Engine conversion v8
Hi can I ask if anyone here has any advice on doing this v8 Change over, I am thinking of buying another 300d w463 LWB, and want to stick in a v8 from a 500sec.
the 500sec has the complete engine running with gearbox, including ecu, wiring etc.
My question really is 'would this be a simple bolt on conversion'?
this engine is the M117 unit used in the same 500GE model, can it be that hard, I know in the 500GE models they had only two diff locks, for what safety reason who knows?
any advice would really be appreciated.
thank you
goochie.
Talk to Peter Perfect, he had a 560 motor in a w463
This has been done with a m117 560 v8 by Tony Baskill so having a chat with him would answer most of your questions. That's the G that Ian had for a while. It was built as an off roader so suited his needs.
This is a link to the Aussie G site where a guy put a 5L m117 into a 460.
It's quite a common conversion but not "drop in " at all. Expect to spend a lot of time and money. The gearing will not be optimal so you end up with a high reving engine using lots of fuel. Ian used to get 10mpg. The v8 transfer box is £4k odd
The 500ge only had 2 diff locks because they thought potential customers would not require a front lock
What he said ^
I had a 560 engine in my W460 done by Nigel at Burys Bridge Garage... He knows all there is to know.
Gearing is the main issue as it will be awesome for off road or towing but driving down a motorway will see 6-7 mpg's! Never seen an M117 rev so high.
The rest is just mechanical engineering and a bit of know how.. engine mounts, wiring etc.
You will need a custom propshaft to the transfer box too but thats no major issue.
Hi Gooch
The unfortunate reality is that if you want a decent V8 G you would be far better buying one built by Mercedes than trying to convert a G300 D. There are a few sub £25k one out there now.
The biggest problem is trying to splice in the wiring so that the new ecu is compatible with the remaining electrics. It can be done but it needs someone who knows what they are doing. If they are learning on the job that's an expensive way of doing it. Then you need the right gearbox otherwise it is not very useful around town ! Some conversions are rear wheel drive only but what's the point of that ?
Assuming you have a decent G to start with, that's worth around £12-15 . You are not going to get much change out of £10k for the conversion if you do it properly and use the correct V8 transfer box. So between the value of the G and the cost of the conversion you probably have enough to buy a genuine factory V8 without all the hassle.
That's just my opinion after looking into the pros and cons of trying to fit a M104 3.6 and a M120 V12 into my 300GEL 
.
Your right, I've summed up some costs and really, you can pick up a decent LHD G in Europe for small monies now.
oh well the dream was short and sweet, thanks to all the guys coming back to me quick.
Cheers all.
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Sound advice guys!
what do you think of this lot?
http://www.ebay.de/itm/W463-MERCEDES-G-klasse-HWA4634109902-Propshaft-50...
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Mercedes-G-Klasse-W463-Verteilergetriebe-G350TURB...
http://www.ebay.de/itm/W463-MERCEDES-G-klasse-A4604102218-Propshaft-500G...