Any updates? I was planning on doing a stroker on my 4.0 '87 Jeep Cherokee 4x4 but have heard bad things about towing with the AW4 automatics. I'm building the jeep for off-roading (4.5" lift RC long arm and 31" tires) but me and the wife also plan on buying a 27' Cabin Cruiser in the near future and I would like to be able to tow it with my Jeep rather than buying another vehicle just to tow the boat. The 300SD inline 5 diesel looks like a perfect candidate for swapping into the Jeep but how is it for towing? Would the matching automatic transmission be able to tow a 27' boat and last? I have a Dana 44 front and Dana 60 full-float rear from a '79 F-250 that I'm rebuilding to put into the Jeep. Also, how do diesel turbos hold up to water? I know a gasser turbo will crack if hit with enough water but diesels run cooler correct?

 

The OM617 is a good choice for swapping into an XJ bodied Cherokee. The engine bay is already laid out for a straight 6 gasser, so the straight 5 diesel is a good fit physically. The 300 series MB and the Cherokee are comparable in weight so the engine is about as good of a match (HP to weight ratio) in the Jeep as it is in the MB.

BUT neither the lightweight Jeep uniframe OR the power output of the OM617 are a good match for towing a 27 foot boat. That's just too big of a load for the braking system, and weight of the vehicle - not to mention the modest 125 HP / 180 ft-lbs power output of the OM617.

For towing that kind of weight an 80's Wagoneer with a 4BT or even a 6BT would be a much better combination. The Waggys had a full frame and were designed to stand up to the power and torque of the old 360 V8, so they are much better suited to the kind of loads and stresses you'd be putting on them towing a 27 foot boat.

 

A 617 wouldn't even be adequate for towing an 8' sailboat in a Jeep.

 

Well, that might be a bit of an overstatement, but I sure wouldn't want to tow anything more than about 1000 pounds with an OM617 in a Cherokee...

 

Some diehard owners still drive their diesel Mercedes, partly because when taken care of, the car lasts far longer than most, and the 5 cylinder diesel gets about 32 to 35 miles per gallon of diesel fuel..

 

Yeah, I'm one of them (84 300CD turbo as my daily driver).

You're mistaken about the fuel mileage most of them get though. Two different MB diesel boards I'm on did user polls on mileage for the OM617 powered MBs. The vast majority are getting around 25 mpg +/- a couple of mpg. 32-35 is pretty much unheard of for the OM617 turbo. I get a pretty consistent 25 mpg in mixed driving.

 

man i am so happy i found this site. ive been planning on putting a om617 in my sonoma for a while. this site taught me more useful stuff that 12 years of school and colledge. has anyone ran a ax15 jeep trans in a s10 om617 swap. i want a manual and that seems like the way to go. just rough finding one for a 2wd. I would like to know what works for a clutch master cylinder. glad i found this site i was going to run the stock mb trans till i found all the info on trans adapters

 

a couple ?'s for vwdieseljunkie or others who might know,...
what radiator did you use in your comanche? I'm going into a 92 cherokee, am I ok to assume the cherokee and comanche have identical front ends( steering components and frame)? It looks like I can stuff the mb radiator (minus oil cooler) down next to the steering box, although a tight fit.
can the stock cherokee radiator properly cool the 0m617?
Where are people mounting the oil cooler?
The air intake elbow from turbo to air filter in your comanche pics,.. where did that come form?

p.s. glow plug wiring diagram can be found at mercedesdiesel4x4.com. I'm not far enough along to have used the info yet.

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one more ? for vwdieseljunkie, do you have any close up pics of your motor mounts on the comanche?...once again, assuming comanche/cherokee are the same.

 

Yes, the Comanche and Cherokee are the same. The 4.0 rad will be ok as well. I mounted my oil cooler in the front bumper, if you use the 4.0 rad there may be enough room to mount it below. Looks like the elbow is an ABS plumbing 90 sweep. Hey, if your out my way sometime, I'd be happy to get together so you can check out my Cherokee.

 

fte, prob 2 or 3 weeks before im up to portland/vanco area, but would definately take you up on offer to see your rig. Im refurbing seals on the mb motor over next few days, then starting install so don' know what ill be driving by that time.....
thanx for all the info so far!