240D performance question - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Sackett · #1 12-05-2003, 12:46 AM

This may seem very strange to many of you but I am interested in installing a 240 diesel in my 1970 IH Scout. I picked the engine for many reasons including availability, reliability, cost, and familiarity. I have worked out most of the aspects of installing it but I am concerned about its power. I originally wanted to use a 300 turbo but the 240 will be a much better fit. My Scouts' current 4 cyl is rated at 111 horsepower and I was looking to equal this with a diesel. I realize that I will not be able to get this with a 240 but would like to get as much power as possible out of it. I am interested in any suggestions that you all have for my project and would especially like to learn any tricks and hear about any results people have had with external modifications to the 240. Also, I will be using a manual trans.

240Demon · #2 12-05-2003, 01:40 AM

There really isn't any way to get any more power out of a Naturally Aspirated Mercedes Diesel. They are pretty much set on their 67 horsepower.

Sackett · #3 12-05-2003, 01:55 AM

There's a start. I thought they only had 62 so I just gained 5. I was thinking along the lines of propane and small tweaks.

MS Fowler · #4 12-05-2003, 05:26 AM

From reading here, as well as talking with my independent mechanic---The reason the 240D is so long-lived is that it is overly strong for the power it makes--but if you raise the power, you will quickly destroy it. Learn to live with it as it is, and leave it alone.

Not what I wanted to hear either, but thats the summary.

DslBnz · #5 12-05-2003, 09:33 AM

They make some OM616's and OM617's both non-turbo and turbocharged engines for commercial applications over in India to this very day.

Even a turbocharged OM616, but it is direct injection, not pre-chamber injection. Hmmm...

kerry · #6 12-05-2003, 10:13 AM

It's possible to put an aftermarket turbocharger on a 616. There was a 240d on Ebay in Nebraska a few weeks ago with a turbo. There's a British company that does it all the time to motorhomes in the UK. Go to their website and you can find a chart which states the horesepower that is gained on the 616.

http://www.tb-turbo.co.uk/index.htm

I have talked to someone who had it done and was very happy with the results. I don't know what the evidence is for shorter engine life. There have been at least a couple of very high mileage turbo 240d's show up on Ebay so at least some of them last a long time.

I think some of the current Indian 616 turbos are indirect injection. I think that is the case with Ghurkha's G-wagon clone.

Gurkha · #7 12-05-2003, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DslBnz
They make some OM616's and OM617's both non-turbo and turbocharged engines for commercial applications over in India to this very day.

Even a turbocharged OM616, but it is direct injection, not pre-chamber injection. Hmmm...

Correction, the OM 616 turbo is IDI and has always been so, the DI engine is the D series and it is quite a lot different from the OM 616. The OM 616 turbo is basically the OM 617 minus one cylinder.

DslBnz · #8 12-05-2003, 05:36 PM

OK, but what about what you said before?

"Absolutely right, they are still being manufactured here in India in normally aspirated and turbo form. Both the OM616/617 are also avaialble in direct injection version, this was an in house modification done by the R&D here and are used extensively in commercial applications like light trucks, utlity vehicles and tractors."

Quote from "Germans HATE MB diesels"

So it is done in house and used commercially, eh? So they are available. Ah-HA!:p

Stevo · #9 12-05-2003, 08:26 PM

Sackett

I bought a 616 engine that was going to put it in a scout. (another thread) He didnt get the job done for several reasons but I had the impression he had done his homework and it would have been a good match. Go for it. The 616 is a great little engine just the way it is.

Gurkha · #10 12-05-2003, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DslBnz
OK, but what about what you said before?

"Absolutely right, they are still being manufactured here in India in normally aspirated and turbo form. Both the OM616/617 are also avaialble in direct injection version, this was an in house modification done by the R&D here and are used extensively in commercial applications like light trucks, utlity vehicles and tractors."

Quote from "Germans HATE MB diesels"

So it is done in house and used commercially, eh? So they are available. Ah-HA!:p

Abolutely right, they are still being manufactured although the turbo is only for Europe fitted to the Gurkha and not for local consumption as it is too expensive. The D series DI engine is what is being sold here in India as standard and is derived from the OM 616 although with extensive mods to accomodate DI traits. The pistons, crank and valves are different.

Dana B. · #11 12-05-2003, 10:29 PM

I suspect that the key to offroading isn't horsepower. It's torque. How much grunt does a 240D put out? I would think that with a stick, you would do quite well in the weeds with an MB diesel.

Anybody know how much horsepower and torque the old Land Rover diesels put out?

Gurkha · #12 12-05-2003, 11:02 PM

Absolutely right, a tractable engine is what makes 4WD pleasurable in trails, high revving engines tend to spin the wheels and bog you down. The diesel engines are defintely superior to their petrol counterparts in this aspect.

Sackett · #13 12-05-2003, 11:40 PM

On the IH diesel forum there are discussions about turbo vs naturally aspirated engines for off road use. The main argument is the predictability of N/A vs turbo lag etc. This is not to say that I would not put a turbo in my 4wd because I would but with a 240, I would probably be better off looking for power gains in other forms.

Gurkha · #14 12-06-2003, 12:51 AM

The turbo used in OM 616 is quite small and pretty responsive, also the close ratio 5 speed along with stump pulling Puch transfer case really helps in climbing the trails. The engine hardly suffers from any lag, now if this was to be a Euro edition 911T, would be a different story.

The Warden · #15 12-06-2003, 03:15 AM

What tranny are you going to be using? Are you going to swap the tranny to an M-B unit along with the engine, or are you going to go with the IH tranny (I think a T-18? Correct me if I'm wrong...)? A '70 Scout would be a later Scout 800, right?

BTW, my first diesel was an '80 Scout II (the all-holy 101 hp Nissan SD-33T). What discussion board are you on? I used to be a regular over at www.binderbulletin.org before my Scout cracked a piston (the rust was so bad that it wasn't worth it to repair the piston, so I sold it to a guy who parted it out)...I still miss that ol' beast.

BTW, I think that propane injection, in moderation, could add a fair amount of power. Check this site out for some more info on a DYI propane setup, although the specific article pertains to Fords.. A ram-air setup would also help on the roads, although that wouldn't help on the trails.

Hope that helps a little bit...good luck!