m117 into w124 - gearbox question - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

carat 3.6 amg · #1 02-26-2011, 06:09 PM

Ok guys, my 89 300e is about to be replaced by my 95 e300 diesel wagon as the daily driver. The m103 burns a little oil and is generaly tired after 4 years of hard thrashing everywhere, so I'm going to drop in the engine and gearbox from a scrap 560 sel. I allready have the m117 engine, gearbox and loom from a donner car, and despite everybody saying I'm mad, it's going in there one way or another! Only problem I can see is that the 300e's speedo is driven by cable and the v8's gearbox has an electric speed sensor insted, the tail housing's look the same on both gearbox's so I'm wondering if I can swap the 300's tail housing onto the m117's gearbox? Anybody done this? Is it even possible?

JohnM. · #2 02-26-2011, 06:28 PM

There are members around here and on MBworld who have shoehorned a V8 into the W124. Do a search. You are basically doing a "Hammer" engine swap, so do some searches on people who have done this and/or research what they did to the Hammer car to make the M117 fit.

daddi · #3 02-27-2011, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnM.

There are members around here and on MBworld who have shoehorned a V8 into the W124. Do a search. You are basically doing a "Hammer" engine swap, so do some searches on people who have done this and/or research what they did to the Hammer car to make the M117 fit.

They changed only around 420 items no biggy.

carat 3.6 amg · #4 03-01-2011, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daddi

They changed only around 420 items no biggy.

They did, but they had a big budget, where I just have a big hammer! Seriously though by my reaserch and measuring, it looks faily straight forward to fit and wire it up. I dont want to build a replica of the amg hammer, but a v8 w124 in right hand drive would be pretty cool. I've got most of it figured out, just the speedo problem that I'm left with.

mbdoc · #5 03-01-2011, 04:47 PM

You do not want to install the mechanical speedo drive on the non mechanical drive trans.
NO provision for a lubrication port for the speedo gear on the trans like the mechanical design.

You could use the electronic system & get a speedo from a 400E OR try to adapt the speedo from a W126.

ashedd · #6 03-01-2011, 05:00 PM

I think it would just be easier to get a 400e. If you have ever been underneath a w124 with a v8 you would see that even the factory had a hard time getting a v8 to fit. Be prepared to beat metal into submission with a hammer.

couldn't you just swap speedos? The instrument cluster pretty much comes all apart.

goodluck

carat 3.6 amg · #7 03-01-2011, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashedd

I think it would just be easier to get a 400e.

I'm in the uk, we didnt get the v8s, the top w124 we had was the e36 amg or the twin turbo coversions by turbo technics. We do have a few 500e's that have been imported but they are all left hand drive and cost a stupid amount of money.

carat 3.6 amg · #8 03-01-2011, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbdoc

You do not want to install the mechanical speedo drive on the non mechanical drive trans.
NO provision for a lubrication port for the speedo gear on the trans like the mechanical design.

You could use the electronic system & get a speedo from a 400E OR try to adapt the speedo from a W126.

Thank's, thats what I was trying to find out. I'll have to see if I can fit the w126 speedo in to the w124 cluster.

daddi · #9 03-01-2011, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashedd

I think it would just be easier to get a 400e. If you have ever been underneath a w124 with a v8 you would see that even the factory had a hard time getting a v8 to fit. Be prepared to beat metal into submission with a hammer

couldn't you just swap speedos? The instrument cluster pretty much comes all apart.

goodluck

Kids now you know why the first V8 W124 was called "HAMMER"

carat 3.6 amg · #10 03-01-2011, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daddi

Kids now you know why the first V8 W124 was called "HAMMER"

I think that daddi is trying to tell me something! lol

Anyway I prefer to call it my "persuader" or "fine ajustment tool"

ashedd · #11 03-02-2011, 12:22 AM

In the aviation world we call it a BFH.

RBYCC · #12 03-02-2011, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carat 3.6 amg

Thank's, thats what I was trying to find out. I'll have to see if I can fit the w126 speedo in to the w124 cluster.

The 126 speedo is larger then the 124.
It will fit but requires cutting and trimming of the 124 cluster.
The 126 is the speedo that AMG used in the 124 V8 builds.

carat 3.6 amg · #13 03-02-2011, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RBYCC

The 126 speedo is larger then the 124.
It will fit but requires cutting and trimming of the 124 cluster.
The 126 is the speedo that AMG used in the 124 V8 builds.

Thanks RBYCC, that answers my other question. I can get on with the instrument cluster convesion while I wait for the weather to warm up round here, its only 6 degrees outside this week!

Ivanerrol · #14 03-02-2011, 09:44 PM

The issue getting a Mercedes V8 into a R.H.D. car is the steering box and conflicts with exhaust.

That's why the V8 W124's were only available as LHD.

ashedd · #15 03-02-2011, 11:14 PM

can you even import a LHD car into a LHD country? I know you see a RHD car in the US every once in a while.