I have access to a OM617 Mercedes diesel. I kno that 4x4 Labs is advertising swap parts for this engine to a Cruiser. I would guess this is somewhat popular or they wouldn't be making the parts. Has anyone here done this swap? If so, how is it, how easy/hard was it, and do you have to do an soa or other lift to do it? Thanks again!
Diesel Swap Question?
- Thread starter Turd Ferguson
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
i also have a fj62 and a good om617 in a bad car. I've asked around about the swap, contacted 4x4 labs. No reply.
I just purchased my fj62 and i've come to the conclusion after driving it that these trucks are too heavy for that engine. A fj62 is about a 1000 lbs more than my 1979 300sd. Maybe if there were a kit to convert a fj60 or 55 it would be somewhat ok. The mercedes engine, at least the few I've had do not make much power below 3000 rpm when the boost starts to kick in strong.
I'm now going to wait a few months and see if any action happens on the isuzu 4bd1t front. I would like to use the a440 tranny with a diesel torque converter, the gearing seems about perfect if you have 33 inch tires. I have not yet heard of a adapter for that swap. I have driven a fj60 with cummins 4bt with a stock 4 speed and a ranger overdrive. That engine could be mated to the stock toyota tranny using an adapter,but that engine is tall and loud, loud and louder.
I just purchased my fj62 and i've come to the conclusion after driving it that these trucks are too heavy for that engine. A fj62 is about a 1000 lbs more than my 1979 300sd. Maybe if there were a kit to convert a fj60 or 55 it would be somewhat ok. The mercedes engine, at least the few I've had do not make much power below 3000 rpm when the boost starts to kick in strong.
I'm now going to wait a few months and see if any action happens on the isuzu 4bd1t front. I would like to use the a440 tranny with a diesel torque converter, the gearing seems about perfect if you have 33 inch tires. I have not yet heard of a adapter for that swap. I have driven a fj60 with cummins 4bt with a stock 4 speed and a ranger overdrive. That engine could be mated to the stock toyota tranny using an adapter,but that engine is tall and loud, loud and louder.
I wouldn't be at all sure that 4X4 is making the parts yet for the Mercedes swap yet. Their website does show it, but I checked with them periodically over the period of a couple years and was told it was still in the works.
There was a thread or two of a Mercedes swaps into 60's last year here, but they were using the Mercedes auto with a divorced transfer case.
Curious, What adapters are available or needed to mate a 4BT to a Toyota transmission?
There was a thread or two of a Mercedes swaps into 60's last year here, but they were using the Mercedes auto with a divorced transfer case.
Curious, What adapters are available or needed to mate a 4BT to a Toyota transmission?
- Thread starter
- #4
The guy I can get this motor "seems" to really know his stuff. He told me that you can ( and he has ) put a larger turbo of of a Cummins on it and with between 5 and 6 pounds of boost the thing Really wakes up. He said that playing with the timing and such on them goes along way. The only limitation he told me is that the injector lines and injectors are pretty skimpy but that could be worked out. then again this is all "HE SAID". I guess I'LL have to research more. All I know ther has to be some reason that a guy, that knows his stuff, with a motrsports busness built a pulling tractor with AOM617 as his powerplant. Maybe he just geared the hell out of it.
Cummins makes an adapter plate that mates to the chevy small block pattern. They have a specific flywheel that must be used and I assume the same applies for the flex plate for the auto's. If you are going with a manual tranny (h41/42 or h55) it bolts up with either AA's or downey's chevy/toyota adapters. If you want to go with an auto the choices are chevy tranny (700r4, th400, or 480Le, as boots4 is doing). I have not heard of anyone doing this yet but mark's makes an adapter to mate a chevy engine to the a442F tranny, so you could in theory bolt teh cummins up to the stock tranny in a '93-'94 80 series.
- Thread starter
- #7
I' just weighing my options right now. My 3fe is dead, and gas prices are gettin' higher than giraffe n#ts! I can score the engine For $750. Cheaper than the resurrection of my FE and lighter on fuel if it would work. I wasjust trying to find out any real world experiences with it.
FL Cruiser
Cummins has an adaptor for the engine that has the GM b/housing bolt pattern and the Ranger is available with the chev. bolt pattern just use a chev. b/housing, But I'm not sure what flywheel you would need. I have only seen these with GM auto. trans .behind them with this adaptor.
Jim
Cummins has an adaptor for the engine that has the GM b/housing bolt pattern and the Ranger is available with the chev. bolt pattern just use a chev. b/housing, But I'm not sure what flywheel you would need. I have only seen these with GM auto. trans .behind them with this adaptor.
Jim
- Thread starter
- #9
Has anyone dealt with 4x4 Labs? I e-mailed them about this because their web site sez they have the parts, but I haven't heard anything back. The guy I can aquire the motor from claims to know people who have used these motors in Cruisers and said that is where they got their parts. 4x4 Labs utilizes the H55 for the swap.
workingdog
GOLD Star
I also have never gotten a reply in response to their claims on their web site. There are people here that say they do good work, but apparently have to walk in and talk to them in person.
Peter
Peter
I have and have had a few of these engines in mercedes cars. Getting alot of extra power out of the isn't as easy as that. In a diesel or a gas engine you need more fuel to go along with more boost to produce more power. There is a injection pump builder in Finland that builds high performance pumps, it's not cheap. I had to have the injection pump rebuilt for my cummins engine dodge, $1700, ouch.
Here is a link to what the finns have done with the om617:
YouTube - world's fastest diesel mercedes w123 300d
Even in stock form the om617 likes and runns higher rpms that the 2f or 3fe. I think the finns are running the at 6000 rpm.
4x4labs is awesome but I wouldn't put too much faith in that adapter, they have been saying they are going to do it for years...
Last edited:
Guys just letting you know that 4x4 labs is cruising along on this adapter, they actually should have it up and running in the near future sounds like!
i live in ct, and theres a guy i know in meriden ct. for quite sometime now hes been trying to let the state do cummins diesal conversion coupled w/ an alison tranny. i asked him once about compitition and he said that even though there are other people who do the diesal conversion, there are very few of their product being used, so its not surprising that its kind of hard to get ahold of anybody...
also: this guy takes mercedes diesal engines and puts them in 40s and hes had very few customers (if any) for that.
also: this guy takes mercedes diesal engines and puts them in 40s and hes had very few customers (if any) for that.
Having played with more than my fair share of mercedes diesels, and having most of the factory service manuals in the garage, if you're only getting 5 or 6 pounds of boost on a 617 turbo, you've tuned it down. Factory spec is about .9 bar, where 1 bar = 14.7 psi. Cranking up the fuel from the pump (the mods to this are well known) and having an intercooler will certainly perk it up, but the longevity of the engine starts to drop as you build power. The legendary Finns can get amazing numbers out of these things (as well as the 602, 603, and 606) but remember, you can make a LOT of power if you only have to make it continuously for twelve seconds or so.
Even a heated up 617 turbo is probably not enough engine for anything bigger than a 45, 55 MAYBE. IMHO, a C series cummins would be about right.
