Hello everyone,

Really need some help here. Have a 1990 M103 260E Sportline stock 4 speed manual that I'm looking at swapping with a 5 speed manual box from a 190e M102 5 speed.

The torque converter in the auto box has busted & i was already having problems with the transmission so I figured i'd try manual swap for the benefit of everything.

I'm just in dire help of WHAT EXACTLY DO I NEED?

I understand the bellhousing is the same, but what else? I know i need pedals shifter etc.

What about driveshaft? clutch & flywheel is getting me confused? and anything else??

Please assist me if you can,

Any help is much appreciated, thanks for taking the time to read my post.

I'm sorry I don't have much specific information for you. I have done several auto to manual swaps including a few mercedes. I personally will not do such a swap unless I have access to a donor car, preferably within a few feet of the recipient. To do it right, there are just too many small bits that you don't think of until in the throes of the project.

Generally speaking transmissions interchange between engines within the same vehicle series. The bellhousing is part of the transmission.

Again, sorry I can't provide any help beyond generalities.

__________________
2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution

Which one is the auto box?

I think he mistakenly labeled the four speed as a manual.

__________________
2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution

Indeed assuming automatic to manual conversion...

You will need

1) A flywheel and a clutch pack
2) Hydraulic lines for the clutch and either a brake fluid reservoir with a supply for the clutch (as in the way Mercedes did it) or a separate custom solution
3) A different propshaft - ideally with the vibration damper Mercedes added for manual gearboxes
4) A longer speedo cable
5) A different cross member for the transmission mount - possibly a different transmission mount if your old one for the auto transmission is dead
6) Shifter rods
7) Shifter with a different bit of wood trim (automatic shifter size is different) that fits the switches etc you already have
8) Pedals
9) Clutch master cylinder and linkage to pedal

That's about it I think

Good luck finding the correct flywheel in the US of A if you happen to be there

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

M103, M102, OM601, OM602 all were offered in the US with a 5speed and all the flywheels will interchange, so the right flywheel in the US is not a tough find. Its the heavier 617 diesel flywheel that is hard to find here.

As far as I know the 190E manual transmission and flywheel will bolt up to your M103 300E. Pedals and shifter box should bolt up to you car.

You will need the master cylinder to slave cylinder line fit for the 124, which you can make yourself from brake line and a brake hose, or buy from the dealer for something like $60 last I checked.

You will need a W124 manual transmission cross member, which last I checked is still available at the dealer.

You will need a longer speedometer cable, available new for like $50 from Pelican or others.

You will need W124 length manual shift rods, which are also available last I checked. Or you can lengthen the 190E ones.

You will also need to lengthen the 190E front driveshaft half. As far as I know the 260E automatic driveshaft is going to have a bigger yoke on it than the manual transmission will have. So either you will need to put a bigger yoke on the manual transmission, or use the smaller yoke driveshaft from the 190E. Either way, you're having a driveshaft made probably.

Others who have done the 124 swap will chime in if there is a driveshaft solution.

Budget maybe $1,000 to do the job? It's not unreasonable, but there are some odds and ends you will have to pay up for if you want to do it right.

__________________
68 280SL - 70 280SL - 70 300SEL 3.5 - 72 350SL - 72 280SEL 4.5 - 72 220 - 72 220D - 73 450SL - 84 230GE - 87 200TD - 90 190E 2.0 - 03 G500

Nissan GTR - Nissan Skyline GTS25T - Toyota GTFour - Rover Mini - Toyota Land Cruiser HJ60 - Cadillac Eldorado - BMW E30 - BMW 135i

I've seen some Mercedes documents stating that this can be removed, my 190D automatics both have them, as well as my stick 190E. But when we were doing research trying to find out what it was on my friends 16V he came across a TSB stating it had been determined it was not necessary and could be removed. However I can't find, nor cite that source, maybe someone else knows if that is true or not.

__________________
68 280SL - 70 280SL - 70 300SEL 3.5 - 72 350SL - 72 280SEL 4.5 - 72 220 - 72 220D - 73 450SL - 84 230GE - 87 200TD - 90 190E 2.0 - 03 G500

Nissan GTR - Nissan Skyline GTS25T - Toyota GTFour - Rover Mini - Toyota Land Cruiser HJ60 - Cadillac Eldorado - BMW E30 - BMW 135i

That would be interesting to find - they are not cheap to replace (new cost)

Also good to hear the manual flywheels over in the states for the M103 are not rare

EDIT - I bumped up some bad news for you here =>

717.412 (5 speed manual gearbox) refresh

I can't find that reseal kit in stock and for sale at the moment

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!