I'm hoping to buy tbo's car this Saturday, and I would really like to put a standard into it (I hate driving automatics...). I've been reading SirNik84's swap thread, and I've come up with four questions:

1) Will a W123 pedal set fit in a W126? I know I've seen this discussed somewhere, but I don't remember what the answer was. I can make some modifications, if need be.
2) To resolve the electronic/mechanical speedometer conflict, could I just take the speedometer unit from a W123 cluster and put it into a W126 cluster? If I could do it, it seems to me that this would be the simplest solution -- my 300D parts car has a 120 MPH speedometer with working main and trip odometers.
3) For a driveshaft, could I shorten a W126 300SEL shaft to fit? Fulcrum525 is parting one out down in Connecticut...
4) Is there anything else that I'm missing? I know that I'll have to modify the shifter linkages and figure out what flywheel to use, but is there anything else?

__________________
"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."

It would be best to PM SirNik84 and ask him how he did it, or he might see this thread and jump in.

I remember reading that long thread, and I think he modified a 124 spedo.

Generally doing a W123 swap, the 240D front section is shortened about 4 inches. Don`t know about the W126 since the chassis is a bit longer. best is to do some measuring.
I don`t know if a 300D auto trans and a 300SD auto trans are the same length since the tail shaft on the SD has the electric pick up for the spedo.

Look into Mach4`s 380SL Diesel swap thread, he had to use some magnetic pick up on the drive line. later on he swapped the 85 auto trans for an earlier one, and think he is using a cable drive, don`t remember exactly.


Iam assuming this is a 617 engine the trans is being bolted to? If so, the only two options you have for a FW is the OM616 240D, which there are many of them to find, or the elusive OM617 NA from a 300D grey mkt vehicle.

There is some difference between a 126 and 123 peddle set up. they both bolt to the 4 Brake Booster studs. the 123 has a hook it hangs off of. haven`t see a 126 set up.

Charlie

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there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

Thanks for the input, Charlie! I'm desperately trying to source an OM617 flywheel... my Hyde Park contact dropped me for dead, but I just had a Finnish lady contact me for some parts, so maybe she would know how to get a hold of one. I love the smooth shift, though, so I'd really like a 617 even if it takes several months to find one.

__________________
"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."

I searched for over 3 yrs to find one in a PNP.

Just do the swap with a 240 fw and then you will find the 617 fw. If you wait till you find one, it will take you a lot longer to enjoy the project.

I don`t know which trans X-member SirNik84 used. with the 123 you use a 240D auto x-mount.


OH, by the way, you can`t have mine.


Charlie

__________________
there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

I'd second Charlie's suggestion on installing a 240 flywheel to make a 617 one appear -- as soon as I got done putting 240 stuff in my 300td a few weeks ago, a member here listed a complete 300d euro setup, including the flywheel. It's gone now, but I did just miss it.

In any case, it's an easy job to swap in the 617 flywheel when you find it. The "work" is in figuring everything else out.

You may have driven a 617 with a 240d flywheel and so may already have an opinion. I had never and after completing mine, I don't think it's bad at all. I did let a friend drive it, though, and he had a hell of a time making smooth shifts. I think folks are just not coordinating their release on the accelerator pedal with their clutch disengagement -- the 300d flywheel must keep things spinning a touch longer. The clutch needs to go in a fraction of a second before the accelerator is released, and the opposite when engaging the next gear to spin the motor back up.

I think I became sensitive to this in learning to drive my Ford Model A, where *you* are the synchronizer (or not...).

Will be watching this thread with interest as a friend with a 126 started asking me about this as soon as he saw my 300TD conversion.

-Dan

__________________
1976 w115 300D 4-speed conversion!!
1985 w123 300TD 4-speed conversion!!

Non-Mercedes old stuff:
1941 Buick Special (Straight 8!)
1946 Luscombe 8a
1947 Willys CJ2a
1950 Chevrolet 4400 dump truck
1954 Chevrolet 3600 3/4 ton
1954 Cessna 195B
1955 John Deere model 40
1991 Ford Taurus SHO
2013 Jetta SportWagen TDI 6-speed (I sold out...

i will be watching this develop closely as the more i read about going stick the more i can see one in my w126

Here is SirNik84 thread when he rebuilt his engine and installed the 4-spd in his SD.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/276987-installing-new-engine-manual-transmission-my-sd.html


This thread on remaking the transmission mount.
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/320349-driveline-woes.html


Charlie

__________________
there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

Hm. Maybe I should try to find a 240D swap to drive. I'm extremely precise on my shifts, and I've learned some sort of lame form of double-clutching -- or, more correctly, triple-clutching, when you mess up the first time -- because the first-gear synchronizer in our Corolla is NOT in its prime anymore. I'll look hard for one of the 38-pounders, but I still have a couple months before I'll even be able to afford to try this .

__________________
"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."