I’ll start by saying it’s November 2011. For a long time I’ve been toying with the notion of fitting a diesel engine to my R107 280SL. So now I’ve made a start.
Hopefully I’ll keep the words to a minimum and let the pictures do the talking.

Out with the old. It helps to have a two post hoist in the house garage. The easiest way is raise the car and leave the engine/subframe complete sitting on blocks.





The chosen new engine. An OM606.962 from a 1999 E Class W210 mated to a Getrag 717.412 ‘dog-leg’ box rescued from a W124 320TE complete with changer turret and flywheel/clutch.






Initial fitting determined the sump was badly fouling the 107 crossmember and that the easy way out would be to cut a largish chunk from the crossmember. Having just done that and welded up the damage I then discovered a recent upgrade to the UK annual vehicle testing regime (MOT) expressly prohibited modifications to any chassis member to within 12” of a suspension or brake mounting point. The car would never pass it’s test. Off to the breakers yard for another subframe and off with the sump for modifications and welding.



Despite being bolted back-to-back with a spare sump and having post-weld heat treatment the flange of the sump distorted more than ½” over it’s length. Back to the drawing board.

Construct new sump from 1” flatbar flange and 2mm steel plate. .




Note the exponential slope to the rear shallow part to allow for good oil drainage.



PortaPower hydraulic body kit and homemade press stand makes for easy metal forming.



With the engine now clearing the body and subframe a few tests with a straightedge shows that there is little hope of the original driveshaft being anywhere near close enough to align properly. There’s no choice but to make completely new engine feet and eventually a totally different design driveshaft.




Fabricated from 6mm and 4mm steel here are the new engine feet.







All sat on new mounts from a 500SL with new brackets to connect to the engine shockers.




And a new rear crossmember after I discovered some bad corrosion in the original..





More later...



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Thats some impressive work. Is this going to be a turbo engine or NA?

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CENSORED due to not family friendly words

Thanks. Hopefully better still to come. It's the turbo and intercooled 300TD engine but with the IP from a 606 N/A suitably uprated.



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Great job so far, thanks for sharing your work!

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1983 123.133 California
- GreaseCar Veg System

This looks great, and you are an incredible fabricator and welder.
Very clean looking installation.


Charlie

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there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

Looks like fun

Who did this?

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

Chapeau! You've done impressive work, absolutely no doubt.

My intent upon retirement in two years is also to build an R107 dieselied 380SDL.

I have the car, just need the engine.

Slowly impediments are falling by the wayside.

I just liquidated an estate house for my son, now the last thing is to temporarily board an 18 year old female in my house for a while.

Once she's gone, I'll be able to do more. Plus the weather's not great right now.

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Strelnik
Invest in America: Buy a Congressman!

1950 170SD
1951 Citroen 11BN
1953 Citroen 11BNF limo
1953 220a project
1959 180D
1960 190D
1960 Borgward Isabella TS 2dr
1983 240D daily driver
1983 380SL
1990 350SDL daily driver alt
3 x Citroen DS21M, down from 5
3 x Citroen 2CV, down from 6

I think it's more appropriately called an SLD or SL-D the SDL is a MUCH bigger car!

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 560SL convertible
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 158"WB
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

As if by magic.




This one Stretch?

Cool stuff!

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Impressive work! That is a clean looking M110 BTW!

fantastic job! this thing will be a blast to drive!

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This post brought to you by Carl's Jr.

Top quality work.
The car will fly with that turbodiesel engine and be quieter then the 110 .
What was the reason for the swap, may I ask ?

So far...

I'll update tomorrow (UK time ).

Did it just because I thought I could, and...a distaste for petrol engines. The M110 is very rev conscious with not much oomph below 3000rpm: which makes for stressful driving on most UK roads. Much better with dollops of torque and low revs. The pump was converted by a local pump shop, but more on that later.....

Amazing

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1981 300TD 4 speed manual
Euro bumpers, zender valance and skirts, H&R springs, billy HD's, leveled sls, real AMG Pentas 16x8 et11, vdo boost/egt gauges intergrated into ash tray, eurolights, led 3rd brake light