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W124 320 engine conversion, please help!!

akipid

akipid

Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2013
Messages
57
Location
West Midlands
Car
W124 COUPE
Hi guys

I have a 320 CE coupe and I want it more AMG what's the best engine for the convension I have been told c36 AMG engine or is there anyway I could tune my existing engine?
 
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akipid said:
I have MSL Performance who will be doing the labour work so my budget is upto £1500
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On that budget a c36 amg donnor car is your best option, or if your feeling creative a "home brew" supercharger setup using used parts would just be in budget.
 
What would be the best option to take? I like the idea of a supercharger
 
If it was me, I would go for the bigger engine from a donor AMG. All the development work on the engine is done and its a proven package.
There is nothing wrong with tuning an engine but when you start going forced induction you will need to make a lot of changes and is hard to put a price on the work until its finished and working properly.
 
Thanks, so u reckon I should go for the c36 amg engine? I don't mind tuning my existing engine as I'm gona keep the car ain't spend time on it
 
nick mercedes said:
Sell your car and buy a C36/C43/E55/Honda Jazz.

Much easier.
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I have to agree.

Its always easier to insure/fix/sell a standard car.

But the idea of a more powerful 124 sounds interesting.

An AMG engine swap is next best, as the engine will be standard so as reliable as from the factory!

Supercharging is probably going to cost you the most by the time its all done and running so you are happy with it. Really more suited if you wanted to do the work yourself.
(unless you run it low boost) But what would the point of that be.

As for which engine, What can you find? Do get the complete car, not just an engine. Speak to the person that will be doing the work and see what they are happy to do and not do?

Not a straight forward answer i'm afraid but an engine transplant is a very open ended project that will at first look to come together quite quickly as the engine is lowered in. The fabrication of special parts and making things work/fit etc is the time consumer.

Then you have the handling and brakes to match:eek:
 
It may be interesting to take your budget for mods, plus the lowest £ you would take for your car and do some searching on the bay and ph.
You will be getting more car for the money I would think, plus Amg wheels, brakes, suspension.
 
IRRC the AMG 3.6 is a bored?? and stroked ?? version of the 3.2 litre engine. I believe it mainly uses a longer stroke crank from another contemporary Mercedes diesel engine. I have a feeling there was a thread about this some time ago. Whatever its a complete and expensive engine rebuild.
 
nick mercedes said:
Sell your car and buy a C36/C43/E55/Honda Jazz. Much easier.
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I've had all them cars in the past apart from the honda jazz, what's wrong with doing a engine conversion or tune it?
 
If you search the forum you'll find lots of threads about engine swops, turbo conversions, fitting C36 engines & related topics.

I don't think you'll be able to do any major work within a £1500 budget unless you do a lot of work yourself.

It's not an easy engine to find conventional tuning parts for so an engine swop for a C36 might be your best bet. If you need a new wiring loom more than half of your budget is gone already

Nick Froome
 
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I don't know if you guys have heard of MSL Performance who are a sponsor of this forum well anyways they will be doing the labour plus I could get all I need from them but I thought I'd ask for members on here for their opinion..

I have always liked the w124's so I bought one to keep and I will be going all out on it.
 
bolide said:
If you search the forum you'll find lots of threads about engine swops, turbo conversions, fitting C36 engines & related topics. I don't think you'll be able to do any major work within a £1500 budget unless you do a lot of work yourself Nick Froome
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what I meant was 1500 on parts and labour seperate
 
The obvious conversion is a C36 as already suggested by the guys. I don't think to do it right you'll get away with 1500 quid for parts. Besides buying the engine or donor car, by rights you'll should consider improving the brakes, having a suitable/better exhaust system and upgrade the springs & shocks too. Not to mention what service items that will be required for the new engine and long term service items plus any items you might consider replacing as good preventive maintenance.
There's the possibility that the C36 engine loom & head gasket may require attention - even if not, you should factor those in your costings just in case.
There's no point in starting a project like this and setting a modest budget imo, I'd actually allow £3000-3500 for just parts.
 
I would approach this engine swap in the same respect that I did on my C43/55 Conversion.
As the 320 and the 36 engine are both the same type, I would attempt to put it in the W124 with the W124 wiring loom fitted you may have to swap a few bits over from one to the other to make it compatible with the 124, but you will have a complete engine for spares, use the 124 320 ECU and get it custom mapped/rolling road tuned to suit the new engine.
I ran my 43 with the 55 engine in it with the 43 ECU, engine wiring loom, etc till I could afford to get it rolling road tuned.
 
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