I have been looking at ways to improve the performance of my Crossfire for about a month now and have been researching different ways to do this. After a lot of thought I have decided to go with a V8. I have been asked to document this conversion, so this will be the first official post. This first post is just to get you all up to speed on what I have been up to and then I will post from time to time as it progresses.

Background:

I looked at forced induction including dropping in an SRT-6 engine which are selling fairly cheap, but decided on the V8 for these reasons,

1. investment, dropping in a SRT-6 engine or other turbo/supercharger set up will result in car that will probably never be worth more than an SRT-6 which currently isn't worth all that much more than a Limited.

2. The only V8 Crossfire's on the market are priced very very very high.

3. Love the sound, smoothness and torque of a V8.

4. Exclusiveness.

5. Only a 100 pound weight penalty over a non supercharged V6.

6. All Mercedes parts for an OEM (non Frankenstein) result.

I have located an engine complete with ECU and engine harness. The engine I found is from a 2002 CL500 with less than 1,000 miles on it.

the engines that will fit are any 24 valve V8 from 1998 - 2005 430 C43, 500, and 55 AMG. The C43 would be a little easier since it already has the correct exhaust manifolds. It also looks like you need the thinner electric fan from CL500 (may be on other Mercedes as well) . The biggest fear is electronics. I have called and talked to many experts that have said it can't be done to it can be done. The problem is with the ECU and the VIN encoding. When you try to run the V8 ECU it will not find things it is looking for and activate the anti theft system. It appears that if I bolt it all up and use the ECU and harness from the donor car, it will not start. I will have to tow the vehicle to someone with either a Mercedes Star Mark or an Auto Logic with Mercedes module diagnostic computer. I just had a good talk to an independent mechanic that hot rods Porsches and Mustangs while doing service on Mercedes and other German cars to pay the bills. It turns out he remembers me from when I was showing the Cobra in the Dallas area a few years ago. He said he even remembered talking to me a few years ago! We hit if off and he said he could get this car to run if I can bolt the engine in, and he does have the Star Mark computer which he said would be needed to reassociate the ECU with the Crossfire. There is no way to know for sure if this will work but I have gone as far as I can and now just need to start wrenching.

If all goes well I should have the 5 litre engine in my garage by the end of the month or first week of November.

 

Subscribing to this one!

If prices keep falling...a high mileage coupe may be in my future. A v8 swap would be right up my alley!

SQ

 

Wow you are in for some fun!! It will all be worth it when it comes together!
What kind of cover do you have on your xfire engine now? I accidentally purchased an 8 cyl airbox and nose piece for my xfire, of course the airbox fits ok but the nose piece doesn't. Might you be able to use my airbox and nose piece for your new engine? If you are currently using a MB airbox on your xfire I would be willing to trade.

 

Bring on the MOAC, Mother of all Crossfires, lol this will be a very fun and informative project.

 

Ditto...you have my attention and support in this endeavor, I have been seriously thinking about breaking the bank this coming Spring and getting the Startech 3.8s or 6.1 V8 conversion. I also was entertaining the idea of just purchasing a SRT6, but I am also looking at exclusivity of the Startech conversion.


"It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation." - Herman Melville

 

Found some history on the M113, looks like it's just an M112 with 2 extra cylinders, I hope you can pull it off Tex!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_M113_engine

 

Then engine I am buying is coming with the air box/cover which I have not seen a picture of, so I may need yours. The donor car is a 2002 CL500 that was only on the road for 12 months. Car fax reported the mileage when new at 30 and 147 when totaled in 2003 which I don't believe to be accurate. I am betting the engine has about 15,000 miles on it. The cover on my V6 is stock Crossfire, sorry.

I am in the market for exhaust manifold for a C43.

 

us curious, how much was the Startech 6.1? Can they sell this in the USA?

 

not at the current exchange rate. the Euro is like $1.40 vs the US greenback $.80 it would make more sense to buy an AMG SL.

 

You are correct, the engines are virtually identical with two cylinders missing. It even looks like all the accessories will bolt right on from the V6. I found a huge picture of the Startech 6.1 where you can see the engine bay is really untouched. Just the engine is longer and the electric fan is a thinner one from the CL500. If you guys can spot any other differences in the photo please let me know.

I just got off the phone with the guy who owns the donor car and we finalized our deal. He is having it compression checked just so we both know the numbers. It will be shipped at the end of the month. I am trying to find a cheap shipping source. I found one once but forgot to write it down. It sounded like Car Parters or part haulers?

The donor car was burnt to the ground on the back half. The front was untouched. This is the best kind of donor for an engine, (rear damage and no damage to the front). I can only assume the engine is good.

 

This would actually be done at a Brabus distributor shop (they own Startech) here in the States either in North Carolina or Pennsylvania. The cost would be approximately $19K - $26K plus R/T transport of the car. I know for that kind of money there are other ways to go, but I plan on keeping the car until my wheels or its wheels fall off...but again exclusivity is also a big factor.

 

Good choice on the V8 swap. I wish you the best of luck on this project. You're paving the way for I'm sure quite a few others.

 

Lantana, If you need OEM parts go to www.oempartsdirect.com. Good prices just like Chrysler Parts Direct and you can get just about anything for the CL500 engine.

 

Thanks for the tip. I will check them out.

 

Best of luck Lantana, I am really interested on doing the same...

 

I called Brabus in PA today and he told me that Just the Startech V8 engine conversion lists for $41,000. But he would sell it to me for $39,500. They wouldn't be doing the actual work and I would have to pay extra to have the car shipped to Huntington Beach CA and back. I think I can do it for a little less.

 

I'd venture to guess that it can be done for 1/4th of that price, if not 1/10th.

$39,995 is absolutely outrageous for an engine swap except for the fact that they are the only people who do it and they know the electronics.

The electronics will be the expensive part. Bolting the engine into the car is the 'easy' part.

We'll see how cheap you can keep it. I'd be willing to bet that you can keep it less than or close to an SRT Price from a few months back ($25K), including the 17 or 18K you spent on the car.

SQ

 

I bought the car for $15,900 and have put $900 in mods on the car.

I bought the new V8 with less than 15,000 for $2,100. complete with engine harness and ECU.
Shipping of engine $300.
The engine was a great deal but someone got a valve cover and four coil packs off the engine before I could get to it. The coil packs off the V6 are the same and will work. I will have to find a valve cover and exhaust manifolds for a C43 as well as a slim electric fan from a CL500.

I have worked a deal with a master Mercedes mechanic with the Starmark computer. He says he can get the CL500 ECU to work in the Crossfire. I told him if he can make it all work perfectly he can have the left over V6 which he wants for another project he is working on. This mechanic is also a hot rod nut and remembers me from my days of showing the Cobra I built. So the electronics may be paid for! Best case this will cost me $3,500 and worse case about $4500 and then there is always the unknown which could cause this project to be abandoned. I bought the engine cheap enough to bail out without getting hurt if needed. For the same money I could have bought a supercharger kit from Mosselman, but I can't see how this would ever be worth more than an SRT-6. If it works I will have one of the few if not the only V8 Crossfire's in North America. I will also have a good foundation for future performance mods.

 

what' project is the mechanic going to use the v6 for?

 

He is going to put it in an old Mercedes. I think he said a 220 what ever that is.