Crazy idea...diesel in a 96 Isuzu Trooper

[Exekiel69]

I would put a Mercedes diesel on that trooper, they are cheap, they take a lot of abuse. Many guys put them on all kinds of small trucks.

 

[JRNOLL]

If you put a Mercedes in a trooper then would you have, A Storm Trooper ? The Idea of the Mercedes might fit and they seem to be good engines. Another thing is that some came with stick shifts. At leased in europe.

 

[BioFarmer93]

JD, if you do decide on a Mercedes, this one here- OM617.952 turbo diesel (circa1982) has the distinction of being known as the most bullet proof engine Mercedes ever came out with. Solid lifters (pull valve cover off and adjust every 20,000 or so) cast iron block AND head... Sorta like the 7.3 IDI of the Mercedes world...

 

[idi traveler]

Another option might be the 4BD 3.9 liter. about the same length as the 4BT bet not as deep so it might fit with out body lift. And relatively plentiful from older NPR trucks. Not an IDI but wet sleeve and mechanical (no electronics).

 

[Clydesdale]

91 or newer it IS an IDI

 

[Diesel JD]

Not quite sure why so many people think the Mercedes 5 cyl is up to the task here. It was ok in the Mercedes cars in the turbo versions but pretty anemic N/A. I can't see it pushing that Trooper anywhere near fast enough to keep up with traffic. I may come around to your way of thinking if I find that there just isn't the room in there for any V8. The Isuzu 3.9 might be the best fit of all, I could do some looking and I might know somebody with that engine laying around. I don't know enough about Isuzu and their bolt patterns but is it possible they were the same from medium duty trucks like the NPR to light duty stuff like the P'up and the trooper? I do have an Isuzu P'up with a 4 speed hanging around, the plan had been to fix that truck, but plans are subject to change. Back to the Mercedes, I did see in Diesel Power Mag one guy with a Jeep with some Mercedes engine transplanted in and a T18 behind it. Not really sure how he made those fit but with custom fabrication skills or enough cash most things are possible. I guess I'm just not sold on the idea that I need to be looking at the smaller Euro style diesels here rather than bigger American V8 diesels. Like I say for those who haven't driven a 2nd gen Trooper, these guys are heavy and needed the V6 gas engine they came with to be fun to drive. If a 6.2 =SBC dimensions wise, I can't see it not fitting, however you guys have warned me about the weight, so I need to make sure, that will fly, and I will either not do this or go smaller if it's going to be a real bad fit like say a DT466 in one of our IDIs, sire it's possible but I'm not out to punish myself with that amount of work. I kind of want to do it on the cheap if at all possible.

 

[Clydesdale]

there is a 700 hp 5 cyl mercedes running around. you're entirely right, I think 700 hp won't move that trooper at all.

IDI.. merc by the way

 

[Diesel JD]

I've never seen anywhere close to 700HP out of a Mercedes, but then everyone who owns them wants to keep them forever and just get great fuel economy etc. Most of them are slow as heck in a Mercedes let alone anything else. I really want the 5 speed Isuzy transmission and the 6.2 with a turbo to boost 8-10 psi. Seems pretty doable, just getting everything to bolt together with Mercedes parts and stuff like that seems a lot harder. I could still change my mind/use another engine/ abandon the idea entirely. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Exekiel69]

I've never seen anywhere close to 700HP out of a Mercedes, but then everyone who owns them wants to keep them forever and just get great fuel economy etc. Most of them are slow as heck in a Mercedes let alone anything else. I really want the 5 speed Isuzy transmission and the 6.2 with a turbo to boost 8-10 psi. Seems pretty doable, just getting everything to bolt together with Mercedes parts and stuff like that seems a lot harder. I could still change my mind/use another engine/ abandon the idea entirely. Thanks for the feedback.

Well a stock 89-93 dodge is a dog but You do some free tweaking and voilà. The 6.9l IDI are a little doggy but We put a turbo and they act like a different engine. I'm sure Mercedes wasn't looking to make a hotrod out of this cars in the 80's but I know of several in small trucks, suv's and even on the big square unaerodynamic ups trucks and they seem to move them and take a beating every day.

Now, the 4cyl isuzu or 4BDt1 or something like that there are several is not a bad idea, as powerful as a cummins 4bt but take the noise out which some times it is a plus.

Hope You find one You like.

 

[bobbywalter]

6.2/6.5 is doable, but a tweaked benz likely better when you fill it up and when it comes to cooling it..


i like the gm as its cost effective all around, just not the best on economy, but sounds better then any 4, 5, or 6 cylinder to my very very biased ear.

but my biased ear is a personal limitation that obstructs common sense and maximum fuel economy;p

 

[Diesel JD]

Ah man, you should know! Having owned a Ford Ranger of that generation that sounds like a tough swap, IIRC there wasn't much room for the I4 gasser that was in there let alone anything bigger. What kind of fuel economy do you get with your beast Bobby? I'm not expecting Mercedes or VW TDI like numbers. If it does better than my 6.9 consistently and I still get to drive around an American made V8 diesel and burn bio I judge it worthwhile. My target would be 18mpg in town and low 20s on the highway. With the crappy auto and crappy gas V6 this thing gets about 9-12 mpg with my brother in the driver's seat, but then he is a lead foot guy.

 

[bobbywalter]

well on my last trip down to immokolee florida with 33 in tires and 410 gears i was getting 16 running close to the governor and 14-15 on the governor going thru tenn and kentucky on the way home. when i got to ohio it picked back up to 17 iirc.

if i drive 50-55 i can get 24 with those 33 in tires.

i average 17 mpg.

i put the 37 in militaries on it and can actually comfortable cruise at 75 mph now on the freeway but that brings 16 still..engine way over 300k and pretty sure original injectors. i have turbo stuff now but wont really do that till i have the trans refreshed. thinking of pulling the low mile injectors out of my spare engine just to see if that cleans up the economy.

with winter fuel the average has dropped to 14-16 the last few weeks, but thats mostly due to idle time....i let it clatter alot, she is a tin can save for the headliner.....and i may as well be on a motorcyle the way the wind goes thru it....friggen snowmobiles are warmer some days


on the all around i wish i had 308-323ish gears and 33's with a good turbo for daily driver duty, and some doubler t cases for weekend fun with the big tires.

so you need to find some tall gears for those oem diffs to take advantage of any mpg desires. personally i would likely put in a set of 308 axles from a diesel blazer into the trooper and run a 5 speed od from a 4x4 fullsize gm and a 208 case to go with the front 10bolt. with some 31's it would be a stout machine for daily driving.

well i would use a built 700 but you seem like a manual trans guy.

 

[tech51]

How about a toyota turbo diesel 1kz-te they make good power.

 

[bobbywalter]

How about a toyota turbo diesel 1kz-te they make good power.

you have a pile of those

how much?

 

[Diesel JD]

Gotta be a manual trans! I really have no idea what this thing has in terms of gear ratios in the diff. I'd really like to use either an Isuzu or GM transmission to make for a minimal mess throwing the whole thing together. I have heard about 4 speed Muncie GM transmissions around but very little about 5 speeds, so I didn't know for sure if such a thing existed behind the 6.2/6.5. I could also handle a GM or Isuzu 4 speed with an aux od like a DNE2 or laycock O/D, but then I can imagine that drivetrain starting to get complicated and expensive.