket.com/user/evenglass1/media/IMG_3275_zps808ff3e2.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i508.photobucket.com/albums/s324/evenglass1/IMG_3275_zps808ff3e2.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_3275_zps808ff3e2.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s508.photobucket.com/user/evenglass1/media/IMG_3298_zps97c17cfb.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i508.photobucket.com/albums/s324/evenglass1/IMG_3298_zps97c17cfb.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_3298_zps97c17cfb.jpg"/></a>

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Here's how you make the gauges work.

The Jeep reads the RPM from the flexplate via the CPS. Measure the Jeep flexplate do the math figure out the difference, I think the Mercedes was like 37% smaller then the Jeeps. Lay out your marks on the Mercedes damper but do not reduce the size of the reading notches(I think 1cm). Machine out the notches on the Mercedes damper with whatever means available, I used a drillpress and an angle grinder. The key here is time, take your time measure twice.

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The Jeep ECM requires I signal from the cam shaft sensor to turn on and thus run the gauge cluster, this signal does not have to be correct just present for the first few seconds/revolutions of operation. Remove the CAM sensor from inside the Jeep distributor cut the excess plastic off and mount it so that it reads a rotating magnet. I mounted mine behind the power steering pump pulley and epoxied some neodymium magnets to the backside of the pulley.

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Evenglass 02-05-2014 09:59 PM

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Here's how I got the Jeep oil pressure sensor to work. 1/8" to 3/8" NPT fitting to 1/8" female NPT hose barb adapter to Mercedes fitting. Put the standard fittings together as shown, cut the tubing off the Mercedes compression style fitting, shove the barb down the Mercedes fitting and braze together.

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Picture of the upper engine mount from the below with shock mount ( I forgot to add these pics earlier).

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I will admit those are the ugliest welds I have ever created.....

redghost 02-06-2014 10:13 AM

Man I'm Loving this!
Looks like I need more parts to get..

Evenglass 02-06-2014 07:22 PM

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Here's what to do with the fuel pickup. But this filter.

Attachment 33476

Remove electric fuel pump from pickup assembly and replace it with said filter. In other words your filling the space where the pump went with the filter, it should just puch right on the the stock tank screen/pickup.

Attachment 33477

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The return line is very important and must be large enough to return the fuel to the tank under minimal pressure. My first rendition of the return line employed the stock jeeps 3/16" hard vent/vacuum line, some have used this and reported no ill effects however that was not my experience. The back pressure with the 3/16" hard line was enough to create power surges and blow return lines off, I ended up replacing my return line with 5/16" hydraulic line all the way to the tank and pickup. The engine runs and idles much smoother now, just to see I pulled the return line and placed it into a half gallon can, at idle it filled it in under 3 minutes.

These pictures show my original 3/16" hard line I used as the tank return I have since dropped the tank and replaced with 5/16" hard lines, however the procedure is the same.


Pull out one of vapor return check valves leaving the sealing grommet in place. You will need the softest 3/4" nut bolt and 2 washers you can find. The idea is to place the bolt in place of the check valve and tighten to seal hole. Drill a hole through the center of the bolt large enough to feed 5/16" hard line through the hole stopping about an inch shy of the bottom of the tank. Cut the remaining hard line to about 4" and carefully bend at 90* toward the front of the tank, you will be attaching the soft return line to this. Braze one of the washers to the bottom of the bolt head and then braze the 5/16" hard line in the hole you created in the bolt sealing it in place. The Remaining washer and nut will then be fed onto the line inside the tank and tightened from inside the tank with the nut.

Attachment 33478
Vapor check valve

Attachment 33479
Check valve grommet

Attachment 33480

Attachment 33481
Finished bolt assembly with hole drilled, this is how it will be assembled in the tank.

Attachment 33482
Finished return assembly ready for installation.



It is important to run this hard line to an 1" of the bottom of the tank to prevent aeration of the fuel, again some have not done this and reported no ill effect. Fuel aeration is a well documented problem and will cause power loss at the least, I did not want to chase this gremlin later on. As stated above the Mercedes pump returns allot of fuel to the tank compounding the problem, I believe the strength of the pump is why these engines can run straight vagatable oil ( I don't recommend).

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Homemade sound deadening/heat barrier undercoating, 1 gallon can of gloss black oil based Rustoleum $29.99, 1 gallon bag micro-sphere's from Spruce Aircraft, Schutz gun from Amazon $10.99, 5' clear vinyl tubing for schutz gun $2 Home Depot.

Prep the frame as you feel fit, I sprayed it down with Dawn dish soap and pressure washed and repeat x 3.

Mix 1/2gal micro-spheres with 1gal Rustoleum, thin just enough with acetone to allow the mix (mix gently and as little as possible to prevent breaking the tiny hollow glass spheres) to flow through the 5' tubing attached to the schutz gun( gonna need lots of air). Spray this mixture on as thick as possible, I got it over an 1/8" thick, it's almost impossible to get this stuff to run. The only reason it's not thicker than an 1/8" is because I sprayed the entire 1 3/4 gallons of mixture and ran out. It took over a month for this to dry to what I call durable and perhaps longer to fully cure. The noise reduction from this was obvious and immediately noticeable. Rustoleum is rated to like 300* the ceramic glass beads are practically burn proof. As a test I took a large semi-dry piece of this mixture and torched it, it only smoldered then turned red hot but remained intact, I presume the oil and acetone quickly evaporate out leaving carbon binding the ceramic beads together thus creating a burn resistant coating.


Attachment 33483
Clean frame before undercoating


Attachment 33484
After undercoating


Attachment 33485
Close-up of texture (dry)


Attachment 33486
Sprayed (wet)



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Attachment 33488
It dries looking dull, if I where to do this again I would give it a final coat of straight gloss Rustoleum to make it look great, like when it was wet.

FTE 02-07-2014 01:22 AM

Good, glad you retained the shocks. Very nice work on the senders for the gauges!

Bradleywhites 02-07-2014 04:25 AM

good shots along with the good work you have done there .. appreciate sharing them

Evenglass 02-08-2014 11:17 PM

16 Attachment(s)
At this point of the build I started to get lazy and the quality and amount of pictures I took where reduced.

EGT probe placement
Attachment 33436
EGT probe placement


Modified 700r4 dipstick tube. Heat with torch bent carefully and cut to length.
Attachment 33437
Modified 700r4 dipstick tube. Heat with torch bent carefully and cut to length.

Attachment 33438
Cut the dipstick tube so that the stock jeep dipstick full mark lines up with the 700R4 pan gasket. The top of the 700R4 pan gasket is the correct full level per GM. If full mark on dipstick does not line up do to lengths being cut incorrectly a mark will have to be filed on the dipstick marking the new "full' location.

Attachment 33438

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I wish I had taken better pictures of this mount. A 4" x1/4" plate is directly epoxied directly to the flat spot on the 700r4, there is also an extension that comes down and is bolted to the trans case via un-used bolt hole. Two bolts are welded to the first plate to allow mounting of the second plate that has been drilled to accept the stock Jeep carrier bearing. The pivoting rod has been shortened to accommodate the increased width of the new transmission. The actuating rod the connected to the transfer case was shortened in this application due to switching to the NP231 from NP242 as it utilized a longer rod.

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Thank you all for the encouragement and kind words, please feel free to ask any questions/comments, I'm looking forward to them.

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Attachment 33444
If your engine is equipped with the KKK turbo the passenger side frame rail will have to be notched and reinforced to accommodate it as it sticks out further the Garret.

XJ's have been known to pull the bolts that connect the power steering pump to the frame right through the frame rail and will fracture and role the frame even with stock steering and tires. The use of an extended pitman arm will only amplify this problem. While you here take the time to plate the frame in this area, kits can be bought or made as I did. I ended up using a Skyjacker drop pitman arm advertised for 4.5" of lift.

Attachment 33445
Inside frame plate

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Outside frame plate



Attachment 33447Painted

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Engine installed

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Champion CoolIng Systems, CC1193, 3 row all aluminum radiator, advertised good to 600hp.

dillonv 02-08-2014 11:23 PM

awesome!

redghost 02-10-2014 11:33 AM

Man Great work.....

Evenglass 02-11-2014 11:52 PM

10 Attachment(s)
I upgraded the stock 64amp Mercedes alternator to a Bosch AL129X 115amp unit out of a 90's Saab 9000, it bolts on without any mounting modifications. Besides the power increase the AL129X has conventional wiring lugs instead of the spade harness of the 64amp unit.

These Bosch alternators are of two wire design and are self exciting with built in voltage regulator, the Jeep is three wire and require the computer to both excite the alternator and regulate the voltage. The Jeep alternators black wire with gray stripe goes to the +battery terminal, the dark green wire goes to the to the Jeep ECM, and the green with orange stripe also goes to the ECM.

The information I found online state:
Jeep Mercedes
Black w/gray stripe > Red
Dark green > 3amp diode> Blue
Green with orange stripe > Not used

I installed a very accurate digital volt meter behind my information panel by wiping the paint off the factory panel and installing my gauge in place of the "check engine light". This allowed me to monitor what my alternator was doing. I found that if wired as above the Bosch alternator is not excited by the dark green Jeep wire, revving the engine above 1600rpm creates enough magnetism to excite the slip rings in the alternator and thus self excite the alternator. Wiring the Jeep green wire does however work the "GEN" light in the information panel. I found that if not run for awhile the alternator would not as easily self excite and after not charging for about 1 minute the Jeeps computer would throw the "GEN" light on. If not run for awhile It takes about three quick revs above 3000 rpm to excite the alternator or about 30min of normal driving. Once the ECM turns the "GEN" light on the ignition will have to be cycled to reset the computer.

I believe this happens because the jeep ECM uses the dark green wire to monitor voltage output in conjunction with battery temperature sensor in the battery tray to calculate voltage output needed then sends a varied current down the green wire with the orange stripe to the alternator thus adjusting output.

If where to do this again I would test the green wire with orange stripe for power with ignition on, wire it in conjunction with the dark green wire and perhaps use this to excite the alternator. If That didn't work I would just run an ignition hot wire to excite the alternator and retain the dark green wire to run the "GEN" light. It's no big deal to rev the engine or just wait for the alternator to excite itself, I just don't like looking at the "GEN" light.


Attachment 33419

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Size difference, stock 64amp vs 115amp




Attachment 33421

12.5volts at idle(not charging), about 60sec later the "GEN" light turned on


Attachment 33422

14.4volts at idle after revving to get the alternator to "wake up", this light will remain on until ignition is reset.


The alternator feeds a Diehard 850CCA AGM battery, this setup with 00aut cables and gear reduction starter has no problem turning over the engine.

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In my opinion the most important aspect of this successful conversion is the gearing, I believe gearing is the single most common reason people abandon the conversion soon after completion. Seems most people sell their 617 conversions and end up installing a more "conventional" diesel. The most common misconception of this diesel is that it needs to be lugged down like most other diesels, this thinking is completely incorrect for this engine. The Germans engineered this engine to spin high RPM thus giving it a wide usable torque curve. In true German fashion the engineering effort put into this engine was no small task and would blow most peoples minds. Research and engineering on this scale cannot be duplicated without an engineering team and great funds.

For this reason I did not attempt to re-invent the wheel and tried to keep the RPM of the engine as close to the original German spec as possible. My 300D would turn 1500rpm at 30mph, 2000rpm at 42.5mph, 2500rpm at 55mph, 3000rpm at 65mph, 3500rpm at 77mph. It would cruise at 70mph all day for the next 350,000 miles. This engines peak horse power and torque are at about 2400rpm, it doesn't even start to boost until 1800rpm. Most diesel guys have a hard time understanding this is what the engine was designed to do, and try to gear it down the result is an "under powered engine" and ultimately an unhappy owner.

The only regret I have is that I didn't go with 4.88 gears, As it sits now with 4.56gears and 31" tires the jeep spins at about 2600rpm at 65mph, just into it's power band and I assure you would be overall better if this power band could be brought down a bit. Truth be told I planned on going with 33" tires later on but am now limited to 31" do to RPM constraints.

The Dana 30 in the jeep can only go to 4.88 gears as far as I know, if doing this in another vehicle where even lower gears are possible DO IT! Keep engine RPM as close as possible to engine design.

The 700R4 is far superior to the Mercedes unit and offers a low first gear and efficiency. I planned on using the lock up function on the converter but that is entirely out of the question due to gearing.

It is my opinion and that of GM's that if you do not follow the specified geometry for the TV cable you are doing it wrong. This doesn't mean it won't work and the transmission will explode it just means the transmission will never run as intended at the very least, and most likely you won't be happy with it. Again do not try to re-invent the wheel and try to stick to GM design as much as possible, they put millions of dollars into this.

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Attachment 33423
Took me three days to get this to GM spec but it was worth every second, the transmission feels and shifts great. These are the templates I made to make sure everything was as close to GM spec as possible. These templates are 1.125" with 78* arc with a mark locating the 90* relationship to the TV cable at 25% throttle.


Attachment 33424

Attachment 33425
I used brackets from the Jeep, pivoting points and linkage from the Mercedes and a universal TV cable.

Attachment 33425
The hardest part was figuring how to get the stock Mercedes 50* throttle throw to the needed 78* for the 700r4, I accomplished this by moving the lower injection pump linkage closer to the center pivot by drilling small holes and moving it in slowly until it produced a 78* throw.

Attachment 33427
The last thing to do was locate the jeep throttle cable so that the foot pedal had the proper travel i.e. Throttle fully depressed = injection pump throttle bottomed out.

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Attachment 33428

cumminsf150 02-16-2014 09:40 AM

pretty intense build, whays up with the digital voltage read out, is that stock?

Evenglass 02-16-2014 06:53 PM

No, not stock. The Factory one works fine I just wanted something more accurate. Ive got I sub and nice speakers so my truck ends up being the sound system for parties, I wanted something that I could just glance at and say "Oh 9Volts time to charge". Plus it was only like $12 on Amazon.

"I installed a very accurate digital volt meter behind my information panel by wiping the paint off the factory panel and installing my gauge in place of the "check engine light". This allowed me to monitor what my alternator was doing."

Markdiesel 02-25-2014 12:47 PM

What a great thread! Thanks for all the pictures and info! I'm just getting started on my 97 Wrangler Mercedes swap, and was wondering how to get the gauges working. Is that a Cherokee A/C compressor, or some other type? Do you have pics of how the engine shocks are mounted? Also, it looks like you lost quite a bit of oil capacity with your mod. Is that something to worry about?

Evenglass 02-25-2014 03:34 PM

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Originally Posted by Markdiesel (Post 1050883)
What a great thread! Thanks for all the pictures and info! I'm just getting started on my 97 Wrangler Mercedes swap, and was wondering how to get the gauges working. Is that a Cherokee A/C compressor, or some other type? Do you have pics of how the engine shocks are mounted? Also, it looks like you lost quite a bit of oil capacity with your mod. Is that something to worry about?

The AC compressor is a readily available Sanden 510, it was free to me and is what the SBC conversion guys use, not to mention it's V-belt. The computer on the Jeep runs most everything including the compressor, for some reason the computer no longer wants to do this so I am in the process of running it via thermostat and trinary switch, not to complicated to wire.

I have not installed the engine shocks yet(shame on me!) because I need new upper grommets on them and they are very hard to find. 3000 miles no harsh vibrations or anything else to note regarding the motor mounts, it runs incredibly smooth.

The OM617 takes 2 gallons of engine oil or about 7.9 quarts, I figure I'm about 1 quart short due to the pan mod, I think I should be fine.

There are many little things to modify on this conversion, let me know if I can help.

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For the oil cooler lines I bought some 8AN weld on fittings and 8AN stainless braided line from Summit Racing. I kept the important bends from the Mercedes hard lines and welded my fittings to them, worked out very well.

Attachment 33355

I mounted the cooler behind the bumper, after a long run down the road you can feel the difference in temperature between the incoming oil line(Hot) and the outgoing oil line (cool), very noticeable difference.

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No more room for the puller fan behind the radiator so I added the pusher in front mainly for the condenser as this radiator is huge and really doesn't need it, I also added an override switch for this fan inside just for creeping off road if needed. To the Left is the Grand Cherokee plate style transmission cooler. There is so little space behind the grille with the thicker radiator that I had to carve alot of the material away in the area of the fan.

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Attachment 33356

Modified Jeep Shifter cable with Lokar 700r4 adjustable shift arm.


Attachment 33357

Modified transfer case bracket with plate expoxied and bolted to side of 700r4

Attachment 33358

Attachment 33359
The Down pipe will have to be shortened the that the upper 90* is closer to the turbo and the lower part will need some tweaking.


Attachment 33360
This was a Mercedes exhaust mount I re-used.

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There is a problem running the radiator lines do to the configuration of the return being on the opposite side of the Mercedes engine. The Mercedes is on the left and the jeeps return is on the right. Care must be taken to keep this line low as not to cause air locks in the system, this posed a problem. My solution was to run an 1/14" cooper pipe with correct fittings on the ends directly across the radiator. I'll post better pictures of these if anybody needs them.

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This is how it ended up, been driving it everyday. I'll post my mileage and general impressions as they come.

Markdiesel 02-25-2014 03:36 PM

Thanks for the help offer, I'm sure I'll need to pick your brain a bit with this project. This is the second evolution of my Jeep. I'll be swapping out the current 5.2 liter Magnum and automatic for the OM617 and the original AX15, so it should be interesting! Funny, I had the same thought about the hose ends (weld on AN fittings)!

Evenglass 02-25-2014 07:42 PM


Originally Posted by Markdiesel (Post 1050910)
Thanks for the help offer, I'm sure I'll need to pick your brain a bit with this project. This is the second evolution of my Jeep. I'll be swapping out the current 5.2 liter Magnum and automatic for the OM617 and the original AX15, so it should be interesting! Funny, I had the same thought about the hose ends (weld on AN fittings)!

I had an auto in the jeep so decided to keep it an auto, plus the 700r4 has a real low first gear. From experience I would strongly advise you to go with the lowest gears possible. 4.88 is the lowest if you have the Dana 30 front, and a stall converter no lower than 2000rpm possibly even 2200rpm. The jeep currently drives great but I'm kinda a perfectionist and have been thinking about pulling the engine back out just to add the higher stall. Next thing on my list is to advance the timing to 27* as I hear that makes a huge difference in low end torque. I find this engine combo to be almost perfect for my needs.....almost. How are you planning to wheel your rig?

Markdiesel 02-26-2014 04:48 PM

I'm not much into rock crawling, I am a trail runner and need 4x4 to get where I want to go on occasion. I am currently running 4:10's on 33" tires. I figure if i need to i can drop down a tire size and be closer to Ideal. Or just keep it in 4th! The thing is this: I have done the horsepower, aggressive, speed when I want it, 4 wheel drive sports car thing and had a blast doing it. Now i want to see whats over the next hill without worrying about the size of my fuel tank.

CSW1982 02-27-2014 08:20 PM

New here. Don't care if flamed or not. while I'm sure your JB Weld solution to the oil sender will not leak, I'm not entirely sure the engine will like any trash that might break loose. My solution was to disassemble the factory MB oil sender. Find a matching hex head nut to protect the thread while doing this work, it should be M12x1.5, we found one in the MB pile,o,parts. The first step involves a die grinder and bench grinder to remove the rolled edge. After that step systematically destroy everything but the threads and the hex cap portion via bench grinder. Wire brush, clean for next step. Drill a 11/32 pilot for a 1/8 npt tap making sure to check for depth as you go so as not to get into the shoulder and threaded area. You will want to keep withing the hex cap area. Trim off 40% of the bottom of a 1/8 npt tap and put a slight taper on it. An unmodified tap will bottom out before cutting the correct threads for a 1/8 npt fitting Wire brush said tap and clean. Tap, checking as you go for depth and fit. Wala you saved $23 plus shipping and spent $3 on a fitting and $10 for a tap, however you didn't have to order off of mercedes4x4.com's unsecured website or deal with trying to get ahold of him on the phone or email him. Just my 2 cents.

Markdiesel 02-28-2014 11:27 AM


Originally Posted by CSW1982 (Post 1051292)
New here. Don't care if flamed or not. while I'm sure your JB Weld solution to the oil sender will not leak, I'm not entirely sure the engine will like any trash that might break loose. My solution was to disassemble the factory MB oil sender. Find a matching hex head nut to protect the thread while doing this work, it should be M12x1.5, we found one in the MB pile,o,parts. The first step involves a die grinder and bench grinder to remove the rolled edge. After that step systematically destroy everything but the threads and the hex cap portion via bench grinder. Wire brush, clean for next step. Drill a 11/32 pilot for a 1/8 npt tap making sure to check for depth as you go so as not to get into the shoulder and threaded area. You will want to keep withing the hex cap area. Trim off 40% of the bottom of a 1/8 npt tap and put a slight taper on it. An unmodified tap will bottom out before cutting the correct threads for a 1/8 npt fitting Wire brush said tap and clean. Tap, checking as you go for depth and fit. Wala you saved $23 plus shipping and spent $3 on a fitting and $10 for a tap, however you didn't have to order off of mercedes4x4.com's unsecured website or deal with trying to get ahold of him on the phone or email him. Just my 2 cents.

Sorry, what JB weld are you talking about on the oil sender? All I saw was brazing. But I'm sure your solution works too.

Evenglass 02-28-2014 03:22 PM


Originally Posted by CSW1982 (Post 1051292)
New here. Don't care if flamed or not. while I'm sure your JB Weld solution to the oil sender will not leak, I'm not entirely sure the engine will like any trash that might break loose. My solution was to disassemble the factory MB oil sender. Find a matching hex head nut to protect the thread while doing this work, it should be M12x1.5, we found one in the MB pile,o,parts. The first step involves a die grinder and bench grinder to remove the rolled edge. After that step systematically destroy everything but the threads and the hex cap portion via bench grinder. Wire brush, clean for next step. Drill a 11/32 pilot for a 1/8 npt tap making sure to check for depth as you go so as not to get into the shoulder and threaded area. You will want to keep withing the hex cap area. Trim off 40% of the bottom of a 1/8 npt tap and put a slight taper on it. An unmodified tap will bottom out before cutting the correct threads for a 1/8 npt fitting Wire brush said tap and clean. Tap, checking as you go for depth and fit. Wala you saved $23 plus shipping and spent $3 on a fitting and $10 for a tap, however you didn't have to order off of mercedes4x4.com's unsecured website or deal with trying to get ahold of him on the phone or email him. Just my 2 cents.

I am also not a fan of loose trash, the fittings in question are all brazed. Just push the pieces together and braze, not too complicated.

I understand your concern regarding the JB weld, welcome to the forum.

CSW1982 02-28-2014 06:58 PM

Opened mouth before reading gentlemen. Looked at the text in your post regarding brazing. My apologies.

Markdiesel 03-10-2014 05:51 PM

I was pulling the V8 out of the Wrangler yesterday and thinking about your mod for the Tach. It took a while but I finally figured out I won't need to do that because I'm using a Wrangler flywheel and bell housing. You had to adapt because of the GM automatic. I'll still need to make the cam sensor mod though. Am I correct? Also, what kind of tubing did you use on the injector returns?

redveloce 03-11-2014 09:43 AM


Originally Posted by Markdiesel (Post 1053185)
I'll still need to make the cam sensor mod though. Am I correct?

The PCM just needs to see a signal from the cam sensor on startup to turn on the tach. It doesn't check for accuracy, just presence, so you just need to tie the signal wire from the cam sensor into the signal wire from the crank sensor.

A lot of people use a relay triggered by the starter for this, which is what I originally did, but I was thinking about it last night and couldn't see any reason why it would need to be disconnected after starting. I connected the signal wires together directly and it works just fine. Much simpler!

Evenglass 03-16-2014 09:17 AM


Originally Posted by Markdiesel (Post 1053185)
I was pulling the V8 out of the Wrangler yesterday and thinking about your mod for the Tach. It took a while but I finally figured out I won't need to do that because I'm using a Wrangler flywheel and bell housing. You had to adapt because of the GM automatic. I'll still need to make the cam sensor mod though. Am I correct? Also, what kind of tubing did you use on the injector returns?

You are correct regarding the flywheel as long as it matches the cylinder count of the ECM, the 4 cylinder flywheels have different reading marks. You will still need a cam signal.

The tubing is called Tygon tubing otherwise known as lawn mower fuel line, this line is frequently used for diesel return lines due to its compatibility with diesel. The correct tubing can be found at VW and Mercedes dealerships, I will be replacing them with it soon.

---AutoMerged DoublePost---


Originally Posted by redveloce (Post 1053314)
The PCM just needs to see a signal from the cam sensor on startup to turn on the tach. It doesn't check for accuracy, just presence, so you just need to tie the signal wire from the cam sensor into the signal wire from the crank sensor.

A lot of people use a relay triggered by the starter for this, which is what I originally did, but I was thinking about it last night and couldn't see any reason why it would need to be disconnected after starting. I connected the signal wires together directly and it works just fine. Much simpler!

I would have spliced the cam into the crank signal but at the time I could only find one person who just briefly stated it would work. I knew 100% the signal would work the way I did it. I would try splicing them together as you did if done again.

Evenglass 03-30-2014 11:08 PM

5 Attachment(s)
Been fixing odds and ends. Back from the junk yard with new to me interior trim pieces.
Just completed the wiring for the AC, 78* outside 32* out the vents! you can see all the plastic on the dash is intact now.

Attachment 33156

Attachment 33157

Attachment 33158

Attachment 33159

Flexed out the Jeep to make sure no suspension components come close to the oil pan, they didn't come close so no worries for now. I'm not to happy with the flex with the sway bar connected so I've ordered a set of JKR quicker disconnects and will post comparison pics when I install them.

Attachment 33160

Been prepping and tying loose ends up for this, any Bombers going to be there besides me? Anyone know where I can get a sticker to rep this site before the date?

redghost 03-31-2014 09:08 AM

Man great Work! I just need a few more things so I
can get started as well!

Evenglass 03-31-2014 08:36 PM

Thank you, be sure to start a build thread when you get started.

Markdiesel 04-04-2014 05:44 PM

You taunt me with your A/C! Here in AZ, I really want to get that installed before summer hits too hard!


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