Mercedes 190E 2.3-16

[fuga28]

Hi. I'm new around here and I found this forum threw information that I found on Merc forums.
I'm from Portugal and I'm building a track car with mechanics from a 190E 2.3-16. I don't get much about electronics nor stuff "just to make the car faster", but I'm willing to learn.
From what I read on other forums, besides Megaquirt I need to buy new injectors, fuel rail, fuel pump and distributor, but if anyone made a mod like this, I'd apreciate the help.
Thank you in advance.

[DonTZ125]

I'm a bike guy, so you'll have to translate a little about the car. Is this an injected engine? If so, the 'Squirt should be able to work quite well with what you have.

[Hey_Allen]

Looking up the specs of the 190E with a 2.3L 16valve engine, it looks like it is one of the Bosch CIS injection engines. That is good in that it already has ports for the injectors to go in, but you will have to figure out how to mount fuel rails and injectors where MB had only mounted a set of nozzles to spray fuel.

Beyond that, you'll need to regulate the fuel pressure down to electronic injector pressure levels, and add the standard set of sensors for MegaSquirt. Whether you follow the easy route for wiring and tuning it and use General Motors sensors, or find something more easily purchased where you live is up to you.

I think I remember there being a good write up of someone doing this conversion, or one very similar on benzworld.org or on peachparts.com so you might get a good set of ideas if you can find it.


Happy tinkering and best of luck!

[fuga28]

From what I've read in Merc forums the most common to swap to efi is use Ford/Volvo 330cc injectors and the fuel rail from any 4 cylinder Saab from 1994 to 2003. GM parts here ain't so easy to find, so it might be a little bit hard to do so. GM around here there are only Opel and Korean Chevrolet. There were also Chryslers, but most of them used VM engines and italian motor parts.

I'm thinking of buying a manifold from some 2.3-16 or 2.5-16 so I start customizing it so the car won't be stopped still all the time while I'm preparing stuff.

Probably Megasquirt sensors might be easier because it would all come from the same place, since the retailer that sells MS on the UK might sell the sensors as well. Here in Portugal there ain't as much info nor retailers of parts to do this kind of work, so probably I have to buy most of the things I need abroad.

There isn't also much information, because major tune ups are made on Hondas and VW TDI related power ups.

[fuga28]

In terms of the engine history:

The engine is based in the 2.3 8v, but it was developed with Cosworth that made high flow (as they call it) 16 valve head for it. The base injection system is Bosch KE-Jetronic, but there were diferences when it comes to power:
ECE - no catalyst -185hp;
RUF - prepared for unleaded fuel - 177hp and
KAT - catalyst - 170Hp.

There was also an US spec version with 167hp.

My engine is KAT version, but I will take off the catalyst, specially because they are only mandatory for cars released after 1992.

In Portugal there were very few cars like this bought new, so most of them were brought by Portuguese that were migrated in other countries. The most common version of the Mercedes 190 around here is the Diesel 2 liter version with a very calm 72hp, very popular as taxi, because they could do over 1 million Km without major engine problems.

As I said in the beginning I'm doing this project, because I want to do a lot of track days with it and some road as well, and not as much top speed, but to do so, I think I would gain a lot more with full EFi than with the regular KE-Jetronic.

There ain't many technicians do this kind of work around here, actually I know none, so I'm trying to get as much info as I can so I can start doing things and learning along the way.

[Hey_Allen]

If you dig around in the Mercedes forums you can find the information for the Mercedes sensors, and with a bit of fiddling with the bias resistors on the Megasquirt may be able to at least use the stock temperature sensor.

I know at least one gentleman in Belarus is making adapters to use a Ford crank position sensor that is from a Europe only vehicle on the m117 Mercedes engines, so you might look at Ford parts if they are easily available?

[fuga28]

Probably will be easier to find Ford parts, but is something to definitely search. Thank you for all the info.
Actually today I got some other news about a 2.5-16 complete engine quite cheap, that may become an option.

[chris_crack]

sounds good!

i running my efi conversion since 4000 km now and it runs very well
maybe i can help you if you have any questions!

see my ALBUM