smoking jacket and bowler hat

I considered doing a lake style header system, but decided against it last minute

YES!!!

I think he chose the wrong car, the car of choice should have been an 8 cylinder W124 model, their steering boxes are fit lower, their transmission tunnel and front floor pan is also different to accomodate the fat engine and also to accomodate two exhaust systems.

MB really packed that V8 in there

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2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

But would there be a huge difference in steering linkage? I would assume that it would still be a front sump oil pan...

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"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 would love to put an LSX engine into a W124. Can you use the corvette rack and pinion?
I had a C4 with a Z51 fast ratio R&P and it had great road feel.

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1988 300E

Really looking forward to watching this progress, I have a 190e that I have been eye balling to put a LS1 in. These cars are so much fun to drive but, they are stupid expensive to repair and all the vacuum lines rot out. I have been trying to get mine running right for over a year now. So the vette engine with a 6 speed is looking really nice. There are a couple out there on you tube already so I know it can be done.

Here is a link to the steering they did on a 190e, maybe this would work for you, it looks very similar. LS190 - Mercedes 190e LS1 swap - LS1TECH

Zukgod, thank you for saving me the mental anguish of finding that thread hahaha. I knew there was some fitment issues with dropping in a LS engine into a 190/300 chassis from reading the other guys thread. IIRC the 190 and 300 have similar sized engine bays.

OP, I wish you luck and hope you see this through to the end. We love engine swaps!

did his about 20+ years ago, 406 SBC into a 1984 MB SW and some of the things i remember to conquer the hurdles

used the stock radiator
used the stock rear end
used a set of Transadapt motor mounts, early land rover to small block
used a set of Hedman hugger headers
used a GM power steering pump, old style that they seemed to use on all GMs
used a small gear reduction starter
used a 1966-67 small block oil pan and pump
used a universal jap a/c compressor
used a Holley TBI injection kit


i'll follow this thread and see what else i remember




..

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1989 300ce smoke silver / brazil, in a constant state of flux ~~~

It will not work. Corvette is front steer, MB is rear steer. Turn left to go right! Also the pivot to pivot width on the C4 rack would lead to bump steer on the MB .... as you are turning left to go right!

I would like to do the swap since I have a non running W124 and an LS engine/trans. From what I have gleaned from the web and from measuring and eyeballing my stuff, the steering box is the main limitation, especially on the left exhaust. Oil pans can be modified.

Some have attempted replacing the steering box with a rack & pinion. Rear steer racks with the proper pivot to pivot width are available. The problem is that the Mercedes steering arms are too long, something like 7" while most are about 5" This means that using other racks, like from a Dodge Omni, or even later Benz will have slow steering and limited turning radius. I suspect that this is why many of the swap attempts found on the web have not been completed.

One could swap the complete Corvette front suspension, or a Supra/Lexus front suspension, but that is a heck of a lot of fabrication and welding, and then MB wheels would not fit.

Hope these observations help. The LS swap can be done, but it is a heck of a lot of work.

Bob

Just an entertaining tangent.

When i was young and stupid (ok younger and stupider) a cousin left a beat up jetboat on my dads property.

I got the title and fixed it up. New heads. Rebuilt the steering. Etc.

First trip out, girls in the boat, hot sunny day on the lake, excited for good times. I back it off the trailer and things arent going right.

I had the steering backwards. Turn left, go right. Couldnt give up on the weekend. But if you keep one hand on the bottom of the wheel and sit backwards watching over your shoulder, its doable. Lol.

At low speeds of course.

I've been neglecting you guys.. sorry! I'm literally just going to copy pasta from the other forum I've been updating regularly.

So I just spent a healthy 15 minutes writing up an update.. and got boned by the log in. So heres a short, frustrated version.

Ordered header weld up kit, showed up today. 1 5/8" runners, in a hugger style. I bought weld up for the simple fact that I'll need to tweak them and this just makes it easier. Tried to fit them, fit perfectly.. facing upwards.

New plan. No way to run the exhaust through the bottom of the car with the wide v8 occupying the real estate. running the driverside up and around to the passenger side, then down the firewall and out the car the same way the benz exhaust was designed. pass. side will be run upwards as well, then towards the back to Y up with the driver side and down.

This will give me the ability to run a Single 3" exhaust and a 2 1/2" Y. perfect for street driveability with the 600 and vacc secondaries.

I'm working out the tone portion of the exhaust now. I dont want it to sound like your every day SBC. I dont want people looking for the third gen FBody when they hear the exhaust note. I love water suppressed marine headers. I know this isnt a reality, So i'm trying to find a material I can pack a muffler with that will replicate the sound as much as possible. I really wanted to run the 180* headers but there just isn't enough space with the steering gear etc.

Finally crawled under the car and did some trans measuring too. I was nervous as the 700r4 is ~6" longer than the merc trans. This is made up with the fact that the chevy motor is shorter in length than the I6. Trans mount is right where the merc cross member is, so That will be a simple bit at least.

Just waiting on the radiator/fan to come before I weld in the motors subframe and start putting her back together.

also, if you don't like the sound of 180* headers, you should be burned at the stake!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhBPFwOL3jo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7ldvnlJXzQ

alright... biggg day today!

this thing found a home.


Its even level. took about 4 times of motor in motor out, measure, measure measure, massage with hammer, measure measure.



one of the times it was in, I tacked this bad boy up, then pulled it out and welded the whole thing up.



look ma, No hands!


just enough room to run the exhaust behind the back. Going with 2.5" diameter for the y pipe.



Radiator isnt mounted, nor is the fan, or trans cooler, but mocked them up and closed hood and grill just to make sure they'd fit, Sure enough.. snug as a bug with some room to spare. went with a huge 16" fan and double row 22x20x3" radiator.. should be enough to cool this ol girl! trans cooler is a 5/8" 6 row cooler, meant as an upgrade for a 2500/3500 truck.



next up is trans mount shenanigans and hoping that I can get the angles where I need them to be (This was part of the hassle of getting the motor mounts lined up just right, so hopefully all my precautions paid off. If not, I have to convert to CV joints in the driveshaft to make up for some of the angle.

Also, with regards to my steering issue. I got the motor mounted well enough that I'll have to trim an ear on the trans bellhousing, and maybe run a slightly narrower oil filter, but with a drop linkage for the center section, the steering should be all set!

also, I welded up my own headers because I figured it would be easier than modifying some ready made ones. I kept the runners to 1 5/8" diameter, and 10" long, even across all four. This should be enough to get the proper scavenging and velocity needed to give it a nice fat mid range.

Went out last night and made the first 80% of the Driver side Y pipe.





Was going to make my own 2-1 collector.. but decided I wanted to design the passenger side to meet it, instead of trying to make both sides meet at an arbitrary point, So I bought a premade 2.5" x2 to 3" collector. Should be here by thursday, then passenger side will be made. My goal right now is to get as much as the exhaust done as would be necessary to get the motor fired. Then trans mount, radiator mounts/ hoses, fuel lines, wiring. I'll worry about throttle linkage and buttoning up the other bits.

I want to make sure it will fire before I button everything up and my wiring is boinked