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1988 300ce m103 engine swap from a 1996 c36

2K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  zibi1988 
#1 ·
I love my 1988 300ce. I love my c124 so much that Im willing to part a c36 Ive bought to make my 300ce a 300ce 3.6 . :0 :)
The major troubling differences in the setup from my "extensive" knowledge.

Wiring- a e320 harness would be nice should plug right into the motor and c36 ecu. C36 ecu has traction controll which I dont want. will I need to obtain a e320 ecu and have it optimized for a c36?
I know that the throttle body will need to be replaced with a non ASR but how will the c36 ecu react to it and the different abs module with different diff ABS differential?

Transmission- My 300ce is already 5spd manual from a 86 should be no problems there as the 96 c36 has old style transmission and Im sure the Ecu from c36 wont mind that.

Reasons- I bought a 1986 300e with 54K and a blown motor I want to put my 300ce motor in it. the 1996 c36 has 203K is worth little money. exhaust and bumpers will bring more profit then painting the car and restoring it. I removed the amg wheels and restored them already for an install on wifes E420 hope the rears fit I dont feel like stretching the rear fenders.

available parts in stock- m104 3.2 motor with a blown head and ASR, c36 car, 1990 300ce rear diffl, 1994 e320 rear diff with ASR, m104 from 1990 300ce,

Thoughts- I figured all the bits from a w124 m104 3.2 things like alternator, power steering pump, tencioner and vacum pump I would use on the c36 motor. clean the 3.6 do preventative maintenance.

Worries - How well a 94 e320 harness will fit my 88 300ce? Is there a way the c36 ecu can work with old abs module from 88 and a non asr throttle body?

Im sure this will get some heads scratching.
 
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#2 ·
That sounds like a very ambitious project. I know its a fairly straightforward swap for the M104 but the M103 is totally different. If you are looking for another M103 I actually have one thats been on a stand for a few years. It came from my old 87 300E and I think it has somewhere in the 250k mile range. I was keeping for spares it but I could be persuaded to sell if you are just looking for another M103.
 
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#4 ·
My 300ce has bugged me for 8 years now. It had a issue where it would sruggle under full throttle and hesitate and if you pulled off the throttle a little bit it would actually accelerate faster. now it just died all the way and floods its self with fuel. I had 3 diferent fuel distributors on it. I changed every single sensor on the motor some even twice. changed fuel pumps filters and all problem persists. im tired of this motor. changed ovp ecu and fuel pump relay. I did everything once or twice. i think a c36 motor will match my 5 speed manual in the car. I will drive the c36 for a few months to make sure motor is sound then I will do the swap maybe when winter comes and I have more room at the shop. I had many w124 that I fixed but this one has me in a corner with my pants down.
 
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