This is the deal, I picked up an 81 300SD in good running condition with a blown tranny for dirt cheap, (basicly free).

I found an 84 190D with low miles that had an unk terminal engine falure (sounds like a broken timing chain) but has a new transmission for 1000, (kind of high but half the cost of the trans work)


So, I want to put the 617 into the 190, I am pretty sure that the 617 will bolt onto the 190's transmission, I'm also sure I can make engine mounts (done this a few times), not sure about the engine length, or if the hood will close.

Anyone done this before??

Nope. Starter is on the wrong side.

Is this a deal breaker.

Since the starter bolts to the engine and not the transmission it doesn't seem like this would be a problem.

Are you saying that the bell housing is different in this area?

Deal breaker. The 190D transmission bell is cast as part of the transmission, the hump for the starter is on the wrong side of the tranny and there is no way to move the starter into the right location on the 617.

The only practical things to do are use a 617 and matching transmission combo had hope it fits in the tunnel or find a new 60x to replace the blown 601.

Do you know, which manual transmissions would bolt to the 617?

Any that where available in 190's (gas or diesel)?

Thanks for that excellent info

Anything from a 220D, 240D, euro 300D and 280E.

Unfortunately none, they all had the starter on the wrong side.

The 126 had both the 123 style engines and the later 603 engines so physically they are roughly the same size. It may be possible to swap the engine and tranny together. The 190 may well be tighter in all departments though and I would not want to make assumptions. I seem to remember seeing a 124 with a 617 though and I think from the firewall forward the 190 and 124 are very very similar if not identical.

Tom W

__________________
[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.

I'm sure I could get the engine to physically fit without too much grief, Ive done more extreme conversions.

Just fitting an engine has never been hard, and the EXTREME simplicity in the form of wiring on a Mercedes diesel (at least pre CDI) would make its swap into anything easy compared to there swaps Ive done.

Warning unqualified assumptions ahead:

For example, due to the fact that the starter is on the engine side (rather than on the tranny), it would PROBABLY be pretty easy to make an adapter plate out of simple old 1/2 or 3/4 " steel to go between the engine and bel housing of the new trans, this would require the torque converter to be spaced out from the flex plate an unknown amount and it is based on the assumption that the starter ring gear is on separate flex plate that bolts to the crank and is not part of the torque converter. And that the general component layout is like 90% of other cars on the road that I have seen.

Also the 2 trans bell housings must be about the same size, but the spacing out of the trans should take care of starter clearance issues.

Now that being said, I would NOT attempt this unless I had all the time in the world and free parts (which I don't for the most part). It would be better to simply put in a 617 compatible trans.

Buying the compatable tranny would cost less than a converter, IMHO.

Tom W

__________________
[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.

I could make a tranny spacer in my garage for the cost of steel, 50 dollars or less.

It would actually be pretty easy to do, and wouldn't need as much precision as you might think, with just basic tools such as a cutting torch, drill press, and a number of drill bits.

I believe the have 3/4 in steel circles and squares at my local metal supply store in various sizes up to maybe 2ft for flat rates in the 10 to 50 dollar range.

It would take me all day though, and from that perspective it wouldn't be worth it.

Why not find a good 601 or 602, or even better a 602 turbo? Drop a 602.960 in there and you'll get the same power as the 617 with better fuel economy, less noise/vibration and less maintenance. It'll be a drop in swap too.

__________________
Dale

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1...MG_2277sig.jpg

1990 300D 2.5 Turbo -155k
2000 E430 - 103k
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Ecodiesel 4x4 - 11k
2014 VW Passat TDI SE - 7k Bro's Diesel
2006 E320 CDI - 128k Pop's Benz

Pre-glow - A moment of silence in honor of Rudolph Diesel

But he has the 617, IIRC.

Tom W

__________________
[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.

Couldnt you just switch bellhousings on the tranny for this?

__________________
Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?

As long as they would add one additional commandment for you to keep thy religion to thyself.
George Carlin (Wonder where he is now..)

1981 240d (engine donor 1983 240d) recently rebuilt engine hurray! - No more.. fought a tree and the tree won.

pearl black 1983 240d 4speed (Converted!@$$%) atleast the tranny was rebuilt.

Its cast as part of the tranny body.

Yeah the easy right way to do this is to use the tranny that goes with the 617 or whatever engine you want to put in the car.

As far as a 601 or 602, no thanks, I need more than 80 HP.

If I could find a 602 turbo, for what I can get for the 617, I would probably do it. In the same chassis I doubt if the 617 and 602 would get different fuel economy.

How would the 602 have less maint than the 617?