Get the bugs worked out and use it a while before you take on something like this. The only shortage of power you will have will be before it starts blowing a boost and an intercooler won't help you there.

Resist the temptation to try to out engineer MB. You will get some wacky advice on this.

I like it. Im not a real big Jeep fan, but I would seriously consider doing this to an older Cherokee. With the proper gearing and a decent lift, you would have a pretty versatile vehicle. My only concern would be the transmission. Thats a Chrysler tranny in there, and I am scared of those for sure.
I'll be interested to see more pics of the conversion stuff.

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"Ninja monkeys are meeting as we speak, plotting my demise."

1982 300D "Melba" 332k
1985 4Runner "billygoat" 204k

The IP is the Injection Pump, it sits on the left side of the block up front and all of your metal injector lines join at it. Do a search on this forum or obtain the Factory Service Manual for this engine and determine how to adjust if needed. Usually on the back cover there will be an adjustment for idle speed and full load, each have a significant impact on fueling, idle quality and smoke. Also your engine should have an ALDA (search on this) a squareish unit mounted to the top of your IP. On the top of this there is an adjustment screw and lock-nut, this will control your partial load fueling anything not WOT. But before adjusting please research and get a good understanding of how it all works, often on these engines making an adjustment in one place will invariably affect the others to some degree.

This is a relatively easy engine to live with and should give you a good return, One other note is to check and adjust valves, on these engines this should be done every 15k miles and will have an effect on smoke as well.

Good luck, keep us posted and ask away. I think this is a really cool project and there are several others on this forum who have also contemplated doing the same.
Bill

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Stable Mates:
1987 300TD 310K mi (Hans)
2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee OM642 165k mi (Benzrokee)

OK for all that were interested in my project. I was driving it arould the neighborhood and when the engine hit a higher rev the knock went away for a min. I talked to a mechanic that told me it might be fuel related. I changed the injectors yesterday. There was no change in the knocking. The knocking seemed to be fading in and out. It was mostly there though. I have decided to continue looking for another motor. I have several calls in to local dismantlers in my area.

am far from knowledgable in this forum, but would definitely be holding off looking for another engine.
the 617 is known to knock especially after changing injectors, sometimes as long as 500 miles afterwards.
seems like you have a good engine that just needs to be run and adjusted.
do you have any diesel specialists in the area to give an experienced look and listen?
sure others will be chiming in with some more help as well, keep on the keepn on, good luck..

Check Chain Stretch And/or Pump Timing Too First...

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1980 500SE/AMG Euro
1981 500SEL Euro
1982 380SEL
1983 300TD
1983 500SEC/AMG Euro
1984 500SEC
1984 300TD Euro
1986 190E 2.3-16
1986 190E 2.3
1987 300D
1997 C36 AMG
2003 C320T 4matic

past: 1969 280SE 4.5 | 1978 240D | 1978 300D | 1981 300SD | 1981 300SD | 1982 300CD | 1983 300CD | 1983 300SD | 1983 380SEC | 1984 300D | 1984 300D | 1984 300TD | 1984 500SEL | 1984 300SD | 1985 300D | 1986 300E | 1986 560SEL | 1986 560SEL/Carat | 1987 560SEC | 1991 300D 2.5 | 2006 R350

I have had the valve cover off and looked at the chain, it looks good. When I start the car it turns over and fires right up. I used the glow plugs (manual at thiss time) the first time and then let it run for maybe 3 min. After that I turned the motor over and it would start after 3 seconds of turning over without the glow plugs. (this seems like the timing and compression is ok)

There was a squealing noise also that you can hear every once and a while as it is running. Someone told me that that is the bearings going out.
I don't want to change the motor that is why I changed the injectors. I just want to get it on the road. I was excited when I was told the knock could be fuel related, but then changed them and still heard the knock.
The last thing is the knock sounds like it is coming from the front of the motor (near the chain tensioner) and up on the head.

I am going to keep on pluggin away at this until it is finished.

Diagnosing a noise is next to impossible over the internet. You need to find someone local who is familiar with Mercedes diesel engines to listen to it in person.

And in that location, it could also be something related to the vacuum pump.

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Rick Miley
2014 Tesla Model S
2018 Tesla Model 3
2017 Nissan LEAF
Former MB: 99 E300, 86 190E 2.3, 87 300E, 80 240D, 82 204D Euro
Chain Elongation References

I have seen Cherokee and Wagoneers in europe with 4 cyl turbodiesels.
I believe these were sold as options there.

George

"As for a link to converting a Wrangler to this configuration.... I looked and could not find any."

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Brownie' 81 300D Auto
Engin'r.....

I will be happy to list my findings when I finish the job. The motor is installed and it works with the Jeep 3 speed auto. The problem I am having is the motor is bad. I am trying to either fix the motor or replace it.

I read an article in some Diesel magazine ,this months ,were they did a 3.9 turbo cummins motor in a jeep .It origanlly had a 4.o and 4 spd.The 3.9 came out of a frito lay truck with a 400 trannie.Everything looks good but the rearend would not take the torque ,he had a ford 8.8 put in.The 3.9 cummins had 105 hp ,not sure of the torque though

I have taken out the bad motor and I am working on taking out the donor motor. I have taken some pictures of the adapter plate. I am going to go to a machine shop and see if they can make another plate for me.

The adapter is to mate the 617 motor with the Jeep 3spd auto tranny. I am going to take more pics as I go along.

I am going to try to use the oil cooler and retrofit it into the Jeep. I am not sure what vac lines I am going to need but I am going to try to hook up all of the guages.

Attached Thumbnails

   

... this might just clean up and solve some your initial symptoms and is good preventive maintenance anyhow!
Regards,

Not an MB swap, but a nice motor none the less -

Helped my old college buddy on his 3.9 Cummins swap into a 1953 Dodge M37 - Used Frito-Lay truck engine, but went with ZF547 5-speed trans from Ford diesel F-250 -

Engine

Model...4BT Cummins

Type: 4 stroke, 4 Cylinder turbo charged diesel

Horsepower...BHP-105at 2500 RPM, Torque… 286lb-ft at 1700 RPM

Displacement...239 cu. in. (3.9L)

Bore... 4.02" Stroke... 4.72" Compression Ratio… 17.5:1

Oil Capacity...10 qt. (oil pan sump cut down for installation, original capacity 12 qt.)

Weight... A FRICKIN' ton!

Instead of lifting the truck a bunch, he had the oilpan modified to clear the front pumpkin -

Cabell's website: http://www.garbee.net/~cabell/

Prior to this, he did have a nice 1951 MB 170S, aka, the Gangster Car... we had to resist the temptation to install a 190 2.3/2.5 16V engine thought... well, that was my suggestion; I'd measure under the hood when he wasn't looking, and he kept running me out of the garage -

http://www.garbee.net/~cabell/photosmb.htm

bnc

I picked up the jeep today and drove it around the block. It looks good and there is about 8" clearance between the motor and the front diff. I have a few wires to connect and then I will be done. The transmission (jeep) seems to be shifting late and there is a long pause before it starts moving when starting on a hill. I am going to be looking into that tomorrow as well. There is a small oil leak at the transfer case and I will take it back to he shop that did the lift for them to fix it. I am going to look into the registration papers and see what needs to be done with that now. It was quite a thrill to be driving the only Mercedes powered wrangler that I know of.

I tried to post pics but my files are way to big to fit.