Was wondering about 5 spd manual US availability - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Brandon_SLC · #1 08-19-2009, 11:02 PM

Since I was out of the Mercedes scene from '90 to 2006, My knowledge on MB cars built after 1986, or so is limited.

I did a search to see if there has ever been a thread listing all Diesel models available with 5 spd manuals, and didn't find one.

Please help me compile a reference list of which models were available with 5 spd manuals in the United States. (Might be a very short list.)

I'm trying to decide if I want to make a 5 speed 115 or 123 Turbo manual custom conversion/restoration project, or take the easier road and buy a newer car that already has the setup I want and still looks near mint.
But I digress, I shouldn't go into specifics here.

I just want to know which of the US spec diesels came with 5 spd manual transmissions.

TylerH860 · #2 08-19-2009, 11:14 PM

I believe there are US spec 190D 5-speeds, but that's about it. You may stumble across an exotic euro model with a splendid combo.

Brandon_SLC · #3 08-19-2009, 11:42 PM

Thanks Tyler. Still need to know about w124 and w210 models.

Although 190Ds should be on the list, they aren't my favorites. They're just a tad small. 5 speed 190Ds make great commuter cars though.

dariod · #4 08-19-2009, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brandon_SLC

Thanks Tyler. Still need to know about w124 and w210 models.

Although 190Ds should be on the list, they aren't my favorites. They're just a tad small. 5 speed 190Ds make great commuter cars though.

There are no W124, W210, W126 etc DIESEL in 5 speed manual SOLD in USA at all. Either conversion or drive AUTOMATIC

I think the only USA manual speed diesel Mercedes cars were 240D and 190D that came from factory 4 speed/5 speed manual.

t walgamuth · #5 08-20-2009, 05:52 AM

The 300 was offered with a five speed. Very rare though. Was it not available with the diesel?

#6 08-20-2009, 07:06 AM

In the mid nineties I was looking for a 300E manual and finally found an 88 which I still have. In the course of that 2 year search, I answered an ad for a 124 five speed car. It was at a dealership used car lot. They insisted that it was an original US manual transmission car. The car was 100 miles away and I was looking for a gas car at the time.

I never laid my own eyes on this car, but it led me to believe that there were a few manual transmission 300D's brought to the states along with the handful of gas engine manual transmission cars.

The 5 speed manual in the US 124 cars numbered about 1,000. They brought over about 700 in the 86 model year and about 300 in the 88 model year.

Hope this is of value to you.

dariod · #7 08-20-2009, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LarryBible

In the mid nineties I was looking for a 300E manual and finally found an 88 which I still have. In the course of that 2 year search, I answered an ad for a 124 five speed car. It was at a dealership used car lot. They insisted that it was an original US manual transmission car. The car was 100 miles away and I was looking for a gas car at the time.

I never laid my own eyes on this car, but it led me to believe that there were a few manual transmission 300D's brought to the states along with the handful of gas engine manual transmission cars.

The 5 speed manual in the US 124 cars numbered about 1,000. They brought over about 700 in the 86 model year and about 300 in the 88 model year.

Hope this is of value to you.

That dealer had no idea what they were talking about because there was never W124 diesel with factory 5 speed manual in USA only conversion.

t walgamuth · #8 08-20-2009, 08:06 AM

It seems to me that with Mercedes Benz it pays to never say never.

mbdoc · #9 08-20-2009, 08:24 AM

Never a W124 diesel manual trans car in the USA!

There were W201 190D's with manual trans but not USA version W124.

ashedd · #10 08-20-2009, 10:32 AM

I really need to get my 5 spd swapped into the 300d

I still worried about the rear end being too tall though

#11 08-20-2009, 10:53 AM

What five speed are you using and what gear set does it have. My 300E five speed has a 3.08 final drive as I recall. This leads me to believe that the transmission has a very low first gear. With a diesel making more low speed torque, the tall gear might work fine.

t walgamuth · #12 08-20-2009, 11:37 AM

the 92 300d I had had a 265 W automatic. thats too tall for an od tranny I think.

Brandon_SLC · #13 08-20-2009, 12:30 PM

Armed with my new knowledge, I Googled around the internet last night, and found that Dariod is right.

The 5 spd manual w124 300E's were only available in the US, mated to the gas engine.

Once the Diesel 124s returned in the 90s, they only came with Automatic.

I guess the reason I never cemented this in my head, is there are many conversions, and gray market cars imported in the 80s with unique configurations.

#14 08-20-2009, 01:59 PM

t.

I don't know. Maybe with the added low speed torque of the diesel, it might work out. The problem, however, is that if it's too tall once the transmission is all installed it would not be a trivial project to change the ratio.

It's not as if it's a nine inch Ford where you can find a chunk in the wrecking yard and just slam it in to change ratios.

If it were me there would be several things I would want arranged before embarking on an auto to manual conversion:

First I would want the donor car, complete enough for all pieces to be available, to be very close at hand, preferably in the same building.

Secondly, I would want to research driveshaft lengths, and engine position as they compare between diesel and gas models, to make sure there weren't serious surprises on that front.

Lastly, since the gear ratio is questionable, I would want to research gear availability and just what might be available from the boneyards for how much.

If it were me, I would go to great lengths to make this conversion happen. That said, I guess I should point out that I am a manual transmission MANIAC. Everything I own is manual and I don't even entertain the idea of driving anything else.

ashedd · #15 08-20-2009, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LarryBible

What five speed are you using and what gear set does it have. My 300E five speed has a 3.08 final drive as I recall. This leads me to believe that the transmission has a very low first gear. With a diesel making more low speed torque, the tall gear might work fine.

I am using the transmission out of my 85 190d 2.2 and the stock rear end out of my 87 300d. The 5 spd is weird in that 1st thru 3rd are low close gears and 4th is a big jump followed by 5th that is a small jump. I use to know the ratios but now I forgot. The 300d has a 2.65 rear end. I dont know the 190d's rear end ratio, I looked and could not see it. The rear end mounts differently too. I dont know if the diff covers could be swaped or not.

I have a thread about it in the diesel performance section so I dont want to get into too many details here.

My current problem is once I pull the 5 spd the 190d is no longer mobile and no one seems all that interested in buying parts off of it. Thought about putting the auto tranny out of the 300d in the 190 and selling it as a driving car. Too much work.