M119 REBUILD TO E60

[faltinor]

Hi,

I originally started with a simple engine oil change, but things got really messy once we opened the oil sump. Thank God we decided to do this engine service—otherwise the engine would have broken down very soon. At this point, a full rebuild is necessary.

Just to give some context, the car has 250,000 km on it. I’ll be going through everything that needs to be replaced. Honestly, we removed a lot of parts that make you wonder how this car was still running without showing any problems at all.

These cars don’t usually show clear signs of wear or fatigue, but after 34 years, many components inevitably need attention. The car is from Japan with American-spec and was very well looked after, but until you remove the differential, gearbox, and engine, you don’t realize how much the wiring harness has deteriorated.

Plastics in the differential, mounts, and many other parts need to be replaced. Believe me, there’s a lot going on—I’ll be sharing some photos to show what we found.

My goal is to rebuild the engine properly and reliably, not just refresh it. Depending on feasibility and parts availability, I am considering either:

• A strong OEM+ rebuild, or
• A performance-oriented rebuild (possibly increased displacement)

I’m planning to convert the M119 5.0 to a proper 6.0 build. Since the block is Alusil and damaged, the plan is to sleeve all 8 cylinders and rebuild it correctly for long-term reliability.

Planned setup:

• Ductile iron sleeves (8 cylinders)
• Stroker crank
• Custom forged pistons (≈100.0–100.5 mm)
• Forged rods
• Balanced rotating assembly

Looking for advice from anyone who has done an M119 6.0 build, especially on:

• Crank stroke & final displacement
• Piston specs (brand, compression, ring pack)
• Rod length / rod ratio
• Camshaft options
• Harmonic balancer
• Head gasket solutions & clearances

Any real-world experience, part numbers, or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[gsxr]

The car is from Japan with American-spec ...

Engine #3594 is from chassis WDB1240361B729614, which was a German-delivered, Euro-spec car that should have the oil cooler and all the usual Euro goodies (E/S switch, etc).

My goal is to rebuild the engine properly and reliably, not just refresh it. Depending on feasibility and parts availability, I am considering either:

• A strong OEM+ rebuild, or

Swapping in a good, used M119.97x engine would be the easiest & cheapest solution. M119's rarely need a full rebuild, you were extraordinarily unlucky with this one. Most of the time all they need is an external reseal, although new valve stem seals would be a good idea, and new head gaskets wouldn't hurt. I'd leave the bottom end alone.

• A performance-oriented rebuild (possibly increased displacement)

Increased displacement will be a very expensive option. Likely tens of thousands of dollars to do it properly. There isn't much you can do to increase power with stock displacement though. A stroker crank with stock bore would net you 5.6L displacement, but still requires custom pistons, and replacing the cracked block. @Klink, @jhodg5ck - have you ever seen a block cracked like this, at the top of the bore?

I’m planning to convert the M119 5.0 to a proper 6.0 build. Since the block is Alusil and damaged, the plan is to sleeve all 8 cylinders and rebuild it correctly for long-term reliability.

Planned setup:

• Ductile iron sleeves (8 cylinders)

Why sleeve the block with iron? Is it because of the cracked cylinders? Why not replace the block and bore to 100mm with Alusil, since 5.0L M119 blocks are cheap and plentiful?

Looking for advice from anyone who has done an M119 6.0 build, especially on:

• Crank stroke & final displacement
• Piston specs (brand, compression, ring pack)
• Rod length / rod ratio

Most of this information is covered in the E60 AMG factory document here. Copy/paste text or images into Google translate as needed.

• Camshaft options

Sourcing camshafts will be difficult. Cheapest option is to use the early (1990-1992) 5.0L LH camshafts, which are present on your disassembled engine. Later cams had reduced lift and single valve springs. Another option is sourcing regrinds from Dbilas or Hagmann, or full custom camshafts. The power gain may be modest vs the high cost though. Depends what your budget is. Blue Ridge MB was investigating having custom camshafts produced but I don't think they are available yet, and they won't be cheap.

• Harmonic balancer
• Head gasket solutions & clearances

AFAIK the stock balancer is used. You may need custom head gaskets if the OE AMG gaskets are NLA. The AMG gaskets are something like €3k / pair.

You'll need a 6.0L LH module to match the displacement. There's one for sale here if you need it. If building a 5.6L, a custom program will be required.

 

[Markus-MD]

. The Piston you must have this with an Ferocoat surface.Alu-Pistons are not running alone into a Alusil Zylinder

 

[faltinor]

Engine #3594 is from chassis WDB1240361B729614, which was a German-delivered, Euro-spec car that should have the oil cooler and all the usual Euro goodies (E/S switch, etc).




Swapping in a good, used M119.97x engine would be the easiest & cheapest solution. M119's rarely need a full rebuild, you were extraordinarily unlucky with this one. Most of the time all they need is an external reseal, although new valve stem seals would be a good idea, and new head gaskets wouldn't hurt. I'd leave the bottom end alone.




Increased displacement will be a very expensive option. Likely tens of thousands of dollars to do it properly. There isn't much you can do to increase power with stock displacement though. A stroker crank with stock bore would net you 5.6L displacement, but still requires custom pistons, and replacing the cracked block. @Klink, @jhodg5ck - have you ever seen a block cracked like this, at the top of the bore?




Why sleeve the block with iron? Is it because of the cracked cylinders? Why not replace the block and bore to 100mm with Alusil, since 5.0L M119 blocks are cheap and plentiful?




Most of this information is covered in the E60 AMG factory document here. Copy/paste text or images into Google translate as needed.




Sourcing camshafts will be difficult. Cheapest option is to use the early (1990-1992) 5.0L LH camshafts, which are present on your disassembled engine. Later cams had reduced lift and single valve springs. Another option is sourcing regrinds from Dbilas or Hagmann, or full custom camshafts. The power gain may be modest vs the high cost though. Depends what your budget is. Blue Ridge MB was investigating having custom camshafts produced but I don't think they are available yet, and they won't be cheap.




AFAIK the stock balancer is used. You may need custom head gaskets if the OE AMG gaskets are NLA. The AMG gaskets are something like €3k / pair.

You'll need a 6.0L LH module to match the displacement. There's one for sale here if you need it. If building a 5.6L, a custom program will be required.

Thank you for the quick and detailed reply, I really appreciate it.

I agree that sourcing another good block is likely the best long-term solution. In many ways, starting with a healthy block feels similar to beginning with a zero-kilometer engine, which gives much more confidence from a reliability standpoint.

My intention is not just to make the engine run again, but to rebuild it properly for long-term ownership. I believe that starting from a solid foundation will preserve both the driving enjoyment and the car’s value going forward, especially considering the mileage from this point on.

Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience and insights — it’s very helpful.

 

[faltinor]

Would it make more sense to purchase an R129 SL500 with a well-documented engine service history, so I could use it as a donor later on — not only for the engine, but also for other components such as the brakes?

 

[gsxr]

Would it make more sense to purchase an R129 SL500 with a well-documented engine service history, so I could use it as a donor later on — not only for the engine, but also for other components such as the brakes?

The early 129.067 500SL or SL500 with M119.972 engine would mostly just provide a good engine. The front 129.067 brakes are the same size as stock early 500E (300x22), in iron Ate only. The rear 129 brakes are smaller (thinner, non-vented) on the R129. Nothing of value there, and the differential won't swap either. The computer modules all work, but that's about it. Usually it's not worth buying a complete SL500 unless it's really cheap. Make sure you don't buy a later 129.067 with the 119.98x engine... those are completely different.

If you want to bore the block to 100mm, it also must be an early production car with closed-deck block. I forget the exact production break but it was approximately late 1993. By 1994, I think all M119 engines were open-deck. The casting number on the side of the block will confirm open deck vs closed deck. Open-deck blocks do not support boring to 100mm.

 

[faltinor]

I’ll update you tomorrow after speaking with my mechanic. He has over 35 years of experience building race engines. He already has a few ideas in mind, but wants to properly inspect everything first. He has successfully applied similar solutions many times on long-life rally engines. I’ll share an update once we’ve reviewed it together.

 

[gsxr]

99% of the time, iron sleeves are used because not many machine shops are set up to bore & etch Alusil blocks. However, the Alusil block is more robust and long-lasting vs iron. So there is some tradeoff. And, you pray the sleeve never moves... that's another risk. You still need custom pistons either way, but I guess custom pistons for iron sleeves are probably more common vs coated properly for Alusil.

More info on Alusil block boring / etching is in this document.