Mercedes Diesel

JPTHING · Oct 5, 2007

I am wondering if a Mercedes turbo diesel would be worth a crap for a wheeler engine. I really would prefer a diesel over a gasoline engine, so if this would be a good engine please let me know. Here is the one I am looking at:

http://seattle.craigslist.org/kit/car/440436077.html

TreeClimber · Oct 5, 2007

It is a massive amount of work to switch a rig to a diesel. Everything you can possibly think of will need replaced. It's like trying to make that 300 sedan into a wheeler. HUGE job.

Plus, you will go to mega-torque with very little engine RPM swings. RPM is your friend. You want to pull thru the power band as you accelerate up hills. With a gas motor, you can pull from 800 rpm to 5000+ rpm. With a D, you'll be lucky to ever hit 3000.

Don't do it.

JPTHING · Oct 5, 2007

TreeClimber said:
It is a massive amount of work to switch a rig to a diesel. Everything you can possibly think of will need replaced. It's like trying to make that 300 sedan into a wheeler. HUGE job.

Plus, you will go to mega-torque with very little engine RPM swings. RPM is your friend. You want to pull thru the power band as you accelerate up hills. With a gas motor, you can pull from 800 rpm to 5000+ rpm. With a D, you'll be lucky to ever hit 3000.

Don't do it.

I know the whole diesel thing, I am just wondering if this Mercedes engine is worth a crap whether it will have enough Torque, and HP? The work to change everything is already expected. Plus my gearing has been setup to work with a planned future diesel.

CrustyJeep · Oct 6, 2007

TreeClimber said:
Plus, you will go to mega-torque with very little engine RPM swings. RPM is your friend. You want to pull thru the power band as you accelerate up hills. With a gas motor, you can pull from 800 rpm to 5000+ rpm. With a D, you'll be lucky to ever hit 3000.

Don't do it.

A diesel would kick ass for crawling. And that's about it.

Tony's dead on. Without RPM range, life would suck balls.

Eric · Oct 6, 2007

The mercedes diesels will rev to 4500 no problem:awesomework: and run at these revs.

There are lots of people that have put them in older land cruisers.

Google is your friend on this one, the mercedes diesels are used in a lot of things.

CrustyJeep · Oct 6, 2007

Eric said:
The mercedes diesels will rev to 4500 no problem:awesomework: and run at these revs.

How long will it take to achieve that RPM though? RPM range without throttle response is useless. If you have time to wait for the engine to rev, you have time to shift.

Pat · Oct 6, 2007

If you've got 5 grand to spend on a motor, check this out-
http://www.obwcanada.com/start.html

Outback · Oct 6, 2007

Pat said:
If you've got 5 grand to spend on a motor, check this out-
http://www.obwcanada.com/start.html

THANK YOU! :beer:

I've got this ranger that has 80-HP and gets 28-MPG. But the engine is tires and a Diesel swap into it makes sooo much sense! It wheels ok but lacks in torque.

Eric · Oct 6, 2007

CrustyJeep said:
How long will it take to achieve that RPM though? RPM range without throttle response is useless. If you have time to wait for the engine to rev, you have time to shift.

I know this, and around here a gas motor is much nicer to have on the trails, but for some rigs a diesel will work very well.

Another issue you may find is if this is a califonia model or not, the california model has a trap oxidizer that slows the turbo down and in most cases had destroyed the turbo, mercedes had a recall, I dont know if they still do

Another issue is that they are much less tolerent of dirt and dust in places

64FJ40 · Oct 7, 2007

Call and talk to Luke: http://www.4x4labs.com/diesel.html

craig1 · Oct 10, 2007

The Mercedes 617 diesel is an awesome motor. It is bomb proof, will burn just about anything, and is common enough that you can get parts for it. It is a popular engine to drop into older Land Rover 109s (a la Wild Kingdom type trucks) as it is a better motor than the Land Rover diesel.

If you are into bio-diesel, it is a great motor for that too.