Mercedes OM606, NP205, 716.649, 2011 Ranger

[OEMcustom]

Greetings, I previously introduced my truck which I am calling the DeRanger. Consider this me etching my initials onto the ancient tree of forum posts, and sharing my discoveries. I will try to post things that I have previously been unable to find on forums with any sort of reliability.



CONTEXT
Bought the truck new, from ford, from some overseas military ordering thing. Sticker was 29k, think I paid somewhere around 26k. If I could go back in time and buy 4, I would in a heartbeat because this has been the best truck I have ever owned, and I have been quite... bad as an owner. I've given this poor thing the business. I ordered the thing in 2010, Picked it up sometime in 2012. Wrecked it in mexico chasing for baja, limped it back. Put a flatbed on it. Installed some custom deaver leafs with a shackle flip. Put in a BTF mid travel kit. Supercharged it. Crashed in to a undocumented (no driver license) Venezuelan dude who cut me off, Blew up the motor. Because I partake in the sunk cost fallacy have sentimental attachment to it at this point, i decided why not put even MORE money in to it?

Enter the diesel swap.

The truck currently sits in the shop getting a Mercedes OM606 swapped in to it. I am about to fab motor mounts in a bit here.
So far, among others, I have collected:
-OM606- from a 98 or 99 e300
-716.649 Transmission
-8mm pump (130-160cc)
-Holset HE250 turbo
-noname 2" Radiator for a Discovery or something
-NP205, Driver drop divorced input
-other upgrades
Im going to keep the pump turned down till i can figure out how to beef up the 8.8 or swap with something better.

Since the front of the thing is rusty, kinda mangled, and from a 2006 front clip after the mexico crash I decided to delete it and fab up some tube frame action to support the radiator and other bits. Ill post itt once i get more work done.

For reference, or in case someone else is dumb enough ambitious enough, these are some size comparisons that I wish i had before i started.

BW 1353 vs NP205 (I took the case after i ripped the 205 apart to refurb it, ill post later with complete assemblies next to each other)

M5R1 trans next to Mercedes 716.649

Deleted rad support, with engine elevated

OM606 suspended in engine bay

Engine is rotated clockwise due to lifting points. From a basic fitment standpoint, i *think* i can use the existing frame mounts, with a plate or perhaps a whole new motor mount. Not sure, I still have a bunch of work to do on the frame before I am ready to start mounting it in the rest of the way plus some stuff to do to the motor. It looks like it will fit ok.

If anyone has any suggestions on the mount, I would love to hear it.

Ultimately, I will have to either adapt or fab a yoke to go on the back of the trans to connect to the divorced tcase. Of course, will need custom drive shafts. If anyone knows how to beef up the dana 35sla, I am all ears because i am going to detonate it the second i put power on it.

I have a theory, where as long as I leave it in 2hi or 2lo i will be ok. I want to examine putting a vac solenoid on the boost signal line to the pump that shuts it off into what I call "children's mode," forcing the pump to stay in a pre-boost fueling status that will keep it at lower numbers for when I have to actually use 4x4 to get out of a silt bed or up a hill slowly.

Truth is, i have no idea what I am doing or what I am talking about.

 

[Northidahotrailblazer]

Well I’m glad you’re starting with a better engine than I did. I swapped a OM617 in my B2 and hated it from day one. At leas The OM606 has some power. But man the om617 was hard to fit, I couldn’t imagine what a 606 would be like with another cylinder on it….looks like an awesome project! Will be watching!

 

[OEMcustom]

Well I’m glad you’re starting with a better engine than I did. I swapped a OM617 in my B2 and hated it from day one. At leas The OM606 has some power. But man the om617 was hard to fit, I couldn’t imagine what a 606 would be like with another cylinder on it….looks like an awesome project! Will be watching!

Yeah it wouldn't fit easily at all if i didn't delete the radiator support. I found out tonight that I need a rear sump pan, since I am running 4wd. If someone wanted to do a 2wd version, they would likely get away with the front sump but it would be tiiiiiight.

Update for what was done today- I ended up having to drop the front diff to remove the motor mounts. I *think* I will get away with using the stock location, but with a plate or something to sneak it in whatever direction it needs to go. Im betting I will be fabbing mounts by the end of the week, got a grip of parts ordered.

 

[ifitaintbroke]

This is just plain awesome.

 

[OEMcustom]

Did some more work tonight. I think tomorrow I am going to break out the carboard and start making templates for mounts and such.

Tcase is sitting on the armor, which happens to hold it right about where it would need to go.

Transmission output

Front Diff

Rear diff

Definitely going to have to make some custom refer lines if i want to have AC (i want to have AC)

All in all, I am happy about where the tcase lines up. Im hoping I won't have to cut thru the cab to get it to fit, will for sure need to get some better armor for the bottom. That was my biggest concern, but there is plenty of room from the looks of it. Will have to run some angles on the divorced Tcase, and unfortunately the only adapter I could readily find was for the 1310 U joint off the shelf coming from the motor. We will see what breaks first.

If anyone has any input or advice, dear lord i need it...

This is just plain awesome.

no u are plain awesome

 

[maddyn]

If it doesn't have a body lift, I would add maybe a 2" minimum lift. Will help a lot with room for the T-case and maybe a little more clearance for exhaust past the AC box

 

[ifitaintbroke]

no u are plain awesome

Uhh... why? I've barely been here yet

 

[OEMcustom]

If it doesn't have a body lift, I would add maybe a 2" minimum lift. Will help a lot with room for the T-case and maybe a little more clearance for exhaust past the AC box

Looking like this may be the case for a multitude of clearance issues. I am supposed to be getting the front sump tomorrow, ill get it mocked up and start thinking about making up some brackets and things. I suppose i could go lurk around the hockey rink and steal some pucks like the old timers used to do...

 

[OEMcustom]

About ready to start fabbing mounts. Swapped the 606 front sump pan with a rear sump and oil pump, should have taken some before pics but I got exited and also oily.


This is the rear pickup sump pump. Front sump pump bolts were a little bit too long, so mr grinder came to the rescue. Cut about a 1/4" off the bolts and they fit fine.

Here is some clearance pics as its dangling on the crane, no mounts yet. Looking rearward, front diff in frame.

The pan bolts do not connect to the trans. Not sure if this will be an issue later down the road or not. Might be able to drill if i feel inclined.

The stock tcase bracket looks like with a plate it will be able to attach to the rear of the trans.

Probably going to delete the heat shield.

 

[OEMcustom]

Update-
Ended up cutting the oil pan to get it to fit properly, due to the insane tight clearance around the front diff. Also started ripping out the interior, getting ready to put in some gauges and such.

Got the transfer case rebuilt, the 205 is the heaviest damn thing possible.


Transmission with a factory mercedes mount. Will be using the existing crossmember with a plate to grab the back of the trans, maybe a cross bar or something to support it further.

Got a radiator for a discovery. It will match almost perfect to a ford fusion fan, in case you were wondering. Some fella on the land rover forums mentioned this.

Also did a body lift with hockey pucks. Drilled a hole in the pucks and used the stock bolts... probably should get longer ones. It seemed to grip well enough.

 

[OEMcustom]

If it doesn't have a body lift, I would add maybe a 2" minimum lift. Will help a lot with room for the T-case and maybe a little more clearance for exhaust past the AC box

Ended up doing a 1" with hockey pucks, because that was all i could fit with the roof rack. But your post made me do it

 

[pjtoledo]

made in Slovakia, priceless

 

[maddyn]

nice! Yeah little bit of a body lift fixes a lot of things. More tire clearance, can access transmission bellhousing bolts.

Looking good, can't wait to see it running

 

[OEMcustom]

nice! Yeah little bit of a body lift fixes a lot of things. More tire clearance, can access transmission bellhousing bolts.

Looking good, can't wait to see it running

that makes two of us. I am totally consumed, thinking about everything from catch cans to vac systems to speedometers. I'm not even going to touch emissions.
Welding aluminum oil pans is miserable