Looking at a 83 300D with a 300SD engine...
 

So I'm looking at a car today. The body is that of a 300D with an engine from an SD. He told me he did this engine swap himself and the only thing that was different from the engines was the placement of the air conditioner compressor. He said he hasn't attached it as of yet but will if he gets the selling price he wants ($2000). Is there anything I should look for that could be problematic about putting an SD engine in a D??? I know it's the same engine, but there are minor differences that maybe he didn't notice.

Thanks,
David

What year SD?

He didn't say the year of the engine, but it has less miles than the body, so I'd assume it's from an SD from the same time period (a 126). Sorry for my lack of info.

David

I think any year SD engine would fit but there are some differences. The 126's had an electric oil pressure sender whereas all the 123's are mechanical. The early SD's (116) didn't have EGR's or oil separators on the crankcase vent system. They also had a different vacuum pump.
I don't think anything of these things are huge problems depending on how the installer dealt with them. For instance, it's possible that the oil pressure system doesn't function at all unless the sender fitting was adapted for a mechanical gauge or the instrument panel was substituted for one with an electric gauge.

If it is a very early 116 it might have the ac compressor mounted on the frankenstein bracket. If that is true he won't be able to get it all on the same page without cobbling it up.

If that is the case, I think I would not buy it unless I did not care about having ac....and then that would indicate a deep discount.

Tom W

I went the other way - 300D engine into 300SD body. I swapped the oil filter canister and sender to the replacement engine.