Mercedes diesel swap into Ranger

[Chappy]

I don't know where you are getting your prices... I wish I could find something that cheap... I don't see where you're getting a 4BT new from either, you can only find those in the bread trucks and whatnot... A QSB 3.3T runs about $4500 new... The QSB 4.5 is going to be several thousand more... I don't know who is ripping you off on 351's either... I know of several I could get my hands on right now for little to nothing, heck I know of a running block I could get for free, without intake stuff... Maybe spend $300 and I have a running engine, not $2000... The fact of the matter is, a diesel swap in a RBV just isn't that feasible...

PS... Your Ranger isn't going to like 900+lbs of engine on top of that axle... Another reason why diesel swaps aren't feasible...

on the 4bt, your right i meant to put ISBE, but i personally can get a QSB 4.5 for cheap because i know people. and a good, strong, fast, 351 the best price i can find is 1k. anywhoo, not to mention my ranger wont mind the 818lbs because its getting new suspension under the front. it is a lot more pheasable (in my case) to put the cummins in my truck than a 351, which has a hard time fitting in the first place (wide engine) plus the cummins will give me the power i need for what i need to use it for.

all im saying is built to what you need. not trying to start any pissing matches.

im just a die hard cummins fan along with a ford fan which only makes sence to me to put the cummins in. but yes you are correct that 351's can be had for cheaper but for the power im looking for, not so

 

[bobbywalter]

if you buy a new 351 from frpp, and a 4.5 from cummins, its winning for the cummins to be the practical feasible swap.


you can have on demand adjustability of insane power and economy with the cummins.

but, its always all in what your needs are.

if i were driving low miles, say under 20 k a year....i would take the 351 or similar gasser for a truck that i drove minimal street miles and wheeled heavily, unless i was able to get a smokin deal on a late model d max. but a late model 6.0 or 6.2 gm would be my gasser of choice these days.


really though i think diesels are a great swap for bigger trucks with 33-35 in or larger tires, moderate lift and sas. mostly for economy and usable power combined with fuel options you just cant get with gassers.


i didnt get the feel for my current bottom feeder naturally asperated waste of time to swap diesel setup till i run a with a big 4.0 truck on 35's with 410 gears recently. while i am well over 1000 pounds heavier its close enough in size for me to make a fair comparo.

i can out accelerate that vehicle to at least 65/70 and pull up to 10 mpg better on it.

now, just imagine after i fine tune it with a turbo, and then actually put the same axles ect i have in the 4.0 truck and add weight to it to make them the same weight sans the powertrain wt differences, which would make me @ 400 pounds heavier.

yeah, i see diesel swaps as practical.

 

[bobbywalter]

THE secrets I see to Mileage is a basically stock truck with "reasonably"
sized tires and then geared to get the engine in the heart of it's economy
"happy zone" at your prefered cruisng speed.

Load Range E tires inflated to max pressure helps on the rolling resistance front...

I basically throw away 1.5mpg by taking my 50psi BFG's off the truck
and putting my winter tires (44psi Goodyear RTS) on the truck
BOTH are 235/75-15.

Hey, I routinely get 19-20 with a 4.0 4x4 with 4.10 gears.
I used to routinely get 22-24mpg occasionally 25 and twice 26mpg
with a 2.9 in basically the same truck with the same tires.
(before I swapped a D35 in to replace the TIB)

Think on what I could get with a 2.3Turbo gasser set up the way I think
would work best And when I want to whip the snot out of it it'll really FLY...

Frankly I'd be "happy" with 25mpg in a truck that can run
with an identical truck with a 5.0HO... until the HO runs out of gas

But I doubt I could make myself build another 2wd ranger.
I like parking my truck in my own driveway, not at the bottom
of the hill and walking the last half mile.

I wouldn't want a 2.3T in an "offroad" truck.
But to me 4x4 means the difference between getting home
and calling AAA to get me out of a ditch.

To be blunt most of my actual useage of 4x4 is to AVOID
going "offroad" (probably after being punted by someone in
a semi after I get stuck)

I have rather vivid memories of crossing Iowa (westbound) after
the December 23, 2007 Blizzard and thanking myself for locking the hubs
before I left the big truck stop in Walcott, IA.

I crossed ALL of Iowa with the hubs locked and atleast 200 miles
of it on I-80 with the 4x4 light warming me with it's amber glow.

I needed it again when the dark night of christmas eve turned US26
into a windblown whiteout not more than 15mi west of Scottsbluff
on Christmas eve on that same trip, I crossed the Wyoming border
with the 4x4 light on again And I didn't take the truck out of 4x4
until I was in my brother's driveway in Casper.

On a 2wd you don't have that option

On a 2wd you don't have that option

I don't believe I will willingly own or drive another 2wd Ranger.

AD

if we were hippies....i think the phrase "we be smoking out of the same bag dude" would apply here.

you know why the wind blows so hard in wyoming right?



























because nebraska suks





i for one know where your comming from as i have driven out of necessity in horrid conditions impossible for 2wd, if you gave me a 2wd truck i would make it a 4x4

but, i have been in range of 26 mpg with a truck that is literally twice its former 2.9 self. and i have many fuel options that easily offset costs...


my point is diesel is not false economy for those that drive more them 35 k a year. there are cheap ways to do this. i made money from day one on my swap...of course i will sink money into it as tme goes by, but with the smallblock as the cost base i can stay ahad of it too

 

[MikeInIdaho]

For any motor in general and diesels in particular, coughing up a little coin on some PM can definetly save yourself a big headache down the road. My recently acquired '79 300sd Benz is already scheduled for a check-up next week. It will be getting a valve adjustment, rebuilt and balanced Bosio-Fratelli injectors, timing (if it needs it) and a straight-through 3" stainless exhaust. Down the road, I want to have the pump internally modded and the turbo rebuilt (when I win the lottery).

Like it or not, diesels will be around longer than gassers. They are more efficient, last longer and are easily adapted to run on renewable biofuels. I already have a line on the 55-gallon barrels of canola oil sitting outside the Argentinian restaurant down the street from my house. Diesels FTMFW!

 

[Ozwynn]

yeah mike ...... as much as I would like to see an affordable diesel option in everything......... diesels are more hated by the greenies and the EPA than gas engines are.

 

[MikeInIdaho]

Which is odd, considering that the TDI Jetta has been voted the "green car of the year" for the last couple of years...

What with all the advancements in diesel technology, diesels are no more "dirty" than gassers. I think the greenies hate the older diesels (like my cars), which are labelled "mass polluters." Nevermind the fact that they still get awesome mileage (my rabbit gets around 48mpg) and can be easily adapted to run on renewable resources (unlike gassers).

I don't know what I'm going to do when the government starts punishing us older diesel owners for our sins against the planet.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I already have a line on the 55-gallon barrels of canola oil sitting outside the Argentinian restaurant down the street from my house.

I wonder when they will crack down on veggie oil like they do ag diesel for road tax.

 

[AllanD]

my point is diesel is not false economy for those that drive more them 35 k a year. there are cheap ways to do this. i made money from day one on my swap...of course i will sink money into it as tme goes by, but with the smallblock as the cost base i can stay ahad of it too

when you look at the very basic math...

Any Diesel most of us get will not be "new" to the "longevity aspect"
is an argueable point.

I've owned small diesels in the past, the problem with them is
any engine that has to run at full chat for a significant percentage
of it's operational life isn't going to live long, OR get good economy.

The Bio Diesel aspect is fine for renewable fuels, but for making your own?
That works great until a couple of other people get diesels running on home brew Bio-D or SVO and then the supply is insufficient for the demand.

People just don't understand the enormous quantities of fuel required.

Diesels require much more frequent lube oil changes ($)

I look at the math as being very simple, how much fuel do I need to get where I need to go...

Mileage X cost of fuel

Diesel doens't make it

 

[Hahnsb2]

Diesels require much more frequent lube oil changes ($)

Mileage X cost of fuel

I've always seen diesels with longer drain intervals, I know the 24 Valve Cummins have a 15K drain interval. Granted it's 3 gallons of oil, but still, use synthetic and get 20K+.

At least around here #2 is back down at the price of regular again.

 

[bobbywalter]

I wonder when they will crack down on veggie oil like they do ag diesel for road tax.

i have been investigating the process to pay road tax based on reported milage, i actualy get a break at this point for alternative fuel vehicle when registered as such, especially when combined with natural gas or propane/hydrogen from what i can gleen so far. had to deal with some lansing dmv guys for the rest of the details and wont do that till i am ready to re-re-retitle. in any case so far, theres no clear answers on that at this point in mi, just too many variables. but svo is not in some approved fuel catagory from what i was looking at, but i dont like dealing with that shit anyway as it proved out to be a pia, not too mention good product is too hard to get, the renderers in the detroit area started causing issues for me years ago. if i do find a source that is good i will definatly use it. but no steady reliable source at this point for the alternatives i prefer.

when you look at the very basic math...

Any Diesel most of us get will not be "new" to the "longevity aspect"
is an argueable point.

I've owned small diesels in the past, the problem with them is
any engine that has to run at full chat for a significant percentage
of it's operational life isn't going to live long, OR get good economy.

The Bio Diesel aspect is fine for renewable fuels, but for making your own?
That works great until a couple of other people get diesels running on home brew Bio-D or SVO and then the supply is insufficient for the demand.

People just don't understand the enormous quantities of fuel required.

Diesels require much more frequent lube oil changes ($)

I look at the math as being very simple, how much fuel do I need to get where I need to go...

Mileage X cost of fuel

Diesel doens't make it

well thats exactly my thinking and diesel is winning for me enormously.

i wont waste time or effort with regular home made "real and proper" bio d, i will run stuff i can just filter and mix with regular diesel. but i also will use different oils/solvents bio and petro based that are alot easier to use and obtain that scare others...and ignorance and presupositions by most about what can run reliably in a diesel has been keeping my costs signifantly below gasoline.

but that ability to run alternate fuel types as encountered is just a bonus.

swapping to diesel based on pump only realities is what drove me, especially with my work vehicles. i have had 300/302/351/460---350 gm equipped work trucks...all returned shitty horrid milage in those conditions, ranging from 6-12......my psd loaded beyond any of those as a base would average 15-16mpg generally as it has actual working ac..my 6.5 work van, 17mpg was as shitty as it got, low 20,s in the chevy steady cruise and 19-21 with the psd. none of the other trucks could crack past 14 steady cruise. and besides the 460 were all dogs to drive in actual work conditions compared to my powerstroke diesel except for the 460, it could not beat the diesel at anything, it just wasnt a dog like the small engines but had a big mpg penalty for not being a slug. you put 8-10 mpg cruise against 19-21 cruise and i will keep the psd thank you.


i know those are fullsize beasts and really dont apply with lifted 4x4 rangers i guess...


but lets look at my ranger situation...

based on 35 k a year (which would be low for me especially since i have returned to oil field work)

my truck previously equipped with a detuned in hopes of increased mpg gt 40 spec 302 would cost @--$12,400 dollars to run at 3.90 a gallon.

now, equipped with a wheezer 6.5 liter n/a diesel it would cost @--$9,750 dollars with diesel at 5.00 a gallon.


now in my neck of the woods, you can do alot of oil changes for 2600 dollars....

which is not even a factor with my engine choice...

it takes 7 - 8 quarts for the diesel i have to change, my added cooling system to help my 302's live take just shy of 7 quarts. most gasser trucks run 6 or more quarts anyway and the change intervals in my case are the same.


but in my case the savings dont stop there...i average about 30 percent fuel mix adjusted for filter/time costs...

so thats what...@ 6900 to do the 35 k miles now?.....making for a savings of 5500 dollars.....and thats the first year


so after two years i can save to build a modern state of the art p 400 6.5 with a modded inline pump that will at the turn of a dial make 500 hp and 8-900 pounds of torque for the rare occasion of track visits or "dick waving" at the dyno meets and actually live or turn down to 250 hp and 450-500 torque for daily use....AND return the same economy this pos wheezer i have now is doing...

of course its not generally that simple, but it was working with what i had. i had a 6.5 work van i didnt pay a dime out of pocket for and made money with working it...but the truck was hit and too rusty to fix and no match for my psd anyway..

starting from scratch a stock 6.0 gm or highly tuned efi 351(big$$$to build one of those 351's too btw) would wash those costs at 3.90 and 5.00 a gallon diesel scenario because i am confident they would return better mpg then my mild 302 in my particular situation, but alternate fuel use even at only 30 percent brings the economy win back...but power is not equal for stock to stock comparisons either.... with a stock 351 a td 6.5 would whoop its ass but the stock 6.0 wouldnt sweat it...(theres good reasons i like that 6.0 gm)

the diesel is noisy and smelly, has alot more nvh then any street built gasser.

these are trade offs, so in the end theres no free lunch after all.


but false economy in the sense of a medium build 4x4 ranger....no way dude.


the only thing that does not add up is "false economy"

 

[Ozwynn]

Which is odd, considering that the TDI Jetta has been voted the "green car of the year" for the last couple of years...

What with all the advancements in diesel technology, diesels are no more "dirty" than gassers. I think the greenies hate the older diesels (like my cars), which are labelled "mass polluters." Nevermind the fact that they still get awesome mileage (my rabbit gets around 48mpg) and can be easily adapted to run on renewable resources (unlike gassers).

I don't know what I'm going to do when the government starts punishing us older diesel owners for our sins against the planet.

dude, preaching to the choir.