I've been working on my engine/transmission swap and I thought I'd post an update. I'm going to try and keep this post for all my updates because I'm sure there will be many. and I know its nice to read the progress of others if you are thinking of undertaking a project like this.

here is a link to the first post I made about getting the engine and compression testing it.
New engine, and new cars

After getting good compression numbers I ordered the engine block lower gasket kit and an intake manifold gasket and a valve cover gasket. also in this order I had to buy the correct flywheel bolts for the manual flywheel. With the engine still on the ground I took the opportunity to install the manual flywheel and run the engine. This is the 617 flywheel I got out of a euro I found at the junkyard about 3 years ago.

here is a video of the engine running with the manual flywheel installed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtYPbX6c_hc

After seeing the engine run I got pretty excited

With the help of iwrock (Justin) we had to drive across town to find adequate bolts to hold the engine to the engine stand. once back with the bolts he helped me get all the accessories off the engine as well as the intake/exhaust/turbo assembly. once we got the dead weight off the engine we got it loaded on the stand.





Justin really helped me out. even thought he was wearing white shorts and trying not to get dirty. and saying things like "I just spent over 100k to get my bachelors degree from a privet university, and the first chance I get I find myself wrist deep in grease!"

Gotta love that guy!

-more to come-

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Ill deff be following this. I want to do the same with my SD this summer. I have everything except for the drive shaft.

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1981 300 SD 213k miles "Stock for now"
1999 Super Duty 7.3L 113k miles
1981 300 SD 180k miles "Heavily modified" SOLD

Same here. I've been wanting to do this for a long time. I've read some of your posts

My engine needing to be replaced finally got me off my rear-end and started this project. no turning back now.

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I am doing the same thing, but a little different by putting my 617 turbo in an 83 240D. The flywheel I have weighs in at close to 30 pounds. I am going to stop at UPS and get a better read on that. I am hopeful that you have an accurate weight on yours so that we could compare.

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Junqueyardjim
Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important. C.S. Lewis



1983 Mercedes W123 240D 4 Speed 285,000 on the road with a 617 turbo, beautiful butter yellow, license plate # 83 240D INDIANA

2003 Jaguar Type X, AWD. beautiful, good mileage,
Mom's car, but I won't let her drive it!

I haven't weighed the flywheel but I have both a 240D and 300D flywheel. I could get them weighed this weekend. I'll get them cleaned up and see if i get get them weighed. are you just taking it in to a UPS store and asking them to weigh it? thats a really good idea. I bet they would want it in a box, but that wouldn't through off the weigh that much. lol

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I wouldn't want a manual in a W126....its more fun in a W123.....speaking of which, I might be buying a 4-speed 240D tomorrow!

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

who says it won't be fun? I drove valet a number of years while in tech school, and one of the most entertaining cars to pull up was not the GTO or mustang, but a 1993 dodge caravan with an ultra rare manual 5 speed.

The dynamic of the vehicle was completely changed. I think this is a great idea, and there will be no regrets

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This post brought to you by Carl's Jr.

My family had one of those caravans for about 8 years! Red caravan, 2.4 liter + 5 speed....it made childhood exciting.

The W123 is more suited to a manual IMHO....in a W126 its just like shifting a truck.....too big. W126 are like a large yacht, just increase the throttle and it should gain speed....

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

The 24/7 lobbies of USPOs have electronic scales - at least they do near me.

Yesterday started with the mail man being very good to me! It was like Christmas with all the parts I ordered from multiple sources all arriving at the same time.



I got my gaskets, engine enamel and injector nozzles and heat shields. I'd like to thank C Sean Watts for his timely shipping. Hes excellent at his job!

After opening the mail, I went to the engine and began working... The engine is on a stand... the stand is new, turbobenz had it in his shed, its untested, and to me it looked a bit small for the task of holding the 617. so for safety I kept the engine chained to the engine hoist... waiting for the engine stand to prove its self to me.... well it did in short order. I tried to turn the engine by hand and the stand slipped and the engine slowly came to the ground.... thanks to the engine hoist. cut the palm of my hand, but thats the only real damage... the edge of the oil pan doesn't look happy but i have a new one of those ready to install, so thats no big deal.


Note to self and others, tricycle engine stands will try to kill you.

After that ordeal, I was less excited by the project... but only slightly. since I knew harbor freight would be closed by the time I got cross town, I hopped on craigslist and made some calls and found me an engine stand with 4 wheels!!!! $50 I think my safety is worth that

Tonight I will get the engine back on the new stand and be where I was last night... cleaning the engine.

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LOL. I love driving big trucks... that being said. I think the 126 handles better then a 123 in corners. I have this road between my house and my dads. twisty canyon road with banked corners. pretty much every mod I've made to the SD has been tested on this road. You could almost go as far as saying the car is built for that road I love driving this road in my Toyota just because its a manual. The 126 on that road with a manual is going to be AMAZING.

I took Garrett down this road some years back... he is a wild man behind the wheel of his 123, but after going down that road with me his face looked like this

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How is the the auto trans that you took out of your car? Any plans with that? I may be in the market for one soon for my 84 SD...

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2009 ML320 Bluetec
1985 300CD
1981 300TD

Past Mercedes
1979 300TD
1982 300TD
2000 E320 4Matic Wagon
1998 E430
1984 300SD
1980 300SD

I'm following this thread also as I'd like to install a manual tranny on my 300SD as well. What kind of tranny are you putting in? What's the final ratio? Mine is pretty high revved on 4th gear and doing 80, so I want to have something put in with a higher ratio so as to save some gas and not have that poor engine revving at 3000 RPMs only doing 75 MPH...

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[/SIGPIC]~cirrusman

1983 Mercedes Benz 300SD - Wife calls him "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"
[SIGPIC]




1983 Toyota Tercel (Tommy, The little Toyota that could)
1965 Ford F100 (Grandma Ford)
2005 Toyota Sienna (Elsa, Wife's ride)


Gone:
1988 Toyota Pickup
2004 Subaru Outback

1987 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham
1986 Volvo 740 GL Station Wagon - Piece of junk.
1981 Volvo 242 DL 2 Door - Hated to see it go. R.I.P.
1987 Pontiac Fiero GT

my car has the 3.07 in the rear. I'd like to get a 2.88, but I think I'm going to keep the 3.07 for now. I found a 3.08 calibrated w124 speedo so I'm going to install that in my car I figure it can't be too far off. I'm already running larger tires, so the speedo is more of an educated guess as it is.

as for my auto trans. It shifts great. I changed the fluid and filter about 4 months ago, and i haven't really been driving the car since, because I was painting the trim and other bits. I would like to sell the auto box once i get the car running with the manual. but I have to be honest with you. my car has 370k on the body. (the engine in it came from a downer car, and now has over 400k on it) my transmission has been with my car its whole life. It has never been rebuilt, and never seen any service other then fluid and filter every 40-50k. every one I talk to about my car seems to think that the auto is suppose to die at 250k, well mine is still here. If you want my auto, you are getting what most people think is a ticking time bomb... or is it that I got the best auto ever made... You decide

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Well tonight has been productive. I got the engine on the new stand, was able to safely roll it out on to the driveway and pressure wash the engine. Its amazing how clean it is now. there is still more work to do to get it clean, but a clean OM617 is a sight to behold. compare it to the pics of Justin with the engine... Its so Clean Now!

This is going to get pic heavy as I took pics as I took almost every thing off the block.

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