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OK So I have a 95 C-36. Pretty clean starmark used car. 209k on the clock. The head has never even been off the car. I can buy other cars but I just love the way this car drives. I really am itching to do some mods.
I am thinking the first mod should be the 5 speed swap. Any experts out there please chime in. And those of you that think you are experts are welcome too.
I was researching and found some old threads but wondering what if anything has changed. I don't want to go crazy yet so Just the transmission and other parts to do the swap would be fine.
The only other Modification my car has had is the car was lowered back in 1999.
Eventually I could see doing some head work and putting on a blower and investing in better/newer suspension and installing some race seats.
But for now. I would be ecstatic with the 5 speed swap.
OK So I have a 95 C-36. Pretty clean starmark used car. 209k on the clock. The head has never even been off the car. I can buy other cars but I just love the way this car drives. I really am itching to do some mods.
I am thinking the first mod should be the 5 speed swap. Any experts out there please chime in. And those of you that think you are experts are welcome too.
I was researching and found some old threads but wondering what if anything has changed. I don't want to go crazy yet so Just the transmission and other parts to do the swap would be fine.
The only other Modification my car has had is the car was lowered back in 1999.
Eventually I could see doing some head work and putting on a blower and investing in better/newer suspension and installing some race seats.
But for now. I would be ecstatic with the 5 speed swap.
Thanks.. JJ
5 speed swap has been done multiple times! I can't speak to it as I've never done it, but I'm sure someone will be along shortly who has. Man, I would love a C36, especially with a 5 spd.
The Bmw E36 M3 ZF 5speed is a very logical candidate. You will need a bell housing adapter and figure out which flywheel/clutch setup to run. You will also need a custom length driveshaft, but other then that it should be a typcial auto to manual conversion process.
The E36 M3 5speed is great with a high quality short shifter and they last forever and can handle a ton of power. They also can be had for dirt cheap these days
Interesting.............. I would take anything that works and if it saves a little money even better.
as far as I know, people who have done this on their C36 used the tranny from a w201 and w124. some of the parts can be difficult to find but most of it is bolt-on for a w202. no matter which way you go, there will be some custom work you'll have to do as the C36 never shipped as a manual.
Hey Jay couple things you have to work out with this swap. I've manage to collect most the parts for a 97 but being a 97 it's different but some considerations are the same. I'm not an expert on the 95 But I think the swap is much simpler since you have a vac controlled transmission.
But your still going think about:
a crank trigger (some have pressed a Hfm trigger wheel onto w201 flywheel (single mass) others have made a trigger wheel onto the harmonic balancer, I ended up buying a flywheel that was machined to bolt onto the back of stock flex plate)
Which transmission your going to use (long or short shaft) the corresponding flywheel (single or dual mass)
and your final drive ratio (if your transmission is going to work it with)
Then you need to source:
pedals (clk/230 komp) and soft/hard lines for master and slave cylinder.
a shifter (getting stupid expensive)
Shifter rods ( if you go dogleg/5 speed)
A trans crossmember ( i picked up a clk one and it looks like it may bolt on. (Yet to confirm) But most swaps I've seen they have modified the stock crossmember)
Then a drive shaft. ( drive line shop probably the easiest. but look around as I read some where your can swap a w201 front shaft on to a w202 back shaft and can get the length close enough to work depending on transmission but DONT quote me on that as there is a lot of miss information out there. )
Guys,
As you know early 202 C280's came with manual setup, so all parts for conversion are available off the shelf ..I think it really only gets tricky if you want to run other trans's!
As for ECU I'm confident SDS can be used to select manual trans in the 95-96 VDO, as for the Bosch MY97 I have seen it done but I think they lost traction control function
Edit - I am missing some important info here, unless you find a wrecked manual C280 it will cost the earth to convert with stock parts
Well the plan is to use the 717.404 gear box that I happened to come across from a 2.3 16v car. According to what I can find the 16v shared the 3.07 ratio but I've also read they used a 3.27 lsd sooo I dunno.. Kinda need to get it in there and see how it feels. Since the 5th gear on the .404 is direct I was hopping it would still have some decent highway manners. But yet to been seen. Kinda wish I would have gone the 717.430 but this box just happen to come along
Yea I am looking forward to getting this conversion done.
I wonder how much it would cost to ship all those tidbits from New Zealand to Southern California. 92782 Zip code.
I just need to find the 5 speed box. Anyone? Bueller
Theres a w202 manual tranny on german eBay right now. Not badly priced.
The only thing that I have understood by using this, the 190 tranny or the silk tranny is that you will need an upgraded clutch because of the power differences
I have one more mercedes transmission left for sale if anyone is interested. Euro 717.450 5-speed dogleg from a 1992 Mercedes 300CE-24 with the M104 engine.
I only have the transmission, dual-mass flywheel/used clutch setup, the shifter and i can source a set of manual pedals (clutch/brake).
Thanks Fred for the parts. Good to catch up. Looks like I am going with the Getrag set up. Now I just need to find the linkage from the 16valve. The hydraulic lines, and the master/slave parts.... Any one have some links to these parts?
Hey Jay couple things you have to work out with this swap. I've manage to collect most the parts for a 97 but being a 97 it's different but some considerations are the same. I'm not an expert on the 95 But I think the swap is much simpler since you have a vac controlled transmission.
But your still going think about:
a crank trigger (some have pressed a Hfm trigger wheel onto w201 flywheel (single mass) others have made a trigger wheel onto the harmonic balancer, I ended up buying a flywheel that was machined to bolt onto the back of stock flex plate)
Which transmission your going to use (long or short shaft) the corresponding flywheel (single or dual mass)
and your final drive ratio (if your transmission is going to work it with)
Then you need to source:
pedals (clk/230 komp) and soft/hard lines for master and slave cylinder.
a shifter (getting stupid expensive)
Shifter rods ( if you go dogleg/5 speed)
A trans crossmember ( i picked up a clk one and it looks like it may bolt on. (Yet to confirm) But most swaps I've seen they have modified the stock crossmember)
Then a drive shaft. ( drive line shop probably the easiest. but look around as I read some where your can swap a w201 front shaft on to a w202 back shaft and can get the length close enough to work depending on transmission but DONT quote me on that as there is a lot of miss information out there. )
Best of luck. Lot to think about.. But doable
Picked up the Getrag unit out of a 16v. I am looking at picking up a 16v parts car to finish this swap. Let me know if you think I need the 16v hydraulic lines or the 202 hydraulic lines? Not sure on that part...
Yeah I'm not to sure on that part either. I went down to the mb dealer where my friend works at the parts counter and we looked through the parts diagrams a while back. Pretty much looked like the 202 parts would be the way to go then just modify the line where it transitions from the hard line to the soft line to attach to the slave on the 16v tranny. Hard line is pretty easy to bend and make up short of the flaring on the ends being a bit tricky. Worse case you could make your own. Wish I could give you 100% answers but just haven't done it yet.
I did the swap with my 96 c36. I started with an 86 190e donor car. The trans is a 717.411. I tried to change the read of the trans to a 202 setup because the crossmember is the same whether automatic or manual but the intermediate piece on the trans is a 124 number. Ended up extending the front of the crossmember with some thick metal plate. Extended the front portion of the driveshaft 4". Had to transfer the magnet over from the flex plate for the auto to a 103 flywheel. Can't buy the 104 flywheel anymore. Went with a spec clutch. Crossed the wires on the neutral safety switch but I haven't hooked up reverse lights yet. Right now I was trying to change the diff to an early 201 unit from a taxi with a 3.91 ratio. Will bolt right in but the axles will not bolt to the 201 style housing. I'm going to try a 3.69 diff from a 203 c240. Looks to be very very similar in the case design. Hopefully the axles will bolt up and if not maybe swap the little stubs. Tried that with the old style diff but the stubs on the 36 are too thick. Oh! One thing I almost forgot, if you use a 201 diff the output flange from the trans is smaller so you will need the one from your auto. It will hit the case unless you trim the case (which I don't recommend) or trim one corner off of the bolts and index them when you put them on. Shifter linkage and shifter from a 190e bolts right in with no adjustments.
Thanks for all of the info folks. I think the only unknown at this point is how much metal to add to the drive shaft or if I should buy the front half of the 16valve shaft and cut and spline it to the c36 shaft... I may not know this until I pull it all apart.
OK. So I think I finally have a handle on this project.
I will need to buy the front part of the drive shaft from the 16v so that I make sure that cut and weld that end onto my c36 shaft. Then buy the 190 Slave cylinder for the trans but the C280 master for the car and run some custom hydrolic lines. I think custom welding the mounts wont be difficult. The only parts I am missing then is the Linkage rods for the transmission to shifter.
If anyone knows the parts numbers that will be helpful. Or I may start looking around on Ebay in UK. Thanks.
Don't have part numbers for you but I bought a pedal assembly used from overseas like Pagz posted with the master attached. It bolts right up. I ordered the line through Benz and bent it how I needed. The slave is the same for a 190 as a 202. There's a rubber hose that feeds the master I bought through the dealer as well (I work thee lol). If you get 190 shift rods you will need a 190 shifter because they attach differently. If you get 202 rods I have 2 manual shifters and I'd be willing to let one go.
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