I am wondering if I can put a 4 cyl or Turbo b230 in my 760 GLE. The V6 (b280) is running well now but I know it will be very expensive and almost impossible to rebuild. I can't find an engine shop in town who will touch it because they say it costs too much and is really hard to find parts for. When the time comes, can I swap in a rebuilt 4cyl? I know I will lose horsepower but I need better fuel economy now with the price of fuel so high.

Also, what kind of life can I expect from my current B280 V6? It has 180,000 miles on it and has been regularly serviced every 3000 miles since it was purchased new. Also, I recently had the timing chains replaced (OEM) and the engine gaskets replaced (not the head gasket but all the rest). Anyone have a rough idea of cam lifespan or headgasket etc.???? The engine runs/seems like new but it must wear out eventually.....right??????

....hello Tech.....are you there?........can you please give me an opinion on this?

It will eventually wear out.They are a pain to work on alot of people don't like to touch them.That includes me.

If you do the swap you will need the engine with all wiring harness.You will also need the engine computer and a few other things.I think you will also need the trans for the B230.

It might just be easier to buy a wrecked car that was hit in the back then swap everything over.

OK, swapping it out with a wreck sounds good. So, will all the new parts I need just bolt right in to my current car? What year wreck can I use? Can I use an engine from a 740 or a 240?? Will a turbo work and is it worth it for the extra maintenance?? What things should I check out on the B230 to make sure it isn't toast? Thanx for any help you can give me.

An update: I found a Volvo wrecker on Vancouver Island, a mere 2 hour boat ride away from my location. I talked to the owner and he gave me a little advice. He said that the fuel economy would not be a whole lot better with the b230, not enough to justify the cost of the replacement.
He said the best thing to do would be to replace it with a used, low km b280 from 89/90.
He has ones for as low as $975 CDN dollars!!! He also said that at 297,984 km , my b280 could easily last another 5 years or more. I guess the time for a new engine is farther away and cheaper than I thought.....now if only gas prices would drop, it is $4.00 US per gallon here!!!!!

That engine isn't that bad in price.

I would just keep an eye on your engine for now and keep the other one on the back burner for now.