1990 ranger diesel conversion

[alwaysFlOoReD]

From my research A/N and JIC are the same design, and will interchange. The A/N are built to higher specs for military use and therefore more expensive. JIC are good enough for 1/10th the cost.

 

[1991fordranger1]

Good progress! It'll be a sweet truck when your done. Lord knows ol Henry Ford would appreciate the Kraut motor in there lol.

As for venting the case/covers, running through a traditional "sealed" catch can before a vented breather tank should eliminate all the mist that would normally escape the filter on a "just breather" setup.

How reliable are the old merc diesels? I was looking into buying a newer c class.. until I realized the general consensus was a Mercedes was not a vehicle you wanted to own out of warrentee lol.

Just search om617 and read about them they are very reliable and last a long time if maintained

 

[1991fordranger1]

I modified the wiper linkage door to a piece of 16 gauge. The picture doesn't do it justice but I was able to eliminate the step over to make it a nice rolling arc. Shoulf make it easier to pull the valve cover to do maintenance.

I had to notch the cross member slightly to get engine back as the flange of the pan is wider it needed clearance. I actually cut more after this picture but never took another. I will plate it with the same thickness of material when I know where everything is going to sit.

By doing this I was able to get the full additional 2inches I notched the pan for. I think I'm done but I may be able to another 1/2 inch. I'm hopeful that my trans is going to be in relatively the same spot as factory but will have to see and go from there.

 

[1991fordranger1]

 

[1991fordranger1]

Just some more pictures of how its sitting

 

[1991fordranger1]

The motor is mounted it's nice and solid.

I'm back as far as I can go before I'd have to start cutting firewall. I also have the motor about 1.5" to the passenger side to help accommodate the fuel tank and me when driving.

I ended up using a 1/2" spacer on the trans mount to get it sitting happy.

I'll have to pull the motor one more time to finish weld the mount on the truck side. And then I can paint all the bare metal when I get it to that stage.

I also have to repair that cross over brake line I accidentally got with the zip disc.

All and all I'm happy with how this is turning out. Now just the fiddle work of wiring and plumbing

This is the passenger side mount.

 

[Curious Hound]

You mentioned previous leaks where the oil return lines enter the pan. I had an '85 300SD with the OM 617. I had a lot of leaks in that area also. What I figured out was that crankcase pressure was too high. My engine was apparently blowing by quite a bit.

The breather tube that went from engine to the catch can in the air filter housing was very restrictive. It was a flat profile tube so it would fit under the hood in the car. I was able to replace it with larger rubber hose and that made the difference for me. The oil leaks stopped completely.
Engine still smoked.

Just mentioning this as a reminder to watch crankcase pressure as your engine ages.

I had considered using that engine in my 93 Ranger. But the rebuild cost was way too high for me. Rebuild kit plus finding transmission adaptor, engine mounts, and everything else to make it work just seemed too expensive for my taste. Finally sold the car last.month.

Good luck. I'll be watching this build since diesel is what I really wanted to do.

 

[1991fordranger1]

You mentioned previous leaks where the oil return lines enter the pan. I had an '85 300SD with the OM 617. I had a lot of leaks in that area also. What I figured out was that crankcase pressure was too high. My engine was apparently blowing by quite a bit.

The breather tube that went from engine to the catch can in the air filter housing was very restrictive. It was a flat profile tube so it would fit under the hood in the car. I was able to replace it with larger rubber hose and that made the difference for me. The oil leaks stopped completely.
Engine still smoked.

Just mentioning this as a reminder to watch crankcase pressure as your engine ages.

I had considered using that engine in my 93 Ranger. But the rebuild cost was way too high for me. Rebuild kit plus finding transmission adaptor, engine mounts, and everything else to make it work just seemed too expensive for my taste. Finally sold the car last.month.

Good luck. I'll be watching this build since diesel is what I really wanted to do.

Yes the crank case breather was pinched when I got in there. It will be all new line now but I think it was even pushing oil out the rope seal at the back. I had replaced the rope seal when I initially used the motor but thats close on 7 years ago.

I also found that it like conventional oil more then synthetics leaked less. I wont know until I run it but it's fairly clean right now it should show leaks when I run it

 

[1991fordranger1]

I miss is a good as a mile.

The pulley to the power steering has close on 3/4" to the rad.

I had to cut the bottom brackets off for the rad and cut into the core support just a bit to bring it forward. And then I moved it 2 inches passenger the passenger bottom mount i have to make it bolt on and Intall it after rad is in place. I also had to notch out the core at the top for the upper mounts to sink way in. Progress is progress

 

[1991fordranger1]

I took a piece of 1/2 flat bar drill and tapped it for 3/8 NC and cut out the bottom of the core and weld in my plate to bolt too. I know I built it over kill but scrap bin you use what you can get.

Closer.

Hope to get clutch and brake pedals after work tomorrow from jy. Then its fuel system. I'm really not that far off. But with 3 kids time is hard to come by but its getting there

 

[1991fordranger1]

I went out to the junk yard and attempted to remove ththe pedal assembly went screw that borrowed a cordless sawzall and cut the tube that is fitted to the clutch pedal. Got tall the bits and bushings.

Came home grabbed a piece of 5/8 cold rolled put a 1/2" NC thread on a inch of it.

Made a little bushing with 1/2 NC thread welded it to the clutch arm now I can install with out hating life. I also added a grub screw to the thread and some blue loctite.

I installed all the bushing and cut a groove for the c clip into the shaft.

I removed the fuel tank washed it out dried it out with my leaf blower and re installed it.

I highly recommend running a die over your bolts before re installing a tank made it a dream.

Just a little up date.

Ps. May buy and ram a big front mount intercooler in this thing.
If I can get it past my wife

 

[bobbywalter]

i want to strip the frame and blast it.

 

[sgtsandman]

Stripping and blasting is only allowed in the Tailgate.

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

Stripping and blasting is only allowed in the Tailgate.

 

[sgtsandman]

Oh the replies I would love to post.....