Curious if anyone knows the answer to this?

Main difference in these engines being the oil filter housing and oil filter location. So my question is - will an early W115 OM616 fit into a W123 without modification? Could the oil filter housings simply be swapped?

Thought I'd seen and saved a picture of a W123 I saw that had a 617 where I couldn't see the oil filter housing in the usual spot - but alas cannot find it. Haven't seen anyone else try this, but it might be possible depending on the engine crossmember. Unfortunately the old blocks have not got the ports in place for the filter housings to simply swap over.

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1978 300D, 373,000km 617.912, 711.113 5 speed, 7.5mm superpump, HX30W turbo...many, many years in the making....
1977 280> 300D - 500,000km+ (to be sold...)
1984 240TD>300TD 121,000 miles, *gone*
1977 250 parts car
1988 Toyota Corona 2.0D *gone*
1975 FJ45>HJ45
1981 200>240D (to be sold...)
1999 Hyundai Lantra 1.6 *gone*
1980s Lansing Bagnall FOER 5.2 Forklift (the Mk2 engine hoist)
2001 Holden Rodeo 4JB1T 2WD

Found them when looking up something else.
Now, because the front of the 616 and 617 are both in the same place, and if these pics are of a .910 block in a W123 then "in theory" an older W115 616 will fit in a W123.

__________________
1978 300D, 373,000km 617.912, 711.113 5 speed, 7.5mm superpump, HX30W turbo...many, many years in the making....
1977 280> 300D - 500,000km+ (to be sold...)
1984 240TD>300TD 121,000 miles, *gone*
1977 250 parts car
1988 Toyota Corona 2.0D *gone*
1975 FJ45>HJ45
1981 200>240D (to be sold...)
1999 Hyundai Lantra 1.6 *gone*
1980s Lansing Bagnall FOER 5.2 Forklift (the Mk2 engine hoist)
2001 Holden Rodeo 4JB1T 2WD

The real answer is that anything will fit in anything - if you have enough time, money, and patience. I'd suggest that before you take on such a swap that you remember that any engine is a SYSTEM - engine, transmission, cooling, etc. So once the engine is bolted in place you've only begun the process of making a fully functioning car.


As far as the oil filter - if that's the only hangup you can drill and tap the oil filter ports off the engine and mount a remote filter using standard hot rod parts (a number of companies off remote oil filter kits) and connect with flexible oil safe lines from any line and fitting store. They'll also have the fittings you'll need to attach into the tapped oil ports (check with them for sizes before you tap the ports).


Dan