1984 Toyota Pickup Being Converted to Diesel Power

Toyota 22R engine is tired and short on performance, so the owner is installing a Mercedes turbo diesel.

The 22R engine offered in many classic Toyota trucks and SUVs is a great, durable engine that is relatively easy to work on, but for some people’s needs, the stock mill is short on power. Of course, if you own a 22R-powered vehicle and you need more power, you can always build the engine to deliver more power, but the easier option is swapping to a completely different powerplant.

Recently, YotaTech forum member “ForceOM617TToyota” shared pictures of his 1984 Toyota pickup,which is serving as the basis for a swap project, with the OP converting from the gasoline-powered 22R to a Mercedes-Benz OM617T turbo diesel.

Toyota Diesel Introduction

When the OP first posted about his project on the forum, he explained why he was making the move to diesel and what engine is chose for the swap, along with some pictures of his clean 1984 Toyota pickup.

Hello I am new to this thread and I thought I should make a thread here so I’m going to convert my 1984 Toyota truck to Diesel since my 22r is pretty tired and I need extra power to push my truck and I thought diesel is the way to go and the Mercedesom617 is my perfect candidate because its much cheaper and easy to do , I have seen a lot of people do this swap om617 and this thread is a lot of info . I been working this engine for a few weeks now preparing for my swap I will post picture later I am still learning how to download pic.

This is my 84 Toyota that I’m going to convert to a Diesel.

New Lockers and the Swap Begins

The first update showed the front and rear differentials with ARB lockers, along with a look at the Mercedes-Benz turbo diesel engine before, during and after painting the block black and shining up the rest of the exterior bits.

The next post showed the 1984 Toyota pickup from the back, showing us that this classic truck is remarkably clean from every angle. In that same post, we see the truck with the engine bay empty after the 22R was removed, followed by pictures of the Mercedes diesel ready to go in and a shot of the injector pump.

Sadly, the injector pump is in need of a rebuild, so the OP is sending it to Sweden for a high-performance upgrade, which will allow the OM617T engine to deliver even more power.

Once this project is complete, this 1984 Toyota pickup will surely be stronger and quicker than it was with the 22R and we hope that the OP shares more updates as the build is finished. In the meantime, click here for a look at all of the pictures of this Toyota diesel swap project.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

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