190E 2.6 vs. 300e Engine????

[The Melmaan]

I have a 1989 190e 2.6L engine in which the engine is in my garage. The reason is I'm replacing the head gasket. While this is going on, I spotted a 1989 300e. Unfortunately the 300e overheated on me.
I read the description of what is written on the sticker and it said that it is a 2.6 litter engine.
I think I have ask this before and I don't think I got a straight answer.
Is the 190e engine the same as the 200e engine?
The reason is if I have busted the head gasket from the 300e, I replace the cylinder head from the 190e to the 300e?
In other words, they are both 1989 and both 2.6L but are the both the same engine?
Thanks.....

[The Melmaan]

What is this with you guys!!! I don't believe anybody has any information on this?

[Yal]

They are the same engines BUT, and this is a big but, Mercedes introduced certain things at different times for each engine so you have to be careful swapping parts. For example I have a 230E, the 190E 2.3 is the same engine BUT I have to watch the manufacturing date of the engine when I am buying 2.3 engine parts to swap in. A perfect example is the headgasket. The head gasket on my 230E has a loop on one end, the 2.3 of the same year had no loop, that loop wasn't introduced into the 190E until the next year. Its just little things like that you have to be careful off that will cause you fits. The only way to tell is through trial and error OR if some one actually has the spec diagrams for both engines.

[E36c_amg]

I had 2.6 w124 and 3.0 w124...and i can tell you that 2.6 is much better engine.
2.6 has 166 HP and it can do 100 km easy driving with 9-10 L of gas,average 12 L!
3.0 has 186 HP and it can do 100 km 11-12 L easy driving but average is about 14-15 L!!!
And another thing is that 3.0 is NOT faster than 2.6!
That is my expirience with these two engines...
Sorry for my english!

[neanderthal]

the above ^^is because the rear end ratio of the 2.6 is 3.27 vs 3.07 for the 3.0

performance and fuel economy are very close for them.

[The Melmaan]

I took the car (300e) in the garage yesterday it have a hardtime starting and when it started, it is way out of tune. I also found that there is a leak on the water pump. I'm still not sure if there is a head gasket issue. I have to take some pictures of the engine and compare it to the 190e engine. My intention was if they have the same cylinder head, I will use the 190 cylinder head on the 300e engine.