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89 B2 diesel build thread


Northidahotrailblazer

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hell yeah. looks like a great time.


you may be overfueling a cylinder....usually raw diesel smell and prodigious smoke though. seems a head gasket would be obviously causing other issues. timing is critical and elevation as well.

regardless.....under load they simply make allot of heat. even the tdi.

i run heavy in my lightest configuration for 150 hp at 6000 plus pounds.

weigh it in trail configuration.

this is why i suggested to gut the core and maximize radiator capacity.

i only have issues towing unless over 5k feet. it runs warmer over 6k ft. its the main reason i want an inline pump....easy to adjust compared to the rotary.
Yeah, I’ve been playing with timing. I think between that and being at high elevation didn’t help. I put it back to where it was when I got it. Because it wasn’t overheating then, and that was at the same time I did the gears, and lockers. And moving back made it smoke a blue smoke more, mileage actually went down. Yesterday I advanced it more than I had it before to see what it’s like. People say if you advance them to much they won’t start easy. Well hot or cold no problems starting. I’m shopping for a radiator right now. I’ll pretty much do as you suggested, building my own core support will make it easier to put in an inter cooler. Idk I’m gonna gather parts for a TDI. But the only way to get more power out of this OM617 is to do a turbo and have the injection pump upgraded. About 3k, I’m just not sure if I want to take that kinda of chance on this 40 year old engine….. but funds are pretty tight right now, so we’ll see. I’m done for this year for big trips. Next year we are planning on a couple trips. Big one being a trip to the rubicon, idk we’ll see what happens. Idk getting the coolant system under control will help a lot. I’m going to be playing with front coils, I really like the early bronco ones I currently have but they are sagging, and wont stop. It’s definitely a lot more stable, it won’t unload so bad now. I’ve even wondered what coil overs would be like. Idk I can buy a lot of coils haha
 


bobbywalter

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maybe a chinesium gt30 and repop your injectors. definitely going to get rich at 9k elevation. though one of those ebay turbo units could definitely do damage it it grenades.
 

Northidahotrailblazer

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37"
maybe a chinesium gt30 and repop your injectors. definitely going to get rich at 9k elevation. though one of those ebay turbo units could definitely do damage it it grenades.
Doomsday diesel did a pretty good test, he recommends a HE221 he says it’s the best size turbo, he says the gt30 is to big. Idk him and and other outfit sells the he221 it’s like $700 bucks with his oil regular kit. Others back him with what he has dyno tested. It’s just decent money. Nothing can be done other than to rebuild the injectors, no one makes anything becides stock nozzles, the injectors were supposed to be rebuilt, I found the receipt in the glove box anyways, and they definitely been messed with. It’s why I haven’t done anything with them. But that leaves me to the injection pump, which everyone claims put out all the fuel they can stock. Some people claim you can take off the rack stop and gain some fuel at the higher end… I don’t know if I like the idea of removing the fuel rack stop. Haha I clamp the waste gate line off and I can hit 15 psi on a hard pull. And this thing doesn’t smoke at all… after adjusting my timing again all the blue smoke is gone and it’s definitely running better. Idk I’ll just keep my eyes open for used parts, they do come about every now and then. I should go talk to the local injection pump shop, maybe they can just order the parts to put bigger plungers in it and that would save me some money since I wouldn’t have to pay shipping. And being there’s nothing wrong with my current injection pump and I have a spare haha
 

Northidahotrailblazer

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8 inches
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Haven’t been on in a while. It getting onto winter. I swapped the front coils to brand new wild horse 3.5 lift progressive coils. I got it together enough to go in a toy drive run. I’m going to an inside coil bump stop. I modified my stock coil buckets. Then I ordered a bigger radiator. Build a core support right now. It’s 26 by 19 and a true cross flow. If it overheats I’m done with the diesel…. Lol

I’m also hauling it to sand hallow end of February for united by bronco. Should be fun! Pretty excited. Never done anything like it before. Probably be the only b2 there.
 

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bobbywalter

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My credo
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that style?





not a fan of progressive coils unless you can adjust for sag easily....





hell of an expensive picture of fords.... mine would be the fat kid ford nobody likes if it was there.....
 

Northidahotrailblazer

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Well…. I did a thing…. Rather than building a custom core support and spending all that time just to at the end of the day have an underpowered gutless diesel…. I decided it wasn’t worth it. The transmission is already a SBF transmission. Pulled the 97 explorer 5.0 out of the shed. Yanked the diesel out on Sunday. Had it sold buy Monday…. Ordered oil pan, oil filter adapter. All the stuff.

I wanted to see the diesel through. I drove it all over the place. It was fun, but I want to travel with this b2 and to have a top speed of 60 really sucked…. I really do think I could have made the diesel work, but not that one. A TDI is hands down the way to go. If you want a diesel don’t do an OM617…..

well on to bigger and better things! 200 plus 5.0 here I come!
 

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Northidahotrailblazer

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I still have to dig the motor out of the storage shed, but it’s a 97 explorer 5.0. Gt40 heads. I’m going this weekend to get a used Ron Francis stand alone harness setup for an early bronco comes with tuned A9L pcm, early 90s mustang upper/lower intake. Only missing a few things.

I only have like 10 weekends to get it done so I can waste much time…..
 

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dclack

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I still have to dig the motor out of the storage shed, but it’s a 97 explorer 5.0. Gt40 heads. I’m going this weekend to get a used Ron Francis stand alone harness setup for an early bronco comes with tuned A9L pcm, early 90s mustang upper/lower intake. Only missing a few things.

I only have like 10 weekends to get it done so I can waste much time…..
I had to read that a couple of times. At first I thought you were swapping the Explorer upper/lower intakes with the Mustang ones and was wondering why; but I just realized that they are part of a package deal for the harness and ECU. That will be a nice setup in the end. I have had this basic setup on my '73 for years and it's just so reliable. I love it.
 

bobbywalter

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4WD
Total Lift
sawzall?
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33-44
My credo
it is easier to fix and understand than "her"
thats a 1 day job to fit...and a few days to debug.


your fine.
 

Northidahotrailblazer

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Tire Size
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thats a 1 day job to fit...and a few days to debug.


your fine.
I hope so, I’m hoping I don’t have to do anything to the transmission mount. It’s going to be a chore to move the doubler, and the transmission mount if I have to a ways. I bolted the M5OD-r2 to the stock b2 transmission mount so as long as that is the same everything else should be good! I have everything, just about so I’ll just need some time! The wife has my weekends stacked for the next few weeks. Don’t help that I’ve been working 60 hours a week.
 

Northidahotrailblazer

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4.0 V6
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2WD / 4WD
Solid Axle Swap 4x4
Total Lift
8 inches
Tire Size
37"
I had to read that a couple of times. At first I thought you were swapping the Explorer upper/lower intakes with the Mustang ones and was wondering why; but I just realized that they are part of a package deal for the harness and ECU. That will be a nice setup in the end. I have had this basic setup on my '73 for years and it's just so reliable. I love it.
Yeah I may of not wrote that the best haha I think it should be nice. It’s what a lot of people do so it’s got to be somewhat tried and true. Idk we’ll see haha
 

bobbywalter

TRS Technical Staff
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Joined
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Messages
24,683
Reaction score
6,048
Location
woodhaven mi
Vehicle Year
1988
Make / Model
FORD mostly
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
BIGGER
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
sawzall?
Tire Size
33-44
My credo
it is easier to fix and understand than "her"
where is the trans face? may need to mod the pan a bit if the motor is more forward then normal. normal being between where mark 7 mounts(aka convertable mounts) bolt to and factory v6 mounts with sploder plates...
 

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