Engine big end issue

[Bojs1]

hi
I have a 1993 E500 which is a Japanese import, it was not running when i bought it and I have slowly brought it back to life as there were many issues with it, the ECU was blown among many other issues anyway got it back up and running after owning it for 5 years.
Then last week it started a really bad knocking noise from the engine and its been diagnosed as the big end bearing on no 1 cylinder with lots of metal in the oil filter so not good news at all.
I think the answer is to get the engine out and replace it with another one as I understand rebuilds are very expensive.
Any suggestions would be appreciated alternatively i sell it as it is to someone who has the time to repair it
Are there any suitable engines out there ?

 

[r44raven]

Sorry to hear of your problems! I had to source a replacement engine for my E500 some years ago, and following advice from gsxr (of this board), I obtained a complete drivetrain (engine and gearbox) from a 1993 500SL. Its pretty much a "plug and play" procedure.

Unless you are able to source one from a scrapped/written off SL, then I would think it would be more economical to rebuild the unit you have. Prices for SLs vary from £12k - £20k+, depending on condition/mileage etc. (Having removed the engine, you could recoup some of your original outlay by reselling the remaining car for spares - there are companies in the UK that would buy it). However, whilst I have no experience of what it might cost to rebuilt your engine, I would have thought this could be done for £12k, thus avoiding all the hassle of buying an SL, swopping engines etc. Maybe others could chip in whether they think this is correct?

 

[gsxr]

Ouch. Bottom-end failures are crazy rare on the M119. I wonder what caused that. Cost to rebuild could be prohibitive, depending on what exactly is damaged. Get some rebuild estimates just so you know what that might cost. Very few shops seem to have experience with Alusil engines. If the cylinder walls are scored at all, and/or pistons cannot be reused for some reason, it's likely not worth repairing.

Otherwise, as @r44raven noted above, the M119.972 engine from the early 129.067 is 100% plug+play and almost identical to the 119.974 engines (AFAIK, only the ETA is different, the wire/pigtail is shorter). Search the forum for more information on this, it's been discussed in detail in the past.

Here in the colonies, good used .972 engines can be found for ~$2k USD or less. I don't know what availability is like in UK. A used engine will need a complete re-seal before installing, AND also replacing all timing chain rails. Buying a complete SL just for the engine would not be cost-effective unless it was wrecked (and, the engine compartment was undamaged).

 

[r44raven]

And just a P.S. to what gsxr said about using a 119.972. You'll need to swop the fan clutch from your existing engine onto the new unit (the SL fan clutch is deeper, and will foul the radiator).

 

[Bojs1]

Thanks for your advice all round, i will probably put it up for sale in the current condition as i have other projects on the go including moving house with lots to do

 

[R129 UK]

£349 for a short engine on eBay UK:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/157402174080

 

[gsxr]

Unfortunately that eBay short block is the 119.960, which is the tall-deck engine, not compatible with the 500E.

 

[R129 UK]

Unfortunately that eBay short block is the 119.960, which is the tall-deck engine, not compatible with the 500E.

View attachment 233836

Thanks for the info, I was so pleased to find something that reasonably priced I forgot to check which revision it was!

 

[TerryA]

@steve h,
Steve is desperately trying to sell a 53K low mileage 500E motor before he moves from Florida to Paris, France. Maybe it could be shipped by a cheap freighter.

Check parts for sale.