W123/W124 gearbox compatibility

[smile]

Hello!

For those that haven't seen my intro thread, I have a 230CE with a lazy and possibly dying auto gearbox.

Now I know the engine in my car (M102) is used in the W124's and also the W201's in various capacities but still including the 230.
I'm wanting to know whether the auto gearbox from a W124 230E (for example) will mate to my W123 M102 engine without any modification.
I've been given mixed answers so far.

As you can imagine, low mileage W124 gearboxes are a lot easier/cheaper to source than a W123 gearbox.

Can anyone shed some light on this? Its proving hard to find ANY information on the web regarding the gearboxes in these cars.

 

[grober]

Go to this site and stick in your VIN /chassis number ??????? ????????? MB then select the gearbox number that comes up for your model .
e.g. for a 102-980 engine there are 2 auto gearboxes 722.122 AND 722.401

Then go back to the start page and select car---- select a 190 (w201) or e class (w124) and have a look for matching gearbox numbers. the basic gearbox might be the same but the external ancillary controls might be slightly different

 

[jaymanek]

I know of people who have stuck W124 engine & gearboxes together into W123's but im not sure of just changing one.

I do have a W123 230E with an auto box that could be sold if you need?

 

[smile]

Grober, thank you mate! Looks like a rather handy site to keep in the favourites. Just like you say, I'm hoping that the core gearbox will be the same and maybe I'd just have to swap over a few of the 'other bits' from the old gearbox to make it all work as it should.

I know of people who have stuck W124 engine & gearboxes together into W123's but im not sure of just changing one.

I do have a W123 230E with an auto box that could be sold if you need?

Really!? I was considering that a while back, my dads W124 230E drives soooo much nicer than my Merc! Are all the engine/gearbox mounts the same then? Do you just have to swap over a few ancillaries from the old engine? The irony is I probably could have paid for a swap like that with the money I've spent keeping this engine alive .

Thanks for the offer, unfortunatley being a student I'm permanently poor. Out of interest do you mean you'd sell the gearbox, the engine/gearbox or the whole car??
I've seen a box on ebay for £100 delivered, it's got 119,000 miles on it (mines on 136,000). Its described as 'excellent' but I realise that's just some guy on Ebay which isn't really anything to go by. But for a 100 quid as opposed to whatever fortune they charge for a rebuild these days...part of me is thinking it might be worth a punt!.... wonder if it's the kind of thing I could swap myself??

 

[jaymanek]

£100 for a good box sounds good and I would take it... worst case you have lost £100.. thats if you plan to do the work yourself.

Yep ive seen later 190E diesel engine transplants and also have seen a 2.3 16 valve from a 190E.. I was told it was a straght drop in for anything 190E to W123 (apart from some wiring)...

W124 to W123 can be done for the M102 engine'd cars but I have no idea on the other ones.

 

[smile]

£100 for a good box sounds good and I would take it... worst case you have lost £100.. thats if you plan to do the work yourself.

Yep ive seen later 190E diesel engine transplants and also have seen a 2.3 16 valve from a 190E.. I was told it was a straght drop in for anything 190E to W123 (apart from some wiring)...

W124 to W123 can be done for the M102 engine'd cars but I have no idea on the other ones.

It'll be a bloody steal if it is a good box! I was quoted £250 + delivery + VAT by MercMan for a second hand box off them...and that was only if they could find me one as apparently they're getting rare.

Oh man a diesel conversion would be awesome! Any idea how much a conversion like that would cost not including the engine/gearbox?




I still need to put my VIN into the site Grober posted up.. I've been on work experience that past few weeks in London and have been absolutley knackered by the time I get home. I've found a new respect for anyone who works and commutes to London!

 

[jaymanek]

The cost of the conversion is how much you can get a donor car for and if you have the facilities and motivation to do the job yourself...

p.s. tell me about London.. its why i moved back to the midlands after 6 years in the place.

 

[smile]

The cost of the conversion is how much you can get a donor car for and if you have the facilities and motivation to do the job yourself...

p.s. tell me about London.. its why i moved back to the midlands after 6 years in the place.

Thing is I don't have the facilities or the knowledge. Are you saying it would be hard to find someone to carry out the conversion if I couldn't do it myself?
I don't suppose you have any contact details for the guy whos car you saw with the diesel conversion? I guess the person most likely to help me would be someone who's already done it once before!
My main thought is what happens with the instrument cluster? It's not gonna read right, and the 190 one will be a different shape so you can't swap them out!

 

[Ian B Walker]

the 190 or 124 box will fit. You may have to change the electrical plug but that is not hard to do. The speedo should read the same though so no probs with the cluster. But, if you have a big difference you could graft a 201 / 124 clock into the cluster.

 

[smile]

the 190 or 124 box will fit. You may have to change the electrical plug but that is not hard to do. The speedo should read the same though so no probs with the cluster. But, if you have a big difference you could graft a 201 / 124 clock into the cluster.

Wow, thanks! That's a great bit of news! Should be much easier/cheaper to source a decent box.
Sorry, you must have misunderstood me. My question about the cluster was related to doing a diesel conversion, intersting that it would be possible to graft a 201/124 clock in though. I've never taken much time to compare the shape with a 123 cluster.

 

[Alcm]

Hi, I know it has been years since this post, but if you see this, did you ever actually do the swap and did it work?

Hello!

For those that haven't seen my intro thread, I have a 230CE with a lazy and possibly dying auto gearbox.

Now I know the engine in my car (M102) is used in the W124's and also the W201's in various capacities but still including the 230.
I'm wanting to know whether the auto gearbox from a W124 230E (for example) will mate to my W123 M102 engine without any modification.
I've been given mixed answers so far.

As you can imagine, low mileage W124 gearboxes are a lot easier/cheaper to source than a W123 gearbox.

Can anyone shed some light on this? Its proving hard to find ANY information on the web regarding the

Hello!

For those that haven't seen my intro thread, I have a 230CE with a lazy and possibly dying auto gearbox.

Now I know the engine in my car (M102) is used in the W124's and also the W201's in various capacities but still including the 230.
I'm wanting to know whether the auto gearbox from a W124 230E (for example) will mate to my W123 M102 engine without any modification.
I've been given mixed answers so far.

As you can imagine, low mileage W124 gearboxes are a lot easier/cheaper to source than a W123 gearbox.

Can anyone shed some light on this? Its proving hard to find ANY information on the web regarding the gearboxes in these cars.