My Official OM617 Toyota Pickup Repower Thread - Page 9 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

scout2000 · #**121** 09-23-2013, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OM617YOTA

The conversion kit I chose is from 4x4 Labs. Pretty standard adapter plate. This kit uses the Toyota V6 flywheel that's been redrilled to bolt to the OM617 crank and balanced to match. This allows the stock Toyota clutch and starter to be reused. It also has an adapter bushing to space the flywheel out for proper engagement with the clutch, starter, etc and also hold the stock Toyota pilot bearing. Lastly, a bag of hardware.

I would buy a different kit if I had it to do over again. The above mentioned adapter bushing is made out of aluminum instead of steel. The dude at 4x4 Labs claims to have several kits running around with many many thousands of miles on them and no issues. He's probably right. I still don't like it. The flywheel bolts included in the kit are also a joke. Hex head bolts were included, instead of socket head. The hex heads were so large that they interfered with each other and could not be tightened properly. The advice given was to arrange the flats and points in such a way that they could be tightened - which would make attaining torque specs impossible. I threw them out and bought cap screws to the tune of $70.

Thank you for your post.

I have been planning to use this kit, along with an OM617 and a GM NV4500 to repower my 1970 IH Scout.

All of the reviews of this kit I have read to date have been glowing. Almost to the point of wondering if they were plants by the mfg.

May I ask what kit you would have used in place of the 4x4labs kit?

OM617YOTA · #**122** 09-23-2013, 04:04 PM

Rich-

Thank you, I very truly appreciate the offer.

Scout-

I only have one datapoint to work off of, and listed the specific concerns I had with my kit. I'm sure most swaps using the 4x4 Labs kit go well and stay in service. Other than the bolts, I've had no functional problems with my kit, and have a little over 600 miles on the swap now.

If I had it to do over again, I would at the very least take a look at tdswaps.com. I have NO knowledge of them, but TD Swaps was less expensive, is a local company, and it would be relatively easy to drive the 40 minutes to take a look at their kit before I buy. I try to buy local if I can.

scout2000 · #**123** 09-23-2013, 04:27 PM

Hello ______ and thanks for the feedback.

I am always interested in knowing all my options before I plunk that kind of money down on an adapter, and I did head over to tdswaps.com to check things out.

I'm specifically planning to use a GM NV4500 manual transmission as part of my power train swap.

Unless I missed something, and thats entirely possible, tdswaps seems primarily focused on toyota transmissions. I did not see anything that would suggest support for the GM transmission bolt pattern.

Again, thanks for your comments.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OM617YOTA

Scout-

I only have one datapoint to work off of, and listed the specific concerns I had with my kit. I'm sure most swaps using the 4x4 Labs kit go well and stay in service. Other than the bolts, I've had no functional problems with my kit, and have a little over 600 miles on the swap now.

If I had it to do over again, I would at the very least take a look at tdswaps.com. I have NO knowledge of them, but TD Swaps was less expensive, is a local company, and it would be relatively easy to drive the 40 minutes to take a look at their kit before I buy. I try to buy local if I can.

JB3 · #**124** 09-24-2013, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scout2000

Hello ______ and thanks for the feedback.

I am always interested in knowing all my options before I plunk that kind of money down on an adapter, and I did head over to tdswaps.com to check things out.

I'm specifically planning to use a GM NV4500 manual transmission as part of my power train swap.

Unless I missed something, and thats entirely possible, tdswaps seems primarily focused on toyota transmissions. I did not see anything that would suggest support for the GM transmission bolt pattern.

Again, thanks for your comments.

I'm using the GM 4x4labs kit for a T5, which should be the same pattern as the GM NV4500 and I've been very pleased personally.

Like 0M617YOTA says, there are additional costs as far as flywheel bolts. The GM kit doesn't come with them, you need to use the MB automatic transmission flywheel stretch bolts, so you have to buy 12 new (I would reccommend). Also you must use the MB stock automatic flywheel spacer ring or bad things will happen I learned to my horror.

I think its a good value personally, the kit is well made, the custom flywheel made for the GM setup has bolt patterns for two different size clutches, and has a removable friction surface. I liked the pilot bearing adapter as well. You will need to use a ford starter, i have the info written down for source vehicle to buy that, but its a pretty common part.

For the price, I thought I could easily spend that money on machine shops and not have such a nice adapter plate at the end of the day either. Plus its plug and play, making the swap that much easier. (I had problems based on that spacer ring, but I was using an OM616 that was bolted to a manual tranny, so was missing that piece)

Addicted · #**125** 09-25-2013, 09:52 PM

Love reading about your build. Been working on an OM617 swap for years now in my FJ43 which is just a couple hours down the road from you.

Was worried about Amperage draw and will be running an electric fan as well and more importantly A/C and the fan on full blast when I bring it back to Savannah GA with me. Like you even after 8 years out of the cold coastal weather I can't handle the heat.

Hope the Alternator works out for you. My dad had a 300CD with a GM alternator on it. Think he just made his own bracket as well. Should have grabbed some info from him on the wiring for it. The SAAB is nice but I want something I can find at any store at any time, like a GM or something from a Ford Powerstroke which. I LOVE the MB Alternator with the easy to replace brushes. Maybe you can find a way to mount two of them

OM617YOTA · #**126** 09-25-2013, 10:40 PM

Hey all, thanks for the kind words. I hope my write up here will help someone else in their swap.

Latest on the alternator, it fits like it was meant to be there. A friend bored out the stock OM617 alt pulley to fit the 22SI, so the stock belts will all work. I'll need to add a spacer to make the pulley fit, then I'll cinch her down with the ole impact wrench. This is working out well enough that I'm going to sacrifice some of the stock parts. I think I can modify the tensioner to work with this setup.

Photos attached are of the alternator in place(not bolted in or anywhere near complete) and the tensioner with incision-lines drawn.

Cadin · #**127** 09-26-2013, 05:14 AM

Right on, she's coming right along!

Simpler=Better · #**128** 09-26-2013, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OM617YOTA

Hey all, thanks for the kind words. I hope my write up here will help someone else in their swap.

Latest on the alternator, it fits like it was meant to be there. A friend bored out the stock OM617 alt pulley to fit the 22SI, so the stock belts will all work. I'll need to add a spacer to make the pulley fit, then I'll cinch her down with the ole impact wrench. This is working out well enough that I'm going to sacrifice some of the stock parts. I think I can modify the tensioner to work with this setup.

Photos attached are of the alternator in place(not bolted in or anywhere near complete) and the tensioner with incision-lines drawn.

Looks good!

Don't ever be afraid to cut up parts, that has slowed me down many many times in the past. Worst case you're on eb*y or in the junk yard later

Cadin · #**129** 09-26-2013, 12:17 PM

x2 on the cuttage, also that bracket is pretty awkward to fit anything than the MB alt to!

OM617YOTA · #**130** 09-26-2013, 12:37 PM

I was hoping to use a turn buckle for a tensioner. All I found that were the right length, the hardware was too small, 1/4" or smaller for a 4" spread. Also, while the eye bolts were steel, the "buckle" part in the middle was always aluminum. This is a heavy alternator and that diesel engine is like a paint shaker. Going to need a stout mounting system! I was looking at other plans, coupler nuts and eye bolts, bar stock and a tap and eye bolts, etc. I think what I have now will work best.

OM617YOTA · #**131** 09-26-2013, 10:33 PM

Got the alternator bracket finished. Stole a decent sized turn buckle from another project and revised my foot/ear extender to make it work. Right now it's mocked up, I need to tear it apart again, paint everything that needs painting, and put it all back together properly.

Edit:

Oh, and rewire. The 22SI is a 1 wire alternator, I'll be hooking up the idiot light/exciter anyway. I'll run it and see if I need to hook up the voltage sensing system as well. I think I have some spare 4awg cable around for a new battery connection.

JB3 · #**132** 09-26-2013, 10:54 PM

Ooo, I like that turnbuckle idea, nice solution

OM617YOTA · #**133** 09-30-2013, 12:18 AM

And it's in!

I have it wired up as a one-wire alternator. I was going to add the idiot light kick-on, but when I pulled the cover off the plugs to see the 1 and 2 terminals, they were both jumpered together down inside the alternator. 1 is supposed to be kick-on, 2 is supposed to be voltage sensing. Decided there wasn't much point in hooking up the idiot light.

I tied in the stock two alternator wires from the Yota electrical system, and also ran a 4awg cable directly to the battery. A good alternative would have been the starter B+ lug.

Pic 1. Alternator installed and spinning.

2. Idle voltage, only thing being powered is the electric fuel pump.

3. All accessories on while idling. HVAC fan on high, windshield wipers on high, all lights on.

4. Revved a bit, all accessories on, AND the glow plugs.

Yes, that's right, even powering the glow plugs this thing maintains a charging voltage. This is a higher voltage than the stock alternator EVER did.

Several shut down and restart cycles there in the driveway and all seems well. I'm happy.

The PNW is catching the tail end of a Pacific typhoon, complete with gusty winds and torrential record setting rainfall. The last few bits of cutting and grinding were done on generator power, the grid having gone down. I have the power inverter, it will be installed SOON.