The $400 400E

[Beater400E]

I just noticed a new quirk with my car. There is a small thump noise coming from the dash that occurs at regular intervals. Roughly every 5 seconds there's just a little thump. I'm guessing it has something to do with climate control.

I haven't done anything to investigate, but figured I'd see if anyone else has experienced that.

 

[gsxr]

Possibly the monovalve cycling when the ACC is calling for some heat?

 

[Beater400E]

Possibly the monovalve cycling when the ACC is calling for some heat?

Sounds possible. Does the monovalve make noise when it cycles? It's pretty quiet, but noticeable when I'm idling with the radio off.

 

[gsxr]

Sounds possible. Does the monovalve make noise when it cycles? It's pretty quiet, but noticeable when I'm idling with the radio off.

It's REALLY quiet, but with the radio off you miiiight notice something.

Next time you notice it, pop the hood and feel the monovalve coil. See if you can feel a thunk at the same frequency of what you're hearing inside the car.

 

[Beater400E]

Next time you notice it, pop the hood and feel the monovalve coil. See if you can feel a thunk at the same frequency of what you're hearing inside the car.

Yeah, I think that's it. It's really subtle, but the timing lines up. I wonder why I can hear it inside. Meh. Sounds like nothing to worry about.

Hoping to get going on the 5 liter swap at some point soonish. I've been doing a bit if work on the SL and on my Jeep, and of course I've been traveling a lot, but I expect that will all settle down soon and I can tear into this car.

It's definitely time, since the 400E is consuming coolant and oil at a fairly alarming rate. I think this engine is dying.

I'm considering experimenting with the intake/exhaust cam swap concept on this engine before I do the actual engine swap. It's extra work, but I'm hoping to learn how well it actually works before I commit to it on a freshly built 5 liter.

I'll need to find a pair of 4.2 intake cams I can use for testing. Once the tests are complete the engine will get yanked and stripped for parts, so I'm not worried about messing it up.

I'm also debating whether I want to try to swap in the 6 speed at the same time as the 5 liter. My engineering experience tells me it's smarter to do them separately in order to minimize variables and make debugging easier with each phase. But I'm also lazy and would like to minimize the downtime for the car. I dunno. Cross that bridge when I get there I guess.

 

[Beater400E]

Ok, I had a new thought. M119.960 block and heads, 5.6L M117 crank and rods, with the M119
960 pistons. Top it all with the LH intake manifold.

Would it bolt together, and would it fit under the hood?

I'm pretty sure the 5.6 crank and rods would drop right in the 960 block, and the 960 pistons would probably work. Not sure if the LH intake would bolt up to the 960 heads though. Also not sure if it would fit under the hood.

I wouldn't expect it to be without challenges, but it might make a stroker M119 possible without custom pistons and expensive machine work.

 

[gsxr]

I might be missing something here, but if you use stock .960 pistons with the longer M117 crank, it would push the pistons out the top of the block - right? IIRC, the M117 and M119.960 have very, very similar blocks.

I don't know if the M119 pistons would be the appropriate amount shorter. Usually for any stroker / 5.6L build you at least need different pistons. The rods may need to be machined to clear the block as described in the AMG 6L Introduction manual. The crank should fit in the M119 block, but may need the counterweights machined, and the assembly balanced. The plus side would be, no need to bore/etch the block. If everything else can be made to work, getting custom pistons might not be too terribly expensive?

LH manifold won't bolt up to the .960 engine, but I recall someone made an adapter plate to fit the EFI manifold to the .960 heads? Or go nuts with ITB's.

Hood clearance would be tight, not sure how much taller the .960 is overall. A custom intake might provide needed clearance.

 

[Beater400E]

I might be missing something here, but if you use stock .960 pistons with the longer M117 crank, it would push the pistons out the top of the block - right? IIRC, the M117 and M119.960 have very, very similar blocks.

You're right. I had one part wrong. Use the .97x rods with the 5.6 crank and .960 pistons. The taller deck height should make that combo work. The stroke is 9.8mm longer, so it'll push the piston 4.9mm higher. The .97x rods are 5.5mm shorter, so overall the piston would end up 0.6mm lower in the hole. That 0.6mm could be taken care of by skimming the deck and/or block.

LH manifold won't bolt up to the .960 engine, but I recall someone made an adapter plate to fit the EFI manifold to the .960 heads? Or go nuts with ITB's.

Hood clearance would be tight, not sure how much taller the .960 is overall. A custom intake might provide needed clearance.

Or maybe just a custom belt-driven intake manifold? Something like a used Hellcat blower with custom adapter plates.

 

[gsxr]

You're right. I had one part wrong. Use the .97x rods with the 5.6 crank and .960 pistons. The taller deck height should make that combo work. The stroke is 9.8mm longer, so it'll push the piston 4.9mm higher. The .97x rods are 5.5mm shorter, so overall the piston would end up 0.6mm lower in the hole. That 0.6mm could be taken care of by skimming the deck and/or block.

You have more data at your fingertips than I do! I'd calculate how much compression ratio would be lost by the 0.6mm... if not significant, I wouldn't bother skimming. Maybe take a hair off the cylinder heads to get a clean sealing surface.

Or maybe just a custom belt-driven intake manifold? Something like a used Hellcat blower with custom adapter plates.

Something like this would be amazing. Stern Garage was offering a kit for .97x engines at like $20k, there's a forum thread with photos. Think they pulled that from their website though? Gotta be a more affordable way to get a supercharger. The belt drive would be a problem while retaining the ~4" space needed for the PWM electric cooling fan. That was an issue with the Albrex/Koenig setups too, IIRC.

 

[Beater400E]

So do I spend $300 on a junk yard .960 engine just to experiment and find out for sure? I'd still need a 5.6 crank, but I have everything else I'd need.

 

[Beater400E]

Stupid question here. Let's pretend that I could fab up some kind of forced induction system. Nothing crazy. Like 5-8 psi max. Is there any chance the stock LH system could deal with that with maybe upgraded injectors or some such thing? Or would it absolutely require going standalone? I assume it would require standalone, which is more than I want to chew right now, but if it could handle a little boost on the stock tune, I might consider it.

 

[gsxr]

Stupid question here. Let's pretend that I could fab up some kind of forced induction system. Nothing crazy. Like 5-8 psi max. Is there any chance the stock LH system could deal with that with maybe upgraded injectors or some such thing? Or would it absolutely require going standalone? I assume it would require standalone, which is more than I want to chew right now, but if it could handle a little boost on the stock tune, I might consider it.

Stock LH can handle mild boost (at least 5psi, but 8psi might be pushing it) with a 9th injector added to provide the needed fuel under boost. This is how the 90's tuners (Albrex, Koenig) did it, back when aftermarket injection was something only factories could afford.

Now, the question is... how do you control the 9th injector? Information about the Albrex setups is almost impossible to come by. I think we only figured out the presence of a 9th injector from pictures of an Albrex install umpteen years ago. I vaguely recall a piggyback controller for Injector #9 but have no clue what controls it.

Can stock LH handle boost? AFAIK, no, it cannot... but I have no proof of this. I also don't know if it needs to stay in closed-loop operation under boost. It might be easier/cheaper to go full aftermarket?

 

[Beater400E]

Now, the question is... how do you control the 9th injector? Information about the Albrex setups is almost impossible to come by. I think we only figured out the presence of a 9th injector from pictures of an Albrex install umpteen years ago. I vaguely recall a piggyback controller for Injector #9 but have no clue what controls it.

Yeah, there are controllers out there that could control a 9th injector. Cost for the setup would probably be $500-1000 by the time that was all done. I think something like a Megasquirt would be more cost effective in the end, especially if I were to sell my stock harness and LH.

I guess my main question was whether the stock LH could handle low boost on its own. Sounds like it's not likely. I had a line on a supercharger that I could get for cheap, so was just thinking that if all I had to do was mount and plumb it, it might be worth giving it a shot. I'm not really looking to go full standalone at this point.

 

[gsxr]

I'm not sure if anyone has actually tried low boost with stock LH to see what happens. If you do this, I'd get an AFR gauge on the dash to monitor the mixture in real time under load.

In theory the MAF should be able to read airflow properly. The question is if the manifold vacuum/pressure sensor (located inside the EZL) will recognize boost vs vacuum and if the LH module will "understand" a boost signal or not.

 

[Beater400E]

In theory the MAF should be able to read airflow properly. The question is if the manifold vacuum/pressure sensor (located inside the EZL) will recognize boost vs vacuum and if the LH module will "understand" a boost signal or not.

That's what I'm thinking. I'd imagine the EZL could only pull timing down to zero vacuum, and then it's done. I suppose with a different trim plug, premium fuel, and very low boost it should be fine. At that point it's not much different than just travelling to a much lower elevation. 5 psi would be equivalent to roughly 10,000 feet of elevation drop. I wonder how well the car would run 10,000 feet underground. It's mostly just a thought experiment.

 

[Beater400E]

I've been distracted lately putting together a dirt cheap off road racing lawn mower to compete in some local races.





Having limped the mower across the finish line to a 3rd place finish with a broken tie rod in its first race last week, I'm now back to more junk yard scrounging for the 400E.

There's a 91 560SEL at the pick and pull. I yanked the engine out today and started tearing into it. I'll need to return in the morning with some additional tools, but the plan is to extract the crankshaft.

Obviously the crank isn't a direct bolt in for any M119, but I can't even consider a 6.0L without the crank, so for pick and pull prices, I'll just snag it and decide what to do with it later.

I'm confident I could turn down the crank counterweights myself on my lathe, and then clearance the block as needed. I'd need custom pistons, a custom head gasket, and then to have the rotating assembly balanced. I know Cometic will make custom head gaskets to order. Not sure about pricing, but I might be motivated to at least check once I have a crank. Multiple companies offer custom pistons, so I'd probably get a few quotes there as well.

I have 1992 500SEL cams, which are the best 5.0L cams, and I'm still considering installing intake cams in place of exhaust using custom machined sprockets for more lift and duration on the exhaust side. I can also do some basic port work on the heads while I'm in there. This should move the torque curve up a bit higher in the RPM range, but with Dave's chip, and a 6 speed manual swap, I think it would be a screamer.

I don't have a 6.0 LH module, but I'd have to think the 92 5.0 module should be able to compensate for the additional air flow. Not sure whether the 6.0 used a different EZL, but I'm sure the 5.0 EZL would work.

I'm also considering pulling the diff out of the junk yard 560. I believe that should have a limited slip that would theoretically work in the 400E. Obviously not the whole assembly, but I think the carrier might work. Not certain whether it would work with my 3.06 gears, but if I need to change ratios I can.

Obviously it would be a mountain of work, but the thought of a 400E with a 6 liter, 6 speed swap, limited slip, CLK wheels, and SL500 brakes sounds like a ton of fun.

 

[gsxr]

Fabulous score on the crankshaft!

You could build a 5.6L engine for a bit less $$$. This would let you keep stock head gaskets, and not require boring the Alusil block. If you can get the block bored / etched at a reasonable cost, then a 6.0L would be within reach. The 5.0 EZL will work fine either way. Look at the AMG LH 6.0L book for details, you'll also need to machine the stock rods slightly for clearance. You'll need custom pistons either way - very curious what price quotes you'll get from piston mfr's for Alusil-ready pistons (and rings).

The 560SEL diff should be 2.47 LSD. That carrier only works with 2.47 gears, but with a custom ring gear spacer it would work with 3.06 gears. The clutches are always shot, new frictions are NLA but there are aftermarket friction kits available.

 

[Beater400E]

I managed to get the crankshaft out. Paid a whopping $20 for that. I began pulling the diff, but then I went and smashed the crap out of thumb in the process and decided I couldn't reasonably get it out with one hand, so I'll have to come back for that another day.

The clutches are always shot, new frictions are NLA but there are aftermarket friction kits available.

I'm sure the clutches should be replaced, but at least turning by hand both wheels do turn the same direction. Any idea where I could source an aftermarket friction kit?

 

[gsxr]

These are the aftermarket clutch kits I know of. Not sure of the quality, or if there are other options, or more reasonable prices.

The disc quantity is different for OE vs aftermarket, I'm guessing aftermarket has different thicknesses and you must use their entire kit.

Limited slip differential Clutch plate set for Mercedes W126 / R107 210mm LSD | eBay

R107 models such as 380sl, 500sl. W126 models such as 380se, 500se, 380sel, 500sel, 380sec and 500sec. We use the highest quality thermally processed tool steel which differs our product from any others on the market.

www.ebay.com

Mercedes-Benz - Performance Upgrade Pack for OEM Limited Slip Differential (LSD)

Upgrade your Mercedes-Benz 190E, W116, W126, or R107 with RacingDiffs Performance Clutch Plate Kit and ASD Mechanical Conversion Kit. Superior grip and reliability. Shop now!

racingdiffs.com

I found Roncallo's opinion at this link... hmmm.... @jhodg5ck, you seen this?

"Did some checking out on those clutch plates on E-bay. Needles to say I'm not impressed.​

​

The set comes with twelve 1.5mm thick clutch plates and eight 2mm steel plates.​

​

The idea is to use two 1.5mm clutch plates in place of the single sided selective plate. I have already found that one 1.9mm plate will fall into the groove between the broached spline and the back face of the side gear.​

​

It also eliminates the steel that goes against the carrier and puts the clutch plate directly to the machined cast iron surface of the carrier.​

​

The concept was based on samples sent in by a customer that they made a set for and received positive feedback.​

​

I'm of the opinion that the total amount of testing done on this is based on the feedback of one customer's 2 or 3 burnouts.​

​

I will pass."​

 

[Beater400E]

These are the aftermarket clutch kits I know of. Not sure of the quality, or if there are other options, or more reasonable prices.

The disc quantity is different for OE vs aftermarket, I'm guessing aftermarket has different thicknesses and you must use their entire kit.

Limited slip differential Clutch plate set for Mercedes W126 / R107 210mm LSD | eBay

R107 models such as 380sl, 500sl. W126 models such as 380se, 500se, 380sel, 500sel, 380sec and 500sec. We use the highest quality thermally processed tool steel which differs our product from any others on the market.

www.ebay.com

Mercedes-Benz - Performance Upgrade Pack for OEM Limited Slip Differential (LSD)

Upgrade your Mercedes-Benz 190E, W116, W126, or R107 with RacingDiffs Performance Clutch Plate Kit and ASD Mechanical Conversion Kit. Superior grip and reliability. Shop now!

racingdiffs.com

I found Roncallo's opinion at this link... hmmm.... @jhodg5ck, you seen this?

"Did some checking out on those clutch plates on E-bay. Needles to say I'm not impressed.​

​

The set comes with twelve 1.5mm thick clutch plates and eight 2mm steel plates.​

​

The idea is to use two 1.5mm clutch plates in place of the single sided selective plate. I have already found that one 1.9mm plate will fall into the groove between the broached spline and the back face of the side gear.​

​

It also eliminates the steel that goes against the carrier and puts the clutch plate directly to the machined cast iron surface of the carrier.​

​

The concept was based on samples sent in by a customer that they made a set for and received positive feedback.​

​

I'm of the opinion that the total amount of testing done on this is based on the feedback of one customer's 2 or 3 burnouts.​

​

I will pass."​

It looks like both links are for the same product. I'm skeptical of that kit too. I'm starting to think maybe it's not worth getting this diff. It's only $80, which is quite cheap, but without access to reasonably priced quality clutches, it might not be worth messing with.

 

[gsxr]

It looks like both links are for the same product. I'm skeptical of that kit too. I'm starting to think maybe it's not worth getting this diff. It's only $80, which is quite cheap, but without access to reasonably priced quality clutches, it might not be worth messing with.

If you read the whole Fruitbird thread, mostly Roncallo's posts and not the other muppet... it sounds like an alternative is to retain the worn clutches but add a steel shim to take up clearance.

Why can't someone just reproduce stock-size clutch discs? I don't get why they bothered creating a completely different pack. OK, maybe I get it... the factory setup relies on a single 1-sided disc in varying thicknesses, and I'm guessing they didn't want to bother with that part of the stock setup.

 

[Beater400E]

If you read the whole Fruitbird thread, mostly Roncallo's posts and not the other muppet... it sounds like an alternative is to retain the worn clutches but add a steel shim to take up clearance.

Now you're speaking my language. That's definitely worth a shot. I can procure an appropriate shim and machine a ring gear spacer and swap it in myself. It would cost next to nothing to put that together.

When my mangled digit stops throbbing I'll go back out and finish pulling it.

Why can't someone just reproduce stock-size clutch discs? I don't get why they bothered creating a completely different pack. OK, maybe I get it... the factory setup relies on a single 1-sided disc in varying thicknesses, and I'm guessing they didn't want to bother with that part of the stock setup.

I know I could have custom clutches made. Disston Precision makes custom friction sets. I'm sure there are others. No clue on prices though. I'm sure it would be far more cost effective to have them produce a number of them rather than a single set. I don't imagine there's much demand though.

Maybe when I pull that diff apart I'll get a bunch of measurements and try getting quotes for custom clutches. If nothing else we can get a price.

 

[Beater400E]

The weather has been pretty lousy for the last week, so I haven't made it back out to get the diff from the junk yard. Rolling around in the mud just doesn't sound like fun.

I did manage to pick up something else last night though.



It's a 95 500SL, for (you guessed it) $500.

"But wait," you say, "surely if it's a 95 it must be an SL500."

Yeah, I don't know. It has a 500SL badge on the trunk. I've heard of cars being badged with the old nomenclature in 94-95, but I've never seen one. It's also possible that the decklid or badge were replaced at some point. Doesn't matter. I just thought it was interesting.

The car is trashed, but pretty complete. It has 225,000 miles on it, but supposedly ran when parked. The engine wiring harness is pretty crunchy looking, and it has plenty of "custom" wiring throughout.

I figure it's a decent parts car for my 400E and 500SL. I'll try to get it running and see how the motor is. My 400E has developed a coolant leak from the water pump. Given the fact that changing the water pump is such a pain, and that the engine in that car has been consuming oil and water, I'll probably just swap the motor rather than replace the water pump.

The 5 liter engine I've been planning to assemble for this car is still in a million pieces, and I'm still considering building a 5.6 (5.5?) or 6.0 liter using the 560 crank I just picked up. If the engine from this 95 turns out to be decent, it would be a simple bolt-in in the 400E, so I might do that for the short term.

The fact that the oil pan, exhaust manifolds, and all the other ancillary junk is the same makes it much easier than swapping in the 92 500SEL engine I have. Also, the engine I was planning to assemble is an open deck block, but if I do end up putting together a stroker, it would probably be wise to use the 92 closed deck block for that, meaning that I have no engine available in the short term to go in the 400E.

The rest of the car will just become parts. I've been selling a bunch of my inventory on eBay lately. I haven't sold anything I can't live without, but the stuff I have sold has way more than paid for the parts cars that supplied them, so I'll just continue that trend here.

 

[gsxr]

How do you FIND these!!

Yeah, someone replaced the badge. These were all SL500's assuming the VIN checks out as 1995. Fabulous parts car. Engine is 100% bolt-in, while the 140 engine is not. Check the block casting number, if it's a 1995 vehicle, it's almost certainly open-deck block. The change happened in the middle of 1994 USA model year production.

560 crank in the M119 results in 5,547cc displacement, just enough to round up to 5.6L.

 

[Beater400E]

How do you FIND these!!

I have a saved search on Facebook Marketplace that feeds me local MB listings for cars like this. This one popped up yesterday afternoon for $900 in Eden, Idaho, which is about 2 hours from me. I messaged the guy and offered $500 and he told me to come get it.

Check the block casting number, if it's a 1995 vehicle, it's almost certainly open-deck block. The change happened in the middle of 1994 USA model year production.

I'm pretty sure it'll be open deck. Build date on the car is 12/94. Doesn't matter too much though since I expect to just run it in stock form.

I did also notice the car has a fancy factory sound system with rear speakers and sub. I may look at swapping some or all of that into my 500SL too.

 

[Beater400E]

My thumb is healing, but the weather was terrible for weeks so today was really the first day I could get out and finish the job.



Got the limited slip diff from the 91 560SEL. I also snagged a handful of switches from that car that were in nice shape.

There was also a 92 500SL out there that has some goodies. Got the cam oiler tubes, the front and rear Becker radio components, and a basically brand new set of Beru plug wires.

Grand total $114. The cam oiler tubes will be for sale here on the forum shortly, and the radio components will likely end up on eBay. Maybe I'll list those here first and see if anyone wants them.

I've been selling a ton of parts on eBay lately to people all over the world. I usually don't bother posting them here, but if anyone is looking for anything feel free to hit me up. I have a ton of parts at this point, including an entire 95 SL500.

 

[Beater400E]

Check out what I got.

 

[Beater400E]

Just stumbled across an ASR diff from a 92 500SL in the junk yard. I THINK this should be a 2.65, and a direct bolt in for our cars. If anyone is in need, let me know and I'll yank it.

 

[gsxr]

Just stumbled across an ASR diff from a 92 500SL in the junk yard. I THINK this should be a 2.65, and a direct bolt in for our cars. If anyone is in need, let me know and I'll yank it.

Yes, a 1992 500SL (129.066) with ASR will be 2.65 and 100% bolt-in to any 036, and any 034 with ASR. I wonder if the axle length is slightly shorter on the R129 vs W124.

Great upgrade for a 400E/E420! Won't work with 034's that lack ASR though.

 

[Beater400E]

Yes, a 1992 500SL (129.066) with ASR will be 2.65 and 100% bolt-in to any 036, and any 034 with ASR. I wonder if the axle length is slightly shorter on the R129 vs W124.

Great upgrade for a 400E/E420! Won't work with 034's that lack ASR though.

The axles are the best part of this deal. They're the exact same axle as the 036/034 with ASR. I've been looking for another set of those. These are coming home with me.

 

[Beater400E]

Also...
I decided to yank the tall deck engine so I can try out the idea of a nearly bolt-together 5.6 consisting of a tall deck block with a 560 crank, LH 5.0 pistons and rods and... some kind of intake.

I dont know if it will work, but I have to find out.

 

[gsxr]

The axles are the best part of this deal. They're the exact same axle as the 036/034 with ASR. I've been looking for another set of those. These are coming home with me.

You're right! I checked my spreadsheet and the 129.066 axles are the same p/n as the 036, and 034+ASR.

 

[Beater400E]

Well, I didn't have cranky junk yard employee refuses to sell me parts on my bingo card for today, but here we are. Spent the entire day at the junk yard pulling parts. Had a huge pile of stuff. Closing time came before I was done pulling my list, but I took what I had up front to check out.

Dude rings me up at $491. That was probably fair, but I wanted to know how much he was charging for things, just so I could decide if there was anything I didn't really want. So I asked if he could break it down for me.

Dude immediately got super defensive, saying he was doing me a favor by not charging for the alternator or starter or water pump on the engine I pulled. I pointed out that there was no starter or alternator, and that the water pump is supposed to be included with the engine according to their own signage.

Apparently this insulted his honor or something because he flew off and started yelling and swearing and eventually played his power move and just told me to leave and that he was refusing to sell me anything.

Not much I can do with that I guess. So I left empty-handed. I guess tomorrow I'll call and talk to the manager and see what's up. I don't know if I'm more annoyed by the fact that the guy was so unprofessional, or by the fact that if I am to collect the parts I spent all day pulling, I now have to drive back out to another county to deal with this crap on a work day. I've been doing business with this place for 25 years, and usually have no issues, but once in a while I get some jerk like this. Super annoying.

 

[Beater400E]

Had a nice chat with the junk yard manager today who was very apologetic about the whole deal. Went back out and got my parts and he hooked me up with an extra discount, which I really wasn't expecting.

It'll be interesting to see how well this budget stroker build actually works. Honestly, I expect I'll end up encountering some fatal issue that makes it totally unworkable, but we'll see.

 

[Beater400E]

Started taking measurements between the 119.960, 119.970, and 119.974 engines I have sitting here. The intake manifold on the 960 is obviously wider than the other two.

Adapters wouldn't be too tough to make to get the manifold to bolt up, but it looks like it might put a kink in the airflow. I could raise the intake up to straighten out the airflow, but that might create other problems.

It looks like there's a chance I might be able to adapt the LH injection setup onto the CIS manifold. The ETA location and mounting is at least similar. Same with injector ports. I'd definitely have to make some custom mounting brackets to get it all bolted together. I'd probably have to make some custom injector boss adapters as well, but nothing too crazy.

It looks like the 960 exhaust manifolds are a little longer than the 974, so the exhaust might actually bolt up in the car.

I don't know what differences might exist between the heads. I'll have to actually tear things down to work out the finer details. If it's possible to do this, I should have everything necessary to make it happen. I need to get some other projects out of the way before I start in on this build, but when I get there I'll probably create a new thread for the engine build. Whether it works or not it should be informative.

 

[Beater400E]

Ok, this probably doesn't warrant a whole new thread, so I'll post it here and see if anyone has anything.

I have this limited slip diff carrier I yanked out of a 1991 560SEL. I yanked the carrier out of the housing and got it cleaned up. I want to be able to list it for sale accurately, but the casting number on the carrier doesn't match up with anything I can find.

The number is 126-353-1401. I think. I know in the picture that looks like 1491, but I think that's a 0. Either way, I can't find it.



Does anyone have any idea what I have here? I want to be able to list it accurately, and getting the part number right sure helps a lot.

 

[gsxr]

Casting number is only for the housing, and what you have there is a complete assembly. Casting numbers don't appear in the EPC for items only sold as assemblies (cylinder heads are another example).

If it was from a 560SEL with 2.47 gears and LSD, it should be 126-350-20-23. Only fits 2.47 gearsets unless spacers are used.

 

[Beater400E]

Casting number is only for the housing, and what you have there is a complete assembly. Casting numbers don't appear in the EPC for items only sold as assemblies (cylinder heads are another example).

If it was from a 560SEL with 2.47 gears and LSD, it should be 126-350-20-23. Only fits 2.47 gearsets unless spacers are used.

That's what I suspected, but it surprised me that I couldn't find any reference to the casting number anywhere. If this assembly was sitting on a shelf there would be no way to identify it. So strange. It was a 560SEL with 2.47 and LSD, so I'm sure you're right on the assembly number.

 

[Beater400E]

Ok, so I have this 95 SL500 that runs and drives and I'm considering dumping this engine in my 400E for now. The only real issue is the valve train is noisy. I haven't pulled the valve covers yet, but I'm hoping maybe this is cam oiler tubes?

As soon as I can figure out how to post a video without "Oops, we ran into some problems" I'll share what it sounds like.

 

[TimL]

What is keeping you from going all the way and go with the stoker 560 engine, as you had mentioned before?

 

[Beater400E]

What is keeping you from going all the way and go with the stoker 560 engine, as you had mentioned before?

Still planning to try that, but this is just sitting here and will bolt in. So short term I could run this while I figure out the 5.6. Also, I would have an R129 to use as a test mule for the 5.6 development. Way easier to work out the kinks in an r129 chassis.

 

[Beater400E]

View attachment 1000009608.mp4

There we go. Does that sound like the cam oiler tubes? It's hard to pinpoint the location, but it's definitely top end.

 

[R129 UK]

It is either an oiler tube or a collapsed tappet.

In terms of probability it’s much more likely to be a cam oiler tube.

I tried to attach a video of my car for you which had a tappet issue but it’s too large.

EDIT - linked to it here instead:

Thread 'M119 Ticking Noise - NOT oiler tubes (1998 SL500)'
M119 Ticking Noise - NOT oiler tubes (1998 SL500) | Off-Topic Discussions

 

[Beater400E]

It is either an oiler tube or a collapsed tappet.

In terms of probability it’s much more likely to be a cam oiler tube.

I tried to attach a video of my car for you which had a tappet issue but it’s too large.

EDIT - linked to it here instead:

Thread 'M119 Ticking Noise - NOT oiler tubes (1998 SL500)'
M119 Ticking Noise - NOT oiler tubes (1998 SL500) | Off-Topic Discussions

It does sound pretty similar to yours. Hopefully it's just the oiler tubes. I'll pull the valve covers off tomorrow and have a look. I have a couple sets of aluminum tubes on the shelf so I should be able to swap them out pretty quickly if that's all it is.

 

[R129 UK]

It does sound pretty similar to yours. Hopefully it's just the oiler tubes. I'll pull the valve covers off tomorrow and have a look. I have a couple sets of aluminum tubes on the shelf so I should be able to swap them out pretty quickly if that's all it is.

The sound is very similar for both causes so the only way to know is by visually checking the tubes.

 

[gsxr]

If all the tubes are good, the engine might just need an Italian tune-up. Has this motor spent some time visiting redline?

 

[Beater400E]

If all the tubes are good, the engine might just need an Italian tune-up. Has this motor spent some time visiting redline?

As with other $500 Mercedes I've purchased, it was parked for several years with a bad fuel pump. I tossed in a used fuel pump assembly I had sitting around and put in some fresh gas and it fired right up, but smoked quite a bit. Once it warmed up I gave it some revs and the smoke mostly cleared up.

It sat for the last couple weeks untouched before I fired it up yesterday and it came right to life with basically no smoke. The car isn't registered, so I haven't gotten it out on the road, but I'm sure it would benefit from a good thrashing.

I may just go ahead and swap in some aluminum cam oilers today and inspect the timing chain and guides. I'd want to do all that before I swap the motor into the 400E anyway, so I might as well take a look.

 

[gsxr]

Since the engine was sitting for months or years, it likely just needs to be driven to get the lifters awake from their slumber. Generally need oil temp closer to normal temps (difficult to achieve in the driveway) along with RPM's. Wouldn't hurt to just swap in a set of metal tubes since you have them handy. Might find a popped plastic tube as a smoking gun after you remove the valve covers. This should make the 400E a fun ride. Take it up to Firebird this year!

 

[Beater400E]

Take it up to Firebird this year!

I really should, although I expect I'll be gone on Gambler 500 events a lot of weekends, so finding time for all this could be tough.

 

[Beater400E]

I think the prior owner was allergic to oil changes. Definitely needs some timing chain guides. The oiler tubes appear to all be intact. If I understand the common failure mode, the end cap would be missing if one had failed, right? All of these tubes have their end caps.