I found a 91 350SDL that I am thinking of buying to steal parts from.

I have read that MB replaced a lot of failed 3.5L OM603 engines with 3.0L OM603 engines.

How can I tell if the motor in the car is the 3.5 or the 3.0?

I want the 3.5L IP and the 55 trim T3 turbo from the 3.5 to put on a different motor.

Thanks

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It would be the independant mechanics who would replace the block but likely reuse the turbo, head and IP. MB replaced the engine with upgraded rods but same engine.

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92 e300d2.5t
01 e320
05 cdi
85 chev c10

All 90 - 91 350SDL's and 350SD's have the 3.5L.
The odds of it being swapped to a 3.0L is next to none, the factory only put in another 3.5L as far as I'm aware.

Also the oil filler cap is not original, how in the hell do you loose that? The original crankcase vent tube is plumbed into the top of the airbox when it could clearly just go into the hole coming out of the intake tube right beside the dipstick.

Whoever had this vehicle had NO CLUE what they where doing. I hope you're not going for the motor, it's probably shot.

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1998 Ford Escort ZX2 5 speed - 279,000 miles My Daily

1992 Mercedes 300D 2.5 202,000 - Pure junk
2000 Mercedes E320 Black - 136,000 miles - Needs repair

Don't forget to grease the screw and threads on the spring compressor.

The oil filler cap is MB though. That's what the replacements looked like for many years.

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Onus probandi incumbit ei qui dicit, non ei qui negat

I recondition w123/w126/w124/w140/r107/r129/ steering boxes!


1984 300D "Elsa" odo reset 6/2011 147k
1983 300TD "Mitzi" ~268k OM603 powered
1995 E300 "Adelheid" 262k [Sold]

Oh wow, the more you know!

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1998 Ford Escort ZX2 5 speed - 279,000 miles My Daily

1992 Mercedes 300D 2.5 202,000 - Pure junk
2000 Mercedes E320 Black - 136,000 miles - Needs repair

Don't forget to grease the screw and threads on the spring compressor.

The pictures here are from a W126 3.0 it’s a 603.960 & .963 the 3.5 it’s a 603.97x this is how you can tell it should be a stamp in the top of the block with the numbers so you can tell

The engine number is on a horizontal block surface ahead of the IP. You might have to clean off grime to read it. 60396x is 3.0, 60397x is 3.5.

Statistically, a turbo without ARV would be a 55 trim. A turbo with ARV would be a 50 trim. I’ve never seen a KKK turbo on a 3.5.

Rev the cr@p out of it. If it won’t rev past 4800rpm it’s probably a 3.5 IP

x2 fixing the breather hose. It looks like the fitting in the turbo intake hose was left open.

Sixto
98 E320s sedan and wagon

Get the numbers off the side of the IP, there is a metal tag, and research those via Google to see which pump it is.

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Respectfully,
/s/
M. Dillon
'87 124.193 (300TD) "White Whale", ~392k miles, 3.5l IP fitted
'95 124.131 (E300) "Sapphire", 380k miles
'73 Balboa 20 "Sanctification"
Charleston SC

I am not after the motor itself just the injection pump and maybe the turbo in order to swap them onto an OM606 (to get rid of the computer controlled IP and put it in a non MB vehicle).

I will take this bit of info back to the seller and see what I can find - "The engine number is on a horizontal block surface ahead of the IP. You might have to clean off grime to read it. 60396x is 3.0, 60397x is 3.5."

Thanks

Bob

Thanks to everyone for the info. The seller sold the car to someone else. No big deal I will just wait for the next one.