I think www.seriestrek.com might have somethign about a merc swap.

 

Rob Davis in VA was working on something

 

And how do I get a hold of said person is he on here .

 

No Robert is not on here. I will PM you his phone number.

Jim Pendleton

 

so, do adapters exist? im getting ready to do the exact same.

 

not have much luck , but if you want to go to a manuel trans , check out 4x4labs.com Luke builds adapters for the om617 to gm or chevy manuel .

 

the ZF auto wont handle the Diesel vibrations for very long. The rover diesels are much smoother. Hopefully Ashcroft will chime in and explain more, unless I am mistaken, then he will correct me.

 

the BMW E28 524TD uses a 4HP22?

 

Go with a Muncie 4 speed! you will need an over drive though!

 

A five cyl is going to be much smoother than a 4 of the same output. The Isuzu 4BD1T's have killed the ZF's, but that's a real thumper with about twice the torque.

 

ok, so i was wrong, the isuzu is the nono engine for a ZF, so bump, who makes a OM617 to ZF adapter??

 

Is the LR automatic significantly weaker than the stock MBZ automatic?

 

I don't know that it is weaker, I was led to believe that the shift points, etc were less than optimum for the diesel and the added expense of "converting" was more than the manual transmission-at least in my client's case.

I'm sure Dave and Ian can be more explanatory of the pros-cons.

 

well, one can always use a 4x4labs MB to chevy trans adapter, then a marks4wd chevy to rover trans adapter... might add some length to the steup though, but it should bolt on somewhat...

 

The autos in the later 300tdi Disco's had talking ECUs if I recall correctly, so I don't see shift points being an immediate issue. But the lost power is a bit too substantial for the poor 300tdi.

 

It was still a completely mechanical transmission. The p38 had that wierd diesel that no one wants, I think that was electronic shift like the gas engine.

 

Redline on an OM617 is like 5100 RPM (not that I would let one spend much time there). Drive a 240 (OM615) around on the road for a while. 'Normal' Automatic shift points won't hurt the OM617 (or it's older brethren).

As far as vibration might be concerned - a 4 cylinder has a significant up-and-down secondary vibration that cannot be balanced-out without the use of a balance shaft. An OM617 (5 cylinder) does not have that secondary vibration. That is why Audi (gas) and MBZ (diesel) (and Deutz and a few others) built 5 cylinders in the first place.

I remember an Audi ad on TV way back when with an engineer speaking in an accent answering 'why a 5 cylinder' and the answer was 'Because a 4 is too rough, and a 6 is too bulky'.

Seriously, drive a 240D or 300D with an automatic around for a while. Gas shift points would not be a problem. And would it be THAT difficult to add weight to the LR governor weights if you wanted to move the shift points down?

 

Drive a 240 (OM615) around on the road for a while.

The OM615(.940) is a 2.0L diesel or a "200D". The OM615(.941) is a 2.2L diesel or a "220D". The 240D was an OM616 engine.

 

Ya'll know I've got a 617 turbo mated to an NP435. Mating one to an automatic should be pretty simple too.

An no I won't.....Make your own friggin' adapter plate! :flipoff2:

 

That's a fake, posed picture. No shop could ever be THAT clean!:flipoff2:

That is engine porn!

 

Does the engine lean over with his adapter?

 

His kit is not actually ready, Robert still is in the prototype stage . But he had an adapter cut for me ( not cheap at all ) . Robert said the full kit should be ready in 6-8 months for a lot cheaper then I am paying for just the adapter plate. But I did not want to wait and wanted to give it a go myself.
I don't want to speak to much on Robert's behalf so I wont say much els. But he already has the om617 in a Range Rover using the gas auto trans.

 

Tho oil pan situation is holding things up with Roberts adapters. I have been working with him on it to get the conversion to work with the V8 gas transmissions. As I have a lot of experience doing this.

Should be a good option for you tightwads:flipoff2:

 

yeah, im pondering what to do about the pan problem as well. i was thinking about moving the oil filter. modifying the pan. and leaning the engine a little.

 

Isn't there a dry-sump setup for that engine that was used in some tuck applications? I thought there were some who'd said it might resolve the oil pan clearance/interference issues.

 

what about shifting the whole mess to the port side a few inches?

 

can the pan not be "flipped" and the pickup tube modified to draw from the rear of the sump? (dumb questions but it is done all the time in the toyota world when doing solid front axles on a tacoma/4runner...)

 

Thats a great question would seem to solve a lot of issues .

 

whats the distance from the cneter of the crank to the bottom of the pan? (ie to calculate bump stop length to keep it from hitting)

 

Nice posts


Good information.

 

maybe off topic, but 4x4 labs just released a flexplate and coupler adapter for the toyota land cruiser h55 manual tranny to bolt up to the 617. then you can use the cruiser tcase which is offset correctly. h55's are tough to come by, but they are stout trannys.

i think they are selling the kit for $950 or so. kind of pricey, but makes the swap a nearly bolt on affair.

 

That is a nice approach. Transmission is definitely an upgrade from R380. And Orion might add a good touch.

 

If it helps at all..

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=868339

 

Damn Dieselcruiserhead.... That is an awesome find. I may just have to do that in Sandi's Jeep now.

 

now i just have to figure out what to use for a flywheel. a 300gd flywheel is too expensive and a 240 only has a 8ish inch disc. i have a chevy small block flywheel but the bolt pattern isnt close enuff. i want to use the 10.5 inch disc the truck already has. suggestions?

 

I'm just throwing this up against the wall - don't hate me if it sounds stupid...

What about adapting the GM flywheel onto the MBZ flywheel? Or making a plain flywheel surface that would mount to the MBZ flywheel the way the pressure plate would?

IIRC, the MBZ flywheel has a fairly deep section, no?

 

Yes...

BUT - does a later-model GM SBC (one-piece ream-main seal) leave you enough material to re-work it for the MBZ?

I know the bolt pattern is somewhat smaller than the old 2-piece rear-main engines. Just don't know by how much.

And another 'OR' - GM 60 degree V-6's (2.8 / 3.1 / 3.4) like from an S-10. Would that give you a decent compromise?