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Swapping W140 Engines

9K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  Carbuff 
#1 ·
We are attempting to a shoe horn /fit a 1994 S500 V8 engine into a 1995/6 S280 car. Essentially the S500 body and interior are way beyond repair. There is a S280 of 1996/97 or later...final final edition perfectly running car available to us.


Question:

1) Is the swap possible?



2) What is the approach to get this done?


3) Are any extra parts outside of the two cars (1994 S500 & 1996/7 S280) required to do this?



4) Anything else we need to follow?


Please advise. Thanks
 
#2 ·
You will need to take nearly everything from the engine bay from the S500, and put it in the S280 (wiring looms, ignition module, all modules etc.). You will also need the transmission, rear differential, and both axles. The front springs also need to come off the S500 and put into the S280, because it will get too low. Also you need the S500 radiator, and probably other things that i can't think of now.

It's a big job if you want to do it right, and I have seen people do it. Infact my mechanic swapped an engine from a 1995 S320 into a 1992 300SE. He got everything from the 1995 car and put it in the 1992 car.

You can do everything to a car, it depends only if you have the will, time and money to do it.
 
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#3 · (Edited)
Thanks...labor and time are not as prohibitive where I am as in the west. What is difficult is to get reliable mechanics. We intend to do the swap with max supervision, control and surveillance.

So to sum up your advise if everything is there in the s500 its a matter of taking the stuff out and putting it into the s280, no outside or extra parts required?

Also the way the s280 is specced in its electronic options for interior etc can remain as is because will not touch the body wiring harness correct. All we will bring from the s500 is the engine top wiring harness and other things mentioned in your list?

Everything in the S500 that is required for the swap is working.
 
#4 ·
Huge Task if you go for it .
I know in India the W140's are expensive & mechanics are not really into them if you find one , a good one that knows just a little bit about a 140.
How much does an S500 cost if there are any over there ?.

You will need practically everything from the donor car ,even the wiring ,if i'm not wrong ,isn't the 94 OBD1 & the 95 OBD2 ? ,Tail shaft / Flexdiscs etc .
You would even need the accelerator cable & connections just to mention a small detail .
I think there are 22 computers/modules that run the car only one of them is for the engine .
Think about what you getting yourself into .
I admire the will to do something like this but consider the end result ,Will the car run perfectly in the end ? ,W140 is a very complicated & complex Merc ,everything has to work like clockwork together if not ,the machine wont work the way it should .
We or some of us have trouble keeping the once we got running flawlessly perfect as is ,lol.
Good Luck .:thumbsup:
 
#5 · (Edited)
Huge Task if you go for it .

I think there are 22 computers/modules that run the car only one of them is for the engine .
Think about what you getting yourself into .
I admire the will to do something like this but consider the end result ,Will the car run perfectly in the end ? ,W140 is a very complicated & complex Merc ,everything has to work like clockwork together if not ,the machine wont work the way it should .
We or some of us have trouble keeping the once we got running flawlessly perfect as is ,lol.
Good Luck .:thumbsup:
There are youtube videos of Russian boys running a w124 car with V12 M120 engine. There is a thread on BenzWorld where a lister transplanted a M120 into a R107...
In other words -- EVERYTHING is possible, but you have to decide if it is worth it (TO YOU, that is). Very likely you'll never be able to recoup the expense.
This will not be a simple turn-key job.
Good luck,
Steve
 
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