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This is my very first thread on here so bear with me.
I have finally started my diesel swap into my 91 pickup. I have the full tdswaps kit that I will be using ( I bought it for half price so I couldn't pass it up) and pulled the engine from an 84 300d with 76k miles. It was the california model, however I swapped the federal model turbo assembly onto the engine.
The truck currently has a 4in lift on 35s and has been in the family for years. The truck previously had a 22re with about 250k on it. The truck ran great but I need a little more power as I tow a 6x10 enclosed trailer and 2 quads and the 22re struggles to hold 60.
So far I have pulled both engines and the om617 has been mildly rebuilt and is ready to drop in the truck.
For the OM617 I have done follwoing:
-Bought a gasket set from PeachParts and resealed the whole engine.
-Installed TDswaps Oil pan, PS mount, AC bracket (cs130 alternator) , throttle cable bracket, and motor mounts.
-Adjusted the valves and Timed the injection pump to 27degrees.
-Installed new Monark injectors.
-New water pump.
-Removed Alda and Adjusted rack limiter
As for the Truck I have:
-Installed Glow shift gauge pillar with Boost, EGT, and Oil pressure gauges.
-Removed the fuel neck restrictor as well as the fuel pump.
-Completely rebuilt the whole suspension all the way around including brakes, shocks, and axles.
-As for gearing, I am running 4.88s and 35s so I am hoping this is a good fit for the diesel.
-I have completely removed the ECU and wiring harness but kept the A/C, Starter, Water Temp, Oil pressure, reverse and 4wd sensor wires. I have tested my stock gauges with this setup and they all seem to work and I get power to everything i need at the right time.
Some things I still need to button up and may need some insight on:
-Glow plug Harness. I have it pretty much worked out and will use the Check engine light in the cluster to notify when they are receiving power.
-Tach interface. I have the Dakota digital DSL-1 unit with the tooth sensor but have to tackle tapping the bell housing and making it work with the tach.
-Buy an alternator. I plan on using the GM 1 wire, have heard some bad news using them but the bracket I have is meant for it. Will give it a shot and go from there.
- I am planning on using my A/C but I do not have a mount for it and my time is pretty limited to fab one up. If anyone has an idea or design it would be much appreciated. Doesn't seem too tricky but may take some time.
-As for cooling I am using the stock Toyota radiator as it is almost brand new. I plan on installing 2 pusher fans with a variable controlled turn on switch set at a temperature based on what temp the engine likes to be.
I plan on dropping the engine in this week and starting it up but have to tackle those last few things. I just started college and work is in full swing so time is limited. Will keep you all posted and any help or insight would be much appreciated. I enjoy reading all of your build threads and gave me the inspiration to do mine. Hope to here from you guys!
-Jordan
Truck as it sits currently (minus new headache rack and new toolbox)
When i first bought it. What a Mess.
Not bad for $350
Motor right now. Have a few little things to do but I have painted and clear coated almost everything on it. Hope it runs as good as it looks!
Hey man, sick quads and nice job cleaning up the new engine.
On the A/C bracket, I used one from TDswaps that places the compressor in the Benz alternator location so it works with the stock suction and discharge lines, looks like it'd be easy to duplicate. I'll see about a few pictures if you'd like.
So you had no problems removing the ECU?
Also interested in wiring the CEL to indicate glow status. Wiring is the only thing left on my swap 1994 extra cab v6.
Hey man, sick quads and nice job cleaning up the new engine.
On the A/C bracket, I used one from TDswaps that places the compressor in the Benz alternator location so it works with the stock suction and discharge lines, looks like it'd be easy to duplicate. I'll see about a few pictures if you'd like.
So you had no problems removing the ECU?
Also interested in wiring the CEL to indicate glow status. Wiring is the only thing left on my swap 1994 extra cab v6.
As for the ECU removal it was quite simple. I will take some pics when I get home. Basically I saved all the sending units and cut the rest of the wires that go to the ecu. I have tested everything and they all still work!
For the CEL I mapped out what powers the light and it's as easy as running the blue/white glow plug wire to the positive terminal on the cluster. Will also post a pic!
I still need to figure out the shut off and route the exhaust. Currently I have a 3" down pipe off of a 7.3 power stroke and it fits really nicely.
Thank you for the info. I'm not using any stock gauges except fuel, volt and speedo but I was worried about losing these with the ECU gone; haven't had time to poke around in the harness yet.
The best shut off I've seen is to use the A/C idle-up VSV from the 3VZE plumbed between your vacuum pump main line and the shut off valve on the IP, then you can shut the engine off by providing power to the VSV. This way you have a shutdown system that is setup as Normally Closed so you eliminate the possibility of it preventing the engine from starting or suddenly stopping the engine should there be a vacuum or electrical problem.
Are those American Racing wheels? They look sharp!
Hello. I'm glad to hear that you are using the 7.3 PSD down pipe. It fits like a glove, don't it? Two things I want to caution you about, are your radiator and your drivetrain. The 4cyl radiator will not meet the cooling demands of the OM617. It doesn't have enough cores or volume to handle it. It will be much easier and safer to do it the right way, now, rather than later after the motor overheats and blows a head gasket. The other thing is your IFS with the lift and tires. With the weight of the diesel and size of your tires, you're going to be going thru front end components like crazy. I would strongly suggest doing a solid axle swap. The IFS with smaller tires will get you awesome mileage, while a SAS and big tires will be great off road, but big tires + IFS will result in poor mileage and poor off roading experiences. The solid axle is a night and day difference off road.
Take all of this for what it's worth. I speak from experience. I would rather see you do it right the first time and not have regrets down the road. Once you hear that diesel roar and feel your truck move under its power, you're not going to want to have to rip it down to fix something major. Sharp truck and clean engine!
Thank you for the info. I'm not using any stock gauges except fuel, volt and speedo but I was worried about losing these with the ECU gone; haven't had time to poke around in the harness yet.
The best shut off I've seen is to use the A/C idle-up VSV from the 3VZE plumbed between your vacuum pump main line and the shut off valve on the IP, then you can shut the engine off by providing power to the VSV. This way you have a shutdown system that is setup as Normally Closed so you eliminate the possibility of it preventing the engine from starting or suddenly stopping the engine should there be a vacuum or electrical problem.
Are those American Racing wheels? They look sharp!
The wheels are Ultra 164 15x10. I was going to get a black bead-lock wheel however I came across these wheels for $100 so I had to buy them.
For the wiring I took these pics real quick:
The wires you see that are snipped are the ones that when from this plug to the ECU. The other wires that are intact are for all the sending units and connect into the existing plug without any hassle. This is all by the passenger foot panel btw.
As you can see this is the back of the cluster. The + sign indicates where the blue/white wire from the glow plug relay will tap into. The other side is grounded already so its pretty straight forward. The positive terminal is second from the right.
Hello. I'm glad to hear that you are using the 7.3 PSD down pipe. It fits like a glove, don't it? Two things I want to caution you about, are your radiator and your drivetrain. The 4cyl radiator will not meet the cooling demands of the OM617. It doesn't have enough cores or volume to handle it. It will be much easier and safer to do it the right way, now, rather than later after the motor overheats and blows a head gasket. The other thing is your IFS with the lift and tires. With the weight of the diesel and size of your tires, you're going to be going thru front end components like crazy. I would strongly suggest doing a solid axle swap. The IFS with smaller tires will get you awesome mileage, while a SAS and big tires will be great off road, but big tires + IFS will result in poor mileage and poor off roading experiences. The solid axle is a night and day difference off road.
Take all of this for what it's worth. I speak from experience. I would rather see you do it right the first time and not have regrets down the road. Once you hear that diesel roar and feel your truck move under its power, you're not going to want to have to rip it down to fix something major. Sharp truck and clean engine!
Thanks a ton Joe!
Your thread has greatly impacted this build.
I do have the stock mercedes radiator and didn't really consider that. I will yard the toyota one out and make the mercedes one fit. Doesn't seem to difficult. I do plan to SAS down the road just couldn't afford it at the moment. The lift was free and decided to roll with it. I noticed you are currently in college as well. I am studying Electrical Engineering and will be graduating next summer. Busy stuff for sure!
Sure thing, just trying to help get you rollin! I think it would be worth looking into a V6 radiator, since it should bolt up, but that would be a question for someone who has done a V6 swap-out. The Mercedes radiator will obviously work, but it's size is awkward. Here is a link to mine; it's almost perfect, but a little big. It offers more than enough cooling.
As for radiators; I made the Mercedes radiator fit in just a few minutes in my V6 truck it makes dealing with hoses easier as well as you can use the ones designed for the 300D. If you decide you want a V6 radiator I still have mine with mounting brackets and no use for it, let me know if you'd like it.
Ah yes my mistake. Although the V6 radiator mounted as it was stock took up more space than the Merc radiator pushed up against the core support...the summitracing unit looks better than both of those options though!
You're just now starting school and you'll be graduating next year with an engineering degree?? Where are YOU going to school??
What I meant by starting school again was returning from spring break. I currently attend University of Washington. I have gone every summer term however trying to knock it out!
Its been a while since I've posted, been super busy with school and work. Anyways, have any of you ran into this on the exhaust manifold? I know its part of the erg, which I removed, but what I am wondering is how to block it off. I don't want to pull it off of the engine, so I was thinking of using a v-band clamp and a circular piece of metal. Any input would be awesome!
Thanks for the input guys!
Dropped the engine last night. Fits great! ordered the radiator from summit racing today and intercooler setup thanks to Joe. Also for the shutoff I'm planning on using the door buzzer to wire to a vsv solenoid to shut the engine off. The buzzer only comes on when the key is in the ignition but in the first position. Hoping it checks out.
Great idea on using the Key Unlock Warning switch for shut off - I may borrow that idea!
How do you plan on activating the Mercedes glow controller? I can't seem to find a +12v source that is on only in "ACC" position.
04-06-2015, 10:08 PM
