Diego877

Hi all! Iīm looking for some good engines to swap my 980 kg rwd car for a project.
My uncle had all time benz and a long time ago sold his 300 CE 24v with its 104 24 v engine.

I remember that I6 engine and i really loved it...its sound....its power....but only as a personal opinion...not so far about technical details.

Here you really know 104 and a lot of other engines, thatīs the reason by why i need advice.
Iīm looking for a good engine for racetrack using, that gives me good power even at being stock and that will be good for updates, like as read about some 104 supercharging....AMG I think is too much to expend at the moment hehehe.....
The budge is about 1000-1300 € only for the engine....what can I buy with that?
Is 104 a good engine? What about at its long using at high rpm? where can i find extended technical details of it?

Really thanks a lot anyway people
Regards
Diego

RBYCC

Which M104 do you have...3.0 or 3.2 ?
If you have an engine like your uncle 300CE-24V, then there exists kits from Turbotechnics to twin turbo the engine.
These kits dated from 1992 are still available for the 3.0-24V at Hughes of Beaconsfield, a UK Merc dealer for 1000 sterling !

Diego877

I had 3.0, but i donīt know wich one would be a bit better and "cheaper". I want to increase some hp but without turbo, only supercharging or modifying parts like the head, pistons, cylinders....Are there updates for this? What about the prices of these engines? Thanks a lot!! Regards Diego

STLe320

The w124 engines aren't really designed to be modified. Which is why it's so hard to find performance upgrades for them. Most of the high-end performance work is custom stuff too.

RBYCC

Twin turbo on a strong engine has always been the most economical and reliable way to make power on the M103 and M104 I6 Merc engines.
Most Turbotechnics and Mosselman TT installations done almost twenty years ago are still running and running very fast !

GEDaggett

What kind of car is this going into. That could make a big difference. I also think that the m104 though a good engine not the best for an engine swap to a non 124. There are a lot easier options that will produce the same result with cheaper maint. cost

RHW

While you are here... I am curious about the 3.0 24v engine - strengths, weaknesses. I see a 5 hp difference in favor of the 3.2, and I'd imagine its also more powerful at lower rpms...?

I have verbal agreement and a deposit on a new toy w a 3.0 24v in it. I am more interested in common comparisons than race specs.

Lights, tint, wheels and stereo, coming up but I am not likely to speed her up at all.

RBYCC

Basically an M103 with a 24V DOHC head.
Uses the same fuel and ignition system as the M103 instead of the HFM injection and spark coils.
No wiring harness problems.
Possibly you will check on head gasket seepage or leakage.

Not as sophisticated as the later M104-24V, but I like it.

Is it a 300CE-24 you're looking at?
Fairly rare in the USA, more common in Europe and the UK as they made the transition to the 24V DOHC a bit earlier then the USA

neanderthal

werent all 89- 92 300CEs effectively CE- 24s?


im pretty sure that was the case

RHW

neanderthal- my 89 CE was a 12v, but (non 4matic) 89-92 estates all were 24valvers.

My new 1992 Estate:



Details after arrival - she's a few weeks away.

Diego877

Hi again! The car to place the engine is a Ford Sierra. One of the lighest ones, and without all unnecessary things, about 1000 kg weight.
One of the posibilities a part of 104 I6 engines, is a 24v V6 cosworth that has a bit less power than the benz engine, about 195-200 hp instead of 215 hp 104 and it has 290 Nm....also keep parts working good along the time.

Why not using 16 v YB cosworth like all the time? I preffer keeping revs like on smoother NA engine like some of the good NA bmw engines. For long and big tracks, turbo gives a lot of top speed that NA maybe not but i donīt want only that.

Thats the reason why I looked for some different NA posibilites, the most of them are 150-160 hp or less NA engines except the 24v V6 cosworth, thatīs a bit heavy.

I have tried that 2 engines, and it seems to work a bit better the benz one, also liked I6 all the time.

GEDaggett, which weakness are there about making a swap with it? Donīt know so much at the moment about its features.

Anyone knows the 104 engine weight?

Thanks a lot
Regards
Diego