I was never scared of this project until I opened up the fuse box on the SL600. Right now I'm carefully removing and labeling wires. The engine caompartment main harness looks like something out of a Gruman E2C Hawk Eye.

I'm kind of down for the week as I'm leaving on business tomarow.

I'v also investigated aftermarkes electronics. The only one that comes close to doing everything is the MoTec unit $5000. + $500 for throttle by wire option + $500 for 12 cyl option. It will talk to the CAN so the transmission could be programed but you need to be a hacker and crack the protocals.

Also I'm not sure if this unit will operate 2 throttles or maybe I need to get 2 6 cyl controlers with seperate throttle controls.

Therefore I will be making every effort to make the MB controlers work. In removing the main engine compartment harness so far I have taken about 50 pictures of all the routing and each connector and I am labling each connector. It looks like I'm going to have to cut the Engine harnesses (Very Painfull) and use MIL Spec aircraft connectors to make up some kind of extention because right now the only place I can relocate the computer box may be in the trunk. Then I will remake the Other harnesses by hand.

Since the electronic transmission needs both rear wheel speed sensors. I might bite the bullet and install the entire ESP system into the 560SL. That would be cool

John Roncallo

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yipes!

i am totally intimidated!

mechanical things i understand easily....electrics are dark and mysterious.

tom w

__________________
[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.

With that kind of power ESP is not a bad thing to have!

That harness looks like a nightmare! Good luck with it!

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Nice. Its definitely going to be a one off car, not to mention its also going to be a bat outta hell.

That ESP system would be cool if you could install it.


You should try to get in touch with Satish Tummula. He was the one that put together the 600SEC. He may have some suggestions about getting all of this stuff to work.

__________________
-Justin

91 560 SEC AMG - other dogs dd
01 Honda S2000 - dogs dd
07 MB ML320 CDI - dd
16 Lexus IS250 - wifes dd

it's automatic.

Yes I did post Satish awhile back, but havent herd from him. I also belive he used an older 4 speed non-electronic trans. A whole lot of problems go away with the non-electronic transmission. In any case I'm sure that 600SEC is a nice luxury cruiser. One thing I like about a 600SEC is that there maybe room for twin turbos.

John Roncallo

Well progress this week was contained to reverse engineering of the MB SL600 wiring due to sevear cold wether here. Today I spent about 16 hours doing nothing but establishing the pinouts for the computer boxes. So far I got both ME-SFI boxes complete and the Basic module. That was almost 300 pins. I still have at least two more modules to go ESP and Transmission control. ESP is 80 pins and I belive that ETC is about 40. It will have to wait until next week because all my other cars died this week due to neglect, and I think they also get jelouse.

I could just take a chance and put it all together without pinning out this stuff, just modify harnesses blindly as you go, but Im too scared to attempt it without knowlege.

John Roncallo

Hey Adam

I just realized you made me a "Sticky". I was wondering why I was always on top. Its moving along slow and steady.

Thanks
John Roncallo

being on top is good. so is being on the bottom....or on the side....or....

tom w

__________________
[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.

Simple, Too Cool of a project to just hide at the bottom. I'm hoping that all of these awesome projects inspire other Benz owners to give tuning a try. So far it seems to be working. This fourm has been "less talk and more do" than I've ever seen before.

I just hope one day I can start actively working on my project again. I want a project worthy of being up in the sticky area too.

__________________
Current Stable:
01 ML55 AMG
92 500E (a few mods)
87 300E (lots of mods)
00 Chevy 3500HD Diesel Box Truck
68 18' Donzi Marine
06 GT i-Drive7 1.0 Mountain Bike (with GPS!)

PREVIOUSLY OWNED:83 300SD, 87 420SEL, 88 420SEL, 90 420SEL, 86 560SEL, 86 190E 2.3-16V AMG, 94 E320

Truly Outstanding !

Forget the air conditioning ! Just drive faster with the top down.

__________________
1998 SL 500 Sport (Samantha)
2005 E 55 AMG (Dr. Jekyl)

AC? Feh you have a drop top with 400hp, what do you need that for? If your hot drive faster!

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Today I fiinally got the engine compatment wire harness out. I call it the Big Kahuna. This tangled mess stretches from the computor box, accross and up both fenders, through the firewall on both sides (without firewall pass through connectors), tangles with everything under the dash and center console, and finally ends at a point just under the aft portion of the seats, where it gose through the floor boards and into the 2 rear O2 sensors.

I also attached a picture stack of wiring diagrams Ive been going through.

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John,

Did you see this post?

V12 560SEC burnout Satish's car done

Satish finished the V12 install in his W126 SEC. I know it's a different chassis, but a lot of technical problems in the install probably apply to your project.

It might be worth a phone call for some general pointers.

__________________
Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Excellent. Did he just finish this recently. I actually thought this was done a long tima ago. I did post him a while ago, but maybe he was too busy working on his own car. I will give it another shot. I also found a web sight that he hosts, maybe that would be a better way to get in touch with him since I havent seen him post here in ages.

At the moment things are moving along quite well. I really wont know if I will have any problems until I try to start it, at which time things could turn into a disaster in a real hurry.

The physical install is turning out to be alot simpler than expected, In fact I can probably get away with absolutly no chassi mods, if I decide not to install the air pump. So far all the cutting is limited to the subframe only, which essentially has to be re-engineered. I may at a later date re-engineer an entire subframe out of 4130 or possibly Aluminum and make my own A arms. I will probably notch out an area of the chassi by the right front subframe mount for airpump clearance, and just flatten the sheet metal seams where the tunnel joins the fire wall for more exhaust clearance. So far none of the planned modifications are irriversable. So I can still chicken out.

Electrically is a different story. My number one concern is my ability to trouble shoot this system should something go wrong. I was a Mercedes technichian 20 years ago, long before any of this technology and I do not personally own a Star Diagnostic system. I am particularly concerned about the DAS system that is coded into the engine computers. Right now it looks like my only hope of getting this thing to run is to install the original 96SL harness and ignition switch, leave the key in the on position with everything stuffed under the dash, and actuate the switch using relays from the 560SL switch. Its ugly but it should work. I also will need to install rear wheel speed sensors so the electronic 5 speed transmission will work correctly, that should not be too challanging, but if I do that, and I find the curent front wheel ABS sensors to be compatable, I might as well just install the whole ESP system. These are things Satish, did not have to deal with using his earlyier non-DAS non-electronc transmission.

My plan right now is to finish engine mounting, then I will attempt to set up all wiring without fully installing harnesses, just check to make sure everything runs as best I can. I'm very reluctant to cut wires, as the harness and computers I have are known to work. They are essentially my baseline components. Then I will have to build a harnass from scratch since the computer box will now have to be located in the trunk. Fortunatly I have a source of technichians at work very comfortable with building aircraft quality fly by wire harnesses. I will have to find one that will want to do some moon lighting.

Thanks
John Roncallo

This weekend I did a major assualt on engine mounting. So far all previous fit checks have been to establish engine positioning and alignment. With engine position established the subframe was completely modified to to be able to accept the original SL600 mounting brackets and mounts. I really wanted to use the original SL600 mounts as they are tuned to the engine. This required a significant lowering of the subframe cross section. The top portion of the SL600 cross member with the engine mount holes, was used as a template and temporarily welded in place. The engine and trans was re-fit checked and final adjustments were noted and will be installed. The fan is currently 1/8 inch from the radiator tank seam and will therefore be moved back an aditional 1/4". Engine fit checking has to be performed with weight on subframe to properly establish the hood clearance, as the engine will rise in relation to the hood with the weight on the subframe. I finally ended up with ~ 3/8" of hood clearance, which was too close for comfort to me. So my final changes to the sub frame will be an additional 3/8" lower, for a total of 3/4" engine to hood clearance.

A significant amount of strenght has been taken out by the reduced cross seaction of the subframe. Unfortunatly the end result will require a significantly heavier subframe to bring the strength back up to par.

I'm hoping to have final engine mounting completed in about a month. Then comes plumbing and of coures my favorite, wiring.

John Roncallo