my new toy is a 1975 mb 450sl that has had a sbc dropped in all the frame, exaust, drive train , and steering is complete but they stopped with the wiring and cooling system. what I do not know to start with is what motor it is? it has what I believe is an early tpi, aluminum heads, electric water pump, and front crank firing ingnition(no distributer)?
the engine and trans were bought as a package out of a low milage wreck.
the computer has numbers on it but where would one look / cross refrence them? serv.no 16188051 BKNC 16202091 BKNC *886BKNCK0333845LL*

I AM HOPING SOMEONE CAN LEAD ME THE RIGHT WAY, THANKS!

 

Hi smilingman,

Welcome to the Chevy Forums.

This sounds interesting, because one can only assume that the original work centered around providing more HP than the original MB mill.

Try mortec.com

 

I believe they just were building a toy as the motor was bad and they still had the original trans sitting there. after some checking it seams the water pump is the factory gear driven style.

 

Looks like the original base model engine may have been the MB 4520CC V8 with a dual chain-driven overhead cam. While torquey, it only dyno'ed @222HP. So most standard sbc mills could easily carry that HP, as long as the Chevy mill can fit in the engine compartment without too much trouble.

Is there any way to talk to the prior owner? His insight would be priceless at this point, because considering the state of things, he must have had some strategy.

 

i can tell u what engine is in it and maybe help u, to figure out what engine u have, i need the casting #'s off the back of the block. ill bet it is a corvette engine, only corvette came with tuned port injection and aluminum heads. do you have the wiring harness for it? if you do, it would be wise to get the manual for the car your engine came out of, but it is hard to say what it is without casting #'s if u post them, we will know

 

Sounds like an lt1/lt4 out of a 93-97 Camaro/firebird or 96-ish and older corvette

 

camaros and firebirds never got the aluminum heads

 

Yes they did the corvette and camaro/firebird got aluminum heads but the f bodies got 2 bolt mains instead of 4 bolt like the corvettes, all of the other cars (B and D bodies) that got the lt1 had cast iron heads and 2 bolt main

 

yes, but that was in the lt1/4 that they came with aluminum heads, he has a tuned port engine, in that time only the vette had aluminum heads, camaros and firebirds had cast heads

EDIT: he does in fact have the lt1/lt4 engine with the front distributor, i overlooked that part of his post when i saw the tunned port part

 

No its an lt1 he says it has a cam driven water pump and a front drive distributor(optispark) The l98 corvette motors were just tpi/aluminum headed gen I sbc