If I could adapt to the stock ZF, I'd stuff in a nice Mercedes OM603 or OM606. The 616/617 are find tractor motors, but stinky and slow, also pretty heavy. Big advantages to the OM603 engines (need to get a good one with later head) are power, weight, and efficiency. I have a spare under my bench, ... the one in my TD has a different IP, turbo, IC, head, windage tray, etc., etc. for additional power and is a very strong and reliable engine. The 5-cylinder OM602 is a little weak IMO for pulling 5,000lbs down the highway.
Better still is the twin-cam version of this engine, the OM606, which is capable of 400+hp with some fuel and turbo mods (superturbodiesel.com).
Both of these are mechanical engines, don't need to figure out how to adapt a CAN to make them run.
BMW makes a nice 3.0td also, put a pair of them in a mahogany boat a few years back (Yanmar marinized, only 245hp/ea. IIRC). An electronic engine though.
Neighbor has a Cummins (ex-UPS truck) 4-cyl in his Wrangler, a heavy and low-rpm engine which would certainly need re-ratio for highway use, his isn't for highway.
Personally I'm a bit weight conscious, don't want to upset the nearly perfect 50/50 that the stock truck has by too much, but for a diesel I'd make some concessions.

 

Dude, I keep having this dream of a D1 with a B230FT in it. If it was a fresh rebuild that engine would last until you give the keys to your grandson. Plus, you can tune them to 300 hp easy. With the right gearing it'd be a nice little truck.

 

I agree, but a TurboBrick hits the scales at 3500 # on a bloated day, and SirA, weighs at 5360, with my scrawny 175# and a half tank of fuel...

Have a hard time visually a B2**FT hitting a high enough average mpg, to make it pencil.

Trust me, it was my first thought for a cherry swap.

Donor C-350 just dropped to $1,000.
We started as Implements, believe you me ( I like 'em, hate if you must, you'll never sway me on he longevity and runnability....) if there was any way to stuff that International harvester 6.9 litre diesel burning v8 under the hood, a tractor powered by a tractor....

I'm giddy...

 

C350 donor.... built him all by hand.

(well not the stretched Bronco part, but took it to this level, swapped in the IDI in place of the 460, the NP435 in place of the E40D, the Dana60/70 with matching gears in place of the 3.54 D44 front, and the 4.10 Sterling rear it had, got it up to clear a 40" Hawg at full stuff, and it pulled at 18 as an avg mpg)

 

Tastes have changed, I'm not in a 140" wheelbase fullsze, so this won't go past a 37", and I'm keeping the Rover 3 link... but... Even thugh final Land Rover Motive power is still a wild card, the Centurion is definitely coming back into my life, at least for a little bit.

Hell, I might even finish the build, just so I can say I completed something...

(RSK in the front and basically "done")

While I luxuriously strip down the Landy, and prep him for something Motive Power-wise) that really floats my goat.

 

Hmmmm

 

Yes...yes....but....

I was getting 29 MPG on my 90/745 Turbo wagon, even with the additional weight of the rover you'd see better returns than the stock 12-14 MPG we're getting now with the 3.9/4.x engines.


Also, using the late heavy deal-mass flywheel, proper gearing, and a quick spool turbo you'd have some nice, smooth torque at low speed. Plus, you'd have ALLLLLL kinds of room under that hood for things like big-*** intercoolers and dual batteries.

 

thee is a totaled 850 GLT here, that 5 cyl turbo has me intrigued...

Leaning me towards the direction of this...

 

Hmm, that could be interesting.