Mercedes OM617 XJ/MJ engine mounts and placement - Special Reserve Episode 4

In this episode I test fit and then make room in the engine bay on my 1989 Jeep Comanche for the Mercedes OM617 diesel and build appropriate motor mounts.

[@tonto5642]

You have no idea how happy i was seeing a new upload from you. I love your fabrication skills. You make it look so easy. Very inspiring. Thank you

[@marc1al90]

Patiently waiting for episode 5

[@dondaughtrey7537]

Have you made another vid since this one, just noticed it was last year! Doh!

[@robwilliams9157]

Definitly ready for a new episode

[@aliveoutside248]

i love your videos. very entertaining. i do wish you posted more often.

[@Hantskie]

Well done and really nice video. Sad to only have found this now. Any updates? Hope you will be making videos soon again!

[@TheDrivewayEngineer]

Where you at buddy? Hope all is well, been following this with great interest!

[@2drx4]

Been too busy with life... Hoping to be back at this soon.

[@ifurgonnasayitsayit]

Geez, this came out a week ago and I just now noticed... I'm sleepin on ya, boys! Keep 'em comin' eh?

[@brandonhobock7086]

Keep this up! This is going to be so cool

[@nickgentry6790]

This is awesome, I my self have a 89 Comanche 4x4 short bed manual. I'm also looking into sticking a Mercedes diesel in it as well so this series will be very helpful with my build as well.

[@soap9816]

Waiting impatiently for the 5th vid !

[@dondaughtrey7537]

Where did you get your bushings?

[@trondvidardalseng894]

Great video. I am about to do a Mercedes OM 603851 swap in my 1980 Chevrolet C 10 pickup. I am looking for a mount from the engine to the frame, cross member. I am going to use the "clam shells" boltede to the engine cross member. Can you point me in the right direction how to get those engine mount? Maybe you got some drawings or pictures of that engine mount you used? Best regards.

[@jacobneely4161]

Cant wait to see the next video looks like you can get away with a 2in drop Pittman arm and track bar mount with a 4in lift.....keep up the good work

[@2drx4]

It would probably fit... But I'm going a different route in an effort to make a better end product. Thanks for watching!

[@TheDrivewayEngineer]

I've been following along with this with great interest. I'm neck deep in a rebuild of my OM617 for my Toyota currently, I devour any other OM617 content I can find. Hope all is well and wish you a Merry Christmas, looking forward to an update when you can.

[@2000freefuel]

1) this aftermarket oil pan might interest you, www.doomsdaydiesel.net/product-page/ultimate-clearance-front-sump-om617-oil-pan 2) International Harvester used the hammer method to fit the Nissan Diesel into their trucks on the assembly line, it's an OEM approved method!

[@2drx4]

Unfortunately the Doomsday pan will not fix the issue, or at least I don't think it will. I've obtained a spare engine to investigate on, and hopefully I'll have an update on that at some point! Glad to hear IH did similar "modifications." Hahaha

[@2000freefuel]

@@2drx4 "Dry Sump"

[@2drx4]

It might come to that!!!!!!!!!!!

[@TheMajictech]

No frickin way dude! An 89 mj! I have a short box one on long arms and 33s I’m considering a swap on! 😊

[@Jrob992]

Just bought a 606 for my wrangler. I feel like when I work on it my Comanche glares at me in disgust in the corner of the shop. Oh well lol great vids!

[@ddesilva61]

So…why not convert to rear sump? Or…Doomsday diesel chopped oil pan, and mild lift?

[@dubCanuck1]

Did anyone else say "make the noise" when the digital level came out?

[@2drx4]

I thought about turning that feature on, but I don't find the Mastercraft angle finder to have as pleasant of beep as the one Bad Obsession Motorsports uses. 😂

[@dubCanuck1]

@@2drx4 don't like the "a-hoooooga" sound?

[@wetoolow8750]

I wish I could do what you did in this video.

[@2drx4]

I'm totally self taught at fabrication. Go mangle some metal and learn from your mistakes!

[@kevinthouvenell1750]

@@2drx4 so true brother 👊💪

[@wetoolow8750]

@@2drx4 💪

[@eddyfpv652]

Any progress on this project? I just subscribed

[@Provience]

10x speed metal moving is awesome, kind of surprised you didn't hammer the fold in the firewall and used a grinder

[@2drx4]

I hacked it off because it doesn't do much, you can trim back to the spot welds without any real strength loss. I'll probably hammer the lip over when I clean the firewall up though, to make it a little more pretty and proper.

[@Provience]

@@2drx4 certainly, i just find hitting things with a hammer easier is all lol. as for strength, certainly not a concern until all done and as a lighter duty rig it isn't likely to crack from the brake pedal mount or anything. Just happy to see you back to putting up content, ya workin' bum!

[@jordang1359]

Another great episode! I like the new background pieces...when are you going to roll out some billet pieces from the mill? I wish my shop looked like that! 🤟

[@TheBibleExplorer]

Aw...Real men don't need any welding jacket 😁👍...lol Great video series brother, keep your tires towards the ground and your eyes toward the Lord & I'll catch you on the trails on day 😊

[@sandmann2050]

🤟 very good ! Greetings from Germany !

[@dunemaster3179]

Very wholesome content. Can’t wait for the next episode.

[@2drx4]

Thanks for watching!

[@михаилпанев-о4к]

Great Job, brother 🤗🍀❤️👏🚙

[@riverfisher6512]

If you build me a set of motor mounts I will give you a Dana 30 out of a 1989 Comanche I own 4 of them in central Wisconsin

[@2drx4]

I'm not going with a D30 front. I have a couple and that would be too easy.

[@steves8697]

It looks like I will be doing this same swap. If not the 617 it will be the 4bt. Very well put together videos, very educational. Keep pumping these vids out you have great potential and skill

[@Austin-jd4mc]

Are you going to rebuild the engine or is it ready to go. Can you talk about the engine setup in the next video?

[@2drx4]

That engine is fairly fresh, I believe it has under 100K miles on it. So I'm not planning to rebuild it, unless it turns out to have problems. As to the engine setup I'll go into it in more depth at some point, I can't promise exactly when, I'm trying to figured out what exactly the next video will focus on because there is multiple things going on with the project. I've also had a lot of trouble getting certain parts as international shipping has been badly effected for the last few months. Thanks for watching though!

[@Giraffefistfight]

Fantastic update. For welding in tight spots, or fabricating in general, my go to is my welding pull on sleeves. Specifically the Lincoln KH813. They are light, thin, and much much cooler than any jacket I've tried.

[@nismomell]

What happened with the build?

[@davidgriffith3548]

Get your ass back on irate4x4. We miss you over there man.

[@dondaughtrey7537]

I have posted your channel on Jeep forums, thanks so much for doing this

[@2drx4]

Thanks for sharing it! And I'm glad it is of help to people. Hopefully I'll be back at it and can continue to document the technical aspects soon.

[@quesocrema73]

How take adapter kit om617 for AX15.. ,,,???? Please thanks

[@dakotahatch797]

Can you get mesurments for the motor mounts so I can Fab mine up ?

[@ryangoetz43]

Great series! Any updates to this project?

[@2drx4]

Pretty stalled right now, but will be back at it.

[@robwilliams9157]

You could have gotten pregnant this episode and be giving birth now. Just sayin.

[@2drx4]

Who is saying I didn't? In this modern world of gender bending and fluid sexuality.

[@robwilliams9157]

@@2drx4 trust me, I'm in highschool, I'm well aware

[@jordankirby4612]

Can’t wait to see more. Looking to do something similar

[@handbannana3610]

Really good to see you put out another video!

[@robwilliams9157]

Any update as to when we should be seeing another episode?

[@2drx4]

Well, COVID kinda ruined my life... Maybe this fall? It's still there, I still want to make it happen, I still have camera gear and can edit video.

[@robwilliams9157]

@@2drx4 getter done!! We all want to see this thing rolling

[@dondaughtrey7537]

So, my questions are- 1) why not use a modified pan so you can use all the steering stuff? 3) or aftermarket pre-made mounts? Or relocate the oil filter?

[@2drx4]

The ultimate plan is to modify the oil pan extensively, however enough clearance can't be made by simply cutting/modifying the smaller lower pan. To get enough room is going to involve some compromises, but until I actually build the axle I intend to use and get the steering placed there is no point messing with the pan. As to the aftermarket pre-made mounts, I simply didn't like the style of them nor how few mounting points they pick up on, plus they may or may not have allowed me to locate the engine where I wanted it. There is also lots of reports of failures of the pancake style mounts when using low range, as the amount of torque loading they experience is way more than would be seen in a car. Regarding relocating the oil filter, personally I like the MB filter, with a good element in it you will see considerably better filtration than you would get with some of the remote oil filter setups. Also, they work needed on the firewall was not as much as it may have seemed, and there was no way the engine would be going any farther back regardless as room is needed for the exhaust. Obviously I don't have all the answers and haven't finished the swap, but this was my reasoning for the choices I made. Thanks for commenting!

[@dondaughtrey7537]

@@2drx4 I am going to take a chance Mercedesdiesel4x4 oil pan. I have not heard anything bad about that. What are your thoughts on this? Same with motormounts. I understand the oil filter relocation instructions were actually printed backwards for a while, and they have since fixed this, causing some motor rebuilds, but I also hear they made good financially on that. So they are trying. FYI- that is what I heard listening to other swaps on youtube on the matter. I have a 1988 MJ that I am gathering parts for right now. I am totally going with the doomsday diesel kit for the AX-15 trans, thanks so much for that info!

[@2drx4]

@@dondaughtrey7537 Everything MD 4x4 builds is absolute junk. His oil pan kit, sure, it's just some chucks of aluminum and vague instructions on how the pan should be cut and welded, there's really nothing to go wrong there. The motor mounts use a bushing setup that neither is robust nor smooth, with anyone who actually put miles on their swap with them reporting failures. That said, sure, you could change to another bushing and make them work, but be aware it isn't a product that is just going to do what you want as delivered. Their oil filter relocation "kit" is absolutely a mess, it's a badly plasma burned piece of A36 that MIGHT seal to the block if you're lucky, and that you will have to weld the fittings into if you want them to not bottom out and leak. Plus he throws in a dirt cheap filter head from Summit and the cheapest Fram filter you can get. I think Doomsday makes a remote oil filter kit, I know he was working on one, that was actually milled out of aluminum and thick enough to not warp and therefore seal properly. As to them "making good" on the damage their products caused, well I know somebody who is out multiple flexplates, transmissions, and a whole engine after he unknowingly wound up being the test bed for their AW4 adapter kit (which was way wrong, for reasons similar to why their AX-15 kit is wrong), and he never got a dime back out of them other than to be sent multiple parts that never worked. Buy their stuff if you want, sure, it can probably all be made to work, but none of it will work reliably as-is.

[@dondaughtrey7537]

@@2drx4 Great feedback, Exactly what I needed to hear. Looks like I will be building my own motormounts and such. Sigh. I was hoping some part would not be me doing fab work for a couple days as well. I iwll get the doomsday kit for anything they sell, does advance adapters have anything good for us?

[@dondaughtrey7537]

@@2drx4 I definately want to do something with that oil pan though!

[@Provience]

hey, new video!!! Whoop!

[@ashfieldwakefield3221]

It's been months what's happening with the build

[@2drx4]

Pretty stalled out for a variety of reasons. Was hoping to get enough done to string together another solid video, but that hasn't happened.

[@starlord6972]

So I have to ask lol! Would you build another set of mounts for my project mj lol 😂

[@2drx4]

I had way more time into them than I wished I would have... Maybe Doomsday Diesel will start making them though???