89 B2 diesel build thread

[Northidahotrailblazer]

Well because of having to work last week, which'd days and had a solid week to mess with the bronco.... Got neutral safety switch bypassed since this thing was an auto. Got the clutch petal assembly pulled out of the parts rig and the bronco. Got everything swapped. New clutch master installed hooked up and everything! Got new starter wires ran, grounds ran, added more grounds. My 80 amp circuit breaker came in got it mounted and wired in. Ran new wires for my extra lights. glow plug solenoid wired in and a push button wired and working. Got fuel lines hooked up to the tank, put some fuel in it. and primed fuel up to the injection pump. Ran glow plugs and it fired first crank! Its a runner now! haha pretty stoked! ordered a few more parts. my used serpentine belt system came in. The whole thing is going to shave over an inch off.

So now for the issues. I dropped the radiator off to see what it would cost to have a new one built. Well the guy wants $700 bucks, not that i'm hating on him. But I don't like to use custom stuff if I don't have to. It just helps down the road.... So after seeing what @DRanger024 did, I'm just going to build a new core support to fit the radiator I need which is a 1965 mustang radiator which I already have one. I will be able to safe a few more inches and I can get a big old electric fan on it. From others i have seen this radiator will have no problem cooling the OM617. If I went down the current path, Id have to do some really funny things with the upper radiator hose. And I'm done dealing with it. Sucks, because I just bought this brand new core support But If I had done more research Id found build my own was the better move. Its like $130 bucks for a stick of steel. Ill just do that and be done with it. I guess ill keep this core support around for a rainy day. lol

Ordered a hydro boost unit from sweeting performance. Its around 10 weeks out. Olwell Going to order an Off road Design crawl box, so I keep a low low range. And because with the M5R2/205 I'm shorter that the stock setup so I can get away with adding a few more inches of powertrain. Idk Feels like a few steps forward and 4 back still. Haha But I'm still moving forward. If this whole radiator thing wasn't such an issue, Id be almost done by now. Olwell Swap's are like this, if it was easy everyone would do it.


















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[DRanger024]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a diesel in a BII before. Pretty cool project.

 

[Northidahotrailblazer]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a diesel in a BII before. Pretty cool project.

Thanks man!

 

[Northidahotrailblazer]

Well I bought steel for the core support. Ended up just cutting mine. Lol I did a much better job this time. Mustang radiator is in and looks great. Much better top hose placement.
Also added my serpentine belt kit. Bought it used. Worked out good!
It was a pain to remove the factory alternator and bracket. I’m glad it’s gone!

 

[Northidahotrailblazer]

Well I have a little to update on. I ordered and installed a 3 core radiator over the 4 core. Gave me 1/4 inch more room which I like a lot more. I couldn't get a belt on it before with the 4 core. Cleaned up wiring, wired in fan temp switch/relay. I installed the wrong one, installed an on at 185* and off a 170*. well thats not going to work for a diesel. The stat doesn't start opening up untill 200. lol when I drained the coolant for the radiator installed the new temp switch. Wired in a fan on switch in the cab. Got heater box in, fan motor in, cleaned up old wiring for sensors not needed anymore. Got the exhaust down pipe half on, have to decide if im going to continue with it or take it to the exhaust shop.

Ordered my ORD crawl box. 4 to 6 weeks out. still waiting on my hydro boost to come in I'm kinda running out of stuff to do. until more parts come in. Idk thats not true. I have a lot I can do. I just want to get the powertrain finished up and then decide if i'm going to SAS and regear. I just want to drive this thing!

 

[Northidahotrailblazer]

Well parts are coming in. Still waiting on my ORD box. JB fab shifters came in along with the mod'd shift rails for the 205. So Ill be doing that soon! I dug the 205 out of storage.

I got a belt on the Mercedes, ran the power wire over to the battery, installed a jumper wire to make sure it charged. Used alt that came with the belt kit. Worked good! wish it was a bigger alt, but then again, I don't have near the electronics on this thing that it did. So I shouldn't need a big alt. its a 105 amp. Well see I feel it should be fine as long as I have a good battery. Well see. Got a stock power steering reservoir since the after market one just wasn't going to work. Bled the power steering and everything is good there! Need to flush it, since It had old stuff in the power steering box and the Type II pump takes synthetic fluid.

My oil pressure, volt, and water temp all in one gauge came in. Ill be working on that next, so I can get a better Idea of water temp and oil pressure. I'm not going to hook up the stock gauge for oil pressure, I really don't see the point of it. Since Its on/off and doesn't really show oil pressure. That should be the only one that doesn't work. I can get the tach to work off the alt I believe. But that will be another project. Still have boost, and EGT still to do and I really probably should do Oil temp since this uses oil to cool more than a normal diesel does. This thing has oil running around the liners to help them cool along with coolant. So oil temp is something to keep track off also. Lots to do still but I'm slowly gaining!

I'm not going to lie the triple shifter is pretty cool!

 

[RonD]

1992 oil pressure gauge will show real oil pressure if you jumper the resistor on the back of the gauge, and you use a PS60 type sender

Article here: https://www.therangerstation.com/tech/variable-oil-pressure-gauge-modification/

 

[Uncle Gump]

You build some cool stuff...

Definitely following along on your build.

 

[Northidahotrailblazer]

1992 oil pressure gauge will show real oil pressure if you jumper the resistor on the back of the gauge, and you use a PS60 type sender

Article here: https://www.therangerstation.com/tech/variable-oil-pressure-gauge-modification/

Thanks RonD but Do you think it will take around 100 psi? this Mercedes puts out dang near 100 psi when cold. Might be over 100 psi when cold and at high idle I haven't cranked up the throttle when its cold. but I know at an idle cold its pretty much 100 psi. Gasers don't have anywhere near that pressure haha The stand alone gauge I got goes to 150 psi. I was kinda worried about stock sending units taking the higher pressure also

 

[Northidahotrailblazer]

You build some cool stuff...

Definitely following along on your build.

Thanks man! haha I try anyways. This B2 has been quite a project. lol

 

[RonD]

Thanks RonD but Do you think it will take around 100 psi? this Mercedes puts out dang near 100 psi when cold. Might be over 100 psi when cold and at high idle I haven't cranked up the throttle when its cold. but I know at an idle cold its pretty much 100 psi. Gasers don't have anywhere near that pressure haha The stand alone gauge I got goes to 150 psi. I was kinda worried about stock sending units taking the higher pressure also

Didn't think of that, but 1992 oil gauge doesn't have numbered "range", just "L" and "H"
And PS60 wouldn't work either, but...................

There are senders for 0-100psi that would work with the Ford gauge
Like this one: https://www.autometer.com/100-psi-electric-oil-pressure-sensor.html

 

[Northidahotrailblazer]

Didn't think of that, but 1992 oil gauge doesn't have numbered "range", just "L" and "H"
And PS60 wouldn't work either, but...................

There are senders for 0-100psi that would work with the Ford gauge
Like this one: https://www.autometer.com/100-psi-electric-oil-pressure-sensor.html

Well thats good to know also. maybe Ill come back to it in the future. I would really like all the guages to work. Other thing is the is mercedes only has one good spot to put a sender on it and I already have a T of it, I have an low oil pressure alarm/buzer and ill have the gauge sender on it. I could probably tap into the turbo oil feed line, But I'm not going to mess with that right now. Maybe when I upgrade the turbo. but thats in the future. I want this thing to be on the road before I start messing with power stuff. Just no reason to mess with it right now.

 

[Northidahotrailblazer]

Got a few more things done. Started on the shift rail mod on my 205. I got the notification that my ORD box has shipped! Pretty excited! Can’t wait to get this thing together! My drive line adapter came in to bolt the cv1310 joint to the 205.

got my gauge wired in for oil, volts and temp. Also wired in the volt sense wire and got that working. Need to give this thing a valve adjustment, still need to figure out a breather. But we are getting closer!

 

[wildbill23c]

Interesting engine swap. I know the Rangers had a diesel option for a few years in the 80's but they were so gutless they were not very popular, nor are the parts for them from my understanding, but they got great fuel economy. I don't think the Bronco 2 ever got the diesel they just had the 2.8L V6 or 2.9L V6...too bad they never got the 4L V6 as the Explorer had replaced the Bronco 2 by then.

Had to lookup that Mercedes engine LOL....thought it was a 4 cylinder but its a 5 cylinder, interesting...but seems from what little looking I did, its a good reliable simple engine, so that's a major plus for you.

Curious how that engine will move that brick down the road LOL...the 2.9L V6 didn't do all that good either, but I'd think the torque from that diesel should get it moving a bit easier, especially if you are going to be using a manual transmission. The automatics make the Rangers and Bronco 2's kind of sluggish.

 

[Northidahotrailblazer]

Interesting engine swap. I know the Rangers had a diesel option for a few years in the 80's but they were so gutless they were not very popular, nor are the parts for them from my understanding, but they got great fuel economy. I don't think the Bronco 2 ever got the diesel they just had the 2.8L V6 or 2.9L V6...too bad they never got the 4L V6 as the Explorer had replaced the Bronco 2 by then.

Had to lookup that Mercedes engine LOL....thought it was a 4 cylinder but its a 5 cylinder, interesting...but seems from what little looking I did, its a good reliable simple engine, so that's a major plus for you.

Curious how that engine will move that brick down the road LOL...the 2.9L V6 didn't do all that good either, but I'd think the torque from that diesel should get it moving a bit easier, especially if you are going to be using a manual transmission. The automatics make the Rangers and Bronco 2's kind of sluggish.

It should be interesting. I'm hoping its a lot like a 4.0. It has pretty much the same torque. Idk I will say if I had rethought this swap out I would of done a TDI. This Mercedes was a lot of work. Not done yet. You cant ask for more of a dooms day prepper engine. haha I'm curious to see how it will move it to! people put these is 4runners a lot I would think it would be a lot the same! Idk I'm getting closer to finding it out!