I have encountered this question several times;
“How long can one expect the 240 parts (also W123) used to convert a 300 turbo to manual transmission hold up?”
As I have only 3k miles on my conversion, who can speak to the issue of longevity?
Mine is purring along nicely as a daily driver, I like everything about it and I expect it to go on forever.

Well..., I one 716.210 tranny in pieces on the basement floor waiting for parts from Germany to put it back together so I can finally have a fully operational tranny in my car (along with match-balanced flywheel.)

Once I do, then I can gauge the longevity of the 4 speed behind a 617 (though since I now drive this more like a sports car than a luxury sedan, I may be a bad candidate for longevity testing!)

Once more with feeling....
 

Guys, quit worrying about the longevity of these transmissions. They are solid as the proverbial brick s**thouse...they're significantly better engineered than the Chevy manuals I flogged with my tricked-out 283 as a teenager.

Jeez, after all, these engines only have 125 hp on a really good day. So chill, please...

FWIW, The tranny I'm running right now could be considered "bad' because of the 3-4 vibration. It came from a boneyard car that had been driven into the dirt. Damn, that car didn't even have any rubber left in the center drivehsaft support and there's no telling how long it was driven that way yet, even with the vibration, it's transmission still shifts perfectly, has no whine or other strangeness and I've driven it without hesitation to OKC and back, not to mention to Houston as well as to work and back every day since I finished the install in April.

But, if you insist on worrying, go get a spare transmission 'just in case' the raw torque of the OM617 decides to play havoc with your gear box. Hey, once you have the hang of it, you can swap trannies in 3 hours or less.

Is that from the bottom or out with the engine? :D

Re: Once more with feeling....
 

Jeez..., WTF takes you so damn long?? Best time on the clock for me is 1hr, 45mins, wheels off ground to wheels back on!

Ok,,, I see a competition brewing....

At the next get together we give a prize for fastest swap out...

they do this at VW get togethers for pulling the engines... like in 30 SECONDS and less....

Maybe by 2008 we can get it accepted as an Olympic Competition...

After all, they have " synchronized diving" ...... LOL

...Of course, my time was in my car that I had already converted and know every nut and bolt in the procedure and what tools to use where.

For an actual conversion from an auto to a manual, it's days, but I like to re-wire everything nice and long-term and make it all look professional and like it came with it.

Re: Re: Once more with feeling....
 

Tom,
I'm an old guy and need at least two, sometimes three sets of glasses. I have to constantly swap them back and forth to see WTF I'm doing. And then after you wake up from your nap, there's the whole remembering waht you're under the car for in the first place...

R Leo is right, the trannies are definately strong enough to handle the torque, euro V8's made
due with them just fine.

BTW R Leo did ya ever get your vibration problem straightened out? I talked with a few "oldtimer"
Benz guys about it...they said to run both halves from either the 240 or the 300-T...and not to
mix them up...according to your picture (and I was wrong about this) it's actually the 240 front
half that is the larger one, but maybe the rear sections are different diameters? Anyhow, hope
ya get it resolved soon whatever the cause.

Cheers,

lp

(BTW...where in the heck is the beer chugging gif-smilie on this board??)

lp,
It still has the buzzies. Since, other than the vibration, Marlene is running like a dream so I haven't done much on that project lately.

The vibration, while annoying, doesn't appear to be worsening.

You are correct, the front segment of the driveshaft is from the donor 240. I remain unconvinced that the driveshaft is the problem since the vibration only occurs in 3rd and 4th gear.

Another thing I've discovered is that when the car hasn't been driven for a length of time, the vibration is almost non-existant until it's been driven for 10 to 15 miles. I think that then the tranny case and guts get hot, some clearance opens up beyond tolerance and buzzzzz....

Anyway, I'm getting my hands on another transmission. In the not-too-distant future I'll do the quick swap and see what happens.

"Maybe a 5-speed would offer more accommodating ratios in the mid-range"

Jacob

Good show on the swap. I dont know if this is any help, but I drive a 5 spd and a 4 spd and cannot tell the diff till I need 5th gear. Of course I have no tack in either car but they both seem identical in first to forth.

This makes sense, since the MB 5 speed is simply the one-piece (aluminum) 4 speed with an extra gear on the back. The first 4 gears are identical.

MB 5 speed transmission
 

What model Mercedes did these come in. I may be getting my hands on an '83D and I would love to stick a manual in it. It seems the 5 speed would be the BERRIES! :D

The 5-speed that bolts up to the 616 or 617 was for sure in the European-issue 240D and maybe the Coupe.

On this side of the pond, 4-speed trannies were only in the 240D models. No 5-speed diesels were sold here. 4-speeds are fairly easy to lay hands on.

RLEO,

how long do you think it would take to convert an automatic 240D to a manual 240d. Everything is direct bolt on....(I think).... a week, a day, a month ?

thanks