The OM617 is one of the heartbeats of Mercedes-Benz’s diesel engineering work from the 1970s and 1980s and is enjoyed for its ruggedness and reliability. While stock OM617 engines are long-lived and very low-maintenance, their performance—particularly with respect to horsepower and torque—will always be lacking in the eyes of the enthusiast. This is where Dieselmeken comes in, taking this mechanical Bosch M-type injection pump and transforming it into a high-performance unit which drastiocally improves the output of the OM617.
What is Dieselmeken?
Dieselmeken is a Swedish company specializing in high-performance mechanical diesel injection systems. The company has experience in alteration and upgrading Bosch mechanical injection pumps. Particularly, the M-type pump is used in engines like the OM617. With Dieselmeken individual alterations, these pumps can deliver more fuel with higher precision, hence improving power, response time, and ultimately, the potential of the OM617.
OM617 Bosch M-type Injection Pump
The Bosch M-type injection pump is the mechanical unit which controls fuel flow to the engine’s cylinders. In this particular OM617 engine, its job is to meter and regulate the timing and volume injected. Though extremely strong mechanically, the stock form leaves it far from ideal for the maximum potential delivery of performance.
How Dieselmeken Changes the OM617 Injection Pump
Dieselmeken is a company that focuses on modifying the Bosch M-pump into a high-performance unit with a series of internal modifications. Here is how Dieselmeken accomplishes this:
1. Increased Fuel Flow
The most crucial factor in the potential for increasing the performance of a diesel engine is controlling the amount of fuel delivered to the engine. OM617 pumps in a standard engine are built for a very narrow, specific range of fuel delivery, which is better suited to low horsepower and emissions. For a diesel engine, a company like Dieselmeken will modify the internal fuel plungers and delivery valves so as to increase the number of gallons that can be injected with one stroke of the piston.
Larger Plungers and Elements: Dieselmeken installs even bigger elements within the pump. These elements compress the fuel before it is injected into the cylinders. The greater the size increases in these elements, the bigger amount of fuel that is injected during a cycle leads to a dramatic increase in power.
High-Flow Delivery Valves: The upgrade to high-flow delivery valves sees the pump move more fuel more efficiently from the pump to the injectors. This is not only in a greater quantity but also faster, which is a must when finding more horsepower.
Injection Timing Fine-tuning
Injection timing refers to the timing of a fuel injection into the combustion chamber by an engine at a particular point in its cycle. Properly tuned injection timing is extremely critical for producing maximum power and efficiency while avoiding adverse wear of the engine.
Custom Timing Profiles: The injection timing is adjusted to match the increased fuel flow, so that the fuel gets injected at the optimal point in the engine’s compression cycle. This tuning does both power and efficiency; thus the increase in RPMs will provide a smoother and more reactive move.
Optimized for Turbocharged Applications: For the turbocharged OM617, timing is that much more important. Dieselmeken tunes the pump to time up with boost from the turbocharger, so the extra air from the turbo is accompanied by an appropriate increase in fuel.
3. Boost Enrichment Mods
The pump has to deliver more fuel in turbocharged OM617 engines because it compresses more air into the engine to maintain proper air-to-fuel. Dieselmeken modifies the pump to work effortlessly along with higher boost levels.
ALDA (Boost Compensate) Calibration. Dieselmeken knocks out, or at least alters, the ALDA, which is the regulator governing fuel flow through an adjustment in boost pressure. In some designs, Dieselmeken also alterations the pump to enable higher flow for higher boost levels that creates enormous power gains when the turbo is spooling up.
Adjustable Fuel Screw: To refine the system further, Dieselmeken provides an adjustable fuel screw that the customer may adjust the fuel delivery to his or her preference to ensure maximum performance under different driving conditions.
4. Adjustment of Fuel Cutoff Point
The fuel cutoff point in the case of a mechanical injection pump is set for when fuel injection is stopped during the power stroke. Generally, it is on the conservative side in factory-pumped units, merely for the sake of emissions and reliability.
Extended Fueling Curve: Dieselmeken allows the fueling curve to be extended to allow the pump to deliver fuel further into the combustion cycle. This produces more power, especially in the upper ranges of RPMs at which the OM617 topes out. Allowing the injection of more fuel over a longer period of time makes it possible to maintain higher power output across the entire RPM range.
5. High-Flow Injector Nozzles
Dieselmeken advises that, in most cases, the pump be modified with upgraded fuel injectors to ensure successful operation. To ensure that increased amounts of fuel are atomized and injected with efficiency into the combustion chamber, high-flow injector nozzles are, therefore necessary.
Bosio or Custom Nozzles: The modified pumps are mostly carried with Bosio nozzles, among many other high-performance nozzles, thus increasing the volume of fuel injected into cylinders with an improved spray pattern.
6. Tailor-made for Specific Needs
One of the main reasons why owners are attracted to this service from Dieselmeken is that each and every injection pump is designed especially to meet specific needs of the engine as well as performance expectations of the owner.
Application-Specific Tuning: Whether to make the most power in a turbocharged application or bring out the best fuel efficiency for daily driving, Dieselmeken tunes each pump to specifically match an engine’s configuration.
Fine-Tune on the Dyno: On some applications, Dieselmeken makes fine-tuning on a dyno to ensure that that pump has been dialed in correctly for real-world performance
Dieselmeken Pump Modifications Unleash Genuine Performance Advances
The power and torque overbuild from a Dieselmeken-modified injection pump are considered substantial. Many OM617 engines with Dieselmeken pumps and associated turbo modifications can pump out 100-200% more power than stock, dependent upon the aggressiveness of the modification.
Stock OM617 Power: In factory trim, the OM617 turbocharged (OM617.952) motor puts down around 120 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque.
Dieselmeken-Modified OM617: With a Dieselmeken-modified injection pump, better injectors, and a turbo upgrade, the OM617 can crank out anywhere from 200 to 250+ horsepower, and a whole lot more torque. This is a very different engine from that which was originally designed for low power, though very high durability.
Benefits Beyond Performance
Better Throttle Response: The modified pumps of Dieselmeken throw fuel much faster. The result is snappier throttle response, which gives the vehicle a much more agile feeling, particularly when operated under heavy load or during acceleration.
This mechanical pump, once attuned properly, provides greater fuel efficiency, mainly in turbocharged engines wherein the pump and the turbo work harmoniously together. This fine-tuned fuel delivery makes its combustion a lot more efficient.
Extended Engine Life: If executed correctly, the modifications by Dieselmeken allow the OM617 engine to have increased power yet never lose on reliability. Being overbuilt, the OM617 can take the significantly higher levels of power over and above what it was originally rated for, provided appropriate maintenance has been done.
Conclusion: The Dieselmeken Advantage
Refinements of Dieselmeken transform the slightly underpowered but reliable OM617 into a powerhouse and take impressive performance out of that which otherwise would be hardly worthy, especially in those high-performance applications under turbocharger. It achieves this by increasing fuel flow, refining timing, as well as generally improving the interaction between fueling and boost pressure to unlock the hidden potential from an OM617 while maintaining inherent reliability.
One of the best investments for anyone looking to pull maximum performance out of their OM617 is a Dieselmeken-modified injection pump. Whether one is building a high-horsepower turbocharged setup or just looking at that more responsive, potent daily driver, Dieselmeken transforms as its name would suggest.