To get a really good diesel SUV, take a look at whether you can find a deal on a Mercedes GL320 CDI from 2007-onward. . You can get a great SUV that way with a third row for a lot less effort and money. It's a stretched W164 (ML) chassis known as the X164. My wife has the ML320 CDI from 2008 and it's a SOLID machine. Just broken in at 200,000 miles. It's a much better chassis than a Tahoe or Suburban.
I’m following this 12 year old suburban build as I’d like a 4x4 Chevy without a gas Chevy engine and want to learn how to tune suspension. The 4bd1t Tdi turbodiesel is a great engine. I wanted a 4x4 Land Rover diesel but they are ridiculous price tag, hard to find, and smaller than a suburban. I also purchased the suburban conversion book on Amazon just now. What I’m wondering initially is how to get a clutch pedal in a suburban? Aren’t they all automatics? I’m sure the book goes over this detail. Can’t wait to read it. Thanks, Paul .
Sorry, I didn't realize I was logged in from another account at first. Re-posting my reply from the right one to avoid confusion!
Paul, that sounds like a cool project! The clutch pedal was actually quite easy. I do cover it in the book, but the simple answer is that the Suburban in those years is still based on the pickups and much of the body is exactly the same. You'll find that there are knockouts in the firewall for the slave cylinder, studs underneath the dash to bolt on the clutch pedal, and even a knockout for the shifter in the floor under the carpet. I had a hydraulic line fabricated with the Chevy master cylinder connection on one end and the proper slave cylinder connection on the other.
The only caution I want to give about this project is that I think I removed too much structure in the front end, in retrospect. This increased the flex and made handling an issue. So anything you cut up to make room for the engine should be beefed back up with additional framing and bracing.
Another option to get a really good diesel SUV is to look for a deal on a Mercedes GL320 CDI from 2007-onward. You can get a great SUV that way with a third row for a lot less effort and money. It's a stretched W164 (ML) chassis known as the X164. My wife has the ML320 CDI from 2008 and it's a SOLID machine. I got a deal on it because it had the classic OM642 oil cooler leak, so I still had to dig into it pretty deep, but it was still a LOT easier than doing a conversion. Now her SUV is just broken in at 200,000 miles. It's a much better chassis than a Tahoe or Suburban. I've towed cars with this thing and it's like they aren't even back there.
The Mercedes GL320 sounds tempting but I’m looking for a simple and big as possible for backwoods use (I don’t see pulling a log out of the woods without truck frame). Also Mercedes has a lot of proprietary technology and luxury electronics I may not ever use and if it broke I’d never fix.
That’s good news regarding the knockouts and studs for the clutch pedal package. I’m curious what you removed from the front that reduced the strength of the vehicle? And I love to fabricate things but am no machinist. Do you think I can find the customized Isuzu bell housing or can have one machined? The adapter kits are no longer available new as far as I can see. Maybe I can find a used kit? Thanks :)
Yeah, I get the truck frame thing, though my wife has literally used her ML to pull stumps. The size of those machines is also surprising when you see them in-person or drive them. Mercedes seems to choose design features/proportions that under-state a vehicle’s size. You might expect an ML to be a “cute ute” until you park it next to another SUV.
Back to your point: Simplicity is good and sticking to mechanically-injected engines keeps things SUPER simple. EMP-proof, even, if you use a manual transmission. The only two wires needed for my 4BD1T to run were the starter wires. Even the glow plugs were optional most of the time, but definitely helped things start more quickly / smoothly. Other wires installed were just sensors for the gauges.
I had to cut around the original engine mounts and I think some of the ears in that area added some stiffness that I lost. Again, one could weld or bolt-together piece of steel and make something work.
Honestly, that project wrapped-up about a decade ago, so I don’t remember much about sources, but I put all of that into the book. I think you’d just have to do searches online for adapters. You can also hunt around 4BT swaps, if that forum is still up, or IH8Mud for current information as well as people selling parts for the conversions. In some cases, there may be group buys that would help you save some $$, too.
I’ve already learned more about how to tune the 4BD1T from your blog than anywhere else. Thanks. I have a 1991 class A Motorhome on a Isuzu NPR chassis with the 4BD1T. It’s been loosing power and I’m not sure why. It might have algae. I’ll check the fuel delivery somehow. It also might have 35 year old injectors. I dont like how hard it is to reach the engine or anything else. The suburban conversion is meant to fix that issue. The 28 ft class A was was rated for 18 mpg highway. It bad for a rig that big. But it barely crawled over the pass on the last trip lol. It’s bone stock. Maybe the exhaust is blocked.
To get a really good diesel SUV, take a look at whether you can find a deal on a Mercedes GL320 CDI from 2007-onward. . You can get a great SUV that way with a third row for a lot less effort and money. It's a stretched W164 (ML) chassis known as the X164. My wife has the ML320 CDI from 2008 and it's a SOLID machine. Just broken in at 200,000 miles. It's a much better chassis than a Tahoe or Suburban.
I’m following this 12 year old suburban build as I’d like a 4x4 Chevy without a gas Chevy engine and want to learn how to tune suspension. The 4bd1t Tdi turbodiesel is a great engine. I wanted a 4x4 Land Rover diesel but they are ridiculous price tag, hard to find, and smaller than a suburban. I also purchased the suburban conversion book on Amazon just now. What I’m wondering initially is how to get a clutch pedal in a suburban? Aren’t they all automatics? I’m sure the book goes over this detail. Can’t wait to read it. Thanks, Paul .
Sorry, I didn't realize I was logged in from another account at first. Re-posting my reply from the right one to avoid confusion!
Paul, that sounds like a cool project! The clutch pedal was actually quite easy. I do cover it in the book, but the simple answer is that the Suburban in those years is still based on the pickups and much of the body is exactly the same. You'll find that there are knockouts in the firewall for the slave cylinder, studs underneath the dash to bolt on the clutch pedal, and even a knockout for the shifter in the floor under the carpet. I had a hydraulic line fabricated with the Chevy master cylinder connection on one end and the proper slave cylinder connection on the other.
The only caution I want to give about this project is that I think I removed too much structure in the front end, in retrospect. This increased the flex and made handling an issue. So anything you cut up to make room for the engine should be beefed back up with additional framing and bracing.
Another option to get a really good diesel SUV is to look for a deal on a Mercedes GL320 CDI from 2007-onward. You can get a great SUV that way with a third row for a lot less effort and money. It's a stretched W164 (ML) chassis known as the X164. My wife has the ML320 CDI from 2008 and it's a SOLID machine. I got a deal on it because it had the classic OM642 oil cooler leak, so I still had to dig into it pretty deep, but it was still a LOT easier than doing a conversion. Now her SUV is just broken in at 200,000 miles. It's a much better chassis than a Tahoe or Suburban. I've towed cars with this thing and it's like they aren't even back there.
The Mercedes GL320 sounds tempting but I’m looking for a simple and big as possible for backwoods use (I don’t see pulling a log out of the woods without truck frame). Also Mercedes has a lot of proprietary technology and luxury electronics I may not ever use and if it broke I’d never fix.
That’s good news regarding the knockouts and studs for the clutch pedal package. I’m curious what you removed from the front that reduced the strength of the vehicle? And I love to fabricate things but am no machinist. Do you think I can find the customized Isuzu bell housing or can have one machined? The adapter kits are no longer available new as far as I can see. Maybe I can find a used kit? Thanks :)
Yeah, I get the truck frame thing, though my wife has literally used her ML to pull stumps. The size of those machines is also surprising when you see them in-person or drive them. Mercedes seems to choose design features/proportions that under-state a vehicle’s size. You might expect an ML to be a “cute ute” until you park it next to another SUV.
Back to your point: Simplicity is good and sticking to mechanically-injected engines keeps things SUPER simple. EMP-proof, even, if you use a manual transmission. The only two wires needed for my 4BD1T to run were the starter wires. Even the glow plugs were optional most of the time, but definitely helped things start more quickly / smoothly. Other wires installed were just sensors for the gauges.
I had to cut around the original engine mounts and I think some of the ears in that area added some stiffness that I lost. Again, one could weld or bolt-together piece of steel and make something work.
Honestly, that project wrapped-up about a decade ago, so I don’t remember much about sources, but I put all of that into the book. I think you’d just have to do searches online for adapters. You can also hunt around 4BT swaps, if that forum is still up, or IH8Mud for current information as well as people selling parts for the conversions. In some cases, there may be group buys that would help you save some $$, too.
I’ve already learned more about how to tune the 4BD1T from your blog than anywhere else. Thanks. I have a 1991 class A Motorhome on a Isuzu NPR chassis with the 4BD1T. It’s been loosing power and I’m not sure why. It might have algae. I’ll check the fuel delivery somehow. It also might have 35 year old injectors. I dont like how hard it is to reach the engine or anything else. The suburban conversion is meant to fix that issue. The 28 ft class A was was rated for 18 mpg highway. It bad for a rig that big. But it barely crawled over the pass on the last trip lol. It’s bone stock. Maybe the exhaust is blocked.