Subject: Crashed & Burned.....
To a crisp, toasted, ashes, you know .
I'm talking about my budget after this latest go - round with my old Mercedes Diesel Sports Coupe .
I've been chasing a soft miss at hot idle and slightly smoky exhaust that coats the back of the car in black oily hard to remove Diesel smoot for a long time (years) now and I recently tried sending a passably operating injection pump out for calibration, it cam back full of the same black oil it went out with so I was wondering, it turn out they either didn't adjust it at all for my $500.00 or didn't do it right, when installed the engine ran poorly and still smoked so off it went in exchange for a real live honest to God BOSCH rebuilt one, I was quoted $1,500.00 but when it showed up it was $1,800.00, it's a real bear to install so I had my friend the Mercedes mechanic do it and he decided to send out the injectors, another $500.00 plus of course the labor, 2 times in and out on the I.P. = $400.00 labor and in the end the total bill was $2,857.00 and the car needed a jump start to even get it home where I charged the 6 year old battery (uh, oh) then it started right up but wasn't charging properly, I drove it to SWMBO's house and when I tried to re start it the battery voltage dropped to 6 volts so I schlepped on home and brought a bunch of tools down, jacked the front en up a little bit & slid a 4X4X10" block of wood under the right front tire to give my self some working room and went at the alternator .
Of course the alternator's two V belts are the last ones to come off after the power steering and AC belts, I upgraded the AC to a Japanese Sanden compressor a while ago, this means the power steering pump needs to be fully unbolted and set aside to access the AC compressors fixing and adjusting bolts, whew .
Eventually I got the two old, dried out and crack filled alternator belts off reached into the bag of new parts and discovered they'd given me the wrong size belts ~ the car calls for 10X1035MM belts and I got 9.5X1035MM belts, I decide to use them anyways .
I removed the upgraded 65 ampere alternator and took it apart, the armature's copper slip rings were badly worn so I went into my used parts stash and dug out a BOSCH # AL117X rebuilt alternator and installed a new BOSCH voltage regulator and brushes into it, cleaned and lubricated all the fasteners and adjusters, re assembled everything adjusting the belts, all this was under the direct sun during a heat wave, eventually one of our Foster boys came out and told me I didn't look too good so I took a break washed up and we all went out to dinner, on the way home I stopped and bought a new 900 CCA AGM battery, they're supposed to be better than the normal flooded cell batteries , that was another $200.00 but I wasn't finished yet .
I took some Ibuprofen and passed out, got up early this morning and instelled the new battery, noticing that the recently installed Mercedes factory air cleaner support T bracket was broken ~ so much for paying more to get a longer lasting part ~ I'll go back to the aftermarket T brackets as the Mercedes one was twice the co$t and didn't last any longer....
I finally finished up and started the engine, the charge rate is now 14.2 volts DC at idle after it stabilizes, that's good .
Of course that was my last BOSCH branded voltage regulator/brush assembly and they've gone up sharply in price to over $40 so I guess I'll order a couple HELLA brand ones for stock as I think the wagon is about ready for an alternator too .
Whew .
This go 'round ended up passing $3,000.00 and it's still not yet done ~ I need to order in the T bracket and a fuel filter and some other bits and bobs .
Yesterday some Russians asked me of I'd sell one of my old Mercedes W123's, I may think about letting this Coupe go as it still needs paint and upholstery....
The problem is : it's a $2,500.00 car (I think) and I've dropped well over $10,000.00 into it over the years .
-Nate
LIVE in the world as it is, WORK to make the world as it should be
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Posted by: Nate <vwnate1@yahoo.com>
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