Looking for advice on the subject of a 170 high roof long wheelbase 2007 Mercedes Sprinter fused with a Toyota transplanted 2.7 22RE four cylinder. 150 HP and 170 foot pounds of torque.Forget all the nonsense of stability control, ABS, ECU communication, and other issues that keep "real" shops from doing the conversion. This conversion would be bare bones, to revive dead sprinters, and may not be emissions compliant in many states.
I picture separate engine harness and van harness, connected only at the battery, the a/c compressor wire, and starter relay. Retain full Toyota emissions, ECU, and OBD port. Monitor engine function through my handy and trustworthy OBDII Bluetooth and smartphone app. Use the Mercedes as is with possibly a feed to speedometer. I towed it, ignition on, driveshaft removed, and everything needed functioned without the engine running.
I poked around and I see the connections I'd need to bridge, probably not a complete list:
Radiator to motor
Exhaust Yota cat to sprinter tailpipe
Yota driveshaft to sprinter driveshaft
Intake manifold vacuum to sprinter brake booster and HVAC air handler
Heater core hoses to sprinter heater core hoses.
Fuel feed and fuel return lines to tank.
Power steering feed and return.
Air conditioner high and low pressure to air handler
Air conditioner compressor switch (could even do this manually if needed from an A/C toggle switch if MB is too finicky)
Starter wire to solenoid from ignition switch
Transmission shift linkage
Conceptually this makes sense. My RE22 T100 gets 22 MPG at 75 MPH loaded with 3 motorcycles sticking up into the dirty airflow and adding up to about 5,000 pounds. Funny, cause with a tow strap and my high top sprinter, driveshaft removed, the T100 was still able to tow the van at 75MPH at about 16 MPG, LOL. Final drive ratios, taking into account tires sizes, are about the same on the T100 and the sprinter. So the 22RE would turn similar revs in the sprinter as in the T100. Speedo might even be in the ballpark. And lastly the Sprinter has two huge steel frame rails, easily welded upon, and not unlike the T100.
So can anyone provide guidance on reasons why I might be foolish to proceed? I think there is an absolutely huge market for this conversion. EPA compliant (in theory), fuel efficient, readily source-able, and half million mile reliability. $20 oil changes. $80 transmission service. And broken motor fedex high tops in my neighborhood are selling for $1500 and clean running donor Toyotas from the 80's around $2500. I know this for sure. I acquired 3 in the last month. All running, but with vaying degrees of engine death. $1100 for a shorty van, $1200 for a fedex high top 2003, and $1500 for a high top 2007 with a hydraulic liftgate.\
I guess the first real question...do they both turn the driveshaft the same direction? LOL
Peter in Phoenix
I picture separate engine harness and van harness, connected only at the battery, the a/c compressor wire, and starter relay. Retain full Toyota emissions, ECU, and OBD port. Monitor engine function through my handy and trustworthy OBDII Bluetooth and smartphone app. Use the Mercedes as is with possibly a feed to speedometer. I towed it, ignition on, driveshaft removed, and everything needed functioned without the engine running.
I poked around and I see the connections I'd need to bridge, probably not a complete list:
Radiator to motor
Exhaust Yota cat to sprinter tailpipe
Yota driveshaft to sprinter driveshaft
Intake manifold vacuum to sprinter brake booster and HVAC air handler
Heater core hoses to sprinter heater core hoses.
Fuel feed and fuel return lines to tank.
Power steering feed and return.
Air conditioner high and low pressure to air handler
Air conditioner compressor switch (could even do this manually if needed from an A/C toggle switch if MB is too finicky)
Starter wire to solenoid from ignition switch
Transmission shift linkage
Conceptually this makes sense. My RE22 T100 gets 22 MPG at 75 MPH loaded with 3 motorcycles sticking up into the dirty airflow and adding up to about 5,000 pounds. Funny, cause with a tow strap and my high top sprinter, driveshaft removed, the T100 was still able to tow the van at 75MPH at about 16 MPG, LOL. Final drive ratios, taking into account tires sizes, are about the same on the T100 and the sprinter. So the 22RE would turn similar revs in the sprinter as in the T100. Speedo might even be in the ballpark. And lastly the Sprinter has two huge steel frame rails, easily welded upon, and not unlike the T100.
So can anyone provide guidance on reasons why I might be foolish to proceed? I think there is an absolutely huge market for this conversion. EPA compliant (in theory), fuel efficient, readily source-able, and half million mile reliability. $20 oil changes. $80 transmission service. And broken motor fedex high tops in my neighborhood are selling for $1500 and clean running donor Toyotas from the 80's around $2500. I know this for sure. I acquired 3 in the last month. All running, but with vaying degrees of engine death. $1100 for a shorty van, $1200 for a fedex high top 2003, and $1500 for a high top 2007 with a hydraulic liftgate.\
I guess the first real question...do they both turn the driveshaft the same direction? LOL
Peter in Phoenix