Any new developments lately??

I have been thinking about this as well. After becoming tired of not getting paid at work, I have gone off on my own again doing Prototypes, Weld/fab, and Machining work.

I have been thinking about the bell housing that LutxTD has designed as a possible project. Sadly, after reviewing the interest vs. economic aspects it would be more of a personal project than a marketable one.

I say this because,

First LutzTD would need to be compensated for his work, then I would have a pattern made, (SLA or SLS). Time would have to be spent finishing / prepping the pattern. I would make a core box for a sand mold and make at least two molds. Having the pore done is the easy part. Set up and prep, pore with a good aloy and possibly heat treated would be about $450.00 ea.

Then I would then have to demold them, more of a mess than anything, Inspect for defects, (possibly with ultra sound, die / pen). If they check out, tool up the machine, finish machine and then inspect them.

I think LutzTD was thinking $600 a piece for a finish machined, die casted part, which that is VERY GOOD price. If I remember correctly anyone interested thought it was way too much. Even by doing it the old fashion way, $600 would not cover the material costs, let alone labor.

I might contact LutzTD and revisit it, but the issue, as I see it, is people wanting a custom designed and engineered, low volume, specialized part, but only wanting to pay the cost of a used mass produced, generic part. I think I saw a 240D bell housing listed for $40.00 the other day.

If we end up working something out, I will have as many castings pored as fiscally possible should there be the occasional person who wants one at a realistic price.

On the other hand I have no idea what LutzTD has done with it. He may have made progress since his last post about it.

I have seen others cut and welded trans housings to make a 5-speed work, but to my knowledge no one is running one currently.

Why BMW specifically? You could do a GM or Ford small block pattern, and run a T5 with a 3.73 rear gear for about a 2200rpm cruise at 60mph.
If it has to be a German transmission, ZF built the ones for the F250 and F350, in small block, big block, and diesel versions.
Or just use the Mazda-sourced M5R2 from later F150s, it was also used in Thunderbird Supercoupes, and rather stout but a little rough shifting.

The type of transmission is not the issue as all of them will require a custom made bell housing or adaptor plate, which will have to be engineered / designed and prototyped. Unless a short cut is identified, the end cost will still be in the same neighborhood.

True, unless you just use a steel plate. I know it wouldn't look as elegant as nice matte cast aluminum, but it would be much cheaper to make a plate than a casting.

I do have access to a giant CNC machine.... Im sure I can get an adapter plate machined from aluminum if I asked nicely

Shouldn't take that big of a machine, really, just as long as you have about 24x24 travel. I bet I could torch one out of steel pretty quick (we'll find out soon enough since that's what I'll be doing), or if my boss would ever buy the parts so I could fix the compressor I would plasma cut one from aluminum.

I've seen 1" aluminum plate that a machinist cut with a table saw. Said the hot chips were something to watch out for.

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CC: NSA

All things are burning, know this and be released.

82 Benz 240 D, Kuan Yin
12 Ford Escape 4wd

You're four times

It's hard to

more likely to

concentrate on

have an accident

two things

when you're on

at the same time.

a cell phone.

www.kiva.org It's not like there's anything wrong with feeling good, is there?

I've cut 1/4" aluminum bar with a miter saw.Carbide tip blade wasn't good for wood anymore but we needed to cut the aluminum

A cheap low tooth count carbide blade works great for the rough cuts, I use a 18tpi bandsaw blade to finish the cuts for right now, but I also have access to a steel cutting circular saw. Fun to use, and potentially deadly when it binds-

the 600 cost was for a machined die cast part, not sand cast. very good quality part. but noone wants to pay $600 so it is a moot point. The BMW transmission is a good choice over the ford and chevy options because the shifter is a seperate part from the transmission, the same way the MB setup is done. this allows the shifter to be correctly located. the ford and chevy offerings in late models where the cost is low have integral shifters so placement would not be correct. Also the BMW has the same rubber drive shaft mounting and spline count on the input shaft allowing the use of a MB clutch. The BMW getrag transmission is the same family used on AMG 5 speeds of the period and is available pretty often in the yards for $75. the cost of a ford or chevy adaptor would be similar, but with the preceding disadvantages, that is why it was not considered. I would need to sell 25 bells at $600 to break even and that is giving away my design time.

The next best option would be using the MB 5 speed used on later cars with the starter n the wrong side, but even this plate machined will be in the $600 range unless you get free material and machine time.

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1982 300CD Turbo (Otis, "ups & downs") parts for sale
2003 TJ with Hemi (to go anywhere, quickly) sold
2001 Excursion Powerstroke (to go dependably)
1970 Mustang 428SCJ (to go fast)
1962 Corvette LS1 (to go in style)
2001 Schwinn Grape Krate 10spd (if all else fails)

You can get the 18tpi blades for a sawzall also. Granted not as pretty but serves the purpose.

A shop I work at also got one of those diamond metal cutting blades they work great but like you said scary as hell. The price on them is scary too.

They make a kit for a powerstroke 6.0 called destroked. The adapter plate looks like it should be on your mantle piece not mashed between an engine and trans. Artwork to say the least.

A good machinist can make anything work and look good while doing it. I agree on the plate much cheaper and easier to adapt to numerous types of transmissions.

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Experience : what you receive 3 seconds after you really needed it !!



86 300SDL 387,000? Motor committed suicide
81 300SD 214,000 "new" 132,000 motor
83 300SD 212,000 parts car
83 300SD 147,000

91 F700 5.9 cummins 5spd eaton 298,000
66 AMC rambler American 2dr auto 108,000
95 Chevy 3/4 ton auto 160,000
03 Toyota 4runner 180,000 wifes

I found a post on swapping a 617 into a toyota with the stock toyota 5 speed dont see why it wouldnt work in reverse.
http://www.yotatech.com/f162/mercedes-diesel-swap-153220/

__________________


Experience : what you receive 3 seconds after you really needed it !!



86 300SDL 387,000? Motor committed suicide
81 300SD 214,000 "new" 132,000 motor
83 300SD 212,000 parts car
83 300SD 147,000

91 F700 5.9 cummins 5spd eaton 298,000
66 AMC rambler American 2dr auto 108,000
95 Chevy 3/4 ton auto 160,000
03 Toyota 4runner 180,000 wifes

Yeah, over at dieselbombers.com in the conversions forum people are putting OM617s into several different vehicles. Rather than fabbing a belhousing, most of them are removing the adapter plate off the back of the OM617 block, and using it as the engine-side pattern, and then using the bellhousing of the tranny of their choice as the tranny-side pattern for the adapter plate. Basically they're fabbing their own adapter plate to replace the factory plate with one compatible with the tranny of their choice.

The only real tricks to it seem to be 1) getting both patterns centered on the tranny input shaft and crank pilot hole 2) making the snout of the tranny input shaft compatible with the crank pilot hole (a bronze bushing from a Ford truck can be re-drilled to match the input shaft pilot size) 3) redrilling and machining the center of the flywheel to fit on the Mercedes crank and make the bolt holes line up.

Most of them are using the starter and clutch components from the tranny donor rig. The length of the input shaft determines the thickness of the material used to make the adapter plate (to get the proper input shaft insertion depth into the crank pilot hole). The material choice is in turn dictated by the thickness of the adapter plate. 1/4"-3/8" and most people use steel for strength. Anything thicker than 3/8" and they go with aluminum because its thickness makes it strong enough, and the weight savings is significant.

One interesting note is that none of them seem to be having the vibration issues that so many of the folks doing 240D 4 speed conversions run into. In my way of thinking this adds credibility to the argument that the reason those using a 240D flywheel all seem to experience vibrations that those using the heavier 300D flywheel never seem to have is the difference in the weight of the two flywheels. A flywheel from an AX-15 for example is MUCH larger and heavier than the 240D flywheel - and even than the 300D flywheel.

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1984 300 Coupe TurboDiesel
Silver blue paint over navy blue interior
2nd owner & 2nd engine in an otherwise
99% original unmolested car
~210k miles on the clock

1986 Ford F250 4x4 Supercab
Charcoal & blue two tone paint over burgundy interior
Banks turbo, DRW, ZF-5 & SMF conversion
152k on the clock - actual mileage unknown

A flywheel from an AX-15 ?????
Whats that???