who here has made a swap with a stock mb auto tranny? 3.0 na with stock tanny into a dj5d mail truck. what vac stuff must i have for tranny to shift or can i kill all the vac stuff and man shift the auto? i dont have power brakes. i dont need vac for anything jeep so....

I kept the stock mb auto tranny married to the motor, but being out of a 78 300SD, it had a manual detent rod between the throttle lever and tranny. If I remember correctly, even the later models still had manual detent, but were cable operated. Vacuum comes into play with the modulator, if i remember correctly, and is what is used to control the shifts between soft and hard (preferred) shift.

As for manual shifting of the tranny, yes in fact you can, as this was the precursor to the 'tiptronic' trans. Remember though, if you pull it down a gear on the shifter, you downshift, meaning if you are going to fast for that gear, the trans doesn't take that into account and still down shifts meaning that not only do you risk over revving the motor (unlikely) and breaking traction (most likely) as if you just slammed on brakes.

You also have an electric wide-open-throttle button (wot) that is under the mb accelerator pedal. The trans is actually only a 3spd, but the wot is a kick down from all, including 1st gear, thus making it seem like a 4-spd. My guess is that you could make it a momentary-on toggle on the shift handle, and is how I am going to set it up when I get things rolling again.

I have always wanted to buy up a bunch of the old dj5's and refurb them with non-turbo merc diesels (4 and 5-cyl) and sell them to our local rural carriers. They would be economical, excellent stop-go low speed jeeps, with bullet-proof motors. And being 2wd, they would be super super simple and the shifters could be cable operated and mounted on the dash.

Got pictures of you swap? Would love to hear all about it!

i posted some on vlados thread. im truely not worried about a over speed i just didnt take this engine out of the car. so its a basket case. and i have never rode in or as a mater of fact looked under the hood of a mercedes before lol so i have alot to learn. i dont know the year i dont have a book for it and i dont have a network of friends with any knowledge of mb diesels. so that makes you and vlado my new best friends. i damn sure wish the two of you were standing here in my barn, i would even buy the beer

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holy poop! i love this little motor! so i have been told she has about 100g on her and i have to say she is clean. looking in the fill cap and i see no, i repeat NO funk of any kind in the bottom of the lifter galley. clean. i pulled the power steering pump off and the bracket the fuel filter mounts in the holes left behind from the bracket, (like it was made that way, and im sure it was) i cant wait! im lacking some fuel line or i would fire it up rite now. one thing, i have a small hose cumming off the bottom of the oil filter pot and i dont know what it goes to. can yall help? :c:

The little hose off the bottom of the oil filter housing is going to be for the oil pressure guage. 100k miles is just broken in good and ready for a valve adjustment. You gotta run out of oil or water to hurt it. Get familiar with the process of adjusting the valves, or find a shop you trust to do it for you.

Common clear vinyl hose (3/8" I think) holds up very well as a temp fuel line. Get it at any hardware store, cheap.

nothing around for 25 miles and it being a holiday. i have a new valve cover and im going to do the valves next weekend. i have to go out of town for a week tomorrow.... so the vac on the back of the pump is the kill. whats on the top? it looks like two things. one plastic, one steel. the plastic has a vac switch on a linkage. another linkage is on the top of the valve cover. witch one gos to the tranny?

i just got the new bed on and will be gitting stacks and a motor in tow weeks i hope. The motor is in a 300td ? is that right? i cant fine a doner car under $1000 or a motor :argh:

i got this one (non turbo) for 700 with radi, tranny, and drive shaft. with 100k on it.

To the best of my memory, don't quote me and correct if necessary:

240 = 2.4 liter (4cyl diesel, all n/a)
300 = 3.0 liter (5cyl diesel or 6cyl gas)
D = Diesel
T = Station wagon
C = Coupe
S = Sedan (I may be wrong on this one, but they are all sedans)
E = Fuel Injected (gassers)
L = Long (the sedans with the long back door like a taxi)

Note: Stay away from the 300SDL, it is not the 3.0l, it's an inline six diesel prone to head warpage.

300SD, all years, all turbo diesel, pre '80 with detent rod and small trans, post '80 were detent cable and heavier trans, 85's had weird emissions controls.

300D, 300CD, 300TD, all three are available in turbo and n/a, trunk/hatch will have "turbo" badge if turbo'd, otherwise it's normally aspirated.

vwdieseljunkie,

What Transfer cause did you end up using and what kinda of adapter did you have to make for it to work?? I'm looking at putting one of these motors in a 87 Cherokee and was just wondering. Do you happen to have any more pictures of the swap?

Thanks,
db10bo

My Comanche was 2wd.

However, it looks like I will be using an old datsun T100L divorced case, or finding some other divorced case like a 205.

Will be getting started on the wrangler swap soon, biggest hold up right now is sourcing drive train. Long term plans are to save the wrangler frame and axles for a vw diesel swap later, and use a 3/4 ton frame and axles for the Wrangler so I can shift things around on the frame as I see fit, 3-link/4-link, etc. Money is finally getting good again to buy stuff.

Hey, I'm glad I found this forum. vwdieseljunkie, I followed your MJ / Mercedes build closely on the ComancheClub forum back in 05, looked like a marriage made in heaven. Then everything stopped after Katrina. Glad to see you are still at it. :U:

Does your MJ build thread still exist on the CC forum? Geat stuff, but I can't find it.

Thanks; -Don

Hey Don,
I haven't been to the CC forum in a good while, been so busy with other things. Pre-Katrina, I lived in town with a cable internet connection and hosted my own server that kept all my files, so the only stuff I had left was the few pics on the web and whatever was archived by the forums. I'll hunt around, because I posted on a few places, and bring a link back if I can.

try car-part.com they have lot of them and in my area you can find them for $500-$800

Thanks mate. A lot of guys over at the Jeep Stroker forum are very interested in your MJ OM617 build (including myself), so any pics would be great, especially of how the Benz tranny lined up, motor mounts, etc. Glad I finally tracked you down.

:yourock:i got a motor out of a 93 300sd for $300 with all i need. No more 2.5 gas for this truck. thanks for the tip and yes i will be macking the same a adapter plate much like the one Vlado made to bolt to my 5 speed

where can i get a yoke for the back of the mb tranny? am i going to have to make one?

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i need to know what pins on the glow plug relay to hit to make the thing kick in and out.

Yoke: Haven't had the opportunity to put it into application, but I'm pretty sure that if I were pull a mb yoke off the output shaft and brought it to a machine shop I could have a spicer yoke made to fit the splines, assuming one didn't already exist. Again, haven't tried it yet.

Glow plugs: Do you intend on trying to make the timer work, or do you feel comfortable doing the counting in your mind and guessing by ambient temp? I have never worried with timed relays, and always used a basic ford-type relay and a momentary on "push button" switch.

yeh vdub im just going to hold it down and wait a second or ten and ring the starter.

So any updates on the Wrangler? I have an OM617 sitting in my garage....

Soon, soon.

Don't need pics (YET!), but any info would be nice. :)

Well for now, I'm in a holding pattern waiting to find a donor vehicle for full size axles and trying to make up my mind on which divorced transfer case to use (depending on where my front diff is). The only thing I have really accomplished is to remove the dash and wiring harness from the YJ and get it pressure washed. I am going to take my time with this one and keep aesthetics in mind while I work through it.

Attachment 52128
Attachment 52129

Wife has three requests:
1. It has to look like a jeep
2. It has to be and automatic
3. She has to be able to get in/out without assistance
(#'s 2&3 are due to her disability)

Transmission.....are you planning to keep the Mercedes 722.1xx automatic tranny? Most Mercedes guys will swap those out in a heartbeat if they get a chance. I had one die on me...sitting in my garage taking up space.

Definitely keeping the trans. I am going to get as schooled up on them as much as I can, because we have a few of them around here with over 500k miles on them that are still very much bullet proof, and one of them has even been used as a camper tow vehicle.

The one I used in the MJ didn't give me any problems, either, and made a good tow vehicle for a 21' welcraft boat (old fiberglass boat with galv. trailer.)

I'd take a look at PeachParts - Mercedes Parts & Tech Info and read up on them. While they do last a long time like the engine, I wouldn't consider them bulletproof. BTW, go to the diesel forum....all the gurus hang out there. And the purists will probably give you some crap about dropping it into a YJ, but too bad for them. Look up "5cylturbojeep", it's been done as a YJ. But I think he was hoping to go to a 4wd.

But then again, depends on what your wife will be using the jeep for, and how she will be driving it. I certainly wouldn't tow anything with one of those trannies, but if it is general running around, it will probably last a long time.

Didn't know mercedes shop changed it's name. Same username there as here (as well as everywhere else, vwdieseljunkie)

She will be stomping the guts out of the skinny pedal. No, really. This will be purpose built for her to abuse, so long as it makes her happy. Big stupid tires, 3/4ton axles, and a whistling turbo. Flying mud, lots and lots of flying mud.

I've done a lot of heavy (for a comanche pickup) towing with my MJ after the diesel conversion and do not have a single bad thing to say about the trans. Power and rpm range is perfect with 4:10 axles and 31" tires, and the ability to pull it down to a lower gear or punch the WOT button made it a pulling machine! And it could get 27mpg on the highway cruising at 80mph.

what did you use for mount placment? (comanchee) as in did the 617 sit in the same spot? im doing the swap over the next few days. im an the point the hood grill finders and all that stuff is out the old 258 and tranny are out and i steem cleaned the frame and stuff. (all on friday) sat had to work. back at it today. plan is the put the 617 and trans in today send off for the drive shaft, and send out the alt to be converted to a one wire. im going to have to make a yoke. i cant use the sub shaft. the cj5 is just too short. i cant post pics from the work pc but i will load them in the next few days. i just wanted to say hi to my fellow swapers and keep ya posted. its happening now!

It pretty much sat in the same spot. I used 3x.250 flat stock to build the engine mount brackets and frame pads to use the factory Mercedes motor mount "cups". In hind sight, though it worked as designed, I would rather use a different style mount, something that has a firmer grip on the motor. I've torn the motor mounts on the cars, and it's scary when it breaks loose. Usually it's the driver's side mount that gives up first.

I used the jeep transmission cross member, it was two inches forward from being perfect alignment for the Mercedes transmission.

The only real issue I see you possibly having for fitment may revolve around either the down pipe from the turbo and the firewall, and/or the oil filter housing and the firewall. You may have to play with the height of the motor a little bit to find the best place between the front axle and the closed hood. Oil pan should sit forward of the axle, but might be tight clearance. I wish I had the time to run down there and put my hands on the project with you. I was just down at Hurlburt field a few weeks ago, and next time I make that trip I'll try to schedule some down time to swing by.

so i pulled out the dash, pulled all the wire out of the whole jeep. cut the dash in half. pulled the heater out and the blower. i got new plugs for the head lights and some other do dads. i need oil water and a speedo. i still dont know what to do about the tech. i should have the wiring done by fri with the new custom dash back in. sat the welder fires up and the mount pads go down. im not sure if a can get a yoke yet. if not im going to send it out, have one made. i would say a week from friday she will drive. as for you coming down, wait. when i am working on something like this i find it better to be around people who think im stupid. i work more and talk less. like minded people make me talk more then drink 20 beers and do nothing.... just wait. :c:

How is the placement of the oil pan? Everything clear, or kinda tight?

Oh, you suffer from the same disease, I see. :c:

well good and bad news. the pan wont clear the tie rod and front end. so.. axle flip to a spring over. the trouble is i dont think alot of folks lift the dj5. as in the right hand drive is rare and finding a drop pitman arm is not looking too good. i may have to fab a mount for a left drive box and just make it work. it wound be nice to have power steering. i have a full hydro steer from a mounted fork lift but im not sure if i want to get into that. i will keep ya posted

How much did it not clear by? could the motor have been moved forward or backward any to help in the clearance? That's disappointing.

i will try to post some pics when i load them to my pc. i needed a lift any way. no big deal. i big thing is the rust. its alot worse than i first thought. the body under the dash plate is super rotted and i dont want to even try to fix it. the good thing is the master cylinder is on the frame not the body so i can swap bodys whenever i find a new one.

i have more but i have to go to a wedding. i wish they would have asked me when a good time to do this would be. its interrupting my jeep time.

I find that happens a LOT.

I'm almost sad to admit it, but I almost talked myself out of the diesel in the YJ, because I ended up with a 96 Camaro with the 3800 series II 3.8l v6 and a bad tranny. I was going to stab that motor into the jeep, because it supposedly bolts right up to the trans behind the 2.5l 4cyl and 2.8l v6 motors. But no worries, I sold the camaro today (for $200 more than I paid for it) to a fella I've known a while. Back to dieseling the wrangler. lol. I didn't want anything with spark plugs, anyways.

the spring flip is turning out to be a azz pain! i cant find anyone who knows what drop pitman arm i need for my saganaw manual box. insted of bubba blocking the dana 44 im going to fab up some drop spring perches for the back end. easy. but the pitman arm sucks. thanks to fish n kid for posting the link to the guy who put the 12 volt vac switch in for the fuel kill. (cool) beats the poop out of sucking the vac line to kill the darn thing. i only had three hours to work on it today a i wasted it on the comp trying to get a pitman arm in the mail. i did manage to pull the old one off and pull the front axle out, but thats it. all and all today was not productive.

Eh, oops, I guess I could have told you that a syringe works like a champ. About a quarter pull on one the size of a roll of quarters and she's dead! Just to check, got any questions about weird stuff like that?

i think i have all the mb stuff down. its the mail man jeep stuff that seems to be the deal now. like... im going for about eight to ten inches of lift. not all the stuff on a dj are the same as the cj, and no one knows what is and isnt. so.. i have to get a part, size it. then go all over hell and hunt a needle in a hay stack to find even the smallest things or make everything from scratch. but thanks to you and vlado. you have both been a real help.

Have yo been to earlycj5.com? Lots of info there....