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+--- Thread: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) (/showthread.php?tid=2994)
The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - aaa - 09-24-2011
So I ordered a 1990 300TE in the mail.
For some reason I did a google search for 300TEs on any craiglist, and found one in Texas. Not running, and sat for 4 years in a garage. I convinced the dude to let me truck it out to the east coast.
After about a week it arrived. Didn't start up even with a new battery and some fresh gas. So I fought with the Evil Gasser Fuel System for a while. A filter and new plugs didn't do it either. Ended up bleeding the gummy old gas out by cracking the injector lines, and it started right up.
I drive it around for a bit and it seems fine, bit low on power. The oil pressure gauge was wonky, refused to sit between 1 and 2 bar, and would only jump between the two. Fuel gauge totally dead, although the reserve light seemed to work. I take it onto the highway to clean the cat out for the 2 year emissions inspection, since I flooded it with unburnt gas. Cruised along a good 15 miles or so, then disaster strikes. Presumably a vacuum line or something popped off the transmission, and it shifts in 2nd at 65mph, 7000rpm. I slow down to 55, and wonder if I was going to drive the remaining 10 miles or so to the inspection station in 2nd gear.
That was not to be the case. There was a crunkley noise, and the oil pressure dropped to zero. Pull over and cut the engine. Start again, still no oil pressure. Apparently 6000rpm was still too much for a tired oil pump, or at least I hope that's what it is. I get out and there's a growing puddle of oil coming out of a small hole in the oil pan. Ended up getting a tow.
I guess the OM603 plans are accelerated now. I'll have to do the DMV paperwork the long way too. Started prepping the engine for pulling right away. Here's a pic of the oil pan hole, it's more of a crack:
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - iheartboost - 09-24-2011
Sucks about blowing stuff up but yay for diesel
lolRE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - aaa - 09-25-2011
Out the 103 goes...
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - George3soccer - 09-25-2011
what happened.
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - aaa - 10-01-2011
I've yet to take apart the 103. My theory is leaning towards "threw a rod" now.
I dropped a 603 in today.
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - Kozuka - 10-01-2011
Nice, a w124 engine bay is quite big..
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - iheartboost - 10-02-2011
was swapping the 603 in hard? cuz the more i look over my car the more i done want to fix all the rust and crap. i was going to try to buy a 300e of the same year and swap the motors.
cuz they can be had for very cheap around here.
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - Kozuka - 10-02-2011
in a w124, it should be relatively easy for a stock swap. Do you live an emissions controlled zone thats where things will get dicey.
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - aaa - 10-02-2011
Not hard at all. I'm looking at wiring up the glow system at the moment. Then I can hopefully just swap the vacuum ignition switch in, and that should be enough to run around in for now. I'm more worried about legal challenges.
Drove around a few feet today, but I haven't hooked up the temperature gauge so I couldn't tell if the cooling system was working properly.
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - iheartboost - 10-02-2011
(10-02-2011, 03:38 PM)Kozuka in a w124, it should be relatively easy for a stock swap. Do you live an emissions controlled zone thats where things will get dicey.
naw emmissions is not required. and yea i was thinking a 300e w124. i figured it wouldn't be terrible
(10-02-2011, 04:06 PM)aaa Not hard at all. I'm looking at wiring up the glow system at the moment. Then I can hopefully just swap the vacuum ignition switch in, and that should be enough to run around in for now. I'm more worried about legal challenges.
Drove around a few feet today, but I haven't hooked up the temperature gauge so I couldn't tell if the cooling system was working properly.
yea im sure there would be certain things that would kinda be a pain in the ass but for the most part i dont think it would be aweful.
friend of mine one long weekend. lots of work lol.
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - aaa - 10-09-2011
So I wired up the glow system, and it starts easily now.
I extracted the harness from the fusebox:
Seems they slightly rearranged the X26 connector inside the fusebox in 1990. Wasn't hard to splice the differences though. Still have no glow light though, I tried to use a 93 300D cluster and the glow harness was different (two wire instead of 1 wire).
The big 6 or 8 gauge red wire bolted right onto to the X4 power block, aka pile 'o live connections direct from battery inside the dash.
Next is the fuel tank. I'm currently have diesel in an extra windshield washer reservoir.
Today I drained to the tank by shorting the fuel pump on. Next is bypassing the electric fuel pump.
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - iheartboost - 10-09-2011
wow. you really know how to work dude. i might have to buy you a pack a of beer and have you come up and help me if i decided to put my motor in an 300e
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - JB3 - 10-09-2011
What are you doing for exhaust, can you just cut the cat out and use the stock gas exhaust? Does it meet up? That car looks in good shape body wise, nice find! how is the interior?
what state are you in? I have a 25 year emissions rule in RI preventing me from doing a full re-powering of something unless the car exceeds that age, then it doesn't have to pass emissions.
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - aaa - 10-12-2011
I put the diesel exhaust in, straight swap. The gas exhaust had two downpipes all the way to the resonator (the muffler looks the same). Interior is goodish, there's a tear in the armrest and some stains in the trunk, pretty excellent otherwise.
I got emissions here too, I'm waiting to see what they say about this.
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - larsalan - 10-12-2011
Put a turbodiesel badge on the trunk and tell them their paperwork is farked up
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - iheartboost - 10-13-2011
lol thats what im saying. ^
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - JB3 - 10-13-2011
(10-12-2011, 06:36 PM)larsalan Put a turbodiesel badge on the trunk and tell them their paperwork is farked up
lol, good idea.
too bad easier said than done, they'd definitely do a VIN verification police inspection in that case, unless he got a VIN plate out of a junkyard, even then it would have to match in all the VIN locations. Cops would catch that probably.
My feeling would be that it would be better to be open about the swap and be told it can't be registered immediately than to be caught trying to pull a fast one with potential consequences
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - iheartboost - 10-13-2011
fixed. move up to maryland and tag it historic. no inspection!!
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - George3soccer - 10-14-2011
Exactly what I am doing in Nj with my gasser diesel swap. I will be registering it historic.
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - aaa - 10-19-2011
Got my diesel title today. The people at the DMV counter refused to look at it, so I had to send a title modification form to HQ. And apparently that was it, they simply changed it and sent me a new title.
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - JB3 - 10-19-2011
that was it? no reinspection or emissions test? good deal
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - larsalan - 10-19-2011
Should do that with all cars. Save you a trip to that testing center every year.
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - ashedd - 03-14-2012
I gotta a thousand questions
I always figured the actual swap would be pretty easy.. but what about the little things? Like: a/c, abs, klima, etc.
I would want everything in the car to function as it once did.
What transmission setup are you using? I can go either stock 603 auto or 5 spd. My "donor" 5 spd '87 300d is stuck in reverse, I have another manual transmission for it.. but I', a little sick of the whole thing. My TE is already a sweet ride. I just hate the m103's mpg's and gassiness
Andrew
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - aaa - 03-14-2012
AC is unsolved at the moment, I'm thinking either custom controller or trying to shim the computer modules I saved off the donor into it.
ABS had no problem working on the 90, however my research found that later models had that more integrated with everything else.
Currently it's using the diesel automatic. The driveshaft is bigger on the 87, but the slip joint is the same so I simply used the front driveshaft half from the 87 and kept the rear half from the TE.
I'm trying to get parts lined up for a 5 speed swap. I have a 190D 5 speed, any ideas on how to deal with it's smaller output flange?
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - Renntag - 03-14-2012
(03-14-2012, 05:58 PM)ashedd ...I just hate the... gassiness
My wife says the same thing.
This looks like a very cool project. I'd like to do the same with a W210 E300D donor to E320TE.
Super scary about the vac los and gear change at speed. That is insane. What if you lost control of the car? (slippery conditions, in a high speed turn). Could have been disaster putting that kind of decel load on the rear. (Loss of traction.)
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - ashedd - 03-14-2012
(03-14-2012, 06:11 PM)aaa AC is unsolved at the moment, I'm thinking either custom controller or trying to shim the computer modules I saved off the donor into it.
ABS had no problem working on the 90, however my research found that later models had that more integrated with everything else.
Currently it's using the diesel automatic. The driveshaft is bigger on the 87, but the slip joint is the same so I simply used the front driveshaft half from the 87 and kept the rear half from the TE.Huh? GSXR's spreadsheet shows that the '87 uses the V8 w126 sized shafts and stuff. I would have NEVER thought that the U-joint and pinion off the TE would work with the 603's front shaft
I'm trying to get parts lined up for a 5 speed swap. I have a 190D 5 speed, any ideas on how to deal with it's smaller output flange? I had a custom shaft made... but the ideal thing to do is swap out the output flange. I couldn't get it off at the time.. plus the new nut has to go one at precisely the same torque that it was originally.
I have this bookmarked for future use, it explains how the a/c works in the '87. Euro manual controls would be perfect IMHO.
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=303087
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - aaa - 03-14-2012
(03-14-2012, 06:40 PM)ashedd Huh? GSXR's spreadsheet shows that the '87 uses the V8 w126 sized shafts and stuff. I would have NEVER thought that the U-joint and pinion off the TE would work with the 603's front shaft
The 103 kit is pretty big, the flange is only 10mm smaller than the 603.
Hmm, it just occurred to me that I can't be using the TE front DS with a diesel transmission, since the flanges wouldn't match. So I must be using the stock diesel driveshaft all the way. I did have the TE driveshaft on there before, just to see if it would fit.
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - ashedd - 03-14-2012
well I'm semi confused, but whats new. Just think.. in two more hours I will be at work, working on an airplane
I'm going to print off the wiring diagrams between the two cars. Can you send me your notes on the wiring? I want to be able to knock this out in a weekend, crazy I know!
I wonder if I could keep the m103 a/c all in place(compressor too) and see if it would run just fine with the 603. Did you get the heat working? How about the fuel tank/lines?
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - aaa - 03-14-2012
If you have the diagrams, that's all you need, for the glow plug stuff anyways (see post above for the connectors involved). I hope the component location pictures are good in the online pdf version, they helped alot in finding these things.
I forgot why, but I concluded that AC wasn't going to be simple for some reason. Course I don't have freon in the system either, so I can't just plug the compressor in and see if it works.
Heat was easy, just grafted some heater hose and used the TE aux pump. I get the feeling that flows in the opposite direction of the diesel, but hey heat works.
Fuel tank was more grafting to bypass the electric pumps. I used the gasser tank, and adapted the fatter supply opening the gasser tank has to a smaller hose that was then clamped to a fitting for the hardline. The gasser fuel hardline has fittings on the end of it, I extracted the female ones from the gas rubber hoses and used them.
Maybe I shouldn't sell off my MAS unit then... I'm sure the AC won't work with it sitting in the passenger seat as it is now.
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - ashedd - 03-14-2012
I was so desperate for cold a/c in my old '85 wagon that I seriously looking into putting a portable a/c unit in it. I would have strapped it down in the back, vented it's hose out the rear window and enjoyed the noise.
But I would have had to put a big gm alternator on the 617 and get a beefy inverter... too much money at the end of the day.
How is the cabin noise with the 603? I was noticing today how quiet the m103 was with the windows down. FYI: the 603 gets louder with a 5 spd. Something about the torque converter absorbing noise.
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - aaa - 03-14-2012
The 603 is definitely louder as automatic, let alone manual.
I'm gonna take some pics of these "graftings" I did tomorrow.
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - ashedd - 03-14-2012
also...
the 603 w124 hood pad has a metal shield on it above the turbo.. so you may need a new one as the m103 doesn't have it. Although if you stand over a warm 103 with the hood open you will notice the insane amount of heat the headers put off. So it might not matter.
Sound encapsulation panels might be in order. Too bad they're hard to come by
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - aaa - 03-14-2012
Eh I can glue a heat shield on there...
Yeah I know someone who found his panels lying around and installing them made a difference with the interior noise as well.
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - JB3 - 03-15-2012
(03-14-2012, 06:11 PM)aaa I'm trying to get parts lined up for a 5 speed swap. I have a 190D 5 speed, any ideas on how to deal with it's smaller output flange?
would a 123 output flange work sizewise?
I ran across this problem adapting my 201 5-speed, and it turned out that the spines and dimensions on the output shafts of the 123 4-speed and 201 5-speed were identical in everything but bolt pattern to the flex disc. I just swapped them.
That way the 201 transmission had no problem bolting right up to a 123 driveshaft, but that may not work for this specific problem. The output flange on your automatic transmission might conceivably fit the 201 gearbox, but I have no idea. Never tried to use a part off of an automatic for something like this
Worst case scenario you get a custom shaft made up that has a 201 flex disc to match the gearbox
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - aaa - 03-15-2012
This is an excellent point. The 123 4 speed does indeed have a 90mm flange on it (the 190 has 80mm), and I also have a 90mm 124 manual driveshaft lying around along with a core 123 transmission.
I wonder if a c250td 100mm flange would be useful? I'd have to modify an automatic driveshaft though.
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - aaa - 03-15-2012
Here are some pics of various hoses. I'm wishing I had replaced that leaky fuel tank return line now...
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - iheartboost - 03-15-2012
man i just looked over this again. i cant believe how much work you did. makes me really want to get mine running right.
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - ashedd - 03-17-2012
so your return line is mostly all rubber from the tank on up?
RE: The mail-order 300TE (OM603 project) - aaa - 03-17-2012
Nah it clamps onto a hard line a few inches afterwards. That top hose is the stock return line.