Motor Swap?
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 79
Likes: 1
From: Watertown, CT
1988 300ce
Motor Swap?
I've been looking for ways to get more power out of my 1988 300ce with little sucess. Is it possible to fit a v8 from a 93-95 e500/500e? I know with any amount of money, anything is possible, but I was wondering if cars having the same, or similar chasis, would make a swap something reasonable, beyond the cost of the motor/tranny/etc itself. Thanks
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 595
Likes: 0
From: Middlefield, CT
1994 E320
If you want more power get a 400. A Mercedes is not much of a "mod-able" car as opposed to a Japanese or American car. As much I don't agree with air pollution, you can try removing a cat or two to relieve backpressure on the engine. That's where the power loss is. Don't waste time with intakes, chips, and crap.
Super Member
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 696
Likes: 4
From: Motor City
95 E320 Cabriolet, 108K
I don't advise modifying ANY modern car with a motor, unless you're talking about dropping in a crate motor with a carburator. Besides the block, theres's a number of sensors, wiring, and the computer that need to be dealt with. You may get the engine to run, but some of the sensors may be mismatched or not calibrated for your set up. Plus, it's a good bet the check engine light will be useless and you'll have no capability of retrieving error codes should problems arise.
It's considerably less trouble to simply sell your car and get one with the 500 engine.
It's considerably less trouble to simply sell your car and get one with the 500 engine.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 79
Likes: 1
From: Watertown, CT
1988 300ce
I'd love to sell my car and buy a 500, however, they only make the CE (coupe) with a 300 (88-93) and 320 (94-95). I agree with you that moding my current motor will yield little gains. Although I love my w124, the only real solution I see to my problems is looking for a similar car, however one with more power, to replace mine - the w208 CLK430 being the ideal choice. Thanks for you're help though
Trending Topics
Almost a Member!
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
Talk to Steve at Bergwerks
www.bergwerks.com
He's put a small block Ford V8 into a W124. Actually I think it's a twin cam V8. You'll have to ask him. Though it is complicated, I do understand the attraction. I can't stand how poorly though out MBZs are under the hood - By this I mean biodegrading wire harnesses, flimsy motor mounts, failing oil tubes (M119s), etc.
It would be great to have an LT1 or LS1. Those engines are very reliable, get great gas mileage and are cheap and easy to fix (relative to MBZ V8s). There are LOTS of parts available - this includes entire engines. If someone had a kit that was not too expensive, I'd do it!
I do LOVE the sound and feel of my M119, espcially under hard acceleration, just that I'm tired of the expense envolved and would like to get a few more MPGs.
www.bergwerks.com
He's put a small block Ford V8 into a W124. Actually I think it's a twin cam V8. You'll have to ask him. Though it is complicated, I do understand the attraction. I can't stand how poorly though out MBZs are under the hood - By this I mean biodegrading wire harnesses, flimsy motor mounts, failing oil tubes (M119s), etc.
It would be great to have an LT1 or LS1. Those engines are very reliable, get great gas mileage and are cheap and easy to fix (relative to MBZ V8s). There are LOTS of parts available - this includes entire engines. If someone had a kit that was not too expensive, I'd do it!
I do LOVE the sound and feel of my M119, espcially under hard acceleration, just that I'm tired of the expense envolved and would like to get a few more MPGs.
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)
Verdad Gallardo
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping
Verdad Gallardo
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 977
Likes: 0
From: San Jose
300TE / 300E / 300CE
I started a V8 Porsche 914 conversion in the '80's. There are many benefits of the conversion today but not when it was a new idea and the "bugs" weren't worked out. Internet forums, bbs, and 20+ years of development of these kits make the 914 and many other models a reliable and powerful car. The w124 is fairly reliable compared to a sbc. Cost is not too bad until you look at rebuilding the motor or getting performance mods. This is where many conversion enthusiasts made a choice to go sbc. Stock performance is good for the 300E but ultra-performance is distinct to the 500 series. Someone who auctioned a 500E motor said the crossmember and motor mounts is the same. If it went into someone's 300E or CE, you would still need the suspension and brake upgrades. Even if it went into a 400E it still wouldn't have the porsche suspension improvements. If a sbf dimensionally fits then the sbc should fit better since it's shorter. There are many but not overwhelming challenges to overcome in a conversion. You just have to be willing to be one of the first and devote the time and money, lot's of both. I still find new problems to solve on the 914 and I've have the best people available on the net (owner of a conversion company, ME's, race car builders, etc.) It's still hard to compare with a team of german engineers, the facilites, and R&D budget even if it was 15+ years ago. One more note: The owner of the conversion company has a car that equal performance of a twin turbo 996 but he has installed 55k in parts to achieve that. That's alot of money for a 30 year old car but then you can embarass a car costing much more...there's the value if you're weighing the costs!
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From: Atlanta
400E
Here's a link to RENNtech...
http://www.renntechmercedes.com/spla...classw124.html
http://www.renntechmercedes.com/spla...classw124.html
Almost a Member!
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 44
Likes: 1
From: Houston, Texas
1994 MB E420 RENNtech
Originally posted by 92RennTech
Here's a link to RENNtech...
http://www.renntechmercedes.com/spla...classw124.html
Here's a link to RENNtech...
http://www.renntechmercedes.com/spla...classw124.html
