Which new engine will fit my car?

[Sulaco]

Well, the diagnosis is grim, according to the shop (Wiley Imports, Memphis). They can change the head gasket for 2,200 and probably have to try and fix the damaged head which would bump it up to 3,000.

Or for 3,000 I can have a new engine installed. Here are my choices.

Engine from a 97 C280 Sport with 30k miles
96 E320 with 140k miles
94 E320 with 85k miles

Would any of these engines bolt right in? The tech over the phone said he believes the 3.2l engines will bolt right in without need of a replacement ECU.

I'm wanting the 97 2.8 with 30k miles, but he thinks that since it's from a Sport model, it might have different cam dimensions and other things that would prevent it from being a bolt-on.

What do you guys think?

[black96benz]

Ummmm....

[trymonlam]

so what displacement do u have right now?

[Sulaco]

1994 C280 m104 I6 with 2.8l displacement. Updated wiring harness, but original throttle body actuator and likely dead engine head with very possible ruined piston rod on cylinder number 2.

[jnenad16]

go for the 3.2L ones, thats what I did to my c280. any of those engines will fit in your car, the only thing you might need to change are the engine mounts and brackets, just swap them from your engine. also, some accessories off of the 3.2L will have to be swapped as well.when I did a swap on mine, I had to use alternator brakcet, air pump and air pump brakcet from my engine. as far as I remember, every thing else stayed in place.

nenad

[rollinrealbig]

Originally posted by Sulaco
1994 C280 m104 I6 with 2.8l displacement. Updated wiring harness, but original throttle body actuator and likely dead engine head with very possible ruined piston rod on cylinder number 2.

what the heck you do to the poor thing ? :eek:

[trymonlam]

he's got a thread earlier about overheating, i think.

[rman]

how much more power will you yield from a 320 motor? and what other motors are available for a simple swap?

i too have a c280 and while mine is in good condition, i'd like more power from the get-go...w/o bolt ons, power adders, etc

[benzaddict]

I would go for the '94 E320 engine. It will swap/bolt right in, but like Nenad said you will have to swap the harness and some accessories. Since you're having to replace the engine anyhow, you might as well go for the bigger/better/more powerful engine. The physical size of them are identical. Just go with the '94 version because then you'll have an extra throttle actuator for a spare. I'm not sure that the '96 throttle actuator will work in your '94 C280.

[Sulaco]

Oh, I'm not getting the throttle actuator off any of the engines. I'll likely have to order a refurbished one. Trust me, that was a question I had for them before I got the phone call, "Yeah, looks like you'll need a new TBA, we've got one here for $1,300." I can get a refurb online for 4-600.

I'm not looking for extra power. I'm in quite a pickle here. New job (that I badly need) starts soon, and I am completely car-less. As-is my car is worth about 1,000, so it looks like it's worth it to fix. I can't pick up another car payment, so I'll likely be taking out a personal loan to fix it.

As I said, I'm only looking for a newer engine that I can get more miles out of. And the 94-96 E320 engines have the exact same gasket problems as my 94 C280. Meaning I would need to replace the head gasket in the future, (a $2,200 job). I don't want to spend $3,000 to inherit the same problems in a couple years.

So will the 97 C280 Sport engine (with 30k miles) fit my car?

[renerodz]

I think the '97 2.8L would be my choice.

Also I believe that the "sport version" uses the exact same engine, the difference could be the suspension and some outside and inside ornaments the car has. At least this is the case with the '98-'00 C280 sport with the V6 engines.

As I hear, that 2.8L inline engine is one of the best MB has ever made.

My $.02.

Rene

[davis449]

Yeah the '97 2.8L is the same engine you had, only with the wiring harness issue addressed on it. Go for it, it should bolt right in with no problems, the engines are identical.

[benzaddict]

Originally posted by davis449
Yeah the '97 2.8L is the same engine you had, only with the wiring harness issue addressed on it. Go for it, it should bolt right in with no problems, the engines are identical.

The '97 isn't quite identical. The basic engine long block assy is the same but the injection system is different: '94-'96 has HFM injection and '97 has ME-injection, which means the harness, actuator, injectors, etc... all different. If you're just using the long block then it would be perfect.

Sulaco, I wouldn't just assume that since one engine has 30k vs. 85k or whatever that it's less likely to have a head gasket fail. Typically once the head gasket has been replaced with the updated version it is fine, and the higher mileage motors are more likely to have the gasket replaced already. If you don't have any service history on any of the engine's you might as well throw up a 3 sided dice to choose. I would check into service history on the engines they're offering to you.

[jlomon]

If it isn't about extra power, then definitely the '97 C280 motor. Fewest miles, newest engine. The wiring harness issue affects 93-95 M104s, so you'd be clear on either the 1996 E320 or the 1997 C280. I believe the head gasket issue was cleared up by 1997 as well. Its your safest bet for a long term solution.

As far as a power difference goes, I think the 3.2L M104 put out 221hp compared to the 194hp for the 2.8L M104 in your C280. So you'd be looking at a 14% power bump without a weight penalty if you went with the 3.2

[choppers_rule]

$2,200 for a head gasket replacement?

The Benz shop here in Portland quoted me less than $1,300 including head bolts replacement & I will drop off my car tommorow.

I think Benzaddict is right.....when you are buying a used engine sometimes you can tell a good one & a bad one just from the miles.

[Sulaco]

Yes, I'm starting to think I might be able to find better options elsewhere. $2,200 for a head gasket replacement is borderline stealership price. If I'm going to pay that, I might as well just let the dealership handle it, heh.

I won't be able to get ANYTHING done on it for a while, so it looks like i'll be driving my brother's old 1992 Chevy Blazer until I have the money.

But between now and then, me, my father, and my brother are going to take a swing at it and see if we can get it figured out. My father is a mechanical engineering foreman who spent 10 years with Haliburton, and my brother is his apprentice. They normally rebuild things like massive generator turbines. Between the 3 of us, I think we can figure out a 2.8l internal combustion engine.

When we get the head gasket job done, and if that doesn't help, looks like I'll likely go with the 1996 e320 engine; seeing as how it will likely fit the easiest out of the 3 engines, and doesn't have the same faulty-designed head gasket as the 94-95 m104's.

Plus that 14% power bump would be kind of fun.

Edit: Would it be possible to hand-fashion a "C320" logo out of what I already have plus the badging for an E320? ;)