89 Toyota 4runner OM617.952 Benz Swap

[someone]

Starting a swap this week,

pulled the OM617 from the Benz over the weekend, and pulling the 22RE out of the 4runner tomorrow. I have been waiting for the 22RE to die for a while, I think it froze over the winter and cracked the head... my own fault, but I am not too worried as it has had this killer knock on start up as well as a horrible idle for the past two seasons. It is currently blowing white smoke while cold and drinking coolant like my roommates drink their beer... Everything was timed for the best and this '82 Mercedes 300SD fell in my lap for a measly $300 bucks. I should make my money back on that no problem between parting it out and scrap.

I plan on using the Toyota 5spd and T-case behind the Benz Engine... not sure on the adapter yet, I want to pull my toyota engine first to get the flywheel out to measure up an adapter so I can set up the clutch properly. I see this has been attempted before but not completed... the uncomplete project is for sale unfinished on pirate4x4.

It seems to be engine swap season here at the shop, there is currently a landcruiser going from a 3FE gas to 2H diesel, and the motor and trans in my vette are out for a refresh.

from everything I have read about these engines they are said to be one of the best and most reliable diesels ever built, and what I have learned and seen first hand with the benz and the removal I tend to agree, very stout for its size. I think this will be a great choice of engines for this truck...perfect amount of power and very free reving for a diesel. My plan for the longest time was to install a Hino 3.9 4cyl W04TC, which may have in the end been a little heavy and cumbersome for the truck the way that it sits, and they only pop up for an affordable price once in a blue moon.

wish me luck, I am going to need it... here a few pictures to build the suspense...

[someone]

[jdlcruiser]

Hey someone-

Looking forward to this. Been wondering about it for a while. Good luck

JLa

[someone]

I made up an adapter plate yesterday, I ended up using some steel plate I had lying around. I went out to pick up a piece of aluminum plate but could not find anywhere with any in stock. The steel I had worked out perfect as it was the exact thickness needed in combination with the factory toyota plate. It will make it so that the flywheel and clutch sit in the exact spot in the transmission as they did with the 22RE...The starter will bolt into the bellhousing threw the factory plate and the adapter plate is cut out of the way behind it to keep the starter shimmed in the right spot. I will admit it looks a little crude as I did all my cuts with the torch, but I am not doing this project to show off... I am doing it to get my truck on the trail this spring... All of my holes are drilled and the plate bolts up nicely to the Benz engine, I just need to run a tap threw the holes that the Toy trans will bolt to.

I need to drill my flywheel to bolt it to the benz crank, I am just trying to build some sort of a jig to make sure it is dead center... In factory configuration both flywheels slide over their respected cranks to ensure they are centered... I may try to incorporate the pilot bushing so it centers in the benz crank and the Toy flywheel, just have not quite figured it out yet.

After that it should be just the simple (ya right) Fuel, Exhaust and cooling systems...

A couple upcoming concerns that I could use some comments on;

Fuel Cut- In the factory configuration the benz fuel cut is vacuum, does it allow vacuum to run with the key on and cut it when you turn the key off or vice versa? The toyota has some vacuum solenoids on top of the valve cover that I am going to play with that can hopefully be salvaged for this purpose

Starter- The toyota starter is half the size of the benz... but it appears to be a gear reduction starter and the benz does not. Is the toy starter going to have enough juice to crank the diesel? I going to run two batteries minimum, I may also run a second alternator in place of the A/C just because I have a new 140amp on the toy now. not to much of a worry as a have a shelf with 3 or 4 toy starters sitting on it.

I will try to put up some pics in the next day or two

[someone]

tapped and test fitted the plate yesterday with my mock up trans, everything fit well, so I cleaned up the plate a little more. Going to get the flywheel re drilled today.

[jdlcruiser]

That looks awesome. Which toy trans are you bolted to? I apologize, I have one with the twin stick x-fer. Just wondering if that is the original?

[someone]

the trans on the floor is a stocker from a '92 4cyl, and the one in my truck is from the 89 4cyl, I am trying to do this without moving the trans back at all, as I did not want to play with my driveshafts. I am going to see if I can get a bushing machined today to center the toy flywheel to the benz crank, hopefully it does not cost to much.

after that I should be able to drop her in for a test fit.

[someone]

I got a machine shop to drill the new bolt holes in my flywheel and machine me an aluminum bushing to center the flywheel in the crank and hold the pilot bushing. While I was waiting for that I also dropped the engine in for a test fit. Not a ton of room in front so cooling will propably be my next challenge... I am going to weld in my motor mounts and drop it in today.

[someone]

[someone]

[rustyrelic]

Great thread! keep posting the pictures

[W.R.Buchanan]

I think your pilot bearing will last forever. Cool solution.

Randy

[someone]

Unfortunatly I can not find any bolts for my flywheel on a saturday. The benz ones are too long, they are M10 X 1.0 which is a very fine thread pitch that general hardware stores carry. It will have to wait untill monday... but I test fitted it with the pilot bearing and flywheel and it all lined up good.

Shop around if you want to get machining done. The first guy quoted me $350 to make that bushing and drill 6 holes in my flywheel... I thought that was fare but did not click with the guy...I went to another random shop, and talked to the guy about the swap, He showed me some of his projects and engines he had kicking around. He told me he charged $75 dollars an hour, again fair. I liked him so I left it for him to do. Ended up costing $130 bucks.... I guess that means I can spend some cash on the cooling system. I do not really want to hack up my rad support, so I am trying to find a nice thin large single core rad... or any ideas? If it was a pickup I could put it in the back...
I was pondering the idea of putting the rad on top of the motor with a hood scoop and electric fans, but I doubt there will be enough clearance.

only time will tell

[giezy]

did you use the mercedes flywheel or the toyota and redrill it? cause the 617 has a balanced fylwheel looks goodthough

[95Z28A4]

I guess that means I can spend some cash on the cooling system. I do not really want to hack up my rad support, so I am trying to find a nice thin large single core rad... or any ideas?

What are the max dimensions and location of the inlet & outlet for the radiator?

.

[someone]

did you use the mercedes flywheel or the toyota and redrill it? cause the 617 has a balanced fylwheel looks goodthough

I have read about the balancing on other posts... I was planning on getting the toy flywheel balanced to match the benz one I removed, but then realized I did not mark the benz flywheel to the crank to begin with, so even if I balancecd the toy flywheel, i would not know which position it would need to be in to balance the crank correctly anyways. I talked to a few engine builders and all 3 of them said not to worry about it as they are so close to perfect that you will not know the difference.

The other option is that you can buy a self adjusting harmonic balancer for the front of the crank, but I do not think there will be enough room upfront.

I think I have come to the decision to ignore the balancing for now... If I blow it up it is my own fault and I will have to pay the price.

[someone]

What are the max dimensions and location of the inlet & outlet for the radiator?

.

I have not measured yet, I will post them up as soon as the engine is back in and I know

[giezy]

I think I have come to the decision to ignore the balancing for now... If I blow it up it is my own fault and I will have to pay the price.[/QUOTE]

it's not likeyou can go out and get another merc for 5-1000 running my friend has two 85 300d's all for 1100 and they run great! mayby see you on the trail this year going to do some more wheling this summer insted of long vacations

[someone]

I think I have come to the decision to ignore the balancing for now... If I blow it up it is my own fault and I will have to pay the price.

it's not likeyou can go out and get another merc for 5-1000 running my friend has two 85 300d's all for 1100 and they run great! mayby see you on the trail this year going to do some more wheling this summer insted of long vacations[/QUOTE]

Let me know when it is done, We can rip it up, a Commanche will be a good candidate, I used to have one, it was a solid truck... Get to work.

[someone]

here is a shot threw the clutch fork hole of my mock up transmission of the input shaft lining up nicely with the pilot bearing... I had my fingers crossed

[someone]

Here are some shots of the motor bolted in, hopefully perminantly... The motor mounts are welded in on top of the mounts from the old independent suspension, worked out perfectly. it is the perfect distance from the fire wall, and I still have enough room for a modified toyota rad in front. The one in the pictures is bent and beat up, but I have the same rad in good shape. I will propably spend the $100 bucks to have the lower rad hose moved from the drivers side to the passenger side. with hopefully a couple of electric fans on the front pushing air threw it. Need to hook up all of the accessories and then fire her up... maybe tommorow night... I f I am lucky

[giezy]

looks good get rid of that egr it will help with the performance of the engine check out www.superturbodiesel.com they have alot of cool car there that they modify and have info on tuning the ip up for about 140 hp! that should make your truck really zip1

[someone]

I got everything hooked up today, except the exhaust... the cooling system is a little ghetto, but will do for now, atleast to work the bugs out...

The truck starts up no problem, but stalls after about 5 - 10 seconds... it will do this as many times as I want, but will not keep running...

I ruled out the fuel cut as when I applied vacuum it would not start at all...

anyone have any ideas? what am I forgetting?

Hopefully It will be running and driving tommorow and I can figure out how to make the bumper and grill fit over the fans and the oil cooler...

I will take some pics along the way

[cell]

nice work!

have you primed the fuel system using the manual prime pump? you might simply have some air in the system.

the radiator looks like it might be too close to the crank pulley to allow you to fit a ratchet in there. when you adjust the valves on this engine, usually you turn the motor by hand with a ratchet on the crank pulley.

[K204DR]

thats very cool. how'd you center the adapter?

[dieselcruiserhead]

Yes trace amounts or air that are borderline unbleedable. You basically have to start it and florr it and it should return to idle. You have to do same trick with 4BTs sometimes...

[someone]

thats very cool. how'd you center the adapter?

with a measuring tape... If I was to do it again, I would get the bushing and fly wheel machined first, then bolted the piece of plate steel to the engine, instal the flywheel and then actually slide the trans into place, and mark the holes for it on the plate...

I had to oversize a couple of holes to get it all to line up perfectly. but all in all it fit very nice.

[someone]

It turns out the fuel cut vacuum line needs to be plugged to run, it can not just be open to the environment. I ended up installing a small vacuum actuator to the kill, and have it operating off of a small button on my dash.

The truck is running and driving, and it feels nice... I have put about 15km on the road and a couple of kms on a local trail. It is freaking awsome in 4low
The truck needs some fine tuning but to be realistic other than needing to take the exhaust to the back of the truck It is is good working condition right out of the box... before I hit any serious trails I need to relocate the oil cooler aswell, just need to get some lines made up.

I did not get any driving videos as my memory card was full, but here are a couple of teasers.

[giezy]

you should through the oil cooler in the bumper looks like a good spot to put it with the cut outs I got a 90 comanche to get apart so i can put in a 617 going to try to build my adapter like yours the starter is the big thing they bolt to a 4.0 amc not the bell like yours

[someone]

you should through the oil cooler in the bumper looks like a good spot to put it with the cut outs I got a 90 comanche to get apart so i can put in a 617 going to try to build my adapter like yours the starter is the big thing they bolt to a 4.0 amc not the bell like yours

bring your adapter plate around the adapter plate and bolt it to that.... like I am saying to everyone now... the easiest way to make an adapter plate is to bolt an oversized plate to the motor. find away to adapt your flywheel and center it, then slide your trans in tight to the pilot beraring and mark the bellhousing holes.


start with the flywheel... Dont let the small details discourage you, once you start you will think about it non stop untill you have the answer... if not that is why there are forums like this.

as for the adapter thikness just measure how far the flywheel sits into the trans stock, and how far the crank sticks off the motor stock and split the difference... if it comes out negative, then you have some work ahead of you.... if that makes any sence