OM606 Conversion,Results an Experiences.

[Alan]

Hi all, after some preparing and building up of courage to eventually start the conversion, I started last weekend.
Thanks must go to many including Axel606 who is probably the most experienced 606 convertor. I hope he will also chime in here if he sees something out of place.

Initially I just removed the center propshaft and front propshaft to be able to do some measurements.
Next I removed the gearbox shiftrods, Loosened all the mounting bolts to the Motor and the cross carrier at the back of the gearbox. I also removed the slave cylinder.
Next step was to remove the interior cover over the transmission tunnel to start with modifying the gear shift mechanism.
I had to increase the size of the cutout and make a adaptor plate that would allow me to go back to original should I wish to. Elsewhere on this forum I have said I don't think a conversion is a good thing. (no longer original) However there are always good reasons to do the conversion.
However I always try to allow me to go back to original.
The gearbox hydraulic pipe was converted to allow me to just bolt to the original.

So far the 6speed gearbox is in and I am able to select gears but not to my liking yet. Because the bracing is not yet fabricated the shifting is mushy.
As I go along I will update this thread and add pictures.

BTW. The 6 speed is slightly longer than the original 5 speed and this requires some fabricating of a rear mount.
Axel do you know if the original W202 rear mount is useable or should I fabricate something using the G mount?

 

[karoogw]

Excellent work Alan.

 

[Andrew]

Good luck bro. You have done your homework well, and your hands and abilities are legend.

I look forward to hearing your satisfaction once done.

 

[Riaan Harman]

Sterkte Alan

Sal graag wil sien wat is die resultaat.

 

[Antony]

Yes, good luck. Please post regular updates and photos. I'm sure quite a few of us are interested in your progress.

Antony.

 

[Theo Vermaak]

Best of luck Alan - gaan jy met hom Makoya toe? You have almost 6 weeks...

 

[Alan]

Eish, that is a bit short notice.
Still waiting for flanges from Germany (actually local post office).
Then there are a few other snags to work out. Will keep everyone posted.

 

[Alan]

With some member help from Pierre yesterday's objective was to start the motor for the first time since I bought it Jan. 2014. Well we did find some snags and "n boer maak n plan" was used to overcome those. Here a video of first and second start. We did run it again afterwards and it smoked less. Temp was monitored with a good old mechanical gauge. Unfortunately I had no fitting for a mechanical oil pressure.

[video]http://youtu.be/wAaMV4oNxGw[/video]

 

[LHD G]

With some member help from Pierre yesterday's objective was to start the motor for the first time since I bought it Jan. 2014. Well we did find some snags and "n boer maak n plan" was used to overcome those. Here a video of first and second start. We did run it again afterwards and it smoked less. Temp was monitored with a good old mechanical gauge. Unfortunately I had no fitting for a mechanical oil pressure.

[video]http://youtu.be/wAaMV4oNxGw[/video]

Mooi man:grin:

 

[460LeoG]

Nice!
Please make a note if you intend wiring up idle circuit. Had my 603 one not functioning, though idling a bit low when cold it didn't feel like it was absolutely needed. Watching this with keen interest, good luck with it!

Sent from my ST27i using Tapatalk

 

[Alan]

Just status report.
My parcel from Germany has still not been cleared. In the country since 10Aug. and Customs blame airline. Will only be cleared hopefully by end next week which means I can only get it the week after that. Me thinks Customs are talking BS. Whenever you call them they have "High call volumes" and after hanging on for more than 5 minutes you get cut off. :evil:

Anyway busy getting the other peripheries sorted like gear lever housing finalized, Gearbox mounting adjusted, gearlever sorted (will be using original and hopefully get it covered in leather with a new boot, gearbox flange machined and welded (thanks Leonard for the flange).

 

[Andrew]

Alan, what does the accelerator look like? Is it a cable?

 

[Alan]

Hi Andrew, yes mine is a cable.
I will have to make something for the mechanical pump.
Not sure yet what, but when the time comes I will sort that out.

 

[Alan]

OK, some more progress.
Since Custom is seemingly incompetent and my flange for the Txfer case is still not processed I had to carry on with other things.

I have had the three pointed flange machined and then another flangeplate welded onto that. Unfortunately the plate was a little too this at 10mm and I will not use the second one as a spacer to clear the gearbox output shaft. I could of course cut off a piece but .... next time I will make the flange deeper.

The rear gearbox support was used from my first G a 230GE and cut and lowered and new holes drilled for the new rear gearbox mounting.

I fitted all these bits and then proceeded to the gearshift mechanism again. The shifter turret needed to be fixed in place and I had a ally plate welded on top of it and this I used to be part of a big rubber mount. Actually a piece of rubber tubing that gets squashed and thereby expands and holding everything in place without transferring any mechanical vibrations. Hope it works. Shifting is already fantastic.
I reused my old gear knob, since I could not get something I liked. I will have it covered with leather later. So to be able to fit that I had the original machined down and then threaded it. Works 100%. It was not necessary to lengthen the shifter or even shorten it. It is already slightly on the long side but comfortable. The new 6 speed box has a very short throw.
I also bled the clutch today an it works 100%. I used the original master cylinder and only had a new pipe with fitting crimped on to connect to the original piping.

Ok so now some photos.
Of course any comments are welcome.

 

[Alan]

Some more pictshas.

From now on I only need to work under or outside the G. :grin:
BTW. I have not yet covered the bottom of the shifter as I still need access but there will be a dust cap.

Also: I can always go back to original as I have not cut in such a way that it will no longer be possible. Also used the original fixing holes for two bolts but had to make two more that then received a rivnut.

 

[PUCHG]

Nice Alan......isn't 6 gears too many for a G.......:grin:

 

[Andrew]

This is looking good Alan.

How long will it take you? It seems as if you have done the difficult stuff.

 

[Alan]

Hi Andrew, I decided to split the project into gearbox and engine.
Once I receive the flange and get a shortened propshaft I can drive and test the gearbox. If that is sorted I will start the engine.
My plan is to have it all done before the end of the year.

 

[Rolf Redecker]

Nice Alan......isn't 6 gears too many for a G.......:grin:

Yes, these old school engines are quite "torquey" going 2-4-6 on level road or downhill and 1-3-5 uphill is easily possible without exceeding the healthy 1500 - 4000 rpm "revband" with my turboed 290, 5.3 diff ration and 285/75 16 tyres. That 606 engine should pull like a beast Alan, start searching for big wheels and long diffs.
That extra low first on the six speed box works magic.:mrgreen:

 

[Alan]

Hi Rolf, I'm sure it will judging by all the happy owners of 606's.
Unfortunately my G came out with 5.3 diffs, but if I can get my hands on a transfer case with the 0.87 ratio it would make a huge difference. From there I can then try different tyre sizes without changing the diffs.
Please let me know if there is a place in Nam where there might be a 463 Txfer case with 0.87 ratio. Thinking of the old 350TD that was for sale there a couple of years back.

ReGards,
Alan

PS. Did you see how I fitted the gearshifter? Is that what you did as well? I remember you saying you cut of the link to the gearbox, which is what I did in the end because of the sharp angles.