I had a w210 rust was the problem and a few window regulators. The power trains are great beafed up 603 bottom end.

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92 e300d2.5t
01 e320
05 cdi
85 chev c10

210's rusted under warranty. 606 is a fantastic motor but they are getting harder to find and prices are going a bit nutty.
603 is a sure bet if you get one that doesn't have the poor head (i think it was #14?) on it or the football trap oxidizer. Those were really the only big issues.

The stroker 3.5 is great too if it doesn't bend a rod They already had the updated head and no trap oxidizer. But for whatever reason a bunch of them had bent rods. I'm guessing the total lack of any kind of space in the combustion chamber combined with either oil from bad guides/valve seals or junk from egr getting in there couldn't compress thus bending the rod. If you delete EGR and have a good headgasket with good valve seals and guides I imagine there's no reason for them to bend. but the 3.0 is probably easier to just delete and use. But it's nice to have a stroker...

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190D SOLD
2.5 non turbo
5 speed manual transmission
Build date: December 1985
W211 E320 CDI
W126 350SDL
X204 GLK 250 Sans Bluetec

Yea i was originally thinking of trying to use the 3.5 engine as i found a few places that make stronger forged rods for about 800 a set. All that extra torque would be nice but from what i was reading the main problem is the cylinder wall thinkness, where it was bored out so much theres just not much rigidity there so trying to make 250-300hp with it is going to end up making it unreliable.

So is there much difference in the 85 and older w126 compares to the 87 and newer 126. Is one easier to swap the 606 into than the other or are they pretty much the same.

These cars aren’t bro trucks… not intended for being souped up with obnoxious power levels. They’re designed for longevity, but not necessarily for factors of overdesign the way, say, a dodge Cummins 5.9 may be.

If you want 350hp, go buy a car that is more modern and has it off the lot. You’ll get more MPGs, lower fuel bills, and better longevity.

The combination of boosting the engine, and running ridiculous fuels like transformer oil, is a recipe for failure and poor longevity… plus lots of costs that ruin the economics of running a diesel.

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Current Diesels:
1981 240D (73K)
1982 300CD (169k)
1985 190D (169k)
1991 350SD (113k)
1991 350SD (206k)
1991 300D (228k)
1993 300SD (291k)
1993 300D 2.5T (338k)
1996 Dodge Ram CTD (442k)
1996 Dodge Ram CTD (265k)

Past Diesels:
1983 300D (228K)
1985 300D (233K)

I think transformer oil has tons of polychlorinated biphenyls which is super dangerous stuff. I wouldn't want to idle long enough to inhale those exhaust fumes...

Also - Not sure rods will fix the problem of the 3.5 ingesting something which physically doesn't fit into the combustion chamber - the next weakest link will get destroyed. Better to solve the cause vs the symptom.

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190D SOLD
2.5 non turbo
5 speed manual transmission
Build date: December 1985
W211 E320 CDI
W126 350SDL
X204 GLK 250 Sans Bluetec

polychlorinated biphenyls are pcb's right? I sent a sample to blackstone labs to test for pcb's and this oil doesnt contain any. Yea, ill stay away from the 3.5 603 engine and just look for the 3.0. Honestly i think ill try and get a 98-99 E300D w210 as it already has the engine and trans that i want. If it ends up rusting away or there ends up being to many problems then ill scrap the car and throw the drivetrain in a w126.