Mercedes diesel swap into Ranger

[littleme13]

rusty you are right about the fine line. the cost was a big setback to as why i sold the mercedes. and yes yoiu can get more then 200k on a mild 351 but start modding and it usually doesnt. im not trying to argue that the mercedes is better i think the 351 is definatly a better swap. but if you had the mercedes layin around i dont think it would be a bad idea for a dd or mild 4x4.

 

[Will]

I'm attaching a word document with a chart I made back when I thought it would be a good idea to swap in a small diesel. I almost bought a Lincoln with the BMW-Steyr motor one time. You could do it, and there are import engines from Japan with transfercases if you have a few thousand. But I decided that my 4.0 was better than anything I could find, including a Mercedes.

The file I attached isn't complete--even the Ranger motors aren't complete--but it's useful. I wanted to have 220ft# (the Ranger 4.0 can turn with 200ft# at 1,000rpm by the way) and the only Mercedes that can do that is the 350SD. Those are rare and very expensive. The rest of the Mercedes force are wiffle engines. There's nothing magic about being a diesel. 120ft# is going to stink in anything. And I think the Mercedes motors have aluminum heads. Putting one in a heavy 4x4 with the gearing Rangers have could lead to problems. For a 2wd going after street mileage, sure, it's a great idea--if you don't mind going slow.

Think about your power to weight. My B2 is 4,200# and my little Civic is 2,084#. The B2 is 155hp and the Civic is 76hp. Both scoot along at the same rate--not real fast but they both dig in and go when you need to pull out in traffic. They should both 0-60 in 11.3 seconds.

So take the Civic motor and put it in the B2 and you suddenly have a stinking pig. 19.7sec 0-60. That's dangerously slow and the kind of numbers you would be looking at with an old Mercedes diesel--worse if you don't get one with a turbo. And a 100ft# diesel isn't going to make 200ft# at 1,000rpm. It would be like trading in your 4.10 gears for a set of 1.8-1 rear gears. You'll be beating up the clutch trying to get that thing going. These are all reasons that my 4.0 is still beating under the hood.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Don't suppose there is a way I could get you to save that in works format is there? Why they would make two programs that do the same thing and don't talk back and forth...

 

[Will]

Do have excel?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Nope, no biggie though.

 

[AKBroncoII]

170ft/lbs is stock. That is stock tuned. Engine driven injection pump that CAN be turned up. I say do it. 351W fuelie ones anyways cost more than the OM617 in my area. Who runs carbs anyways? Carbs are for flatlanders.

 

[Beanmachine7000]

That link someone posted said that 200lb/ft was about the most you could get from a turned up one... I'd say it would be a good swap if it would create at least the same amount of torque that a 4.0 will...

 

[David85]

Depending on what engine you are able to find, your performance numbers could be as high as 125Hp@4000, and 181 ft-lb of torque@2400. That would be for the 5 cyl turbocharged diesel.

Not bad for a stock engine. If you really want to go nuts, they can certainly put out much more, but as some one that has driven a ~90 Hp diesel ranger, 125 Hp will move like nobody's business. Diesels are strange that way.

An adaptor plate would have to be made up though....

 

[littleme13]

the 3.0 inline 6 in the mercedes 300sdl, which is a 5000-5500lbs car and will do every bit of 120+ and burn threw tires like no tomarrow will have no problem propelling a 3000 to 4000lbs truck no matter what trq. numbers and hp. are. again it wouldnt be good for a trail rig as the power comes in too high and not until the turbo spools. but for a light 4x4 or dd it would be a very good swap if you had the two laying around.

 

[Will]

the 3.0 inline 6 in the mercedes 300sdl, which is a 5000-5500lbs car and will do every bit of 120+ and burn threw tires like no tomarrow will have no problem propelling a 3000 to 4000lbs truck no matter what trq. numbers and hp. are. again it wouldnt be good for a trail rig as the power comes in too high and not until the turbo spools. but for a light 4x4 or dd it would be a very good swap if you had the two laying around.

Hmm, here is an owner's review of the 1995 SD350:
"Car lacks stop and go power in the city" doesn't sound much like "burns tires like no tomorrow." It's a 4,600# car with a 150hp--which is what you expect. Sure it will run 120mph. My Honda Civic will keep up with it though, and probably nudge it a little, which doesn't exactly put it in supercar class.

If you're talking about the '86-'87 3.0SDL--that's only a 3,500# car. And there is a chart down near the bottom of this article that gives the 300SDL a whopping 13 sec 0-60. You don't really call that a tire scorcher-a SOHC Ranger will do it in 8-seconds, leaving enough time for the Ranger driver to jump out and light a smoke before the Mercedes gets there.

How reliable is a turned-up M. diesel? And how much capacity does the injection pump really have?

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Who runs carbs anyways? Carbs are for flatlanders.

Dont get me started.

Yes some carbs suck on angles but a Motorcraft 2150 2bbl or a Holley truck avenger will run damn near upside down.

They will handle any angle any reltivly stock truck should be being drivin on.

If you ask me there are only two things that Diesels belong in, and thats Semi's and farm tractors.

If you want unique and cheap...go with a 300 Inline 6, i know will will disagree with me but they will makemore torque then the mecedes, last as long, if not longer, and parts are actually available without having to call adolf toget them.

later,
Dustin

 

[rickcdewitt]

i can see it working in a 4x4 if you had a few things go your way
1)free to cheap diesel and auto
2)hopefully advance adapters still sells the tail housing and mainshaft for yota doublers to bolt to the stock tranny, and is relatively cheap.
3)p-drop sas,and low gears
4)trail range was the main concern not 1/4 mile.

i've been wanting to build a small yota axled tube buggy with a mercedes diesel for a while now.it would be sweet to have a snorkle and stack running to the top of the tubing.the numbers are similar to the yota four bangers and i can live with that just fine.maybe even good enough to accidentally get the tire to squeal now and then.

i do love my 4-0 but she is thirsty in low range

 

[AllanD]

IF I EVER had any inclination whatsoever to have a diesel ranger what
I'd build is a Gen3 supercab (2wd) with a 3liter Mercedes TD engine

The Mercedes 2.4 non-turbo engine was JUNK.

Finding a running one is unlikely, because they all wind up in
junkyards for the same reasons harmonic vibrations from the
pulsing of the 4cyl engine eventually fatigues and breaks the
camshaft, That results in a "non-free-wheeling" accident
(the pistons hit the valves)
after which the resultant pile of wrecked parts isn't fixable.

the 300TD engine simply doesn't have that problem.

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[85_Ranger4x4]

http://www.shadetreeconversions.com/

I would trust a Perkins or a 3 cylinder Ford diesel farther than I would a Mercedes... and if I did have problems it is not some freaky exotic thing that nobody but an enthusiast knows anything about. That website is only for fullsize trucks, but I wonder how big of a difference it would be to put a smaller one in a compact. I saw a writeup on these guys in a farming mag, very intriguing. Supposedly they say what has what parts, like get a bellhousing for this model of whatever to mount this tranny to this engine and whatnot.

I would love to put a 6 cylinder Perkins in a F-350, stupid tough engine that is a little different than the norm and loves to smoke. My uncle had an 1130 Massey with one, it would lay down a fog with the stock pump settings with a 6 bottom plow and would still burn less fuel than a 4020 diesel pulling a 4 bottom plow. My dad had an engine for a little bit until the guy decided to trade his burnt combine in on a different one.

 

[AllanD]

there is nothing "freaky" about a 3liter Mercedes.

The "freaky" things about those cars are the hyper expensive Bosch alternator
P/S pump etc... but I strongly suspect that anyone with the gumption
and ability to make a 5cyl Mercedes turboDiesel fit in a ranger would
be able to deal with MAKING a mount to use a Saginaw steering pump
(No, anything but a Ford C2 pump!) and a Motorcraft alternator on their mercedes engine even if that required fabricating mounts from scratch.

Honestly I'd grab up a mercedes engine but gasoline is cheaper
than diesel and I happen to have a 1988 2.3 Thunderbird engine,
and THAT would make a lot more sense for a mileage ranger than
any "exotic" diesel transplant.

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