dropping diesel engine into a 500

[bobL]

Has anyone had experience or know if it is possible to convert a 500sl to diesel

 

[davidsl500]

Sacrilege !!! wash your mouth out with soap and water immediately !!!

Better method would be to go for a decent LPG conversion - much simpler and fuel is 1/2 the price of petrol and diesel (cheaper still if you know where to get it) plus you can switch to petrol still for anyone that gets in your way.

Not a cheap conversion but sorting a good diesel engine and overcoming all the problems may cost alot more...

 

[MSG2004]

ROFL, but good advice nevertheless

 

[OlafMaxwell]

Ouch.....much as I like diesel engines, there aint one to do justice to the SL. VW W10 wont fit.......I think......

Why not try a Daihatsu three cylinder diesel engine, reliable.....go forever, 0 - 60 in the same month [except February], solid performer, feel like you are rooted solid to the road [you will be]....economical, you wont want to drive it......stand out among the crowd [snigger snigger]...turn heads [hear it coming half a mile away].

Soory, I was in comical form tonight, celebrating a month without my car, now lovingly entrusted to MB after sales service [opps, is there such a thing??].

 

[OlafMaxwell]

On a more serious note LPG is good. I had a conversion done on a car in 1984, was very happy with it, did about 60,000 miles before I changed it for a diesel. Never had a petrol car since.

Tank will take up space, you can get doughnut tanks to go in spare wheel well, or long ones to go across the back of the boot behind rear seat. A slight drop in performance but extended oil changes and longer sparkplug life, very clean burning. You keep the petrol tank and petrol and flick a switch to change fuel.

 

[markku]

convert a 500sl to diesel

Why not, have your upcoming diesel tuned by Finns, see videos here:

http://mersuforum.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13577

You can easily beat Ferrari Testarossa with your smoking diesel.

 

[v8 dreams]

Let's say you have a suitable diesel lump just lying around and you have sufficient mechanical know how to modify the car to accept it. Everything works out perfectly, it costs you virtually nothing to do the conversion. It's not as fast as it was but you're getting 40 to the gallon and feeling pretty pleased with yourself............ but now you have a Mercedes SL that cost you £10k at the very least and is now worth £95.00 plus the value of any fuel in the tank and the amount of tax left on it !

Seriously though, will Merc ever make a diesel SL. Well I guess a few years back a CLK 270CDI was unthinkable. Of course Audi and BMW now both offer diesel soft tops so Merc will surely follow with a CLK convertible diesel if they have not already in mainland Europe. But an SL diesel, I hope not.

Right I'm off now to finish putting that Fiat Brava HDT engine into my Ferrari Enzo.

 

[peterchurch]

Let's say you have a suitable diesel lump just lying around and you have sufficient mechanical know how to modify the car to accept it. Everything works out perfectly, it costs you virtually nothing to do the conversion. It's not as fast as it was but you're getting 40 to the gallon and feeling pretty pleased with yourself............ but now you have a Mercedes SL that cost you £10k at the very least and is now worth £95.00 plus the value of any fuel in the tank and the amount of tax left on it !

Seriously though, will Merc ever make a diesel SL. Well I guess a few years back a CLK 270CDI was unthinkable. Of course Audi and BMW now both offer diesel soft tops so Merc will surely follow with a CLK convertible diesel if they have not already in mainland Europe. But an SL diesel, I hope not.

Right I'm off now to finish putting that Fiat Brava HDT engine into my Ferrari Enzo.

Sorry dude

they anounced a 4.0 turbo diesel SL, and a tri-turbo SLK at the motor show a few weeks back granted they are concepts today but it proves that they are thinking about the idea of it in the future.

I guess that we can only hope that the people that buy SLs new, realise that 60mpg when your car drops 30K in the first year is a waisted economy...
and as such they will sell very few of these bins

I just can't see the market for them myself

 

[bobL]

This is the score, I have seen luxurious older 500s going for buttons, that is why I would consider dropping in a merc diesel engine. I regularly do a round trip from Ft. William to Northampton and regularly clock up 1200 miles on that trip. You can see the attraction in diesel. Gas is ok. but I had a gas conversion car one time, and gas is really only an option if you can get it cheaper than 40p a litre. Tking into account efficiency of gas compred with petrol, the real cost of gas is more like 65p a litre/

 

[LNM]

All

He's right to challenge old school opinions about diesels being crap and slow and noisy.

They aren't and I want one in mine.

4litre, 250bhp, 30 mpg and the figure that REALLY counts.. something like 420 FtLb torque between 1900 and 2600, if I remember correct from review of new engined e class. Enough to pull the balls off a concrete elephant, to steal a Clarkson-ism that would annoy him because he knows its right.

So, installing a stonking big (but modern, children) diesel in anything is a good thing, IMHO. Its torque, all torque, and big coupes need as much as they can get.

 

[pascal]

4litre, 250bhp, 30 mpg and the figure that REALLY counts..

30 mpg, same as I get cross country, in a heavier (1900kg) car.
Give me the V6 (221BHP any day). Extra torque is not all that important for a 2 seater, Unless one intends to bring a caravan on toe for a trip to the alps. Might be good for the new ML, but I beleive it wont fit in that.
Having said that LMN, I have no doubt that diesels are improving at a faster rate than petrols, and are the better choice for a lot of cars, but not SLs.

This is my opinion, and I respect everyones.

Pascal

 

[LANDR0VER]

Why not fit a GMC v8 in the sl..they do coversion plates for most gearboxes,i have one fitted and it sounds good as well.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

I wouldnt be suprised if the latest generation Piezo diesel units just released in the c-class find there way into other versions.....

the slk 280 due this year is gonna have a 3litre engine....the c-class 320cd just released is a 3 litre engine.....well it might happen

slk 200. 163hp
slk 350. 272 hp

poss slk 280d 224hp...it fits...would make an interesting sl 300 dont you think..maybes with the facelifted due soon verison???


nah! me neither...

am up for the fuel cell version tho....

 

[peterchurch]

All

He's right to challenge old school opinions about diesels being crap and slow and noisy.

They aren't and I want one in mine.

4litre, 250bhp, 30 mpg and the figure that REALLY counts.. something like 420 FtLb torque between 1900 and 2600, if I remember correct from review of new engined e class. Enough to pull the balls off a concrete elephant, to steal a Clarkson-ism that would annoy him because he knows its right.

So, installing a stonking big (but modern, children) diesel in anything is a good thing, IMHO. Its torque, all torque, and big coupes need as much as they can get.

This feels like de ja vu as I Have had the same argument on another forum a few weeks back...

The torque issue is OK BUT the SL is meant to be a topless car, and as such you are far more intune with the sound of the engine than you are in a hardtop model.

I had a CLK 370 cdi last year while in Holand (If not 370 it was a larger engine than we get here) I was very happy driving it around with the stereo on full blast and the windows up. It was smooth and very powerfull but then the sun came out and I dropped the window down My first thought was WTF ???? Have I dragged a cyclist into my air intake ????? Then it hit me that it had a CDI badge on the back and then meant it had a diesel engine
Yes It was more quiet than other diesels I have seen but it still sounded like utter sh1te You will never get a CDI to sound as good as a V8 or V6 petrol engine IMHO

People that buy the SL class dont care about fuel economy, The fact that they will lose 30K in the first year or so makes a few pence per litre pointless

The SL driver does care about that perfect engine note, smooth power and effortless acceleration all of which is readliy available in the AMG55 or 65...
I don't see AMG rolling over against a diesel engine when It comes to the flagship car ...

1900 - 2600 is just to soon... The fun in the SL is letting the bugger hit the 4500 - the 6000 rev range and hear the engine sing as your poor little rep in his mondeo/ BMW disapears into the rear view mirror... The reason they are trying to get the tourque down the bottom end is to make sure no one hears the diesel engine

I agree that I might want one in a CL class or the S class but the SL is the wrong tool for the job.

If mercedes launch one it will be for the few rather than the masses...

 

[LNM]

Dunno how much mine has got actually; 177bhp + no idea on torque. Wouldn't say no to a supercharger on it though...

Do-able ?

Also, I'm not sure if mine has ever done more than 30 to the gallon, I resolved to drive it quickly for a short period after I first got it, then drive sensibly to save fuel.

Yeah right !!

 

[OlafMaxwell]

Dr Diesel.....

I must admit I love the 320CDI engine......and I have to admit the only thing stopping me driving a big motor like an CL etc is.....its not diesel.

I agree about ''average'' diesel engines not being up to the job but the 320CDI in a wilder state of tune, 250-300bhp with matching torque would be a gem. Why?....mid range acceleration. Even the 0 - 62 these days is in the 6 - 7 sec range with some tuned diesels, but the torque makes for fantastic mid range acceleration. Look at the new 320 V6 diesel, 221 bhp, aluminium crankcases....if it proves reliable then it will surely find its way into faster motors and soft tops. Add on two more pots, 4 litres......300 + bhp.

Lexus have dipped a toe in the water with 177bhp 2.2 for the new IS 200......

I reckon before long there will be a V8 diesel in some exotic machinery....

 

[peterchurch]

I must admit I love the 320CDI engine......and I have to admit the only thing stopping me driving a big motor like an CL etc is.....its not diesel.

I agree about ''average'' diesel engines not being up to the job but the 320CDI in a wilder state of tune, 250-300bhp with matching torque would be a gem. Why?....mid range acceleration. Even the 0 - 62 these days is in the 6 - 7 sec range with some tuned diesels, but the torque makes for fantastic mid range acceleration. Look at the new 320 V6 diesel, 221 bhp, aluminium crankcases....if it proves reliable then it will surely find its way into faster motors and soft tops. Add on two more pots, 4 litres......300 + bhp.

Lexus have dipped a toe in the water with 177bhp 2.2 for the new IS 200......

I reckon before long there will be a V8 diesel in some exotic machinery....

Yes but all your experience is in hardtopped cars, that have top class soundproofing, SL's dont have the same environment for obvious reasons, and it kills the application of the diesel engine dead in its tracks...
I would not suggest that MB fitted the harder sportier suspension setup of an SL on the E or S class cars because its the wrong tool for the job...
Passing a diesel engine in the other direction is the same issue.

You have to look at the application of these different types of cars when bought new...

E class - Senior Management May be used as Fleet expects to cover mileage
S class - Tends to be the managing directors / very rich families choice... Still covers milage... but not as much as the E class

SL Class - A weekend joyride type... It covers very little mileage and in general tends to be a second or third car for S class type buyer it does't get on fleet lists much...

If you look at Autotrader the average SL tends to cover no more than 10K a year. Why would fuel economy rate high in these conditions?

Also If the target owner ends up in a Diesel/large saloon all week why does he/she want a diesel engine in the fun runabout??

I just can't see anyone buying one in the first place...

But you are right... the Luxury Saloons future is starting to look like a CDI hybrid engine

 

[mlc]

I agree with Peter, a convertible and Diesel dont go together in my mind. Half the fun of driving with the roof down is the sound of the engine. I thought that MB lead the world with the idea the you insulate the driver from the noise of the diesel engine rather than trying to make the engine completely quite. This said I assume (dont know) that other companies offer diesel convertibles.

Mark.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

Audi A4 cabiro......2.5v6 diesel. sounds just right when you are topless driving through the country side.......

you get the smells of the countryside and the sounds of the countryside!!

I think that Euro markets are big on diesels so i expect merc to test the water and some point.



not sure how many others do a deisel tho....lexus havent yet. lotus...vauxhall..ford....jag.....mazda.....peugeot....renault......rover....

who else makes a topless job? dont think volvo or saab do it topless either.


but as no manufacture offers An Only Diesel variant in this category i dont suppose it matters if Merc put one in...it will be your choice. And at present we dont have the choice...

 

[OlafMaxwell]

I don't fit the profile...senior management, I am as far removed from that as can be.....work for myself....Does turn a few heads when you add on a trailer, load up the car with the kids, tent, bikes etc and head off for a few weeks camping al fresco in France or Spain....Dont own golf clubs but love outdoors. But the 320 CDI sees off most opposition......not much that is faster than it, mid range you need a 430 or 500 to beat it...a bit of tweaking and wow....Try catching the CDI going up a long hill.....then think of the 400 cdi V8 that never sees right hand drive.....someday maybe.

I think a 400CDI V8 would be one hell of a machine, especiually if it was up at 300 bhp which is quite feasible with current technology.

But you hit the nail on the head...expects to cover high mileage....

Peugeot tested the water with 406 coupe and 136bhp diesel....expect the replacement to see the 2.7 200bhp V6 diesel now seen in Jaguar, Range Rover etc etc......