dzmitry

Hello my friends, it's time to share a story about manual transmission swap on my 2004 clk320 convertible
Let's start from "why" question: it's very simple : I love my CLK and I prefer manual cars ... and there are lots of other different reasons but it's more "talk over a cold beer" kind of discussion :-D
I'll try to share as many details as possible, hope it's going to be interesting (i'll reserve couple of post just i case)

Ok, back to busyness.
Entire swap took me 10 hours (thanks to buddies for helping me ) start to finish. I have really small garage with no lift so I rented a lift at PitRow (big shoot-out to them) and my clk came with automatic and left the same day with manual
But I spent about 6 month in preparation for that action...
Anyway....

Mechanical part:
1. 716.6 transmission from 2005 Chrysler Crossfire with ~45k
2. Luk flywheel
3. Sasch clutch kit
4. Everything else is original Mercedes parts (everything from c320 manual)

No drilling/cutting, everything looks and works stock!
I found VIN from c320 with manual transmission and used it to find all necessary parts

dzmitry

1. Tranmission
Technically it's the same 6 speed transmission which was used for slk320 and c320. The only difference is torque rating: 400nm(295ft-lb) for slk320/c320 transmission and 370nm (272ft-lb) for Crossfire transmission. BTW transmission from c230 is not a good idea for 3.2 engine since it's rated only for 270nm (199ft-lb). It's necessary to find transmission from 2005+ MY (serial number > 1788079) Crossfire since there was a problem with 1st gear synchro on earlier models (Service Bulletin 21-005-05).





2. Flywheel
I used LUK (which is most likely Original Equipment). Since it's dual-mass flywheel there was no reason to buy used one.
Coupe of things here:
- Pilot bearing is located in a flywheel, not in a crank shaft.
- There are two bolt patterns for flywheel/crankshaft for m112/m113 (for m112 it was update around 2005 MY, starting for engine serial number 31-757522).
- Tooth for Crank position sensor are the same as on flex-plate, so no problem here



3. Clutch kit
I used Sachs clutch kit which includes clutch disk, pressure plate and throwout bearing.
- slk320 and c320 are using different clutches (i think due to weight difference)
- I didn't find Mercedes clutch alignment tool, so I bought this guy, close enough


4. Pedal box with clutch pedal and master clutch cylinder
Found one on eBay in Europe from c320. Master clutch cylinder mounted directly on pedal box.


5. Clutch hydraulic lines
Only 3 houses:
- From brake reservoir to master cylinder (black thing on photo #1, #2)
- From master cylinder to throwout bearing (which is slave clutch cylinder) (photo #3: hard line + rubber line)
- No need to change brake reservoir, it already has nipple for clutch line, just need to cut off it's tip.
No drilling was necessary, everything stock!







6. Shifter assembly
Wasn't able to find used, bought new from Mercedes (c320).
In general there are two types of shifters on w209/w203/w204 - one rod + cable and single rod. As far as I know w209/w203 used rod + cable type only.


7. Driveshaft
Manual transmission shorter that automatic one, so you need longer driveshaft. Again wasn't able to find used, so I bought new from Mercedes (c320)


And now the last and most important part... Electronics
Couple year ago was a story about a guy who swapped Crossfire transmission into his clk430 (w208) and briefly described that they make car to think that it's in Neutral/Park to make it work. He didn't share any details so I decided to do it myself . I spent about a week playing around with Raspberry-like board with two Can controllers and as a result I was able partially reverse-engineered Can messages and replicate them to make car believe that it's in Neutral which allowed me to start it without TCU and Shifter.


It turned out to be very simple, and you can run it even on Raspberry Pi (I'm working right now on final implementation)

Now, how it's to drive car when it thinks that it's in Neutral all the time? Exactly the same as any other car with manual transmission!
1. The only thing which isn't working is Cruise control (don't care about it on manual cars)
2. Everything else works: automatic door locks, airbags (didn't test :-D, but 100% sure it's not in parking mode, it's in neutral, you can shift to neutral while you driving), speedometer (ECU is using ABS sensors to get vehicle speed and there is no speed sensor on 716.6 transmission), ESP - still kicks-in when I'm trying do burnout :-D
3. Rev-limiter: yes, if you're not moving engine won't rev higher that 4k, but if you're moving (in neutral) - no 4k limit (testing on road, I easily passed 5k on 1st gear)
4. Reverse light - Front SAM is responsible for reverse light and it doesn't care about what transmission you have, whenever you ground necessary pin it turns reverse light on. I connected transmission reverse gear sensor to SAM and it works
5. With Star I changed transmission type to manual in ESZ and Instrument Cluster it removed "selected gear" indicator from Cluster.
6. To prevent ignition switch from locking a key when you're in neutral you just need to remove cable (yes it's just simple cable) which goes from transmission shifter to ignition switch.
7. Overall I've been driving manual cars most of my life, believe me it feels 100% stock and flawless.

Connecting to Front SAM (reverse light):
We are looking for Connector #10 pin #6

dzmitry

1. Pedal box
Relatively simple it's a bit tight over there, but doable

First you need to install master clutch cylinder to pedal box connect plastic house which goes from brake reservoir to master cylinder (I also installed clutch switch, but I'm currently not using it, probably will use it later)


Route plastic house though seal (marked red) in firewall (just make a small cut in it). I connected it to brake reservoir only after I installed transmission itself.




To install hard line you'll need to remove transmission first.

2. Transmission preparation (needless to say about cleaning, oiling, etc)
I replaced throwout bearing


And installed shifter cable lever




3. Transmission removal
Straightforward process (you can find a lot of information how to do it, probably I'll link something here)





While you're there it's a good idea to replace RMS (I didn't change because mine isn't leaking and I plan to remove engine later anyway )
Also I removed both hydraulic line from trans cooler.

4. Flywheel installed
Afterreplacing flexplate/flywheel you suppose to reset ECU adaption (will do it later ).


After installing flywheel I double checked that cars starts.

5. Clutch disk and pressure plate
Unfortunately don't have pictures, but it's very simple as on any other manual card

6. Shifter assembly
There are only two mounting points



Inside the car







Shifter cable, i have only one photo (it was installed in 2. Transmission preparation)


7. Hydraulic lines
They go from master clutch cylinder to throwout bearing
Need to use those two seals (rubber ring should be on the line and then it goes inside rubber boot, see photos)







8. Transmission mounting
Also straightforward, except one thing, since manual transmission sorter you'll need to relocate trans cross-member there are already holes for that, all you need is to tap a thread in them.



Also you'll need to replace exhaust brakes and longer Ground cable (again because manual transmission shorter)



9. Last two things
Clutch bleeding and shifter adjustment (I had to buy this small piece of metal for $25 :-D, I'll share it's dimensions)

dzmitry

Parts list:

1. Flywheel LUK DMF081 (1120301305)
2. Flywheel to crankshaft bolts004-990-33-12 (old bolt pattern) 8pcs
3. Flywheel to crankshaft bolts 004-990-59-12 (newer bolt pattern) 8pcs
4. Clutch Kit SACHS K7035301
5. Pressure plate to flywheel bolts 007984-008003 6pcs
6. Clutch master cylinder 203-290-02-12
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
12. Shifter assembly 203-260-38-09
13. Shifter to transmission pin 203-267-07-74
14. Shifter to trans tunnel bolt 000000-003853-642pcs
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. Revers light plug 168-545-27-28
19. Revers light plug pin 000-540-38-05 2pcs
20. Clutch pedal plug 031-545-32-28
21. Clutch pedal plug pin 000-540-27-05 2pcs
22. Ground cable xxx-xxx-xx-xx
23. Exhaust brackets xxx-xxx-xx-xx

dzmitry

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Merc Mania

My God Dmitry, this conversion is the automotive equivalent of open-cranium brain surgery. It would not be surprising to learn that you hold an advanced degree in Electronics Engineering, especially looking at the way you created a PC board to over-ride the factory code settings that link the engine to the transmission. This work you are doing is absolutely brilliant, and is certainly orders of magnitude more complex than most auto repair procedures one reads about on internet forums.

If you don't mind me asking, are you by any chance the same engineer that transplanted a manual gearbox into a Mercedes R129 roadster a couple of years back, and documented the process on another website ? The resulting tire-smoking demon that the R129 became, was eloquent testimony to your skills in this very exacting realm of automotive tinkering. Looks to be a similar level of complexity between that R129 project, and this one, so it crossed my mind that these two projects are the handwork of one and the same mechanical scientist.

Merc Mania

If you ever decide to diversify into the business of selling manual gearbox conversion kits for Mercedes cars that came stock with automatic transmissions, there will be quite a few vintage CLK and R129 owners who would be likely customers for such adapters, especially among those who grew up driving manual stick-shift cars, and yearn to have that level of power train control in a 2004-2009 CLK or 1990s SL.

There's gold in them thar skills, brother, I kid you not.

dzmitry

Thank you for such kind words!
It's actually not complicated at all if you have some context in Can Bus and electronics
I don't really plan to sell kits (at least for now) but it's definitely doable for late r129 (1999+) with m113 engine (everything except shifter should be bolt-on)

BTW I'm not going to share electronics part online (I don't want to deal even with theoretical legal issues) , but it's not a secret and I'll share everything with explanation with anyone who is interested in private (over DM/PM, for free :-D )

Fatz

I could understand a bit less than half of your writeup...… but I am really impressed. On something I have more knowledge on; that's a really nice looking car you worked your magic on....

dzmitry

Thanks

clydem

Kudos. My wife & I would have LOVED to find a 320CLK with a manual, but they are scarcer than hen's teeth and I'm not sure it's worth adding at this point in the 2005's age.

BF_JC230

This is fantastic for all the reasons!

I was looked at as if I had two heads when I ordered my manual w203. Worth the three/four month build wait...He looked at me as if I had three heads when I wanted a sport wagon. (Alas, he couldn’t order me a sport wagon...)

Love this!
Great work!

I hope you can get cruise working...
Just like I hope I can get my “advanced” cruise working...one or two ME clicks away...

There is no way thru developer mode to use Explizit or implizit coding to set it to manual gear box?! Or just use SDS to set a different region/ROW?

What if you set up/made a Rotary dial (hog out/use a newer Chrysler dial?) to fake out the automatic gear selector and you put it in “park and drive/neutral” as needed...electronically? Maybe even hog out and replace the Distronic dial in the convertible top switch row? ...although admittedly that’s a tight tight space and you wouldn’t want to destroy the PCB for top operation and CANBUS signals...

dzmitry

Thank you!
And yes, there is a way to say ECU that it's manual and I'm working on in right now . But TCU/shifter emulator was much easier and faster for me to make, plus it's more flexible approach: i think I can use it with any m112/m112k/m113/m113k engines (I have some hopes for e55 with stick shift ).

tjts1

Thanks for the detailed description and pics. Ive done a 5spd swap on my 87 300d using parts from a 190e and this seems only slightly more complicated. I would love to do this on a CLK500/CLK55. Or perhaps convert my C320 wagon into a C500/6spd wagon lol. Now I know it's possible, time to start hunting Craigslist for a C240 6spd parts car.

dzmitry

Some of parts you still can buy from Mercedes new and they are relatively cheap (in most cases even cheaper that used :-D ).
And let me know if you'll need any help with your future swap

dzmitry

I finally found where configuration is located in ECU's flash and how to correctly change it
Probably it's possible to do through "initial startup" but for cars starting from 2003 (as far as I know) it requires online SCN coding and virgin ECU (btw now I can virgin ECUs myself).
I didn't invest time in figuring out how to skip online SCN coding (yet) but I found fancier way to do it
And cruise now works!!!! So it means that now my car is 100% manual car, but I still need to pass California inspection to make it official :-D


Never existed

Rudeney

That should be an option available in special functions in Developer Mode.

dzmitry

I'm not sure which sw version do you have, but I spent quite some time and didn't find an easy way to do (not only me). And I didn't find "special function" menu for ECU, for different modules yes, but not for ECU.

dzmitry

BTW forgot to mention, clutch pedal switch should be connected to From SAM connector #10 pin #6

Rudeney

It's under Development Data, Implicit coding. It's all in German, so yo may want to print it to a PDF and then use Google Translate. I would get in there and find it, but it doesn't work in "demo" mode, and I don;t have a live Me 2.8 system to connect to.

dzmitry

I won't have access to my car for a while. I'll reply back once I check it. Thanks for the suggestion!

Nero Tenebre

Amazing work my friend, love the idea, execution, and documentation!!! Now get to work on one for CLK550 haha! Would it not have been easier to find a salvage yard crossfire and pick up all the parts you needed to transplant?

dzmitry

Thank you!
I have some plans, will see
Actually not just because the only part from Crossfire I could use was transmission. Pedal box, shifter assembly, driveshaft are different. Using old flywheel, clutch disk, pressure plate or throwout bearing is not very good idea.

BF_JC230

Where is this coding?!
I so badly want my ME to recognize and utilize the installed Distronic system!!!
I see DTR listed here...

I need to go try again and seek this screen...
I’m m271 powered.


Great, fantastic work! Happy for you! Wow!

dzmitry

I'm sorry I don't have access to my playground right now. I'll try to share some useful later. Or I'll update this post in two weeks.