egxpimp

Hey guys,

Most of you guys know i blew my v8 in my 500 SE grey market and i have been searching for a new heart for my car ...it seems like i found something pretty good on ebay...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...ayphotohosting


i emailed the guy asking him if he can send me the vin so i can verfiy the miles with DMV and do a carfax report...what do you guys think ? i know it looks pretty dirty but hey wata heck clean it up...get new gasgeks and new timing chain ...get my bosh platnum 4 plugs in there my k&n filters ...AMG cams too lol jp about that one but yea i think its a goo deal. what do u guys think ?

Enrique

EuroCoupe

If it is a 500 engine its the U.S. version with 184hp. You can tell by the exhaust manifolds. You'll notice quite the difference between this one and your old euro 500 with 240hp.

egxpimp

im gona leave my exhuast manifold on... so im parting that one out....also i emailed the sellter asking for car vin # and asking him if he knows if its a euro or not...i believe a member of this forum said 84s and 85s are euros ...but im still checking with the guy.... i really hope its a euro with 72 k that would be nice !

If i get it i plan to change all gasgeks and timing chain so i can come have a nice running engine...also use synthetic oil what do you guys think ? any other recomendations ? things i should do ?

Enrique

braverichard

Enrique,

There were also 1984 and 1985 US Spec 500SELs with 184 hp and 247 ft-lbs of torque. My guess is that the engine you just found is one of those, because I am sure the seller would have mentioned it if the engine were a Euro. Then again, you could be dealing with a seller that's ignorant about what he/she is selling.

Good luck!

Richard

EuroCoupe

There are actually more '84 and '85 U.S. 500's here than euros as those were the only 2 years Mercedes had them produced for U.S. market. Simply changing the exhaust manifolds will free up minimal hp, probably 10 at the most. You will have the lower compression pistons and cams.

egxpimp

Yea hes pretty ignorent, i asked him for the vin # and the engine # as well...thats the only way i can really tell without being there ? hmm if it is the US version can i change my pistons and cams and get the same EURO hp ?

Thanks eurocoupe for helping me out

Enrique

EuroCoupe

If you are very mechanically inclined or have a friend/s that is, then yes, you could change these items but it's no small task. It would cost quite a bit to have a mechanic do it as well. Personally, I think you should check German auto wrecking yards for a used euro motor if that's what you want to stick with. They aren't too hard to find and should be in the same price range as this motor.

meowy84

Also consider that mixing used parts is never a good idea because they get wear-mated to whatever application they're in. Using your 'used' pistons/cams from your blown engine and transplanting them into this second engine sounds like nothing but trouble to me....low compression, blow-by, etc, etc. Unless you bore and /or hone the cylinders and in any case new pistons would be advisable since pistons do wear out of round.

braverichard

In other words Enrique, here are your best advised options:

1) Get a brand new crate motor from M-B for about $13,000
2) Get your engine rebuilt (at least the top end)
3) Get a completely different engine that works and just put it in your car

VonDeutchMB

I know where there is an 81 500 sel in the junk yard (236k kms on the clock running when it went there) It had amg badging and brabus seats in it (got the seats and the amg steering wheel wheel) looked fairly clean. I don't know how much shipping would be.

egxpimp

im trying to get a rebuilt engine from adisco for like 4k not such a bad deal! hey...do u know if that engine has AMG parts MUAHAHAHAHA lol that would be sweet.. im thinking of taking out the catylyst, resinators, hmm some reconnect a fuel line *i rread about it here it gives u more hp* hmm also advance the ignition timing, change water pump sensor to read a few degrees colder..change motor mountsh ball joints ac blower fix power steering hmmmm oh ! i got the wood trim good stuff hmmm hopefully some 16's or 17's AMG's...and any AMG parts for the engine or tranny would be nice if you guys know where i can get my hands on them hehehe im getting 6k this friday..nice fat paycheck all going to my lovely car...and VDAY of course of whatever is left hehehe lol ! i hope my gf dosent read this

braverichard

Enrique,

Just in case you still haven't purchased an engine, here's a used Euro engine on eBay with low miles for you. You can actually see the Euro 500SEC from which the engine was pulled right in the picture.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...953108048&rd=1

Good luck,

Richard

EuroCoupe

That's a tuff one. The only reason I say that is because that is an SL in the background, not an SEC. It could be a 500SL but the oil filter housing is right-side-up on the block, its supposed to be up-side-down to fit the SL. He also mentions that it is from a European 500SEL, so your pretty much going by his word since there are no exhaust manifolds to look at either.

braverichard

Oh yeah my mistake, the car is an SL not an SEC.

Regarding verification of the authenticity of his claim that it is a Euro Spec engine, well, in the pictures we can clearly see the engine number. A call to MBUSA can verify if it is a Euro engine or not.

egxpimp

hey! thanks guys for keeping an eye out for me !! lol i thought yall hated me i guess not hgaahaha thanks guy im about to call mbusa see if the number corresponds to a euro engine, also i emailed the seller asking him for vin # check car fax for miles and stuff...and what else oh if theirs anything wrong with the engine and if timing chain has been replaced...it looks in good shape dosent it guys ? really good deal as well! thanks again brave for giving me the heads up !

Enrique

egxpimp

can anyone read off the engine number to me ? i can t really see it well with my gf's laptop lol and i hafta go now before she gets jealous haha late guys

egxpimp

117 961 1200 9868...thats the engine number ...he said it came off a 500SEL 1981 euro lol .. hmm isnt my car a 117 963 euro ??....im guessing this one is smaller or something ? en i smokeing or something ?



actualy i did find some research on the 961..anyone know if it has more hp then the 963 ?? torque ? any figures on it ?

thanks !









can someone provide me with mbusa number so i can contact them see if its a euro spec or us spec or can someone do that for me since i have class and work all day .... if not number is fine

and hey TMax if this one dosent turn out that good ill get ahold of u some time soon so we can see what we can do about urs : ) maybe ill be interested
btw whats ur engine # ? miles on the engine ? was timing chain ever replaced ? any leaks ? any problems with it ?

braverichard

Enrique,

I just called MBUSA and unfortunately they don't track engine numbers. All they track are car VINs so they can't help. You can't use the VIN to verify if the engine is a Euro engine or not because it could have been replaced sometime during the life of the car. I guess we can't verify the claims made by the seller.

You're better off buying an what you can see with your two eyes man. That way you won't be cheated at all.

egxpimp

Thanks braverichard, ima email the guy see if he still has the vin # of the car it came off from...im assuming theirs a good possability thats a euro spec since its a 1981...really few were imported to the US...and ita 117 961 engine which i never heard of...what are the advantanges and disadvantages from a 961 to a 963...realiability ? hp ?

egxpimp

i was thinking of asking him to gurantee me thats a euro motor thats it ---and ill purchase it and ill have my mechanic look it over and test compression see if it is a euro if not ill return.... what do you guys think ?

DslBnz

That engine, hooked up in true Euro fashion, should develop a peak hp of 229 or so hp @ only 4750 rpm. Torque is bordering 300 lb/ft.

braverichard

Actually the Euro engine has 238 hp.

Enrique, that sounds like a good idea. In 1981, no 500SELs were sold by MBUSA. But if you can get him to include in the auction listing that he guarantees the engine is a Euro Spec (prior to your purchase) then you can hold him liable if it isn't. But remember, you'd have to pay return freight to send it back to him if it isn't a Euro Spec. Just evaluate all sides of the deal before you get into it.

egxpimp

i called this guy about 3 times hes called me about 3 times too....he told me its a euro...he told me the water pumps are diff from us to euros also he send me some close up pics of the engine and with the valve covors off ...he told me the car was imported to canada then the US which had the odometer in kilometers...he said the car had about 170,000 kilometers which is about 115k miles...he sounds very noligeable...i dont think hes lying.....their really wouldnt be a point of lying in my points of view...

eg

what do u guys think ?


btw the car in picture is a 450SL...he has invested 30k on it !...he dropped a 560 euro engine on it hehe...he only drives it during summer...

braverichard

It's your money, your time, your risk. If your guts tell you the guy is telling the truth about the engine, then don't hesitate and go ahead and buy it.

DslBnz

I got my information from this site. Quite a load of useful info.

http://mercedes500.de/technik_501.html