I just met a local guy in the grocery store parking lot with a 1982 240D 4-speed. He said he has two other 240Ds -- an Arizona car with a ceased engine and a running rusty one (he's trying to sell the two as a package for $2k on CL) -- and six OM603 W124s ! (3 300Ds and 3 300TDs, don't think any are on the road at this point). While we were talking, he mentioned that he's looking for a 5-speed for his car, and I mentioned the ones I have, so we exchanged contact information.

I was thinking about it today and was wondering if he would be willing trade a 300TD (he mentioned having a strong-running but rusty one) for a 717.400 + shifter and linkages so that I could swap the OM603 drivetrain into my 300SD. If I did do this, what would I need for the swap that I can't get out of a W124? Here's the list that I have so far:

• Engine mount arms (any W126 with the OM603 or M103 will do, confimed this with part #s)
• Driveshaft from a 350SD or (hopefully?) 300SE
• Transmission crossmember (hoping for any OM603/M103 to fit -- does long-wheelbase make a difference here?)
• Exhaust header (300SDL should work here, what about the 350SD/SDL?)

__________________
"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 think you'd want to snag the idle control system as well.

__________________
2004 F150 4.6L -My Daily
2007 Volvo XC70 -Wife's Daily
1998 Ford F150 -Rear ended
1989 J-spec 420SEL -passed onto its new keeper
1982 BMW 733i -fixed and traded for the 420SEL
2003 Volvo V70 5 Speed -scrapped
1997 E290 Turbo Diesel Wagon -traded for above
1992 BMW 525i -traded in
1990 Silver 300TE -hated the M103
1985 Grey 380SE Diesel Conversion, 2.47 rear end, ABS -Sold, really should have kept this one
1979 Silver 300D "The Silver Slug" -Sold

all the idle control does is bump up the idle speed when the AC kicks on, so adjust the physical low limit for it.

But that's something I could grab from the 300TD, right?

__________________
"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."

The drive shaft from your SD should fit the 300TD transmission and be the right length I don't think the DS from a SDl or SE are the right length because the wheelbase is longer then your SD

I don't think so, the 300TD is a W124 and so has the OM603 + 722.317, which is a different total length than the OM617 + 722.303 currently in the car.
That's the part that's confusing... the driveshaft in the '86-'91 W126es comes in three parts, and I've heard people say that the rear driveshaft length depends on the length of the car (long wheelbase v. short wheelbase), and the front section depends on the transmission... if that is true, I would need the rear and center sections from any short wheelbase W126 and the front section from any OM603-powered W126.

The additional bit of uncertainty is that the M103 in the 300SE/SEL is similar to the OM603 dimensions-wise, enough so that the crank from one can be installed in another (some people take the 350SD/SDL crank to stroke the M103), and they both use the 722.3, (albeit different variations), so that leaves me to wonder if an M103 driveshaft is compatible with the OM603.

__________________
"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."

Oh, and the SE is short-wheelbase... the SEL is the long-wheelbase gasser.

__________________
"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."

Would there be any issue with just using the current radiator? I know that the 300SDL uses a different rad from the 300SD, but is that an issue in New England?

__________________
"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."

Not sure where the inlets/outlets are, might need to use the radiator from the TD, also the oil cooler.

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

I Measured the length of the 617 and the length of the 603 and they the same so it's the length of both transmissions so the same DS should work when you get a chance measure both engines and transmissions

Really? Sweet! Thanks. I will do that.

__________________
"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 looks like 300SDL and 350SD/SDL header pipes are different parts... anyone have any idea why?

__________________
"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."

Are you sure you did not get lost and end up on the west side of Charlotte???

__________________
The OM 642/722.9 powered family
Still going strong
2014 ML350 Bluetec (wife's DD)
2013 E350 Bluetec (my DD)

both my kids cars went to junkyard in 2023
2008 ML320 CDI (Older son’s DD) fatal transmission failure, water soaked/fried rear SAM, numerous other issues, just too far gone to save (165k miles)
2008 E320 Bluetec (Younger son's DD) injector failed open and diluted oil with diesel, spun main bearings (240k miles)

1998 E300DT sold to TimFreeh
1987 300TD sold to vstech

LOL. Quite possibly.

Seriously, though, we need to keep vstech far and away from this guy...

__________________
"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 thought that they are the same if both in the W126. I've used '91 350SDL parts in '87 300D, was disappointed that the '91 didn't have the later (W140, '92-up) exhaust manifold.

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff