Hello all,
I did take some pictures of the engine swap (1982 300TD to 4.3L Chev V6), and I will upload them to my web page and provide a link as soon as I can find the time to do it. I will also give you a blow-by-blow description of the entire job so you can get a better idea of what's involved. Thank you all for the excellent feedback you've given on this topic! I should have the pictures uploaded within the next day or two.

Richard W.

Thanks Richard, I'm looking forward to seeing them.

Have a great day,

The pictures are Online...
 

Hello all,
The engine swap pictures are now online, and you can read all about it and see the pictures at:
http://alaeloa.net/richard/mercedes.htm
(Just click on the line above, and you will be taken to the site.) Please get back to me with your comments and suggestions, and if you have a specific shot you'd like to see, I would be happy to include a few more pix.
Richard Wooldridge
1974 280C 2Dr Hardtop w/sunroof
1982 300TD/4.3L V6
1977 Jaguar XJ6L
1977 280Z
(Oldies but goodies)

All I have to say is that you are nuts, and I envy your talent.

COOL! You are the guy I need to talk to .
 

I want to something similar in my 280c. That Vortec4300, if that is what you used, is a great engine. That should be a real runner.

Excellent Job. What about a "430TE" badge? :):):)

nomination
 

I nominate R.W. diyer of the year.
way to go guys.
engatwork
'95 E320
'97 Honda CRV

and i thought i was king of the world when i got all the grease off my engine... way to go man. i know your cars a turbo diesel; would the same chevy engine fit an inline 6 280E, or are there any comparable engines that would? Just out of curiosity...

Hey, I just thought of something. I am going to have him transplant a Ford 600ci drag racing motor in my 380SE. That should get my car to do wheel stands. The 380 will stand for the number of mm that the front wheels come off the ground.

Funny thing, I was considering the same with my 300CE but I like more power with the same space taken. Talked with Scat who makes stroker cranks and they said no problem for the 4.3 taken out to 5.6 liters. Chevy 350s are taken out to 383" with a stroker and the 4.3 is 75% of a 350, so figure.
I also found some old Brodix Nascar Grand National heads when they ran V6s with intake valves like 2.125" Build it with good rods, forged pistons and put a supercharger on it for an easy 400hp!

In the meantime I'll have to suffice with my 190 with a Ford 5.0 in it....shortly to be 5.66!!

Glad to know there are other masochists in the world that play with cars. I look at it as saving it from being made into scrap iron and letting it live longer.

Tobias MB
C280Sport, 300CE, 400E, 190/5.0

Great Red Eye reading!!
Not only an instructive web site but truely amazing
exhibit of mechanical ingenuity !
Like what this country needed...a new engine! :)

I looked at some of the pictures and captions, but did not study everything closely.

I have two comments. Just being honest, I do see this as a bit of a sacrilidge, but I also see this as a very well done engine swap.

I've done a few engine swaps in the past, but they were in much simpler days when you didn't need to incorporate all the electronics and there were much larger engine compartments to work with.

I would probably doing more of this kind of thing, although not with a Benz, if my welding skills were better.

GREAT JOB!!

Facsinating. I admire your ingenuity and patience. It might be a sacrilege on a true classic car but there are plenty of old MB diesels with very tired or bad engines available for this kind of project. I could go out just about any day in Austin and buy one. At least it recycles them back onto the road.

I too looked at the swap pictures and tend to agree with Larry. Real good work. A little like defacing pennies though.

I had my blood boiling lately when my "stick in the mud" partner suggested that we stick that 6.9 motor we have in a 250T we took on trade. It was just a hot flash though after he examined the 250T and proclaimed it too rusty for such a project. Toooo Bad!

Interesting conversion! The tech who did my Sportline conversion is busy swapping a Ford 5.0 v8/auto trans into a Volvo wagon. As new car prices go up and vehicles get more complex, I think we will be seeing a lot more of this!