Copy and paste of a similar discussion I'm having over at the SLK board here...
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Yes - I've been kicking that can around over at the Xfire Forum.
Suggesting is that -
if your AMG 3.2L is clapped out, instead of a rebuild possibly find a 3.7L Engine from an ML350 circa 2003-2005 with the M112 E37 motor and the block/heads should transplant directly.
Then plonk the old IHI charger directly back on it at 14psi boost and you should get 335rwhp off the baseline and the commensurate increase in torque offered by the +15% increase in displacement.
Then it depends on some finer details if you want to go upping the ante and hit the 20+ psi numbers the Xfire guys are hitting.
The M113 E50 (5L) AMG or E55 (5.5L) AMG 97mm pistons drop straight in but the E50 is the only one with the same stroke, so I'm not sure yet on the technicalities of a conrod/bearing crank swap.
I actually did quick search and found a spare M112 E37 motor in Gosford in Australia with 70k miles on it.....got me excited ...well just for a minute anyways until I realised my 3.2L motor is fine....but I am a hoarder and having a 3.7L sitting around in the yard "for 'ron" (later on) was a tempting thought for the day at least.
A couple of questions have been raised....
1)
the cams would need to be checked on the ML350's in question as they might be of a different tune. Blown motors reportedly go for an increase in valve overlap. And it was a 4WD you are getting it from. Not sure if a cam replacement is easy on these things without having to remove the front timing cover - but you could possibly drop your old 3.2L cams in.
2) Not sure in differences between the
"forged" versus "other" pistons and conrods for >330rwhp at 6200rpm. I figured
fortune favours the brave - give it a go and if you fail, you still have the old block sitting there without a piston sitting halfway embeded in the block...;>)
3) A question was raised about the
tranny as far as lining up - probably do a little more homework - but if its a 722.6, just need to double check the bell housing.
4) for the crossfire guys there is an
ECU issue mentioned. Have to dig a bit deeper into that one.
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b22b