- Location
- United States
SOLD
Purchased in the winter of 2010 as a beat up project with a Chevrolet 250 straight 6 with a single barrel carburetor and a 20 year old paint job that buried rust in the quarter panels I loaded it up and headed home. Originally planned as a mild wheeler and the platform to teach my children how to drive a standard it soon evolved into much more. The build thread, for what it is worth can be found here. Build Thread
In 2011 I installed a Mercedes OM617 turbo diesel out of an 85 SD. Luke at 4x4labs and Mr. Manny had both started similar swaps but information was very scarce. I built my own adapter plate and installed a very wore out 5 cylinder diesel, within a few months I had it on the road to mixed results. Lots of information in the build thread on this but for the most part it was a terrible failure. By running 16+ pounds of boost I soon managed to burn a hole in a piston and almost scrapped the whole project. Fortunately, I came across a low mileage 300D with a bad tranny and picked it up. I purchased an adapter from an outfit in Minnesota that specialized in installing 700R4 tranny’s in the Mercedes 300 series cars and installed the new motor. Much better results than the original, it pushes the square box down the highway on 35’s with reasonable power.
1978 Toyota FJ40 w/ diesel designated title $12,000 OBO $11,000 OBO
Engine
Transmission/Transfercase
Front axle
Rear axle
Other
The Bad
Additional Items
Purchased in the winter of 2010 as a beat up project with a Chevrolet 250 straight 6 with a single barrel carburetor and a 20 year old paint job that buried rust in the quarter panels I loaded it up and headed home. Originally planned as a mild wheeler and the platform to teach my children how to drive a standard it soon evolved into much more. The build thread, for what it is worth can be found here. Build Thread
In 2011 I installed a Mercedes OM617 turbo diesel out of an 85 SD. Luke at 4x4labs and Mr. Manny had both started similar swaps but information was very scarce. I built my own adapter plate and installed a very wore out 5 cylinder diesel, within a few months I had it on the road to mixed results. Lots of information in the build thread on this but for the most part it was a terrible failure. By running 16+ pounds of boost I soon managed to burn a hole in a piston and almost scrapped the whole project. Fortunately, I came across a low mileage 300D with a bad tranny and picked it up. I purchased an adapter from an outfit in Minnesota that specialized in installing 700R4 tranny’s in the Mercedes 300 series cars and installed the new motor. Much better results than the original, it pushes the square box down the highway on 35’s with reasonable power.
1978 Toyota FJ40 w/ diesel designated title $
Engine
- OM617 turbo diesel running stock boost and the ALDA tuned moderately.
- 130,000 miles on engine when pulled
- New rings and bearing when installed
- York onboard air
- Mercedes adapter to Chevrolet bellhousing
- AA Chevy bellhousing to Toyota H42 tranny
Transmission/Transfercase
- Stock H42 tranny
- Marlin Toybox 4.7-1
- Orion 4-1transfercase w/27 spline front output
- 274-1 crawl ratio
- A gear for every occasion
- Custom built cross member under the Toybox
- Full coverage skid plate
- 18” Belly on 35’s
Front axle
- FJ60 axle with Aisin lockouts
- Marlin highsteer arms
- V6 4runner calipers
- Saginaw steering box with hydro assist
- PSC 6” x 1.5” assist ram
- Longfield 30 spline shafts (not Trailgear)
- Arb Locker w/4.10 gears
- Housing is cut and saddled to eliminate outboarding springs
- Additional bare FJ60 housing for future linking
- SOA on flipped rear 40 springs
- Shackle reversal
- Marlin longslip driveshaft with creeper joint and CV joint ~38” long
- 58.5” WMS
Rear axle
- FJ40 housing w/4+Parts full floater flanges
- FJ60 brake calipers
- Toyota spindles/hubs/bearings/Marlin seals
- Nitro Cromoly shafts
- Toyota E-locker converted to air w/4.10 gears
- Ruffstuff diff cover
- Antiwrap bar
- 58” WMS
- CV joint driveshaft ~25” long
- FJ60 springs reversed
- 101” wheelbase
Other
- Warn 8274 w/100’ spydura synthetic rope
- Metaltech clone bullbar w/KC lights
- 4+Parts 8274 bumper
- Custom built tube fenders and sliders
- Custom built family style rollcage using Metaltech A pillers will work under Paki top or factory hardtop but will not fit under a Bestop
- 5 35” Creepy Crawlers mounted on Procomp wheels
- Factory spare tire mount modified to keep 35” tire inside body line
- 7 gallon air tank for OBA system
- Air lockers actuated by mechanical switches
- Hardtop and doors with all original TEQ glass
- Factory rear heater
- Fits in a 7’ garage w/hardtop but by the slimmest of margins (quite possibly because of the slight drop of my driveway)
The Bad
- Mostly rust free body will need some body work (I enjoy rock crawling too much)
- Rear quarters built out of 10 gauge material have some dents
- Windshield frame is beat up on passenger side
- Passenger side B pillar down low by door is beat up
- Mercedes engines leak oil and this one is no exception. Not so much that is ever low but certainly annoying. Quarter size drops in two places over night, not like a real gusher.
- GM polyurethane motor mounts are great for controlling the twist of the motor but transmit all the engine vibration to the frame. I made an idle adjustment and virtually eliminated the vibration that was bothering me.
Additional Items
- Front axle shafts
- 4.10 diff
- H42 transmission
- 3 speed transfer case
- Aforementioned FJ60 front axle housing
- Rear jump seats in need of repair, they still fit
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OM617 - guess I should stick to my '67 1F motor.
