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  #1  
Old 05-02-2004, 09:14 PM
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puting a manual into a 300SD

want to know what tranny would be the simplist to swap into a 1985 300SD any help would be greatly apreaciated

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1980 240D (dead)
1988 mazda rx-7 250whp@10psi needs dyno of 15psi
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  #2  
Old 05-03-2004, 03:48 PM
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anyone have any ideas?
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Son of mplafleur (forum member)
1980 240D (dead)
1988 mazda rx-7 250whp@10psi needs dyno of 15psi
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  #3  
Old 05-03-2004, 04:00 PM
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The transmission would be the simple part. Any 4-spd manual from a 240D (W123 chassis) will bolt up to that 617 as long as you have the adapter plate that came with the tranny. Finding a clutch pedal cluster that fits the 126 chassis, well that's something else entirely.

You might look for graymarket 126 gassers in the northerastern US...you might just be able to find a rust-out 420SE with a manual that you could steal the parts from.
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  #4  
Old 05-03-2004, 05:40 PM
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I don't think the 380 or the 420 was ever offered with a manual, only the 280.

You have several challenges in this. You will need to find a manual flywheel to fit your diesel (from a 300D), and find an engine plate, as mentioned. Then you will need the clutch hydraulics and shift linkage (you will have to make the rods longer, or shorten some from a 4 cylinder), and driveshaft from a 126 280 or 280SE. You may ultimately come to grief because the end of your crankshaft may not be machined to take a pilot bushing.

I have done a couple of these conversions (280E and a 250C). My advise would be not to try this one, but it would be a neat car if you can pull it off.
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'66 200, '66 230SL, '96 SL500. Sold: '81 380SL, '86 300E, '72 250C, '95 C220, 3 '84 280SL's '90 420SEL, '72 280SE, '73 280C, '78 280SE, '70 280SL, '77 450SL, '85 380SL, '87 560SL, '85 380SL, '72 350SL, '96 S500 Coupe
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  #5  
Old 05-04-2004, 03:49 AM
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There has been a long ongoing thread about this conversion covering every step in detail ,check search if it's not still up in the diesel section............. P.S. the thread is on page two in diesel section and the vehicle is a 123 TD but it has been done in an SD using 240 d parts.........

William Rogers..........

Last edited by william rogers; 05-04-2004 at 04:12 AM.
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  #6  
Old 05-04-2004, 10:09 PM
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ive seen the 4sd conversion. The guy that i got my 240 from has one, im wondering more about the 5sd 5speed on ebay for 123 btw if anyone has the gear ratios for the two that would be amazing.
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Son of mplafleur (forum member)
1980 240D (dead)
1988 mazda rx-7 250whp@10psi needs dyno of 15psi

Last edited by MattLaFleur; 05-04-2004 at 10:15 PM.
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  #7  
Old 05-04-2004, 10:38 PM
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Now that is a VERY rare duck, at least in the US.

The 123 Haynes manual gives the ratios as 3.82, 2.2, 1.398, 1, and .813. The linkage will be a bear to find. But press on - it would be awesome if you could get it to work.
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'66 200, '66 230SL, '96 SL500. Sold: '81 380SL, '86 300E, '72 250C, '95 C220, 3 '84 280SL's '90 420SEL, '72 280SE, '73 280C, '78 280SE, '70 280SL, '77 450SL, '85 380SL, '87 560SL, '85 380SL, '72 350SL, '96 S500 Coupe
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  #8  
Old 05-05-2004, 01:54 PM
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Quote:
Originally posted by ctaylor738
You will need to find a manual flywheel to fit your diesel (from a 300D)
The manual tranny flywheel from an OM616 will fit OM617 engines with no problems.
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  #9  
Old 05-05-2004, 11:26 PM
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thanks for the help guys.
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Son of mplafleur (forum member)
1980 240D (dead)
1988 mazda rx-7 250whp@10psi needs dyno of 15psi
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  #10  
Old 05-06-2004, 06:38 AM
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Hello,
The manual flywheel *will fit* but that's about it.
The 5 cylinder engines have a much heavier flywheel that is balanced with the crank and crank damper at the factory. It will also be very problematic to find a manual pedal cluster for W126 in North America.
My advice is to give this one a miss.
Have a good week.
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  #11  
Old 05-06-2004, 01:52 PM
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Any conversion may has unseen problems ,but that's the gravy that's why we do them, I put a 454 in a 2wd K5 Blazer,sounds simple? I had to fabricate new tranny mounts,build a floor shift unit,have a costom drive shaft made etc. As the only 126 that I can think of that has a manual is the Euro 280 SE and you are not going to find one easily. then you go for 240 parts whether the flywheel is balanced with the engine has been debated before.

But the conversion has been done with the owners being pleased. If I were going to do it (and actualy I have a manual 115 240 and one of my SD's has a bad tranny) I would buy a 240 with a bad engine ,I don't see why the peadal cluster and clucth master and cylinder slave cylinder could not be adapted to fit the 126. and I'll bet a glow plug that the flywheel that will bolt right up from a 240 is the same or very similar in weight
to the Euro 300D manual tranny flywheel. If you happen to damage a flywheel on a 240 you can buy a replacement from the dealer which kind of dispells
the balanced to the engine theory.Do it!!!!.........

William Rogers........
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  #12  
Old 05-07-2004, 09:55 AM
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i have a manual 240D that does not run siting in the driveway (thats why i got the 300SD)
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Son of mplafleur (forum member)
1980 240D (dead)
1988 mazda rx-7 250whp@10psi needs dyno of 15psi
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  #13  
Old 05-07-2004, 11:15 AM
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William is right about the pieces being likely to fit or being made to fit.

You resolve the balancing issue by having the stick FW statically balanced to the automatic - a good machine shop can do it. You need to mark the crank and FW when you remove it so you can put the balanced FW in the right position. That's what I did on my 280E conversion.

I would be careful with the FW, though. I would not use a FW designed for a 2.4 123 in a 3.0 126.

And I think the 4 speed will be fine - doesn't the 300SD have a low rear-end ratio to begin with? Don't think you would need the overdrive in the 5-speed.
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'66 200, '66 230SL, '96 SL500. Sold: '81 380SL, '86 300E, '72 250C, '95 C220, 3 '84 280SL's '90 420SEL, '72 280SE, '73 280C, '78 280SE, '70 280SL, '77 450SL, '85 380SL, '87 560SL, '85 380SL, '72 350SL, '96 S500 Coupe
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  #14  
Old 05-07-2004, 02:25 PM
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Quote:
Originally posted by ctaylor738
I would be careful with the FW, though. I would not use a FW designed for a 2.4 123 in a 3.0 126.
Why not? Plenty of conversions to manual OM617s have been done using the flywheel from a donor OM616. In fact, I'm driving one of them on a daily basis. It's not like the 617 generates a lot more horsepower than the 616 or spins fast enough to sling it apart.

Quote:
Originally posted by nachi11744
The 5 cylinder engines have a much heavier flywheel ...
Someday, I'd like to see the part numbers to confirm this oft repeated rumor. First, I've been in there and there is very little additional space inside the bellhousing for a bigger or heavier flywheel. I would be willing to bet a rack of my BBQd pork ribs that there's NO difference in the flywheels between manual-trannied OM617s and 616s.

Quote:
Originally posted by nachi11744
...flywheel that is balanced with the crank and crank damper at the factory.
Balancing is an issue since the flywheel and crank are balanced as a unit at the factory before assembly. However, there is a procedure in the FSM that recognizes that repacement flywheels cannot be balanced as a unit with the crank and makes accomdations accordingly.
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  #15  
Old 05-07-2004, 11:54 PM
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Quote:
Someday, I'd like to see the part numbers to confirm this oft repeated rumor. First, I've been in there and
there is very little additional space inside the bellhousing for a bigger or heavier flywheel. I would be willing
to bet a rack of my BBQd pork ribs that there's NO difference in the flywheels between manual-trannied
OM617s and 616s.
They are indeed different, the 617 flywheel is not only heavier, but certain dimensions are
modified in comparison to the 616/M110(?). I have access to some old fiche if you'd really like me to look up
the part numbers, I could also dig out the passage in an old service manual I have (somewhere) which explains
differences between the two (and IIRC, also specifically warns AGAINST using the lighter flywheel
on a 617...let alone a turbo 617).

My opinion is this...there were no factory 617 turbos with manuals* - there must be a
reason for this, considering practically every other Benz at the time (in Europe at least)
was also offered with a 'stick'. Could be nice, but there are some serious issues to consider
here...proceed with this modification "at your own risk"...

* this according to an old MB microfiche, at least there was no listing of a 617.95x with a manual trans, nor
parts diagram for one either

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