The '91 300SE I bought as a "parts car" for my '82 300SD is just too nice to part out....maybe
The fuel system is a wreck---pump and filter clogged with reddish black thick goo. I have pulled the tank and cleaned it, but this tube ( see picture) is broke off at the bottom...what is it? Is it broken? Can it be fixed? NOTE--Picture got flipped over.

Is it likely that the same goo has corrupted the entire injection system?
How can go about getting fuel to the engine? I have a new strainer on order, and new pump and filter in hand. The plastic piece inside the tank that the strainer screws into is loose---I can get it back to the hole, but is that sufficient?

Or---should I just transplant my 3.0 turbo diesel and its transmission and springs and exhaust and fuel components into the SE chassis? Biggest problem I see is diesel pump shut off. Could I use a linear actuator to move the shut off lever?

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

Why not use a vacuum switchover valve wired into the terminal block under the hood/fusebox so that when you turn off the ignition the vacuum valve opens and shuts off your engine?

The bigger problem is that you would have to either swap subframes because the 300SE has a 3.46 axle (4k rpm @ 80mph) and a 300SD 3.07 axle will not fit a 2nd gen subframe. Or get a 2nd gen axle (86+)

OK--I didn't know that....back to hoping the SE can be made to run.

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

changing an engine/transmission even when it came from the same chassis is a huge project because almost everything else in the car was built around that specific engine/trans combo.

At one time I was thinking about installing a M117 from a 560SEL into my 300SE making it a 560SE (In europe swb 560 was available) and the list of things I would have to change ended up being so long that I decided to scrap the idea altogether

I see your point. If the SE cannot be made to run---or has significant engine/ transmission issues, then its back to the original plan of using it as parts for the SD. Mechanically, the SD is known to be good with under 200,00 miles on the chassis and less than 100,000 miles on the engine. Documentation shows a NEW engine installed ( not rebuilt) at just about 100,000 miles.

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags