C55 Manual conversion.

[Mateusz]

Hi there,
Well I am prepering my 190E for engine swap.
And I am looking for information or garage which is willing to do this job.
I am interested in AMG55 or C55 but here is my main problem...I want manual gearbox fit in it.
I saw in post from 2010 that member BlackC55 (cant write messege to him?) saying that he will be able to do it?
So please please Mr. BlackC55 get back to me if you can
Thanks
Matt

 

[MancMike]

What’s an AMG 55?

Where are you based?

 

[Alfie]

Hi there,
Well I am prepering my 190E for engine swap.
And I am looking for information or garage which is willing to do this job.
I am interested in AMG55 or C55 but here is my main problem...I want manual gearbox fit in it.
I saw in post from 2010 that member BlackC55 (cant write messege to him?) saying that he will be able to do it?
So please please Mr. BlackC55 get back to me if you can
Thanks
Matt

Contact Prestige Car servicing in Horndean. Thats BlackC55's business.

 

[Mateusz]

What’s an AMG 55?

Where are you based?

Hi,
I am in Edinburgh,
I am planning to do it in 2019, at the moment I am collecting information and also looking for garage which will take this job.
AMG55 is a 5.5l amg engine/merc
The hardest thing is to find info about manual gearbox which will fit in to it...

 

[Mateusz]

Contact Prestige Car servicing in Horndean. Thats BlackC55's business.

Hi,
Thanks I allready get reply from them that they dont do it anymore ;(

 

[Petrol Pete]

I am curious as to why anyone would want to go to all the trouble of taking a C55 and fitting a manual box in it ? I have one with the standard 5G box fitted. It has comfort, sport and 'manual' (via paddles) settings along with +/- 'knock the stick' gear selection.

OK its not a true manual , obviously as it has no clutch pedal. But there are cars out there with the same (or more) power that can be had with a manual gearbox already fitted.

Not saying its a bad thing to want to do to a C55 just curious as to the motives/gains for doing all that work.

 

[gramey]

There's a guy in Poland that does modified BMW E39 gearboxes for the Mercedes AMG V8 engine - if you look up a guy called Taverish on YouTube he converted his R230 SL55 to manual transmission using one of this guys modified manual gearboxes.

 

[MancMike]

Hi,
I am in Edinburgh,
I am planning to do it in 2019, at the moment I am collecting information and also looking for garage which will take this job.
AMG55 is a 5.5l amg engine/merc
The hardest thing is to find info about manual gearbox which will fit in to it...

Hi, there is no "AMG 55" model. The 5.5 AMG engine is fitted to several models like the CLK 55 AMG, CLS 55 AMG, E55, etc. Just you mentioned a C55 AMG, then AMG 55, which isn't a model, so I was confused. I guess you just mean the engine itself regardless of which model it's out of?

What's the motivation for the manual gearbox?

 

[m2287]

Hi, there is no "AMG 55" model. The 5.5 AMG engine is fitted to several models like the CLK 55 AMG, CLS 55 AMG, E55, etc. Just you mentioned a C55 AMG, then AMG 55, which isn't a model, so I was confused. I guess you just mean the engine itself regardless of which model it's out of?

What's the motivation for the manual gearbox?

It’s not even a 5.5, it’s actually a 5.4!!

 

[Gistek]

There is a guy on YouTube called "Travarish" he is converting his M113k SL55 to manual. He visits the place where he is getting the box from in one of his videos.

 

[Alex]

And I am looking for information or garage which is willing to do this job.

There is one I know of. Give me a shout when you're ready to go ahead. Meanwhile, have a look at some pictures here.

 

[Mateusz]

Hi, there is no "AMG 55" model. The 5.5 AMG engine is fitted to several models like the CLK 55 AMG, CLS 55 AMG, E55, etc. Just you mentioned a C55 AMG, then AMG 55, which isn't a model, so I was confused. I guess you just mean the engine itself regardless of which model it's out of?

What's the motivation for the manual gearbox?

Well yes that what I mean.
Motivation is and was always to have as much control over the car as possible, this is just what I love.
I love the shape of W201 and I am not so much in to newer cars, to much plastic.
Most of my short life I been doing/upgrading my old cars, but now is time for something more serious haha
I am just old school driver and i am passionate about older cars but they are just lack in power.
Thanks

 

[Mateusz]

There is one I know of. Give me a shout when you're ready to go ahead. Meanwhile, have a look at some pictures here.

WoW looks amazing, thanks.
Like I said I am preparing my self and my bank account for this job haha
But definitely I will contact you when I got all what I need.
I am quite sure I move on with this in the middle of 2019.
Do you know roughly what are the cost for this swap?
Thanks

 

[Mateusz]

I am curious as to why anyone would want to go to all the trouble of taking a C55 and fitting a manual box in it ? I have one with the standard 5G box fitted. It has comfort, sport and 'manual' (via paddles) settings along with +/- 'knock the stick' gear selection.

OK its not a true manual , obviously as it has no clutch pedal. But there are cars out there with the same (or more) power that can be had with a manual gearbox already fitted.

Not saying its a bad thing to want to do to a C55 just curious as to the motives/gains for doing all that work.

Hi,
Well my reason for that is easy.
I love being in charge of my car to the maximum, I love the feeling of feeling the car.
I am not so much fun of newer cars, I was working on cars since I remember but only as a hobby.
I love the shape of W201 but it is lack of power. I am old school driver and clutch is a must haha
Dont take me wrong as I am sure you still have great fun with your C55 and paddles but it is just not my kind of fun.
I owned stronger cars before, but since I bought 190 I went mental haha I love this car for it shape, comfort and history that the reason I want to make it little bit more special.
Cheers

 

[Alex]

WoW looks amazing, thanks.
Like I said I am preparing my self and my bank account for this job haha
But definitely I will contact you when I got all what I need.
I am quite sure I move on with this in the middle of 2019.
Do you know roughly what are the cost for this swap?
Thanks

The cost depends on the type of gearbox you decide to go with. There are some inepxensive 5- and 6-speed manual BMW boxes on ebay for a few hundred pounds, if you can live with the relatively short first gear. They will have plenty of torque for the N/A 55 engine. For reference, a clutch and a flywheel are a few hundred pounds each. Same for the adaptor plate for the gearbox/engine. Then there's adjusting, balancing and coupling the prop shaft to the new gearbox. Pedal box, master cylinder, pipework... it adds up quickly. If you're serious about doing it, I'd start gathering parts over the next year and a half.

 

[Mateusz]

The cost depends on the type of gearbox you decide to go with. There are some inepxensive 5- and 6-speed manual BMW boxes on ebay for a few hundred pounds, if you can live with the relatively short first gear. They will have plenty of torque for the N/A 55 engine. For reference, a clutch and a flywheel are a few hundred pounds each. Same for the adaptor plate for the gearbox/engine. Then there's adjusting, balancing and coupling the prop shaft to the new gearbox. Pedal box, master cylinder, pipework... it adds up quickly. If you're serious about doing it, I'd start gathering parts over the next year and a half.

Thanks,
I am more after quality original or upgraded parts that will last for long time and will be strong too. But what I was asking is if you know the cost of labour for this kind of job, how much garage if there is one will charge for this work?
Defo I am serious, thats why I am start preparing all I can now, but my main thing is to find garage. I want to speak with someone who knows what they are doing. I want a quote, I want to know exactly what parts I need, is it better to buy donor car or just a parts, diferencial need to be changed, brake system need to be changed, suspension need to be changed etc...
Thank you for info

 

[Doodle]

You may find it difficult to find someone willing to give an exact itemised quote. Conversions like this are generally a step into uncharted territory and some aspects have to be worked out as they are encountered - they cannot be planned for (and therefore costed) in advance.

 

[Alex]

Thanks,
I am more after quality original or upgraded parts that will last for long time and will be strong too. But what I was asking is if you know the cost of labour for this kind of job, how much garage if there is one will charge for this work?
Defo I am serious, thats why I am start preparing all I can now, but my main thing is to find garage. I want to speak with someone who knows what they are doing. I want a quote, I want to know exactly what parts I need, is it better to buy donor car or just a parts, diferencial need to be changed, brake system need to be changed, suspension need to be changed etc...
Thank you for info

I understand where you're coming from but as Doodle says above, it would be a bespoke conversion as it's unlikely that someone did the same thing you want before. What makes it even more difficult to price is that you want to put a completely different engine in. The only V8 190 conversion I've seen before had alterations to the firewall which pushed everything pretty much backwards. So you should complete the engine conversion before you even start thinking what gearbox you want to use. It is very likely that the car may need tunnel widening, which is hours upon hours of fabrication. Impossible to know anything 'exactly' until you have seen the car and took some essential measurements and for that you need your engine in.

 

[Mateusz]

You may find it difficult to find someone willing to give an exact itemised quote. Conversions like this are generally a step into uncharted territory and some aspects have to be worked out as they are encountered - they cannot be planned for (and therefore costed) in advance.

Yea I know that, I am not counting on exactly price quote just some ideas, is it around £15,000 (plus-minus £5000)?
I am prepared for this but don't want to be surprised haha
I know it is going to be costly I am not looking to do it cheap at some friend of friend...shed.
Thanks guys for your help, ideas and info

 

[Mateusz]

I know there is quite a lot of 190`s with AMG 55 engine and manual box in Georgia but it is very difficult to contact them.(lack of english maybe?)
Tell me what your ideas.
Basically I want in my 190e at least 400bhp and must be manual, petrol only but it must be Mercedes engine.. Maybe there is better/easier solution to get that?
Thanks