Mercedes OM617 Powered 110 Build Up

Inline transfer pump?

Or submerged?


The sprinter 2.7 runs a nice submerged. Pricey? Yes. Good delivery at a steady 60 psi? Yes.

Thing is you'd want a returning regulator set at 18-21 psi

The 617 was a straight mechanical bottom sucker in a 123/126 chassis. These trucks are a top sucker.

The other thing is if it's a external pump that's too low on the rail it simply might not be able to pick up.

I'd ditch the lift pump entirely and run a submerged setup.

The hotrod ips are cool but the 617 is old school. If you want real squeezebox power, 602 or 605 the thing. You can get real power from a 605 with a 602 hotrod pump swap. Same setup as the 603 pump swap onto a 606, just missing a hole.

Be aware the 617 runs a lower nickel block and high tension rings. Big power can be had but excessive egts are the death knoll.

I think on the first gen oil pans, it was between 7 and 7.5, but if the dipstick is set properly in the pan, you should be able to use it for a level.
Overfilling will cause the rear main seal to leak.

Dave did you disconnect your fuel line and see if you are pumping fuel?
I did have one of those green 12V pumps fail and cause a fuel flow issue, which is rare.
Also the 12V pump should be mounted lower than the tank.

Joe:
I have no experience with the submerged diesel fuel pumps, but think the potential for failure is there if they are a high pressure common rail pump regulated back to a lower pressure.
I have used the Holley Blue fuel pumps for keeping the veg flowing and they work fine.
Rating is 14 PSI and they seem to be bullet proof reliable.

I wanted to provide a brief update after ticking over 1000 miles on the OM617 swap...

Since completing the install I've finally got the truck back to daily driver status. Altogether I'm still very happy with the swap. I still have the 1.2 XC in there but hope to drop to a 1.4 this summer/fall. On the highway the truck's revs are manageable at 60 mph even in 4th gear.

Driving impressions:
- I actually pass people now
- Acceleration is sufficient such that I'm not a road hazard.
- I can maintain highway speeds on most highway hills (<.25 mile) but very often I do still find myself doing 45-50 on longer hills. I installed a better and more accessible hazard switch for just this reason. I reach for it often.
- It still struggles off the line - due largely to the 1.2 XC. I've learned to manage this, but my methods are probably hard on my clutch.
- If you lose boost (choose wrong gear, stop on a hill, etc) good luck! The boosted vs. non-boosted power ration on this engine is absurd. I can't imagine driving the completely NA version of this engine.
- vibration is lower than the 2.5 NA, idle noise is lower, noise under revs is much higher
- I strongly recommend inter cooling. I'm intercooler and I've never seen EGTs above 1000... and I push the truck pretty hard over the mountains around here. I'd start messing with boost but honestly I don't think my engine's health can handle it.
- Gas mileage isn't amazing so far - but I'm turning meaty KM2s and spending a lot of my commute on long (>1 mile) hills at 16% grade. I'm anxious to take a long trip to test highway mileage because the engine seems to be quite efficient when out where it was made to perform... the highway
- All in all, I would recommend this install if someone is considering a 200/300 tdi.

Maintenance/engine health impressions:
- My particular OM617 is very smokey... especially on startup. In fact, it is getting worse! I may save up some money and take it to a local tech to have the timing done properly this winter
- Its a perfect match for a Land Rover because it seems to be another inherently leaky engine
- I recommend a more refined turbo drain system. Eventually I want to fabricate a steel braided line system. The current system is leaky despite my efforts to clean it up.
- we haven't had warm weather, but so far my two-speed taurus fan keeps coolant temps below 210 F. For the most part, I rarely see coolant temps above 180 - my fan rarely turns on
- Oil temps are manageable


Overall I'm still very happy with the swap and will continue to recommend it. It isn't an LS swap, and I mean that in the good way. It is incredibly simple, near-bolt in, and maintains the rugged efficiency and adaptability of the original land rover diesel engine.