Engine change

[cjrated]

I am restoring I thought a w113 230 Sl as stated in the data card , my issue is I have now come to the engine and I have noticed it is a 250 block , is this an issue when I come to place it up for sale , as the data card states 230 Sl I cannot call it a 250 Sl due to engine .change as locating a 230 engine will be difficult and costly I know I have replaced the short block on my other 230 Sl .
Or can I ?? , your expert opinion will be greatly appreciated .
Kind regards

[Benz Dr.]

That's the way I bought my car almost 25 years ago and I've never been bothered by it one bit. Don't bother changing it.

[JamesL]

Many of the blocks have been re-bored etc when engines have had to be rebuilt. So they too would not necessarily be original size - albeit not 200cc difference. Your choice is have the wrong engine, or buy the right engine, but still wrong as it's not the original engine block. Or spend your life fretting over the existence, sourcing and purchase of the original block

I think in your shoes, I'd go with making the very best of the wrong block you have. Will it impact value? Quite possibly but that ship has sort of sailed already as unless you find the original block, your resale value is already compromised (at least to those buyers who fret over such things)

[TheEngineer]

What is so much more important is how much the block has been re-machined: there comes a point where there is not enough wall left (distance between bores). Other than that it is more important how the engine runs and does not leak (much). IMHO the condition of the body, the rust, is so much more important.

[Benz Dr.]

Original, matching number cars means next to nothing in this case. I know you will see them advertised as such but that doesn't always translate to better price paid. You can sleeve 230 and 250's so you can retain the original block if you want to spend the money. Or you can get a set of number stamps.

[wjsvb ✝︎]

The M129 250 engine has seven main bearings vs. four for the 230, so that is an advantage.  Back in the day, we were concerned about getting the customer's car back on the road and not so much about "numbers matching", so if a used engine would fit, in it went.  I just finished working with a 72 280SE...turns out the engine is a late 68.  Jon

[cabrioletturbo]

If I were you, not that I am - I would source a good, early 280SE engine and go with that instead. You could keep what you have as spare.
280SE would give you a few extra horses and are relatively easier to find.

I was in the same position as you last year, when I had to look for 230SL engine and let me tell you, not easy to find!
You most definitely do not want to start with pieces - find a good runner and skip a rebuild for now. You can always get to that later, with your 250 or when you find an original.



 

[stickandrudderman]

Until recently it might have been considered an advantage to have a 230 that was fitted with an "upgrade" in the form of a 250. There are plenty of them about but in the last couple of years I have noticed that matching numbers is mentioned far more often than was previously the case. The problem with that is, the more people bang on about matching numbers, the more people start to expect it and do the more it affects the price.
For now, I would stick with the old policy.....

[dirkbalter]

Don't forget that you want a matching fuel injection pump going along with your engine. You might want to check what pump is in the car?
(I just went thru that)
Dirk

[Benz Dr.]

Until recently it might have been considered an advantage to have a 230 that was fitted with an "upgrade" in the form of a 250. There are plenty of them about but in the last couple of years I have noticed that matching numbers is mentioned far more often than was previously the case. The problem with that is, the more people bang on about matching numbers, the more people start to expect it and do the more it affects the price.
For now, I would stick with the old policy.....

Fair enough. However, I don't see a huge blip in the prices for '' matching numbers '' at auction. And, given that you can easily change numbers and the fact that the factory authorized this on replacement blocks, it really doesn't mean squat. Matching numbers is like '' classic cars '' where it's more of a sales pitch than it is a reality.