What's you opinion on the C32 AMG engine?

[BlackM112]

Hello everyone, just wanted to get different opinions on the c32 engine from what i've been hearing. A friend of mines was telling me that this engine is junk and that it has many issues once it hits 50k miles. Does anyone have a different opinion on this? I was thinking about trying to swap one of these into my 99 c280 which currently has a 2.8l m112 v6.

Thanks

[Dearlove]

fucking do it!!!! (have contemplated this myself...)

[michael6129]

yeah do it bro! I was thinking about buying the c32 but it does have some problems, wich made me stay with my lovely c36. however when the c32 works;p it's a serious beast/ easy to be modified

[BlackM112]

Lol, Have to do it now. Just picked one up off eBay and it's sitting in the garage. After lookin at it and doing some research it looks like a direct swap. I've been in touch with the guy that did the e55 swap in his w202 and he also recommended this swap due to my set up, so I decided to go with it.

[michael6129]

Lol, Have to do it now. Just picked one up off eBay and it's sitting in the garage. After lookin at it and doing some research it looks like a direct swap. I've been in touch with the guy that did the e55 swap in his w202 and he also recommended this swap due to my set up, so I decided to go with it.

I'm looking forward to see some pics of this build, sounds intresting:)

[zmatt]

Should bolt right in. The 202 came with the non-amg version of that same V6 and it also uses the same 5G-tronic transmission as well so if you get facelift C280 engine mounts you are golden. As far as wiring no idea. It uses Bosch ME like everything else but I don't know which version and if its compatible. I would recommend getting a standalone ecu and wiring harness. Easier to deal with and you will get more tuneability and power anyways.

[BlackM112]

I will definitely keep you guys posted with the build. I actually would like to document to provide everyone with steps and pain points to getting this done. Configuring the wiring to the engine or setting up the stand alone sounds like it will be the biggest challenge. I think the only options that I have since I did buy the factory ecu as well for the engine and it is not compatible with the 202's existing wiring will be to use the factory harness on the engine with slight mods to ensure that the SC is wired up or go with the stand alone option. I will also need to add an oil cooler and water to air intercooler. Hopefully this weekend I can find some time to get underneath and make some observations to determine what else I will need.

[zmatt]

I would find a shop that does standalone installs and knows what they are doing. You will need to keep your stock ecu as the immobilizer goes off that. Often they relocate it to somewhere out of the way. After that they will make a new wire harness and wire everything to the standalone and write a base map and then do a dyno tune to get the most out of it. You will probably get like 20hp over stock just with the tune on the standalone not counting everything else.

[Dearlove]

looking forward to this!

[BlackM112]

Thought i'd share with you guys some pics of my 202 and the c32 engine in the meantime. Only thing i got going on with my c280 is eibach springs which I think drops the car way to low in rear compared to other set ups that i've seen. The wheels which I got off a guy who owned a 2003+ e class, grill, custom intake that i made, and clear corners.

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[SLAMMED_C]

bad ass.. get this documented asap!!
I would love to do this engine swap in the w210.

[BlackM112]

I would find a shop that does standalone installs and knows what they are doing. You will need to keep your stock ecu as the immobilizer goes off that. Often they relocate it to somewhere out of the way.

This is good to know, there are a few places here in the bayarea that I've heard of that have tuned c32's. Going to check them out to see if they can help me out with the standalone set up. Heard the older bosch ecu's are difficult to tune or can't be tuned well, is this true? I did on the other hand buy the ecu that matches this engine but it doesnt look nearly compatible and would need to be vin'ed to my car from what I heard.

[zmatt]

they are a pain in the butt to tune. The C32 ecu is probably easier to tune but remember your immobilizer is tied to the stock ecu of the car, not the C32's ecu. It is much easier in the long run to use a standalone because the tunes are fast to upload and much more precise than they would be on the old Bosch ecu from the 90's.

[dokotela]

do it. i was supposed to do the same into my white M112 powered AMG. spoke to Jake way back when he initially ran his w201 lsd on his w202 with the e55k motor in before the tranny swap. he said the same....straight swap..unfortunately i had to cancel the project due to incompetent mechs in my area......its gonna be awesome....dont run aftermarket ecu, just ask jake how he configured the ecu.

[C43inNC]

Sounds interesting! I'll keep my eye on this.

[Sulaco]

I have no idea why this idea never crossed my mind before!

The C32 engine is the same m112 that's in the facelift C280. It should be a direct swap! You'd need to maintain the original ECU from the C32.

Now that I think of it, that engine would also swap right into a C43, if one were so inclined.

There are more tune options for the C32's engine. Guys with SLK32 or Crossfire SRT6 (exact same engine and supercharger) have tons of fun tuning and posting impressive drag times.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYefBx-awrA&feature=related

[BlackM112]

just ask jake how he configured the ecu.

Thanks, who might Jake be by the way? Are we talking about the guy that swapped a 55 and then the 55k into his c43?

[BlackM112]

Yea that blew my mind to see how they used the m112 in the crossfire as well. Both of these engines are pretty hard to find from what I had experienced. I initially wanted to swap a e55k into my 202 but had discovered that since i started with a v6 it would make wiring it up a pain or not possible. If this goes well, I might consider buying a high mileage c43 and doing that swap down the road. I'm hoping to get started on this in the next few months after I get all the other necessary parts, anyone know the best place to get the c32 repair manual or engine diagrams with details on firing orders, vacuum, wiring?

[dokotela]

Thanks, who might Jake be by the way? Are we talking about the guy that swapped a 55 and then the 55k into his c43?
That's right. Jake aka money one. The famous "never tell me it cant be done".
Good luck.

[Sulaco]

That's right. Jake aka money one. The famous "never tell me it cant be done".
Good luck.

What ever happened with his C55k? Last I saw were some pre-tune dyno runs with no posted numbers. I'm VERY anxious, because ultimately I want my C43 to be a beast like his, but I don't know which direction I want to go.

[zmatt]

oh yeah that guy. I love his videos. I never heard about the final performance figures though.

[BlackM112]

There was a guy that put the 55k motor in a 203 and put down 522wtq and 449whp. Could just imagine what it would be like in a 202.

[dokotela]

What ever happened with his C55k? Last I saw were some pre-tune dyno runs with no posted numbers. I'm VERY anxious, because ultimately I want my C43 to be a beast like his, but I don't know which direction I want to go.


oh yeah that guy. I love his videos. I never heard about the final performance figures though.

if im not mistaken, there was a youtube video with him doing a 10sec run......it looked so simple....lol

[zmatt]

I just checked his youtube channel and he hasn't uploaded a video in a year. The newest is a dyno pull with no numbers stated.