A bit more to add now,

I can get it to start and idle but put it in gear and try to drive away and it falls flat on it's face. It is also seems to be running hot. Pulled the valve covers and checked all my marks, everything lines up as it should. Adjusting the timing at the distributor has little effect. I can get it ping and run sluggish as expected but it still has no power under load.

I have a nagging thought though. When pulling the transmission I inadvertently separated the flex plate from the ring gear. As you know the ring gear has the hall effect devices cast into it which are picked up by the sender at the top of the bellhousing. Is there any chance I assembled the flex plate and ring gear incorrectly? It is fastened at three locations so I assume there are three ways to assemble it. I know the flex plate goes on the crankshaft in only one fashion and is the true for the mounting of the ring gear to the flexplate as well?

Chas

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Chas

Had a 380SL, 450SL, 380SEL, 420SEL, 500SEL

Got a Euro 500SEC right now.