Looks great

Thank all of you guys for the replies and the compliments, I really appreciate it.
Mark

I picked up the bumpers and mud flap brackets from the powder coater yesterday afternoon. I installed everything today. I still have to torque all the bolts on both the bumpers, the flaps are done. Here are some photos.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...418d7f4175.jpg
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https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...3b500f2002.jpg
Thanks, Mark

Last week I finished up the oil catch can and installed it. The Mercedes air cleaner had a catch can built into it, but it never worked very well. There was still oil being sucked into the intake from the crankcase vent on top of the valve cover. I hope this one will remove more of the oil.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...f7da21034c.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...db98047f87.jpg
The small hose coming out of the bottom of the can drains the oil back into the oilpan. There is a valve on the pan that opens when the engine is not running to allow the oil to drain back in. My wiring is still a mess. I got some loom in last week to tidy up all the wiring. I will start that this week.
I am also making a softer rear transmission mount. The Mercedes mounts are pretty soft to counter the vibration inherent in diesels. I have Mercedes mounts on the front, but I still have the Ford transmission mount which is very hard.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...e86ff6eb6f.jpg
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The center piece in this last photo is the iron core from a Ford mount. I machined a taller core so I could add more rubber and softer rubber. I will turn the mount retaining plate over to allow for the extra height of the new mount.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...53c0a7385a.jpg
And I found a use for the tow hooks:D
Thanks, Mark

$9 Ford, I'm arriving here VERY, VERY late. I wanted to post because I know the 5 cyl MBZ pretty well. I ran that engine in my truck for 25 years.
First thing. I used some nice easy mounts to mount the engine. It vibrated so much that it would shake your teeth. I made custom hangers for the block using I-beam. Then, I used OEM mounts. I even used the little shock absorbers that go from the block to the frame.
Forget the glow plug timer. Just push a button for 20 seconds.
Germany is very cold. The stock oil cooler is no good in a warm climate. I used two oil coolers from a Mazda rotary,,,, whatever they had at pick-a-part.
The OLD,stock MBZ had a drain on the oil cooler. The 5 cyl does not. You leave a lot of dirty oil in the cooler. I welded a port on the top steel tube so that I could blow out the dirty oil when I changed oil.
The flywheel is NOT balanced internally. There are 10? flywheel bolts so, there are 9 incorrect positions. I bought an engine that somebody had worked on and, mixed the position. It didn't shake bad but, it did BREAK the crankshaft. You should probably change the shutdown diaphragm at the start. It is jammed up against the oil filter.
You probably need to buy the special tools for doing a valve adjustment. There is a little curved overflow tube that you use for setting the timing. Very handy.
I didn't read the whole thread so, I may have repeated what somebody else said.
I had 2 different MBZ diesel cars totalled uner me so, I have a couple of extra engines.
Good luck on your transplant.

Danny B, thank you for your reply. I am using the MB engine mounts on the front along with the MB dampening shocks. I have the engine mated to the truck 4 speed transmission instead of the MB automatic, so I am still using the Ford transmission mount. I am concerned that with the very soft MB mounts on the front and the very hard Ford transmission mount on the rear that I could rebreak the transmission mounting foot. Hopefully the new rear mount that I am making will eliminate the problem and also tame down some of the engine vibration at an idle.
I drove the car, that the engine is out of, for a number of years after getting it from my Mom and Dad, and the glow plug relay has always worked flawlessly, so I wired it in the truck like it was in the car.
I disabled the ALDA when I was still driving the car and it made a huge difference in performance. The car would actually "bark" the tires when shifting into 2nd gear after adjustment, whereas before, it was a dog.
From everything that I have read, some of these engines are internally balanced and some are not. I marked my flywheel before removal and have had the new Ford flywheel match balanced to it. As it turned out, mine was externally balanced also. There are actually 12 bolts holding the flywheel on and, as you found out they, are equally spaced, so the flywheel can go on 12 ways. I don't understand why they weren't factory marked or spaced oddly so the flywheel would only go on in one position.
I am still using the OEM oil cooler, I have it mounted in front of the radiator now. I can loosen the mounting bolts and raise it up so the old oil will drain back to the pan when I change oil.
I did adjust the valves when I had the engine on the engine stand before installing it in the truck.
What model of truck did you have your MB diesel in? Did you use the OEM automatic transmission or another transmission with your swap? Do you have any photos?
Thanks again, Mark

I looked for a manual trans for a while then, gave it up. The early MBZ trans ('78) takes off in 2nd. If you pull it to low, it has a very low ratio and, takes off in first.. I didn't want to go to the trouble of doing all the mating to fit another trans. I even pulled dump trucks with it
I started out with a 1974 Hilux Toyota that I got from a guy who owed me money. It was really beat up and, the engine was apart. It was a short-bed & short cab. I used all stock rubber mounts because they are tuned into the engine. I cut just a bit of a doghouse but, still had to push the radiator forward. I tried Low Manufacturing coil springs but, they weren't enough for the weight. I went to pick-a-part and got a straight axle out of a postal jeep. I took off the drums and fitted on rotors. The calipers were from a Duster. I'm tall so, I stretched the cab 8 inches. I wanted to be able to camp in the truck so, I stretched the chassis again and got a long-bed. I built a 60 gal tank for the back. This gave it great traction off-road. I even took it back Sand Highway at Pismo.... 235-15 street tires.
I had Kenworth on the tailgate in molded-in letters.
This all came to an end when a wrong-way driver on the freeway got me. I swerved at the last millesecond and just got the side ripped off. I've included a pic of ONE of the donors that got smashed out while I was driving. Before it's death, my Kenworth had a Jeep front end and a Ford rear end. I added a 2 inch spacer to the center of the Front axle to ge my track right.
I found an A.C. condenser on a BMW that was a BIG flat coil,,, instead of the round tubes. I used that for a trans cooler. I put it back by the rear tire to get good air circulation. The driveshaft was MBX going to a '64 Buick Special,,, to get a slip joint. Then, it went into Ford,,, think.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...5d9f46fbbc.jpg
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Mark,

Your truck is just looking better all of the time. The powder-coating looks great!

What a neat job on the oil recovery setup. The setup on my Renault diesel does not have the shutoff valve for the oil drain and simply relies on the head pressure of the oil in the drain line to prevent the oil from being drawn into the intake. However, if the engine air filter starts getting clogged the vacuum can overcome the head pressure and start drawing oil into the engine from the oil pan. I like your setup better.

Nelson

My wife and I finished installing the fenders yesterday afternoon. Here are some photos.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...81310b46dc.jpg
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I also installed the mirrors and mounted all the reflectors.
Thanks for looking, Mark

Mark that looks great.... She's a beauty!

Thank you Moe, I appreciate the kind words.
Mark

Nice, nice, nice!

Congratulations Mark! Your truck looks great!! So, is it finished? It looks like it is.

Jim

BETTER than a new truck. NICE job!

Great job! What's left besides the bed? Rack up some miles while it's nice out!

You did an outstanding job, Mark. Congratulations. Stu

Wow! That is stunning. Drive the heck out of it.

Thank all you Guys for the compliments and congratulations. I appreciate every one.
Jim and Ross, Besides the bed floor I do have a few things left to do. I need to install seat belts, the cardboard cab liner, the floor mat, and I need to finish the loom on the wiring harness. I am going to try to finish the bed floor today and tomorrow and install the seat belts early next week. I will probably drive it for a while before I finish the interior. I also need to order a speedometer cable, I need to find a longer one with an end for the Brown-Lipe transmission, for now I will keep using the GPS.
Thanks again, Mark

Boy it looks real nice Mark. Like others have said here, "Time to start enjoying it." I'll bet Hollie is excited to have it on the road as much as you are. Awesome job Mark!

Nelson

Thank you, Nelson. I got the bed floor painted yesterday, so as soon as I get it and the seat belts installed, I plan on driving it a lot.
Thanks again, Mark

Are you putting insulation in before the headliner? It will be noisy without.

Abe, Yes, I am. I ordered this roll from J.C. Whitney years ago. I was planning on fitting it in the cab and gluing the grey side to the metal. I have the inside of the cab painted and have rolled on bed liner all over.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...430c2582d6.jpg

Thanks, Mark

The front fenders of the truck made a terrible creaking and popping noise after I installed them. I bolted the fenders directly to the running boards, which I didn't like, but I couldn't find anywhere that there is supposed to be anything between the fender and running board. The fenders are able to move quite a bit, so it didn't make sense to me that they were fastened so ridgidly to the running boards. I removed the bolts and cut an 1/8" thick piece of black rubber and sandwiched that between the fender and running board. I replaced the carriage bolts with hex heads and lock nuts, tightening them until they were just snug. All is quiet now.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...0453d321e7.jpg
Maybe the fenders and running boards won't crack now from fatigue.
Thanks, Mark

I finished routing the bed floor yesterday and painted it, so it is ready to install tomorrow. My floor is cut from White Oak and Post Oak. The wood has quite a few knots and some worm holes, but I think it will make a very serviceable floor. I used Cabots Australian Timber Oil for the finish.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...54e293b543.jpg
This is half of the floor. I think they look pretty nice.
Thanks, Mark

When I was assembling mine, I realized a spacer was needed where you installed yours. Much better fit. Beautiful job on that truck, Mark. Now drive and enjoy it.

Great job on the bed boards. You're finishing strong! I like your idea of using rubber for the hard connection between your running boards and fenders. I used some type of clothe type material. Rubber seems better.

Jim

That truck is looking great. Tom

Thank you, Ray. My wife asked me when we were installing the fenders if I was going to put something between the fender and running board. I should have listened when we first put it together:o.
Thanks again, Mark

Jim, Thank you for the kind words. I thought about using the cloth welt that I used at the top edge of the fender, but it wasn't wide enough and wouldn't make the curve on the end very well. I remembered yesterday afternoon that I had a sheet of black rubber, so I cut them out of that. It worked out really well.
Thanks again, Mark

Thank you, Tom. I appreciate the compliments, Your F3 is coming along very nicely. A beautiful truck. I have always liked the long bed pickups. And the green you used was my second choice, but red and black won out:). I have always liked that color green.
Thanks again, Mark

I got the bed floor bolted down this afternoon.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...2fb13126f8.jpg
When I go to Lowes or Home Depot later this week, I will pick up some 2x8s and 2x4s for the bed sides.
Thanks, Mark

I drove the F4 on a 70 mile round trip today to show it to my buddy who it bought the truck from in 2007. He has been to my shop numerous times since I bought it from him and has been keeping up with my progress. This was my first trip further than my local town of 7 miles away. I am very pleased with how the truck drove and performed. It runs 60mph very easily and I got it up to 70mph on one stretch of road. I don't have a speedometer cable yet, so my speedometer is a GPS. I am surprised at the rpms that the engine runs in the truck though. At 60mph the engine is turning 2800 rpms, but when the engine was still in the car, 60mph was about 3200 rpms. I start the truck moving in 2nd in the T98, low in the axle and straight thru in the brownie. I shift thru the T98 to 4th, shift the axle to high, then shift the Brownie to overdrive. The gears all seem fairly equally spaced in that sequence. My Eaton rear axle has 5.83 gears and the overdrive in the Brownie is .72 ratio, so if I am figuring correctly, overdrive would be like having 4.20 gears in the axle. I am running 225R70 19.5 tires at 32" tall. I am glad I didn't get the 8R 19.5 tires at 34" tall. The brakes work really good and it steers and drives very easily. I am very pleased!
Thanks, Mark

Hey Mark. Congratulations on the 70 mile trip! Let the adventures begin!!

You've worked hard to get to this point and now it's time to start making some memories in your truck. You'll be surprised about what all can happen, and who you are going to meet, when you are out and about with your truck.

How's your bad back reacting? Hopefully you have a comfortable seat. It's interesting that when I recently made about a 70 mile trip to the Iola Car Show, there were a lot of twists and turns and bumps on the little county roads I took. There was also about a four mile stretch that was exceptionally rough due to road construction. When I arrived in Iola, my fitbit showed I had walked 14,000 steps! I couldn't believe it. The next day, I went again, but avoided the road construction and the twisty county roads. My fitbit showed only 7000 steps. Driving my jeep, I hardly get any steps at all. Which all goes to show that our old trucks ride a little rough.

Jim

Congratulations Mark! I presume there were no surprises, like hot running? Any feel for what mpg is?

Thanks, Jim. My back was stiff and sore when I got home, but I think it was from being tense for the first long drive listening to every noise, feeling every bump and vibration wondering if everything is ok. I have the original seat from the '51 F6 truck I bought for parts. It is a really nice seat and comfortable.
Thanks again, Mark

That sure looks nice Mark..:-X22

Thanks, Ross. The engine temp runs almost at the top of the Ford gauge. I have the flathead sender in the Mercedes engine. I don't know what the temp is on the '49 gauge when it reads hot, on a '47 truck temp gauge they are marked 212 degrees just under the H behind the gauge opening in the dash. The gauge stays just below the H when driving, the electric fan cycles on just as the needle reaches the H. The Ford radiator is about a third larger than the original Mercedes radiator. I am using a new LMC six cylinder radiator and a 12lb cap.
I have noticed while driving that I need to shift the T98 slow or it will rake gears slightly in 3rd and 4th. Everything looked good in the transmission when I had it apart to replace the bearings and seals. Maybe the synchronizers have some wear that I didn't catch. I'm running 140w oil with Lucas oil stabilizer added. If I don't try to shift too fast, it shifts smooth.
I was running in the mid 20s for fuel mileage when the engine was in the car, occasionally I would get 28 or 29. I am hoping for the high teens to maybe 20mpg, but that may be too optimistic.
Thanks again, Mark

Thank you, John. I appreciate it.
Mark

I have heard that the stock temp gauge shows "H" right at boiling, so 212 deg. I would imagine the Merc thermostat is at least a 180, if not a 190? So seems like your gauge is working properly.

Thanks for the drive report, Mark