I am beginning one of my epic car repair projects. The car in question is a 1986 300e, with 207k on the clock.

I'm going to replace the wheel bearings, brakes, suspension and steering componets, build a new engine, get some interior work done, and then a paint job. Anything else I find during this is getting fixed as well.

The engine rebuild is a complete job: pistons, crank turning, head work, etc, etc (and no, I did not do this to it. It is a junkyard core)

I am considering sticking a hotter (264 duration) cam, replacing the CIS with a haltech or other aftermarket EFI/ignition, and regearing the car to either 3.27, or 3.47. I am also thinking about fabbing a tubular header, and putting a new exhaust on.

I am also considering putting Eibach springs and swaybars in it.

Also, I would like to replace some of the internal tranny parts. There is no info on my CD, and I have to believe that people in other countries have access to 5-speed parts.

If anyone has any thoughts, I would appreciate the input.

I can/will do all of the work myself, and if the car is on blocks for the next 2 months, it's no big deal. I'm planning on using this as my driver for the next 5 years or so.

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1986 300e 5-speed 223k
1995 Volvo 850 T5 wagon 65k
1985 F-350 475k

In the USA all manual trans parts are available for cars made for the USA. Have overhauled at least 25 manual boxes for 240D's & 190E's. Also a few old R113 SL's.

Parts aren't CHEAP. Syncro rings list for $80+

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MERCEDES Benz Master Guild Technician (6 TIMES)
ASE Master Technician
Mercedes Benz Star Technician (2 times)
44 years foreign automotive repair
27 Years M.B. Shop foreman (dealer)
MB technical information Specialist (15 years)
190E 2.3 16V ITS SCCA race car (sold)
1986 190E 2.3 16V 2.5 (sold)
Retired Moderator

I took the shifter out and looked it over. There are a couple of rubber lined steel bushings that need to be replaced. Also, the screws for the reverse gate were loose.

That explans the difficult reverse. I am hoping that the questionable 1-2 shift is the result of the bad bushing on the 1-2 shift rod.

I don't know how long the prior owner drove it like this. Hopefully not long enough for the 1-2 synchro to get beat up. Of course, he had a 18 year old daughter driving this for about 6 months, so all bets are off

If I need to fix the tranny, I'm hopng one synchro ring will be all that is needed. Of course, that is probably pie in the sky. Once you split the case, you never know what you will find.

Where can I get a service book for the manual tranny? Even if I don't have to repair it, I'm keen to put one in my library.

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1986 300e 5-speed 223k
1995 Volvo 850 T5 wagon 65k
1985 F-350 475k

Engine rebuild done. 1st over mahle pistons, zero gap rings, new bearings, oil pump, total head rebuild, etc.

the rods and crank were magged and shot peened, crank ground 1st over mains and rods. Block decked, and all of the holed chased, plugs replaced, and passages rifle brushed. Had the whole assembly balanced with the flywheel and dampner.

Head was cleaned up, line bored, generously decked to add compression, new valves, seats, and guides. Ports were given a stage 1 job, head was cc'd. Every threaded hole was helicoiled prior to assembly

During assembly, I checked the cam timing, and found that the 3 degree advanced hole would give me about 1 degree over specification. I guess that this was due to the head shaving.

I used OE chains and an OE oil pump. Wasn't so sure about the head gasket, but the dana gaket I used seems to be holding up.

I had the intake honed, and really went through the fuel injection. I also replaced the fuel accumulator, pump, EHA, IAC, TPS and pressure regulator.

I put new ignition wires, plugs, cap and rotor, and coil. I also replaced the trigger pickup.

Since the old pre-cats were plugged, I cut them off and gutted them. I then welded them back on. Passed emissions. New O2 sensor too.

I also replaced the brakes, wheel bearings, flex joints and all of the hoses.

With the new engine, this car is a totally different animal. It used to have a hard time pulling 5th. Now it pulls hills at 80 in 5th on cruise.

Good gas mileage too. Now I'm going to rebuild the suspension.

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1986 300e 5-speed 223k
1995 Volvo 850 T5 wagon 65k
1985 F-350 475k

Sound like an awsome project! More or less what I plan on doing to mine over the next 3-5 yrs. Wish I could do it all at once (of course I have to convert mine to a manny...) How much is all this costing you (if you don't mind my asking)? What is a "trigger pickup"? How do you like the '86 manual tranny? I've heard that the later ('88 and later) models or the getrags (out of the 16v) were the only way to go.
Thanks for the info and keep up the updates!
Hope you can post some pics when yr done!
-Matt-

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Currently:
1972 350SL Euro 4spd
1973 BMW R75/5
1981 BMW R80GS
1995 FZJ80 with OM606 Conversion In Progress

contact 'TOMJ' on this list. He has done at least one 5-spd rebuild that I know of.

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1982 300SD (214 k, excellent shape) kidmobile running mostly biodiesel, gets 31 mpg hwy with 2.82 rear from a euro 500SEL



1976 115 body 240D 4-speed (traded for Jeep parts) - Engine lives on in my CJ7

Sounds like a nice project

Does the 3.0 sound a bit nicer with all new pieces?

Russ

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190E's:
2.5-16v 1990 90,000m Astral Silver
2.0E 8v 1986 107,000m Black 2nd owner
http://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall.jpghttp://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall2.jpg

Find a 3.07 or 3.27 in limited-slip, and keep the stock cam. I've been told to try a M103 ECU from a 2.6 and you'll find more HP.

:-) neil

I worked as a professional mechanic for many years while attending high school and college. I've always done all of my own work, so I have a pretty complete collection of tools, even the real expensive stuff. I also have a good place to work.

Now time, a place to do the work, and to some extent money, are not really a problem. I like to work on this sort of thing, so I still do.

As far as this car goes, I had a local machine shop I've been using for years do all of the bottom end machine work. They do mostly heavy duty engines, so they have HUGE machines that really do a nice job on automotive engines. They supplied all of the engine parts. They had to order 3 sets of pistons before they were satisfied that I had 6 matching pieces. These pistons are real nice, teflon coating, etc. Basically what you would expect for almost $175 each. (I once spent more on Powerstroke pistons)

These guys have seen me in action at the track, so I let myself get talked into the whole taco so I would have a high-abuse bottom end.

During final assembly, I broke a ring by using the same POS ring compressor that has been torturing me for years, so I bought a set of total seal rings, getting a set from the piston mfr. was going to be an ordeal

I ported the head myself, and it required much less work than other heads I've done. I have some really fancy flow measurement equipment at work, so I put it to good use here. Since the donor engine had scored cam bearings, I had the head line honed at a place in town that works black magic with really messed up heads. He recomended that I deck the head, "not because it's warped, but because it's aluminum" I decided to get it milled to bump the compression up to 10.5 or so.

A local Indy MB/Porsche specialist did the valve job. New everything, cost about $700.

I ported the manifold using diamond abrasive and a wet sandblaster, followed up with a bead hone. As with the head, it didn't take as much as "stock iron manifolds on a dirt track car"

Many of the new parts came off a car that had a lot of work done prior to being introduced to a deer at about 70. This is where I got most of the fuel injection stuff.

I'd like to fool with the cam timing a bit more. Right now, the car idles pretty nice, though a bit rougher than stock

The crank pickup was replaced when I could not get rid of an ignition misfire. The plastic pickup was broken, I suspect by the same hack that replaced the clutch before I bought the car. (He left 3 bellhousing bolts out, this is why I work on my own cars).

I would like to do some exhaust work, as the car is now a little loud, missing the pre-cats, and the center muffler. The hollowed out pre-cats are still there, but everything between the cat and the rear muffler is 2 1/2 single pipe.

I've not had a chance to dyno this engine, but it has survived 7500 rpm. There's no point in doing this, as it runs out of cam at about 6000.

So far, I've put about 2500 in the engine, and about 1000 in the rest of the car. Thats all parts and machine work, no labor.

Some observations:

The mercedes engine started off with most of the "speed parts" I needed. Forged hardened crank, good rods, floating pins, good engineering with regards to the block and heads, oil system, etc. On some of the Chevy rebuilds I've done, I had to spend a lot of money on good parts to replace the factory junk.

Another thing I like about this car is that when I spend the time and money to fix something, it will stay fixed for another 20 years.

Thanks for the advice on the ecu, I think I know where one is. As for the rear end, I've got a 300 TD station wagon that I'm going to part out, and I'll try the rear end out of it. I think it's a 3.47 or something like that. The car now has a 3.07, and with the engine overhaul, seems to be plenty strong for highway driving. I'm curious, and a changeout looks like a 2 hour job, so I'm going to try it out for a hoot.

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1986 300e 5-speed 223k
1995 Volvo 850 T5 wagon 65k
1985 F-350 475k

rstallings,

I enjoyed your last post. You said something in there that I've said since I first started driving and maintaining MB's almost 30 years ago, that is: You can fix something and it stays fixed.

Sounds like you had fun rebuilding this car. Mine has 275k on the odometer and is still in outstanding mechanical condition. Cosmetically, however, it needs a lot of attention. It is a good fifty footer, but any closer it shows its age.

300E five speeds forever,

Don't let Larry Bible fool you. He keeps saying that.

Trust me. His car is a good ten footer, maybe even a good 6 footer. The cosmetic condition of most late eighties / early nineties Mercedes is so poor, that I consider Larry's car to easily fall in the "above average" condition.

He makes it sound like a "#4" car, but it is easily a "#3" car.

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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".

rstallings, may i know how much was decked off the original cylinder head? I wish to rebuild my engine shortly and maximizing the performance out of the M103 block.

And what size pistons did u go for?

Thank you.

I can't find my shop notes on this, but I think I had about .150 inches cut off the bottom of the head.

Some advice/warnings are in order:

You do not want your valves to hit the pistons. There has to be room for everything.

Under high speeds, rods stretch a little, and if you miss a gear, you might float the valves just a little, then oops!

Head gasket thickness can make a difference

If you deck your block, it will affect the clearance as well

A valve job with new seats/ valves can make a difference.

High lift cams are a factor. Different pistons are also an issue.

You can check the clearance by putting a little modelers clay on the piston domes, assembling the engine, then turning the engine over by hand. You then measure the thickness of the squished clay to find out what you have. I do not use the headgaskets used in this step for final assembly, I buy two identical gaskets, and use a new one for final assembly

I had the eyebrows in my pistons flycut a little deeper before I polished the domes and balanced them. The clearances were tight, but the machinist said I'd (probably) be ok. However, if I can find a high lift/high duration cam, I will probably try it out, and I wanted to be ready to use it if/when the time comes.

Another thing: I live at 5000 feet. Atmospheric pressure at this altitude is only around 25" Hg vs 29.92" at sea level. I can get away with high compression without detonation being much of a problem. At sea level, I might have to retard my ignition timing, and that would not be easy with the MB ignition. I suspect I could go to about 12 to 1 on this engine, but I'd need 110 octane gasoline if I ever went to the coast.

In response to the piston question, I used .5 mm oversize pistons. I think this gives me a 89.5 mm bore.

In all of my wildest dreams, I never imagined a heavy car with a 3 liter engine could be as strong a runner as this thing is.

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1986 300e 5-speed 223k
1995 Volvo 850 T5 wagon 65k
1985 F-350 475k

That was informative. Thanks man!