YNVDIZW124

I want to start a series of write ups that focus on many mods and repairs that I will do or have done to my car. I want to know if there are any suggestions as to what kind of repairs or mods you want me to write about. I will start on simple stuff like how to change a broken sway bar link since mine broke the other day lol. I will also show how to wrap interior parts in suede or other materials since i'm also going to be doing that soon. Basically i will try to tear my car apart and take pictures of it to write about it.

CDP

Ab,

I would like to know how you swap a MB 600 V12 motor upgraded to 7.3L. Can you make a DIY for me?

LOL, no but really - perhaps how to remove the door panels - all the wood pieces and etc. Especially the ones on the dash since I have to take those all out soon.

YNVDIZW124

haha....give me a shop, tools and a v12 with the ecu and i'll write it up.....

ok, so for the door panels they are pretty easy...

tools from i can remember right now:

different size flat screwdrivers
phillips screwdriver...
10mm socket or wrench
long needle nose pliers
maybe a crescent wrench.

1. First thing you do is to remove the seat control buttons (just pull them off )and pop off the cover on the door handle with a small flat screw driver...

2. Get a 10mm socket or wrench and remove the bolt holding the arm rest to the door.

3. Remove the small screw holding the plastic cover on the side of the door with a phillips screw driver.

4. Remove the door pin...

5. Pop off the bottom courtesy light with a flat screwdriver and disconnect..

6. Pull up the door panels and remove it but remember to disconnect the door speaker.

Once you have the panel removed you can take the wood pieces off by unscrewing them..

I'm just doing this off the top of my head so if i missed a step let me know...

berti_00

great thread it should help alot of people here.... infact i need some info..

HOw about would i remove my stering wheel? i am putting an aftermarket one.. i need to know how to take off the airbag without busting my face

YNVDIZW124

First disconnect the battery...You remove the air bag with a torx screwdriver. Behind the steering wheel there are two small holes and just unscrew it, it should come right off once you disconnect it. You will need like a 21mm socket or something like that to remove the steering wheel. I suggest you rent a steering wheel removal tool from ur auto parts store...

berti_00

so if the battery is off there is no chance of it to pop on me

YNVDIZW124

Yes, there may be but just disconnect the battery wait for any capacitors to discharge for about 15min....but before i go on you will need to check your local laws. You will get an automatic ticket for not having an air bag.

berti_00

no you dont have to have one ... and i had a gti and put an after market and it was fine...

YNVDIZW124

at your own risk .......but if your car has a sticker that says it should have air bags they will give you a ticket....but yeah that's basically it just those two screws and disconnect the battery and that's it...

berti_00

just waiting for my HUBB lol and about to pop it off

MBhare

I say berti since your asking for trouble lol you get a quick release and make as top as it can get hahahh... I have two set ups they work fine live in teh same city same cops so when you get pulled over tell them I have one too!! heh

berti_00

ahhahahahah yeah am gone be like here call him he has the same thing lol biachoo

appatula

YNVDIZW124 how about the parts needed to convert a M103 automatic to a 5spd???

YNVDIZW124

Well, find a grey market w124 like a 230e with a manual trans and swap out the transmission and clutch levers. You will also need the shift lever and all the linkage to it. There are a lot of parts you will need and a diagram of the vacuum lines. I've never done it or thought about doing it because there isn't that much horsepower on the w124 to be worth it.

appatula

I'm planning a full megasquirt ecu swap, EFI and EDIS-6. That'll make it irresistible for FI however without a 5spd it would somewhat defeat the purpose. I've done some reading and people have adapted 190E 5spd trannys from both 2.3 and 2.6L versions. The trick is the single mass flywheel. If this is a proven technique I might just add this to the summer shecklist.

YNVDIZW124

You can swap it out from a 16v 190e but good luck finding one. When it comes to horsepower i kinda look at it in a more practical way. Do I spend 3-4k on a ecu and tunning on my m103 or can i get 450hp from a 347 on my 69 mustang? If Turbo it and I'll be doing 10s on the 1/4 mile. I understand wanting a faster benz but like i said that's why i have my mustang.

The only swap i would really love to do is a 2JZGTE because it's more compatible in size to our cars.

Saijin_Naib

I saw the article about the 300ce that had one! ZOMG

shdoug

And then what do I do with all the leftover broken pieces? The doors on mine were like ancient fossils. Great write-up, though. Most people's cars probably aren't as brittle as mine.

YNVDIZW124

I will have a better write up but this one was just from memory. I suggest you get a bottle of gorilla glue and some flat screws. I will write up on how fix when you break the plastic pieces on the door handles. Take pictures of the damage and I could see if there is a fix. I have an 86 300e so my plastic hooks are pretty brittle but i do it with care.

I should have mentioned that you need to be careful when removing the door panels. Never pull when you lift it or try to push it off by force. Like i said I will have more pictures and more details on how to repair any broken parts or fix when the vinyl is coming off.

Go to home depot and buy a pack of gorilla glue and let if sit overnight.

appatula

Yeah I totally agree! I'm just stuck as I don't want to go the BMW route (not a mustang guy either)...and I love my W124. However a full megasquirt install wont cost much over $500. I grew up where most of the kids had Mustangs so I decided I needed to be the odd one out haha but a 16v 5sp would be tough to source, I do remember a guy mating up a 2.6L 5sp though or is that misleading?

YNVDIZW124

Your best bet is to look in canada for a 5 speed transmission. Most grey market cars are located there. I would make a list of all the parts you want to put on my car and see which ones have the biggest hp gains. If money is not an option you should do a custom intake manifold and custom headers. You will have to do a lot of tunning on a dyno to get the right air/fuel mixture which can get expensive. Since you're not doing turbos there isn't much you need to do to the engine.

The reason I wouldn't modify a m103 is because there isn't a big aftermarket for them. Parts and labor are expensive unless you have your own shop. I'm not trying to tell you not to do it but rather take a different approach on what parts you need or want first. If you plan to keep the car forever and do all the mods little by little I would say go all out.

190E 16V

Hey Appatula;

San Francisco is the place ya wanna be.

SF is the spiritual centre for 190 16V cars.

I used to belong to the 16V Yahoo group, based in SF. Many 16V 5spd cars bought and sold around there. Recently, there was one for $1500, a "good runner" used daily.

Check also 190 Revolution web site - excellent info and connections to 16V community.

Sorry, I deleted URL addresses, don't have them avail to give you.

Good Luck.