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I read your story on reddit a little while ago. Its a really interesting choice and I applaud your sense of adventure. What I don't get was the swap to a Merced

I read your story on reddit a little while ago. Its a really interesting choice and I applaud your sense of adventure. What I don't get was the swap to a Mercedes diesel. Your argument for it made sense, but why not a toyota diesel, for example? :)

grecy 10y ago
At the time I thought it made sense... of course hindsight is great. If I wanted a Toyota diesel, I would have just bought a Toyota, but I didn't want that. The reason for the merc is that the engine I chose (the OM606) is the most sophisticated non-computer controlled diesel possible - actually it came from the factory with a computer, but by using the injection pump from the earlier OM603 it can be made fully mechanical. This is a boon for repairs, simplicity, and the ability to burn basically anything like kerosene. It also means it's powerful and efficient, and mileage was my number 1 goal. Also, that Merc engine happens to come from the factory in many cars with exactly the same gearbox as in my Jeep (the NSG370), so things made sense there. Jeep have also used Merc diesels in the past (not in the Wrangler), so that made sense too. It was an ambitious plan, and I'm glad that I tried, even though it didn't work out in the end. That aside, I'm in west Africa now, having the time of my life :)
- jdhawk 10y ago
  I also remember the reddit thread. There were a LOT of people questioning your decision to tour Africa, with some scary sounding warnings. Have you run into anything as dangerous as they made it seem?
  - grecy 10y ago
    Nope, not one single thing. And I've been talking to many, many people traveling here, including people backpacking, and they are loving every second. People here are extremely friendly and welcoming, and the landscape is breathtaking. "Africa" does not deserve the reputation it has. I've never met anyone that has traveled in Africa that would say otherwise.
    - 35bge57dtjku 10y ago
      > I've never met anyone that has traveled in Africa that would say otherwise. Because the rest are all dead?
    - al_chemist 10y ago
      > I've never met anyone that has traveled in Africa that would say otherwise. That could be survivor bias.
    - erichocean 10y ago
      > I've never met anyone that has traveled in Africa that would say otherwise. I have. Many. And not just "travelled" to Africa—actually lived there. Africa can be safe, at times, but it can also turn brutal seemingly overnight depending on where you are. Saying that it's safe (without any caveats) is basically irresponsible IMO—especially if you are white/foreign. Very different customs/culture. It's not for everyone.
      - Synaesthesia 10y ago
        Honestly, the same could be said of the USA. I live in South Africa. People smile and greet you on the streets, the weather is great. I feel secure.
- F00Fbug 10y ago
  What about an OM617? That has to be one of the simplest, reliable, and over-engineered motors MB ever made. I spent 5 years running mine on vegetable oil! I figure that would have been a good Africa motor. How's getting gas been so far?
  - hx87 10y ago
    OM617s are every bit as reliable as 603s and 606s, but 1) the non-turbo versions are absolute dogs 2) manual valve clearance adjustments are annoying 3) vibrate more
- jonah 10y ago
  Why not just swap in a new motor at that point instead of getting a whole new vehicle? The long block should be pretty plug-and-play since all the adaptations had been done already?
  - grecy 10y ago
    I had already sunk waaaaay too much time and money into the conversion, and it was far from finished. I was burning money much too fast. Even if the engine didn't blow up, there was still months of work to iron out bugs. After the hard miles I've done here in Africa, I'm actually immensely happy it didn't work out, and that I have a factory drive train in my Jeep now.
- souwester 10y ago
  As an aside: where did you get the idea to use the injection pump from the earlier OM603 from? Was it obvious from looking at the engine manuals or something else?

grecy 10y ago

At the time I thought it made sense... of course hindsight is great. If I wanted a Toyota diesel, I would have just bought a Toyota, but I didn't want that. The reason for the merc is that the engine I chose (the OM606) is the most sophisticated non-computer controlled diesel possible - actually it came from the factory with a computer, but by using the injection pump from the earlier OM603 it can be made fully mechanical. This is a boon for repairs, simplicity, and the ability to burn basically anything like kerosene. It also means it's powerful and efficient, and mileage was my number 1 goal. Also, that Merc engine happens to come from the factory in many cars with exactly the same gearbox as in my Jeep (the NSG370), so things made sense there. Jeep have also used Merc diesels in the past (not in the Wrangler), so that made sense too. It was an ambitious plan, and I'm glad that I tried, even though it didn't work out in the end. That aside, I'm in west Africa now, having the time of my life :)

jdhawk 10y ago
I also remember the reddit thread. There were a LOT of people questioning your decision to tour Africa, with some scary sounding warnings. Have you run into anything as dangerous as they made it seem?
- grecy 10y ago
  Nope, not one single thing. And I've been talking to many, many people traveling here, including people backpacking, and they are loving every second. People here are extremely friendly and welcoming, and the landscape is breathtaking. "Africa" does not deserve the reputation it has. I've never met anyone that has traveled in Africa that would say otherwise.
  - 35bge57dtjku 10y ago
    > I've never met anyone that has traveled in Africa that would say otherwise. Because the rest are all dead?
  - al_chemist 10y ago
    > I've never met anyone that has traveled in Africa that would say otherwise. That could be survivor bias.
  - erichocean 10y ago
    > I've never met anyone that has traveled in Africa that would say otherwise. I have. Many. And not just "travelled" to Africa—actually lived there. Africa can be safe, at times, but it can also turn brutal seemingly overnight depending on where you are. Saying that it's safe (without any caveats) is basically irresponsible IMO—especially if you are white/foreign. Very different customs/culture. It's not for everyone.
    - Synaesthesia 10y ago
      Honestly, the same could be said of the USA. I live in South Africa. People smile and greet you on the streets, the weather is great. I feel secure.
F00Fbug 10y ago
What about an OM617? That has to be one of the simplest, reliable, and over-engineered motors MB ever made. I spent 5 years running mine on vegetable oil! I figure that would have been a good Africa motor. How's getting gas been so far?
- hx87 10y ago
  OM617s are every bit as reliable as 603s and 606s, but 1) the non-turbo versions are absolute dogs 2) manual valve clearance adjustments are annoying 3) vibrate more
jonah 10y ago
Why not just swap in a new motor at that point instead of getting a whole new vehicle? The long block should be pretty plug-and-play since all the adaptations had been done already?
- grecy 10y ago
  I had already sunk waaaaay too much time and money into the conversion, and it was far from finished. I was burning money much too fast. Even if the engine didn't blow up, there was still months of work to iron out bugs. After the hard miles I've done here in Africa, I'm actually immensely happy it didn't work out, and that I have a factory drive train in my Jeep now.
souwester 10y ago
As an aside: where did you get the idea to use the injection pump from the earlier OM603 from? Was it obvious from looking at the engine manuals or something else?