Brian's Other

Brian’s Other Transportation Related Projects – In the little free time I have when I’m not maintaining this website, working for BHRA or teaching classes (my other slightly better paying job), I am often engaged in time-sucking projects like you see below. Other Related projects – Creative Engine Removal – Fast Glow Plug Diesel Conversion – Biofuel Conversion – Converting a Diesel engine to run off Used Vegetable Oil (Veg Fuel Benz #1) – Diesel Motor Rebuild and Automatic to Manual Transmission Swap (Veg Fuel Benz #2)



Creative Engine RemovalAlternative method for removing an engine from a vehicle. Sawzall (reciprocating saw), rescue saw blades, tow strap, front end loader Note: I purchased both cars for $500 and needed get the engine outta the rusted out one into the red car, and therefore create one working 4wd car.
	My 1989 Subaru – mint condition except for a blown engine- Shown being towed from my friends farm where it was stored.	A 1991 Subaru, horrible shape, but with a good engine – this is the donor car	Step 1: cut off the bumper, remove bolts that connect engine to transmission

I did not have an engine lift or a garage to work in, so I had to think of an alternative means of accomplishing this task, using unconventional methods. With the assistance of my friend Travis (who is an experienced heavy-equipment operator), we quickly and easily accomplished this project. We used a Sawzall to cut off the front of the automobile, and a front end loader to lift the engine out of the vehicle.
	Step 2: cut off the front of the car (including the radiator)	Step 3: tie tow strap around engine, remove engine mounting bolts	Step 4: carry engine to where you want it. Step 5: Rip the rest of the parts you want off the donor car & have it towed to the scrapyard.

Fast Glow Plug Diesel Conversion Converting the glow plug system from 1970s loop style (series wired) glow plugs to modern (parallel wired) pen-type glow plugs. Converting the 1970s glow plug controller to a modern glow plug controller. 5 pen type German glow plugs, fast glow glow plug controller/relay, 70watt fuse, electrical wire (8ga & 16ga), dielectric grease, crimp-on wire connectors	Unmodified Diesel Engine	Old Series-wire loop glow plugs	old type loop plug (top) new pen-type plug (bottom)

Note: The installation of the fast glow system is a superior system for warming the combustion chamber prior at start-up. The fast glow system is a slightly higher voltage system with more efficient modern glow-plugs. This system allows the car to start in colder weather and minimizes smoke at start-up. Also this system is designed to stay on for up to 90 seconds during start up to improve engine performance, reduce engine wear at startup and reduce emissions by insuring fuel is burnt at a higher engine operating temperature.
	New glow plugs installed, and each plug tested for continuity	New parallel Glow Plug wiring	The new controller/relay (object with yellow dot on it)


Diesel to Biofuel ConversionConverting a diesel engine to run off Used Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) Fuel filter, fuel pump, alcohol safe fuel hose, polyurethane fuel hose, marine-grade hose fittings, Teflon thread sealant, German (unperforated) hose clamps , fuel temperature gauge, fuel temp. sender/fitting, fuses, electrical relays, electrical switches, check valve, on-off valve, 3/4″ coolant Tees, coolant hose, 12v filter heater	My 1976 MB 300 Diesel	Unmodified MB 300 Diesel Engine	Older diesel engines will run well off of Vegetable oil fuels if properly converted. The fuel system needs to be modified when running vegetable oil. Since Veg Oil is more viscous than diesel fuel the fuel must be heated up to 160-180 degrees (F) to burn properly. 2 methods of adding heat are coolant heat and electric heat (I utilize both).

The fuel systems on diesel engines supply the engine with more fuel than the engine can use, in a conventional system this unused fuel is returned to the tank. Most people running Veg oil install a installing a valve to loop your fuel, the fuel that has been warmed can be sent back to the fuel filter (maintaining proper veg oil fuel temperature) rather than back to the tank.
Many people feel that for Mercedes diesel engines an additional fuel pump is not necessary (if you use a looped fuel system). However a lift pump of the right psi will improve performance and take the strain off your injection pump.	The three way (banjo) fitting (#1) on top of the fuel filter is for the overflow (return) fuel. The default setup is for all the overflow to return to the tank (#2A). Modifications: 3A – check valve to insure one-way fuel flow. 2B – loop fuel line 3B -valve to switch between a return to tank system and an on-demand fuel system. with this system warm fuel is looped back into the fuel system and any air that is trapped in the system can be returned to the tank (unlike a conventional loop system).	12V Injection Line Heaters. Heating elements wrapped in orange hi-temp silicone tape	Here is the new filtration system and boost pump I installed for running veg oil fuel. A – initial fuel filter with 60 micron cleanable stainless steel screen (filters out the big chunks). B- marine grade fuel pump C- 5 micron fuel filter / water separator w/ coolant heat wrap and 12v electric heater D- electronics/fuses and relays for filter heater and fuel pump

Fuel filtration must also be improved – a water separating filter and a larger fuel filter (that is heated) is ideal. All hoses used for fuel should be alcohol safe. Polyurethane, Marine grade or other fuel hose material approved for Ethanol/ Methanol. All fittings and metal that contacts fuel should ideally be made out of non-reactive metal (marine grade plated steel, aluminum, stainless). Bronze is better than brass, brass is better than copper ( copper, galvanized and iron/non-plated steel is usually avoided).
	Picture of a Stanadyne brand water-separating Fuel Filter like the one I used – these filters come in various lengths – use the longest one that will fit in your vehicle (the bigger the filter the less frequently it will need to be changed). Use a 5 or 10 micron filter cartridge	Home-made coolant wrap – wrap 3/8″ fuel line (or other suitable hose) around your fuel filter. This will serve as a heater for your fuel filter	To supply the fuel filter wrap with warm coolant you need to tee into the hose that goes from the engine block to the heater core(I installed a shutoff valve here as well), Also, you will need to tee into the return hose that goes from the heater core to the water pump.

Diesel Engine Rebuild and Auto Transmission to 5spd Conversion This project takes a 1975 300D and a 1984 240D and combines the best parts of both of them. The old skool styling of the Mercedes w115 body style (made from 1968-1976), the more powerful 5 cylinder 300d engine and the 5 speed manual transmission (and all necessary components from the 240D). Step 1 – tow the car back to NY	My new 1975 300D – bought it in California, . Although It looks a lot like the veggie – Benz above, the orange Benz above now is fixed up and sold (it has a new owner) and this tan Benz with a sunroof is my new project car – needs some work but the car is a rust-free California car unlike anything you’ll find (at least for my my $2000 budget) on the east coast	Drove it home from CA (almost) – didn’t quite make it (transmission went in Virginia)

Step 2 – Pull the engine and transmission
		Brian & the mysterious art of engine removal – it becomes less mysterious (and less nauseating) when you turn off the truck that you’re lifting the engine into.	leaky engine, being hauled off for the rebuild
Step 3 – disassemble the engine and repair whatever needs be be repaired inside the motor
	300D motor on stand w/ valve cover off	300D motor on stand w/ cylinder head removed	Strange yellow goop inside 2 cylinders

	300D motor with pistons out -3 of 5 cylinders had broken rings, bearings were burnt so we decided to pull the crank and do a full rebuild (instead of leaving the crank and main bearings in and just replacing the rod bearings and rings)	Crank, flywheel, harmonic balancer, front crank pulley. All were brought to a machine shop where they were cleaned, measured for tolerances, and balanced (only the crank itself ended up being neutral balanced, everything else needed balancing)

Step 4 – Pull transmission parts from the 240D 1984 Euro-Spec 240D – The Doner Car before it was sacrificed	1984 Euro-Spec 240D This is the doner car – rusted out body but it’s guts will live on	1984 Euro-Spec 240D	1984 Euro-Spec 240D
Step 5 – put engine back together, put new adapter plate and 240D manual flywheel on engine during reassembly, mate with 5 speed auto transmission
	w115 300D engine mated with the 1984 Getrag 5 speed In 1975 300D’s in America only came with automatic transmissions. Some of the models sold in Europe may have been sold with 4spd standard transmissions. However, 5 speed transmissions were not available with the diesel engines (240D or 300D) until 1984.	The rebuilt engine all back together: the vac pump was taken apart and put together 90 deg off, but we modified the vac lines to make it work Also, make sure to replace all those old Phillips head hose clamps, they wont tighten sufficiently and strip easily – therefore coolant leaks everywhere and they are way more difficult to change once you drop in the engine.
Step 6 – install MT components, (pedals, shifter, etc)
	manual shifter installed (fit with little modification – just had to add 2 extra bolts)	New Drive shaft – I had to have this lengthened by 3in – Fleetpride in Syracuse, welded a new piece of metric pipe to the solid parts on the ends of the shaft, then balanced and painted it	Shift and brake pedal assembly fit, but pedals had to be bent considerably to fit correctly (so the pedals are in the location they should be in.
Step 7 – drop in Engine and transmission