Gentlemen,

I have an 83 300 D Turbo with a 617.952 with a dead engine. It sounds bad--and expensive. When the noise started, I checked the oil and got a good reading. When I drained the oil to look for metal shavings, even with the filter canister opened a bit, I only got about a gallon out of the thing. The sound alone has me looking for a used motor.

I know a guy who seems to think that the 617.950 from his 79 300 SD will work nicely in my car. Besides, his price is right.

Though I found a few threads about a 952 going into a 950 car, I couldn't find any threads about putting a 950 engine into a 952 car.

Has anybody done the swap as stated? What issues might come up, and what work arounds are involved?

Thanks in advance for your expertise.

Nothing major. The 617.950 has a smooth upper oil pan so that will work fine in the W123 chassis. You will have differences in the vacuum pump, and air cleaner and may want to carry over the switchover valves from the old valvecover. I don't foresee any problem you can't work around without much difficulty.

You will be giving up about 10 HP and you may need to watch your camshaft for wear ( they weren't hardened until 1980).

Rick

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)

The ac mounting is completely different too. The later motor has mounting points on the block that the earlier motor lacks. This would stop me from doing the transplant unless ac was not needed.

Tom W

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Seems like I remember reading that the arms coming from the engine that the engine mounts attach to are different. Don't take this as gospel, but hopefully others will clarify.

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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

Even if they're not the same, you can swap them from the bad motor that's coming out, with about a gallon of elbow grease.

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Seth

1984 300D 225K
1985 300D Donor body
1985 300D Turbo 165K. Totaled. Donor Engine. It runs!!!
1980 300SD 311K My New Baby.
1979 BMW 633csi 62K+++? Dead odo

what is the noise? It could be your timing chain about to snap, or a injector or something.

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1981 300SD 512k OM603

Not sure about the A/C on a 79, but the 80 617.950 is the same as the 617.952 . Mine has the GM R4 compressor like the later cars.

Yes, you will have to swap the arms from the bad motor onto the good one to adapt the engine to the W123 chassis

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)

you may need to watch your camshaft for wear ( they weren't hardened until 1980).

OMG !! ... did we ever replace a bunch of cams, rockers and all the valve train hdwe on these cars back then ... warranty...

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78 300d 158k driver
80 300d 200k fixer
80 300d parts car
98 Cherokee 240k

" I know for certain that someday while parking or un-parking my Jeep Cherokee, I'm gonna' either pull the headlight switch right outa' its dashboard OR stomp its hood release lever clean offa' the kick panel. It's just a matter of which will happen first."

The Wiz and I tried our damnedest to ascertain the source of the noise, but couldn't. Since the car ran for some time with half the oil it needs, it can't be good news.

There seems to be another noise entirely coming from the flywheel as well. When I fired it up after parking it for a month, it began pissing out ATF in a steady stream. Is it possible for a torque converter or tranny noise to carry all the way up through the top of the motor?

Thanks for all the info.

Is it smoking bad? does it miss, knock, tick, clatter?

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'83 300D Turrrbo 295K miles

It sounds like this guy has the correct info on the ac. Sorry.

Tom W

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

That could well be the entire source of the noise, I'd look into it first before spending on an engine. I had a 77GMC that sounded like all heck was coming loose in the engine, deep main bearing type knocking noise. Expecting a rebuild, I pulled the engine and found the centering washer had broken off of the torque converter, which allowed the flywheel to converter bolts to loosen (or vice versa), and caused the front pump bushing in the trans to fail. The noise was from the converter thumping around loosely, but it did resonate all through the engine. The fact that yours suddenly starting dumping fluid from that seal may well be a sign this is what happened to you. A broken/cracked flex plate will also cause this scenario. If you hurt the engine from low oil, a quick sniff would tell you, it would have a well cooked burnt smell.

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Chris
64 190D R.I.P.
80 240D W/617 engine -for sale
82 240D -for sale