5 speed manual for a W-115....???
 

I have a 1971 220 Diesel with a 4 speed, I would really like it to be a 5 speed for when I am on the highway! Are there any 5 speeds that bolt in or will work simply?

The 5 speed that was sold on the W123 in Europe will bolt up, but you won't find one easily.

The old word is always the same
 

You can do anything as long as you have enough money to throw it. To do it simply, or easily, no. You would have to find a small 5 speed, and they are hard to find. Then you most probably would have to fashion and machine your own adapter for engine to bell housing, plus sorting through the rest of the system to determine what clutch parts to use to make up the rest of the system. But given enough funds, I think it could be done.

LOL. might be easier than finding the right one.

Man.. What about o 5 speed from a e- lass in the 80's? like a 190 E 2.3

I think the bolt pattern for those is different.

If you're going to do a non-bolt in, you might want to start with an old Suzuki 5-speed. The one in my Samurai was the smallest five-speed I ever saw. An adapter plate and maybe a custom crossmember adapter would get it in the car. Getting the Suzuki input shaft and clutch to talk to the Mercedes flywheel could be a little more challenging.

On second thought, does a 220D even have enough power to make use of a fifth gear?

My 60 hp Sammy had a 2" lift and correspondingly bigger tires and with just that small change fifth gear was all but useless.

Yeah, but down hill you make up for lost time :D.

charlie

If 5speeds were cheap and aavilable we'd all have them probably. As it is they are expensive and hard to come by :(

Take the back road. Buy a road atlas from the early fifties and take the old road. I would love to have a car like that but I am addicted to A/C.

Bolt up is an oversimplification. Yes, the Getrag 5-speed will bolt up to a 615 but you'll have to fab a rear support, driveshaft and, alter the length of the shifter rods.

I know, I've done it on a 617.

I have a 4 spd from a 240d sitting on the floor of my storage trailer. I lined up the shifter and linkage and with all of that it is not a short tranny at all. seeems like if you shorten the intermediate shaft you could get almost any 5spd with no integral bell housing. The input side only depends on the clutch disk so that wont be too bad, the output side could be fabbed to fit the mercedes rubber joint. then you would have to cut the intemediate shaft to fit the longer tailshaft. when I get some spare time Im thinking of trying it with a 5spd from a small truck

what about an overdrive unit? there are some cheapies on the market for old triumphs and such, you may want to look that way.

I searched around a while back. they want a lot for the old OD units on fleabay.

I can't imagine how one could get a Laycock OD unit to play with a MB gearbox. You would, for starters, have to have a stretched version of the mainshaft to slide through the OD. I have these on both my Britcars ( and I rebuilt them both, years ago).

I have a spare one, if anyone wants to try:)