SL value and engine swap ? 2MB I like

[deportes]

I have a 1983 380sl 180k that smokes like a SOB, appears to be a valve guide. Updated to dual timing chains. Calif car, no rust good shape but Needs rag top.

Also have a 300E 3.2 110K which head gasket, ETA wiring harness has been fixed, the engine head gasket blew out on the previous friend/ owner and MB dealer repaired for 6K approx 30k miles ago.
The 300E was hit in the rear pass side and totalled due to repair costs.
Is it feasable to install the striaght 6 3.2 in the 380 sl and does it even make sense to some of the MB gurus.

I guess it'll get better gas mileage and maybe more power

How much work does it entail.$$$
Otherwise I will sell the 380 SL for 3K and forget about it.

[ctaylor738]

Not that I am against swaps, but this one would be a lot of work, and probably impossible if you could not take the parts right off the 320. The 107 was offered with the 3.2 outside of the US, so it is possible. But you would need stuff like the arms that hold the engine to the mounts that would have to come from a foreign recycler or (shudder) special order by a dealer.

I think a huge challenge would be getting the 3.2 EFI brain to work in the 107. The wiring harness would have to be transplanted from the 3.2 or built from scratch. I don't know if you would need to adapt the Hall effect sensor from the 3.2, but that's representative of the problems you would face.

Getting the exhaust plumbed correctly might require a whole new exhaust from somebody like Timevalve.

And then I think the CARB guys would absolutely freak out when you try to smog it.

And then there's linkage, cooling hoses' position, AC compressor and AC plumbing and probably 14 other issues I can't think of.

I would say a (financially) better option would be an as-is sale of your 107 or fix the valve problem. That's a fine DIY job. You might be able to just do the seals to fix the smoking.

Good luck,

[deportes]

Thanks CTaylor. I am not interested in doing that much work. I rather fix the 3.8 liter engine. or sell the 107 as is for 4000.00 bucks or so.