E-Class (W123) 1976-1986: 240D, 280E, 300D, 300TD, 300CD

w123 engine swap to non-MB??

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Old Nov 28, 2008 | 11:14 AM
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w123 e30
w123 engine swap to non-MB??

anyone have experience putting a w123 diesel engine/trans into a non-MB vehicle?
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Old Nov 29, 2008 | 05:00 AM
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From: Federal Heights, CO
1982 300D VNT, 1980 240D 3.0T, 1982 300TD
Not personally but there are many swaps that have been done.

Here are some of them.

1966 Chevy pickup.
1977 Ford E150
1967 Mercury Cougar
1994 Ford Ranger
1996 Dodge Dakota
Jeep pickup.
Attached Thumbnails w123 engine swap to non-MB??-66chevypu033.jpg   w123 engine swap to non-MB??-1967cougar5.jpg   w123 engine swap to non-MB??-1994-ford-ranger-om617.jpg   w123 engine swap to non-MB??-dodgedakota.jpg   w123 engine swap to non-MB??-jeeppu.jpg  

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Old Nov 29, 2008 | 05:02 AM
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240D 3.0T's Avatar
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From: Federal Heights, CO
1982 300D VNT, 1980 240D 3.0T, 1982 300TD
Two more.

Another Jeep PU.
1984 Toyota pickup.
Attached Thumbnails w123 engine swap to non-MB??-jeep0babd886.jpg   w123 engine swap to non-MB??-truck14.jpg  
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Old Dec 4, 2008 | 09:18 PM
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From: Sunny So. Cal. , land of RUST FREE cars !
'80 300CD , '81 240D , more..
Post OM617 Engine / Tranny Swaps

I was just looking at an old IHC Scout with a turbo 300 swapped in , it's now 2WD but tears up the road....



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Old Dec 13, 2008 | 09:13 PM
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2006 E320 CDi, 2008 3/4 Ton Suburban, 2007 "rice rickshaw" Accord 5 speed
Originally Posted by 240D 3.0T
Two more.

Another Jeep PU.
1984 Toyota pickup.
I hope you were not the surgeon who carried out the transplants. The work done was very amateurish. What do you think of the Thai gentleman who put inline 6 Toyota twin cam engines into W123 cars? Fairly cool.
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Old Dec 14, 2008 | 05:05 AM
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240D 3.0T's Avatar
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From: Federal Heights, CO
1982 300D VNT, 1980 240D 3.0T, 1982 300TD
Originally Posted by harkgar
I hope you were not the surgeon who carried out the transplants.
Hell no! I wouldn't even take a picture if I did work that shoddy.

What do you think of the Thai gentleman who put inline 6 Toyota twin cam engines into W123 cars? Fairly cool.
Cool, but diesel is always more cool.
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Old Dec 14, 2008 | 11:34 PM
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2006 E320 CDi, 2008 3/4 Ton Suburban, 2007 "rice rickshaw" Accord 5 speed
W123

Originally Posted by 240D 3.0T
Hell no! I wouldn't even take a picture if I did work that shoddy.


Cool, but diesel is always more cool.
I like the W123 cars as they were well built and made of thicker gauge steel. Modern ones have to take into account mileage compliance with the ever more ridiculous environmental laws in California and are relatively flimsy.

Stricter laws mean more electronic nannies in your engine bay. Now they can even recall the terminal velocity of the car in a crash, like the blackbox in an aircraft. You can do more with the older diesels. Unfortunately the newest W123s are 23 years old and probably rusty. If they are not the owners want over $10,000.00 for them!

I may have asked you this before - why are tuners not over-boring cylinders, putting in bigger pistons and stroking diesel engines? Most efforts seem to be directed to turbos and injectors.
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Old Dec 16, 2008 | 07:23 AM
  #8  
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From: Federal Heights, CO
1982 300D VNT, 1980 240D 3.0T, 1982 300TD
Originally Posted by harkgar
why are tuners not over-boring cylinders, putting in bigger pistons and stroking diesel engines? Most efforts seem to be directed to turbos and injectors.
There is no need when turbos have the exact same effect.

The Finns are getting over 400hp reliably from the OM603 and OM606 engines without any internal modifications.
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Old Dec 16, 2008 | 05:58 PM
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Originally Posted by harkgar
I like the W123 cars as they were well built and made of thicker gauge steel. Modern ones have to take into account mileage compliance with the ever more ridiculous environmental laws in California and are relatively flimsy.

Stricter laws mean more electronic nannies in your engine bay. Now they can even recall the terminal velocity of the car in a crash, like the blackbox in an aircraft. You can do more with the older diesels. Unfortunately the newest W123s are 23 years old and probably rusty. If they are not the owners want over $10,000.00 for them!

I may have asked you this before - why are tuners not over-boring cylinders, putting in bigger pistons and stroking diesel engines? Most efforts seem to be directed to turbos and injectors.
What advice would you give for my car, a daily driver? I have been trying unsuccessfully to get a Carlsson tuning box from Florida (240 bhp and 425 pound foot). The guy told me the module for the 2006 E320 CDi is not yet ready and the 2005 one would not work in my car. I find that incredible.

There is a local guy who can reflash my ECU for less but I worry that he may not know what he is doing. He works on Smart diesels.
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