| Whiskeydan |
01-08-2008 11:46 AM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by PaulC
(Post 1726042)
Dan,
I dug into my Mercedes archives and found a copy of a January 1981 Road & Track road test of the 380 SEL. According to the article (which may not be correct) the US-spec 3.8 had a bore x stroke of 88.0 mm x 78.9 mm for a displacement of 3,839 cc; whereas the Euro engine had a bore x stroke of 92.0 mm x 71.8 mm for a displacement of 3,818 cc. The stated reason for this was that the longer stroke of the US motor was an advantage for emission control. The US engine put out a rompin' stompin' 155 hp, while the Euro put out 218.
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Interesting...
I've owned both US spec and euro 1985 380SEs. The US spec car was a bit more responsive just off idle than the euro. Around 2000-2500 rpm the euro car pulls to redline nearly as hard as the 500SEL I had. US car was a dog and getting totalled was the best thing that ever happened.
I've owned the euro SE for about 15 yrs now. Very pleased with its performance and great fuel mileage.
BTW, My manual shows the 116,961 engine in '81-83 models and 116.963 from '83 up. All "SEC" cars show to have the .963 engine. Could the .963 possibly indicate a dual row chain?
Easy enough to pull the left side cam cover. Good idea to inspect the cam for wear also. |
