Fully manual W124 4Matic?
10-10-2017, 06:34 PM
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
BMW, Toyota
Fully manual W124 4Matic?
I'm a mechanic, taking a slow rainy day to research a particular fantasy: a W124 with a fully manual 4Matic system (4Manual?). By this I mean...
0. Manual transmission, which is rare but apparently exists in this combination. What's still unclear is the source of hydraulic pressure for the two t-case clutch packs, if there's a manual transmission (I assume the auto transmission's hydraulic pump also powers the t-case).
1. Manual front driveline engagement, via a lever or a simple switch controlling a solenoid. In other words, no computer control. I'd be ok with it being on/off, the center diff either completely disengaged or fully locked.
2. That said, it'd be nice to have further control over the center diff, again via a lever or switch controlled only by the driver, to allow pavement-friendly AWD. My research shows two AWD modes for the early W124 system, 65/35 and 50/50, but is unclear whether either of them actually locks the center diff or allows limited slipping via the clutch pack. I also wonder if allowing only on/off operation, like an old truck's part-time 4WD with no center diff, would solve the clutch pack wear I keep reading about.
3. Manual rear diff lock.
Can it be done? Has it been done? Would I be better off trying to retrofit a G-wagen transfer case instead? Thanks in advance for links and technical answers, not along the lines of "close the hood and just drive the car."
0. Manual transmission, which is rare but apparently exists in this combination. What's still unclear is the source of hydraulic pressure for the two t-case clutch packs, if there's a manual transmission (I assume the auto transmission's hydraulic pump also powers the t-case).
1. Manual front driveline engagement, via a lever or a simple switch controlling a solenoid. In other words, no computer control. I'd be ok with it being on/off, the center diff either completely disengaged or fully locked.
2. That said, it'd be nice to have further control over the center diff, again via a lever or switch controlled only by the driver, to allow pavement-friendly AWD. My research shows two AWD modes for the early W124 system, 65/35 and 50/50, but is unclear whether either of them actually locks the center diff or allows limited slipping via the clutch pack. I also wonder if allowing only on/off operation, like an old truck's part-time 4WD with no center diff, would solve the clutch pack wear I keep reading about.
3. Manual rear diff lock.
Can it be done? Has it been done? Would I be better off trying to retrofit a G-wagen transfer case instead? Thanks in advance for links and technical answers, not along the lines of "close the hood and just drive the car."
