My car is a 1972 450SL.
Vin # 107-044-12-002644
Engine# 117982-12-002659

The camshaft codes stamped on the rear of the cams are 52 for the left and 53 for the right. I need to change the right cam as it has two scored lobes but the FSM does not agree with my cam codes. Should I replace with same cam (code 53) or replace it as listed in the FSM with camshaft code 55 or 57. Will there be a missmatch with the left cam or is that not a concern with this V-8?

I don't know how the wrong cams got into this engine. Maybe the original owner had this done. He sold the car to us in 1976 with few miles on the car. Or did the MB factory make a mistake and put 52/53 cams in this car by mistake? The car runs fine. Which cam number should I replace the right side cam with? Is all this trivial and there is barely any difference between these cams?

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1972 450SL
1982 300D Turbo

I don't know what an FSM is, but 52/53 are the correct cams for your car, and 56/57 are not correct.

As I stated this morning in the other post, the 52 and 53 are used in 117.981,2,3, and 4, US motors. I was looking at european info last night and the 52 and 53 are only used in 116 motors in those models, with the 56 and 57 being used in 117 engines.

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Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

Well, there's really no doubt that it's a U.S. car, since it has the 52/53 cams in it already. The cams are not interchangeable since the 56/57 cams require different cam towers.

Thank you so much for your info! This forum is invaluable to me. I can now proceed.

I meant factory service manual when i wrote FSM. I'll ignore the fact that my FSM does not show 52/53 for my car.

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1972 450SL
1982 300D Turbo