OM617 Cherokee Build

After building, fixing, modding, etc my other jeep i figured it was time to do something else.

Always had my eye on the OM617 mercedes 5 cylinder diesel to put into a cherokee but could never find one for the right price, not enough knowledge to do the swap, etc. Seen a few people put them into cherokees but it still seems to be a pretty vague topic.

Picked myself up an 85' Mercedes 300SD a few weeks back. In my spare time i've been tinkering with the thing.

It's the turboed version of the om617. Had 242k on the clock. These motors are known to pretty much go forever. I'm looking into making my own biodiesel so i can stop buying fuel. Would be a total win-win.

Went to harbor freight a few days ago and bought a 2 ton shop crane and a 1000 pound engine stand. Couldn't beat it for $200.

Got up early for me yesterday and went through with pulling the engine out of the mercedes. Going to split the motor from the transmission tonight, put it on the engine stand and finally start to look at things.

Looking for an 87-89 cherokee as well to put all of this into. (Would love to put it into the newest stick cherokee i could find but Connecticut emissions prevents that.) However, i've heard that maine doesn't require emissions so maybe i could register it there? Hmmmm.

Still on the fence as to whether or not i want to go with an AX15 or AW4 in this. I'm kind of leaning towards the AW4 but for simplicity i know the AX15 would be much much simpler.

I'm still up in the air on all of this. I'll see where it takes me.

Dumb question... what all do you use the filing cabinets to store. I assume various tools.

I need to get a couple file cabinets

Ax15 will be way simpler. I helped my brother swap one into his YJ. I won't claim to be an expert but everything was pretty straight forward. For the money and quality of parts and support you get its hard to beat http://www.mercedesdiesel4x4.com

Hammered said:

Dumb question... what all do you use the filing cabinets to store. I assume various tools.

I need to get a couple file cabinets

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Around here every once in a while you'll find sweet filing cabinets on the side of the road. I always grab em.

I use them for tools that don't fit into a regular old toolbox. Angle grinders, drills, sawzall, etc. They also work awesome for organizing parts so you don't lose em.

autoboy454 said:

Ax15 will be way simpler. I helped my brother swap one into his YJ. I won't claim to be an expert but everything was pretty straight forward. For the money and quality of parts and support you get its hard to beat http://www.mercedesdiesel4x4.com

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Perfect. Someone I can bounce all my stupid questions off of. Haha.

I was actually checking that website out for their motor to tranny adapters. Did you buy their motor mounts? I was looking at them and it mentioned they won't work in an XJ without "severe modification". Any idea what that means?

Totally forgot to include this in my last post.

I know the ax15 is simpler but I never liked wheeling a stick.

I was reading somewhere that swapping a Toyota valve body into the aw4 will make it totally hydraulic. Going to look into this more when I get a minute.

Also does anyone know about registering vehicles in different states to avoid emissions? I really, really want to do this in a 97+ cherokee.

We originally used their weld on motor mount adapters, but the merc mounts honestly arent built to handle the loads it will see in the jeep. We have since built a poly bushing setup that bolts to the frame - side of the adapter and the factory engine mount arms.

Kingkong0192 said:

Totally forgot to include this in my last post.

I know the ax15 is simpler but I never liked wheeling a stick.

I was reading somewhere that swapping a Toyota valve body into the aw4 will make it totally hydraulic. Going to look into this more when I get a minute.

Also does anyone know about registering vehicles in different states to avoid emissions? I really, really want to do this in a 97+ cherokee.

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Get a doubler behind that AX-15 and you'll end up loving wheeling a stick.

Not sure about the emissions...what's the earliest year required in CT? I think MA/NH was 97. Can't remember.

i can't help at all but i'll be watching

autoboy454 said:

We originally used their weld on motor mount adapters, but the merc mounts honestly arent built to handle the loads it will see in the jeep. We have since built a poly bushing setup that bolts to the frame - side of the adapter and the factory engine mount arms.

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Do you have any pictures? Would love to have something to go on.

I found this build thread and it looks super helpful.

Might have to make an account over there to question the dude.

http://www.dieselbombers.com/diesel...8649-om617-96-jeep-cherokee-build-thread.html

MoparManiac said:

Get a doubler behind that AX-15 and you'll end up loving wheeling a stick.

Not sure about the emissions...what's the earliest year required in CT? I think MA/NH was 97. Can't remember.

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I don't know much about doublers and/or anyting related to them. I still have a bunch of reading/learning to do. That pretty much means i bolt two NP231s together (or i think you can but like a 231 and something else together but again not sure) and i would effectively double the output gear because it goes through two cases? I've seen the Atlas 2 transfer case with twin sticks. Is this the same idea or is a "doubler" totally in a different ballpark?

25 Years in connecticut. That makes it a "classic" and classics don't need to go through emissions. Someone was telling me that only one county in maine requires emissions. The rest simply don't have emissions. Again, only hear say, i still need to look into it.

Subscribed! I plan to do one of those swaps in my 99 xj with ax15 someday

Bought an ax15 with a 231 bolted to it today. Paid $300. Could've probably waited and found one for cheaper but I'm happy to have one. He even gave me a practically new clutch and all the hardware.

ANY UPDATES?

In Mass, emissions is a rolling 15 year period. Last year was the last year that model-year 2000 vehicles were required to pass emissions.

That being said, stick with a 96 and earlier for a swap like this, it's WAY easier to get the factory tach working with a non-factory motor on those, rather than hacking up a custom gauge cluster. Everything else Just Works if you swap the right senders into the new engine. 97 and later are data bus driven so it gets significantly more complicated.

This died didn’t it?

Guess so. Shame, sounded interesting. Then again, some people have come out with some nice parts to swap in vw tdis since then, which I think if you're going diesel is probably the best option.
(Before anyone freaks and screams 4BT, ive seen plenty and between the weight and the packaging, im not sold).

I just want my tach to work. I swapped mine and honestly its fun to drive but very underpowered in stock form