Well considering that everyone is ultimatly expecting me to give information above and beyond to justufy my actions and claims I figured I would start my first "Serious" thread about the diffrenced between the engines in terms of a M116 4.2 liter found in the 420SEL and the M117 5.6 liter found in the 560.
While at first glance these two motors appear to be the same with a few exeptions being the dual air snorkels and hydro-suspension pump and hydro-fluid reserve tank that usually designates a 560 the two ARE NOT the same.
The 560 Intake manifold is much larger than that of the 420. The deck highth of the block is also much smaller on the M116 420 compared to the M117 560. In fact none of the internal engine parts are interchangable between the M116 and M117 engine. Exhaust manifolds, motor mounts, accessories and such ARE interchangable.
Interestingly enough all of the fuel management systems such as Injectors, ECM, Fuel Distributor, ignition modules, and the like WILL interchange between the M116 420 and M117 560.
Here are some photos so that you can see for yourself.
I think the M119 uses a 4 cam cylinder head exclusively. I also know the the 560 camshaft is a BIG DEAL to the M119 guys whom are limited to only 5.0 liters. They use the 560 crank to stroke them out, so I hear. I have never put a 5.6 M117 crankshaft into a 5.0 M119 engine but many have come looking for them.
If anyone has a photo of a bare M119 block we can compare.
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
The M119 is an evolution of the M117. Indeed with minor machining, the M117 5.6 crank will fit just fine in the M119 block. That being said, there really is nothing else between an M117 and M119 that is interchangeable. They follow a similar general layout but the M119 has twincam heads, with the intake valves having solenoid-controlled variable valve timing and a very very flat torque curve as compared to the M117. The M119's LH fuel injection system (which uses electronically controlled injectors) is much more efficient and capable than the CIS-E system of the 5.6 motors.
There were three versions of the M119: the first version, used in the early 500SLs (1990-1992 model years) (119.96X), used a CIS-E injection system. Later ones on the R129, W124 and W140 cars (119.97X) used an LH injection system. The last-generation M119s (119.98X) used ME engine management and were found in the W210, W140 and R129s I believe. M119s were available in 4.2, 5.0, 6.0 and 6.2-liter displacements from Mercedes and AMG.
