Yes...almost. I swapped the tailcone and yoke from the 380SL transmission to the 300Ds transmission so I could keep the electronic speedo and match the driveshaft yoke/flex disc (the 380s is larger presumably to handle more torque from the more powerful engine). They both have 722.3x transmissions, but the bell housing and starter are different as well a the gear ratios.

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Current Stable

• 380SL (diesel)
• Corvette C5
• Manx
• Baja Bug
• F350 Powerstroke
• Auburn Boattail Speedster replica

In 99 there were 2 engines used in 4 WD trucks. A 3.0 Vulcan V6 ( also found in front drive apps ) and a 4.0 that sort of traces it's roots back to the 2.9 / 2.8 / 2.6. The 3.0 and 4.0 use different bell housing patterns so the adapter will be different.

The manual trans is a Mazda M5OD , this was first used in 88. The bell housings are not removable however they were also used behind the 2.3 / 2.5 Lima Pinto motor ( not sure about the completely different later 2.5 ) They "might" have been used behind the 2.9 but I've only seen the aluminum pan Toyokogo and steel pan Mitsubishi 5 speeds.

There was also a HD version of the M5OD used in full sized inline 6 and V8 trucks but I don't know if the transfer case pattern is the same as Ranger or not.

I used the Getrag 4 speed from a 240D so of course it bolts right up to the intermediate plate (same as a 240D). When you make your adaptor it probably will be easier to use the intermediate plate and go toward the trans from there - but that's a guess.

I'm surprised that the Ranger in Canada has it's engine so tall in the saddle. My S-10, which was made for a rear sump engine, handles the front sump pretty well and as you can see it all sits under the stock hood. Maybe some careful cutting and fitting will get that sump down low enough to make a cleaner installation. But like I said, I've never done a Ranger.

Darn - I was hoping to meet you!

Dan

That ranger must have the front pan on top of its cross member.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Measurements and pics. Hopefully you can read the tape - I tried to position it so you could not only have the measurements but also see where stuff sticks out, etc.

1) Width across the front - about 25.5".

2) Width across the rear - about 23.5".

3 Height at the tallest point (sump to cam cover) - about 27". The air cleaner will add height if you use the stock unit.

4) Intermediate plate that we discussed.

Two more pics - I'll make a second entry.

Dan

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Last 2 pics. The forum will only take 5 at a time.

1) The oil pan as discussed. Note the front sump which bolts on and is quite heavy gage steel. The deep point at the rear is a part of what is generally called the "upper pan" and is cast aluminum - it bolts to the block.

2) Total engine length - about 31" from water pump nose to the rear of the intermediate plate.

The OM617 is actually quite compact for a Diesel, especially given how stout it is. Hopefully these will get you headed in the right direction.

Dan

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Sorry I meant to ask if you used the trucks transmission or not, thanks for the info

I don't know what engine's in this truck but i'm going to look at it Friday. Haven't read through all of this yet but aparently the bell housing on the automatic is removable but it's to small for the Mercedes flywheel. Benz om617 - The Ranger Station Forums Hopefully there's a bit more room in the manual transmission


Thanks for the pics Dan! Could you measure the diameter of the flywheel for me?

I've got a confession, I've done almost no work on cars so I don't know the names of all the parts between the crankshaft and the drive shaft. Everything I know is just extrapolations of what I've seen on the small engines I've worked on and pictures. So correct me if I'm wrong but does it go engine, flywheel, thing to attach engine to the input of the clutch (possibly bolted to the flywheel? More likely splined shaft), clutch, transmission. All the stuff between the transmission and the engine is in a housing that's called a bell housing. Yes/No? Based on that logic and the picture and Dan's second to last picture the Mercedes flywheel being larger then what the Ranger's bell housing was designed for shouldn't be an issue because either the Mercedes flywheel doesn't go farther then the intermediate plate (can't quite tell from the picture) and so there's no conflict or I could mill it a little thinner (only the starter rides on it right?). Also, why am I even worrying about this? If I'm making an adapter to put the engine and transmission together then the flywheel will be back far enough from the bell housing and they won't interfere and there's no issue. I think that thread I linked at the beginning of this post is just making me doubt my ideas and there's no issue. That's crazy i wrote all this, I guess i just had to work through it all in my head. Please correct me where I'm wrong!

It goes like this: crankshaft, flywheel, clutch disk, pressure plate (this is bolted to the flywheel). The clutch disk has a splined shaft that slips onto the transmission input shaft.

Where in MA are you? I'm in Chelmsford, where Rt. 3 and 495 intersect, about 15 minutes south of Nashua, NH.

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"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."

Here is a picture and a link that might help:



This link has a good explanation and helpful diagrams:

Clutch Tech Part One: The Pressure Plate, Get a Grip!

I would definitely read it!

__________________
"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."

The flywheel is approx. 12" measured across the ring gear (that's what the starter engages with). Just a point of clarity - the flywheel shown in my pics is actually for an automatic. In most cars this would be a fairly light gage plate (like, maybe 1/8" thick) but Mercedes wants this much mass to smooth out the pulses of a Diesel engine. If you look closely at the pic you'll see that a smaller plate is bolted to the center of the flywheel - this is an adaptor for the torque converter to bolt to.

Note that in the drawing in Moly's last post, the flywheel bolts to the crankshaft and the pressure plate bolts to the flywheel. The clutch disc is splined to the transmission input shaft so the only way the engine gets hooked to the trans is when the pressure plate is allowed to push against the flywheel which results in the clutch disc getting squeezed between the two. The pressure plate is spring loaded toward the flywheel so it wants to do the squeezing and only releases when you push the clutch pedal down which compresses the spring. Hope that helps.

I have a suggestion: before tackling a swap like this I'd suggest you find someone who is doing an engine removal and installation and volunteer to be an unpaid hired hand. It'll help a lot if you have an idea of how stuff fits together, what standard practices are, etc. A place to start is to go to a local car show and start asking if anyone is doing an engine swap and could use a hand. Chances are you'll find someone who would be happy to have some help and who would be happy to teach. I can tell you from personal experience it's fun to pass on your knowledge!

This is NOT a simple swap and there's a high possibility for the Ranger to end up on Craigslist as an unfinished project unless you PLAN for that not to happen. The more hands-on you can get the better. You've made a great start by reaching out to this community - we'll really try to keep you on the right path (of course, there will be differing opinions as to what the "right path" is....). We all want to see you succeed!

Dan

lol, I'm debating doing an engine swap in my 300SD to an OM603... it would be my second 617 engine pull. I wouldn't turn down help and would also be happy to help with any projects he has.

__________________
"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."

This is REALLY solid advice! You're going to learn a lot during this adventure!

Can you weld? That'll help a lot with motor mounts and such.

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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap

Welding (even as badly as I do it) is indeed VERY helpful. Given that I'm NOT the world's best weldor (I have vision issues that mean that I can't do a lot better) I sometimes tack stuff together and take the project over to a local shop that will TIG weld stuff for a fair price. My point - do what you can but don't be proud!

I forgot to mention that the oil pump and it's pickup are inside that lower sump so you can't alter that too much. You can make it a bit smaller as shown in my build thread but it pretty much has to stay there.

I'd take Molyapina up on that offer! That's experience that will translate directly to the Ranger project and he's at least within traveling distance from you.

Dan

The biggest issue is probably if the oil pan will clear the K-frame. All my old Chrysler cars have the oil pan deep at the mid-rear, whereas the OM617 drops down at the front. You don't really have the option of fabbing a custom oil pan, unless you replace the whole alum upper oil pan. Another issue is engine height. The OM617 is OHC, so if the Ranger came w/ OHC engines, "should fit". Most people use the transmission that came w/ the engine. There are custom adapter plates for certain swaps between Chevy, Ford, & Chrysler muscle cars, but rare and expensive. Then a gazillion little gotch's like interference between exhaust and steering components, ... Expect a lot of re-engineering, taking much time, and many "can't get there from here" issues. All such issues would be easier in a wider truck.

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1984 & 1985 CA 300D's
1964 & 65 Mopar's - Valiant, Dart, Newport
1996 & 2002 Chrysler minivans

Bill - The Ranger came equipped with an OHC 4 cylinder as the base engine so it likely has a reasonably tall engine bay.

I know guys fit small block Ford V-8s in these all the time (there are kits) so there IS a bit of space in there. Later Explorers (Ranger based) had SBFs as a factory option and I once had an oil pan from one which was front sump. So MAYBE..... My Mustang uses a double sump not unlike the 617 and I don't know if that would fit in the Ranger but it might.

Now I'm curious and am going to look up the Ranger swap pan......

Yep, they (Trans-Dapt) recommend using the Explorer engine with the front sump so it sounds like the 617 sump should fit, more or less. I Am Me may have an easier time of it than I did though the 4WD may be a bit of a challenge.

Dan