When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Wanted to make a post covering the details and part numbers of my 6 speed manual conversion. I will continue to update with more info as I go but here is what I have for now...
(Car originally had Automatic Shift module plugged in set to 'P', but we re-coded the car as a manual shortly after completion using STAR/DAS/XENTRY software)
Parts List (Most of which is credited to Dzmitry who manual swapped his CLK320, with minor adjustments for specific chassis)
1. Transmission used was Mercedes 716.667 (Crossfire/C320/Slk320)
2. FlywheelLUK DMF429 or 415028910 or MB 272 030 05 05 (from w203 C350 or w204 c300/350, FCPEuro has the one I got)
3. Flywheel to crankshaft bolts 004-990-59-12 (We had to cut these down by about 8mm, not sure what the correct ones are yet) 8pcs
4. Clutch KitLUK 11047 (Any clutch kit for w203 C350 or w204 c300/350, other options as well)
5. Pressure plate to flywheel bolts 007984-008003 6pcs
6. Clutch master cylinder203-290-02-12 (Lots of options for this! Check RockAuto)
7. Brake reservoir to master cylinder line 203-997-27-52
8. Rubber clutch hydraulic line 211-290-30-13
9. Hard clutch hydraulic line 203-290-41-13
10. White hard clutch line clip 124-476-06-40 3pcs
11. Hard clutch line through trans tunnel boot 123-295-01-83, 003-997-24-86
11. Drive shaft 209-410-02-06 (Best option but hard to find used) or 1704102606 (easier to find, will work but a a bit short) or 2044101206 (w204 tad bit long so we cut about quarter on an inch off of nose)
12. Shifter assembly 203-260-38-09 or 203-260-60-09 (Mercedes calls it Gearshift Mechanism, very hard to find!) (I used crossfire linkage but had to modify a lot)
13. Shifter to transmission pin 203-267-07-74
14. Shifter to trans tunnel bolt 000000-003853-64 2pcs
15. Shifter boot parts (rubber + plastic) 203-267-16-88, 203-267-01-97, 170-267-01-97
16. Shifter cable lever 211-267-03-40
17. Shifter cable lever cap 203-267-04-22
18. Reverse light plug 168-545-27-28
19. Reverse light plug pin 000-540-38-052pcs
20. Clutch pedal plug 031-545-32-28
21. Clutch pedal plug pin 000-540-27-052pcs
22. Clutch Pedal assemblyA2032905601
Here is Part 3 of the build series which covers removing Auto, installing Manual and first drive...
Thank you both! Seems this project isn't as interesting as I thought it would be for the forum members thus far but that's ok, not as active as it used to be. More about sharing the knowledge as an open source! If I would have been able to locate all the correct parts, I think it would have been a two day job (6hrs each day). With the modification need it ended up as a 4 day job, not bad with all considered
I was actually thinking to convert mine to manual too, Haven't decided yet Btw, what was the price if not a secret?
haha no not a secret, forgot to mention that, for all parts, you’re looking at anywhere from $1500-2000 depending on used/new parts and source.
You can definitely do it for less too, my goal was for mine to be below $1500 and I think I ended at $1600.00. $600 of that was for dmf from FCPeuro which is lifetime.
My trans was $350 shipped off of eBay with 36k miles for reference. All the miscellaneous parts from mbpartslive.com we’re about $230.
It will be also interesting to see how the clutch will hold. 500nm is a lot of torque. I used to have tuned c220cdi (diesel) and it has issues with clutch after tune (~300nm stock)
Yes, time will tell, it feels solid as of now but it’s of course very early.
SPEC makes upgraded clutches for this application but the pressure plate bolt pattern is for the first early dmf bolt pattern. I may use one of their discs in the future with a new pressure plate.
As someone that couldn’t afford a C350...and waited 4 months for my manual C230 to be built (2.7% of orders) I freakin’ LOVE these conversions! Well done!!!
(Now if only I could hide an automatic shift module and tell the CANBUS I’m in D so my Distronic will work! Ha!)
An 07’ manual C350 actually popped up for sale around me recently for $6400. Honestly almost wanted to buy it for rarity alone and it was so clean. It was gone within a day...
Appreciate the enjoyment for the conversions! I have seen your posts about the distronic system but have no familiarity with that specific system.
we have now coded the car to a manual, so no more TCU or shift controlller in the car
One day I’ll get Distronic...
There are some still trying to help me - thank you.
I love this work. I started as a kid working with my Dad and uncles...my first “solo” project was a full Ford power plant conversion into a rotted and blown w123...
This is incredible work. Yes, these forums are not as busy anymore as this rare car has aged. You made the conversion look really easy. To pull this off in 4 days is incredible!
This is incredible work. Yes, these forums are not as busy anymore as this rare car has aged. You made the conversion look really easy. To pull this off in 4 days is incredible!
Appreciate it! It should have been 2 days but we tried to find the correct shift linkage before deciding to customize the one I had.
Wish these cars were more relevant but majority of AMG owners seem to move on pretty quickly, can’t be mad at that though since it makes these things relatively affordable for enthusiasts and diy’ers. Hopefully the manual possibilities open the eyes of enthusiast that wouldn’t normally be interested in MB.
Appreciate it! It should have been 2 days but we tried to find the correct shift linkage before deciding to customize the one I had.
Wish these cars were more relevant but majority of AMG owners seem to move on pretty quickly, can’t be mad at that though since it makes these things relatively affordable for enthusiasts and diy’ers. Hopefully the manual possibilities open the eyes of enthusiast that wouldn’t normally be interested in MB.
I totally agree with you on how there is a sweet spot where AMG, M, etc enthusiasts have moved on to newer cars and that leaves the used market with a decent supply of older cars that are great value for the more DIY crowd of enthusiasts. I myself have been on the lookout for a 507 edition or last model year C63 W204 sedan now that they have come down in price so much.
That's how I was able to get my E60 M5, they hit rock bottom pricng for the past few years and due to the rod bearing issues being so public knowledge, it has kept the V8/V10 M3/M5 prices really low longer than they normally would be. With aftermarket support, it's a great car to DIY maintain.
What other mods have you thought about for the C55 platform? The manual conversion is a massive undertaking, but any other opportunities?
Last edited by Rahulio1975280C; Nov 28, 2020 at 03:56 PM.
Exactly! It makes things more attainable with the depreciation and some of the known problems that arise that may scare others away. I would love also to pick up a w204 C63 but it would have to be for a bargain, the motors are great but is one of those ones with known potential big problems, still would try it out fi I found a good deal.
The E60's are a great example of that, wicked car for what you can buy them for if you have the knowledge/time/expense to take care of them. A manual one would be awesome!
Next up on the list will most likely be an LSD. Other ideas I have are to do a carbon roof/sunroof delete, I have also toyed with the idea of turbocharging but am rather focusing on making the car as light weight as possible and upgrading the brakes at the moment. Have Recaro pole positions and brake upgrades ready just need to get around to installing... Besides that eventually KW's or an equivalent coilover once my stock suspension gets tired. Most likely I will add another toy to the stable and start messing around with other things and keep this car as is for spritied driving and occasional track days once 'complete' (I will always keep messing with this car at some level I'm sure) Want to build an M104 turbo car, maybe in another C-class or W210, going on a tangent now lol....
Last edited by kaixdiego; Nov 5, 2020 at 05:58 PM.
A question for you, is TCU/ECU/other coding essential? I am looking at the options for a W209 CLK55.
Jiljakz didn’t seem to need to on his W210 and W208, just keeping his gear selector connected, but those platforms are slightly older.
thank you, no problem!
it is fully functional as is with the gear selector and TCU still attached without coding, I kept it that way for the first week after driving before coding.
So yes, same as Jikjakz case, not needed but in my case didn’t want the extra components and had access to STAR/DAS through Dzmitry, who was willing to help code the car after we tested code prior to swap. 👍
it is fully functional as is with the gear selector and TCU still attached without coding, I kept it that way for the first week after driving before coding.
So yes, same as Jikjakz case, not needed but in my case didn’t want the extra components and had access to STAR/DAS through Dzmitry, who was willing to help code the car after we tested code prior to swap. 👍
Thanks for coming back.
Did you have any error codes / a CEL on the dash? I think the swap looks a lot more attractive if just doing the transmission and staying away from the electronics. I would shorten the shifter, extend the wiring harness and leave it under the armrest.
Did you have any error codes / a CEL on the dash? I think the swap looks a lot more attractive if just doing the transmission and staying away from the electronics. I would shorten the shifter, extend the wiring harness and leave it under the armrest.
Tempting...
yes, you will still have CEL on with just keeping the auto hardware installed, ESP and ESM errors if I remember correctly. None of the codes in that scenario cause any drivability issues though.
that would be having your cake and eating it too 😄
Stop following me around! First, you comment on my manual C55 youtube video. Then, you call your thread EXACTLY WHAT I CALLED MINE a few months back. :P
And to those saying it's a massive undertaking.. Diego and I can both definitely tell you that swapping this car to manual, especially if you leave the shift selector and TCU in the car (as I still have, haven't coded yet) is one of the easiest swaps you can do. It all lines right up and feels 100% OEM.
It's also worth noting I picked up a good 15whp from the swap... and lost almost a full second from my 100-200 time due to the extra power and better gearing.
Glad you're happy with the car, Diego! Love your YouTube videos documenting the process, I barely took 2 photos with my cellphone during the whole swap.
Stop following me around! First, you comment on my manual C55 youtube video. Then, you call your thread EXACTLY WHAT I CALLED MINE a few months back. :P
And to those saying it's a massive undertaking.. Diego and I can both definitely tell you that swapping this car to manual, especially if you leave the shift selector and TCU in the car (as I still have, haven't coded yet) is one of the easiest swaps you can do. It all lines right up and feels 100% OEM.
It's also worth noting I picked up a good 15whp from the swap... and lost almost a full second from my 100-200 time due to the extra power and better gearing.
Glad you're happy with the car, Diego! Love your YouTube videos documenting the process, I barely took 2 photos with my cellphone during the whole swap.
I believe your thread was *2006* C55 manual swap completed 😂🤙🏼
All in all, completely agree, there are much more difficult swaps and conversions out there to be had. If only I could have found a w203 shift linkage and it would of been a complete breeze! 😤 And yes, definitely more usable power available now with no converter drag and the weight shed.
appreciate you man! Inspiration to attempt this came from a lot of sources, you sharing your C55 definitely being one of them!
I used the W204 transmission to bypass the shift linkages and benefit from the rod actuation. The W204 variant is rated for slightly more torque, too! But as I explained in my thread, it meant the shifter came out a couple of cm more backwards than it should have and as such my console had to be butchered to make it fit.
Yours looks better, if I say so myself. But again.. shift rod! There's a diesel variant rated for 440Nm as well, but good luck to any of us finding that one. :P
Exactly, I may look at swapping it out for the w203 c350 trans or slk trans at some point just so I can take advantage of no cable, it is working good for now though. The good thing about the rating as well is it's only measured to 50-70% of what it can handle, that is why they can handle much more i.e; the guys running them in m113k drift cars. The flywheel and clutch situation would need help before the trans but for the na m113, not a problem.
I just couldn't bring myself to cutting the car up haha, could of made it a lot easier if i did though!
Last edited by kaixdiego; Nov 17, 2020 at 10:55 AM.
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
but we tried to find the correct shift linkage before deciding to customize the one I had.
