[diesel_mercedes] Pick-A-Part Report

 


O.K. , Tom came by and eventually was able to get me to my favorite P-A-P Yard , there were quite a few W-126's including some Canadian Grey Market ones so I was able to grab a W-126 saftey triangle latch in case I ever find anyone who wants to buy an original safety triangle & latch .

We also found a Petrol Blue 1977 300CE gasser , it must have had some nice interior as every stitch of upholstery was *gone* .

Sadly , the _PERFECT_ Zebrano burled wood was all there , they'd just mangled it by taking the entire dashboard apart with a crowbar =8-( .

I was able to find the partially hidden aftermarket alarm horn , a real find as it's a " BEEP-BEEP " typ of horn and should sound like a '68 Plymouth Road Runner , it even has a cute decal on it saying so and showing a flying saucer and alien .

This is a good find because my son buggered off with my original N.O.S. Sparton Road Runner horn , yes it was the purple one that's worth about $1,000 these days , neither I nor he has any idea what the hell he did with it , GRRRrrrrrrrr . moreso because I spotted it in an Auto Swap and only paid $3.00 for it ! .

I also found the crrect special screws for the chin spoiler on SWMBO's TD , two good Monovalves , one I took complete with coil .

Some Becker Electronic faceplates as the Becker I recently pt in my Cupe , has a loose & wonky volume knob , sadly it turned out I grabbed early version face plates so I think I'll just junk this radio an pull another from stock .

I have an AM/FW/SW European oe stashed someehwres in my house , so well stashed I can't find it , that'd be terrific for my now Euro Spec, Diesel Sports Coupe....

When we got home , Tom bugged out to catch up on his work and I dragged out the TD and installed the chin spoiler platics SWMBO's been nattering me about , then I replaced the Monovalv and got cool fresh air out of the dashboard vents (whew , just in time for summer !) then I took both passenger ide doors apart and replaced the original August 1984 vacuum pods so now the entire central locking system works and SWMBO is pleased .

She really seems to like this car , it certainly draws attention wherever it goes .

Well , that's most of it , there were _FOUR_ 107 SL's in the yard , two Coupes and two Roadsters , amazingly some one removed the hard top off one and tossed it caelessly on the ground....

A really nice paint W-108 gasser , sorry to see it there but it was being heavily stripped .

-Nate

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[diesel_mercedes] Mileage!

 

    I spent Thursday morning in the big P-a-P yard in Sun Valley looking at Cadillac bits, trying to solve the problem of access to the rearmost sparkplug on the big V-8.  (Essentially, Cadillac wants you to remove the passenger side front fender, then part of the frame, then lift the engine out, at which time spark plug access becomes possible, if not easy). 
 
    Thank goodness for engines without sparkplugs!  Gotta find a wrecked GM pick up with a Duramax / Allison drive train that I can swap into the Caddy. 
 
    Leaving the yard, I headed down Glenoaks, instead of getting on the freeway.  At the corner of Glenoaks and Penrose, Glen's Truck Stop had diesel for $367.9 / gal.  That's VERY good here in L.A. 
 
    Glens has 16 pumps, of which 4 have the narrow auto nozzles.  The other 12 are the big high volume truck nozzles.  To get to one of the auto nozzles, I had to jockey for position among semi-tractors pulling full size trailers (and one double bottom, that was backing and filling into position), Junk carriers and huge dumptrucks.  Some of these had fuel tanks that were about the size of the passenger compartment of my 300SD. 
 
    Put in 13.669 gal. with 402.7 on the ODO, for 29.46 mpg.  Not too slouchy for a 300SD with a fat guy driving and hundreds of pounds of tools in the trunk.  I think that most of this was freeway mileage. 
 
    After filling up, I headed to Tyermans in Burbank and had the front end aligned.  They said the toe-in was way off.  Afterwards, it certainly rides better, and so the mileage may even improve. 
 
    Today, Nate and I were back in the same yard.  Lots of 107s (both hard and soft top) and 126s, but only one 123, and that one was a gasser.  When we drove past Glen's Truck Stop, the diesel price had dropped to $365.9 / gal. 
 
Tom 
 
 
 

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[diesel_mercedes] Head Light Plugs

 


O.K., it seemdto me someone was asking for OEM Female 6 pin MPC's ? .

I was looking for them to - day and only found 8 hole plugs , all were only using 6 of the holes but I wasn't sure this is what you wanted.....

I assume you'l just need the plastic plug part as your original wires all have the standard cylindrical connectors on them now , they just need re - shuffling when converting from U.S. to European Spec. , or the reverse .

Please let us know and we'l keep an eye out .

-Nate

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[diesel_mercedes] Re : The RULES

 


Wow ;

I'm greatly honored by your support Taran ,

THANK YOU .

I hope I earn this privelage .

-Nate
Taran wrote:
>
> Nate, at this point, I think you've got a pass to post whatever you want here...
>
> - Jefe
>
> --- In diesel_mercedes@yahoogroups.com, "Nate" <vwnate1@> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Taran ;
> >
> > This all sounds pretty good and do - able except , I simply cannot help saying " the EVIL Klima I servo " .
> >
> > If this gets me banned , so be it .
> >
> > However , I *do* share the misery with others making the same sad , wretched journey.....
> >
> > Foo-Foo Fuels are fine as long as you don't put 'em in _MY_ Mercedes .
> >
> > -Nate
> >

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[diesel_mercedes] Re : Budget DIY Wax

 


Very good Chip ~ I should do this to my Diesel Sports Coupe but I fear I'd *die* if I tried polishung anything....

Did you know that the light metallic blue was called " Petrol Blue " and remains one of the most popular Mercedes colors ever ? .

-Nate
Chip Wrote:
>
> Guys,
>
> I posted a few weeks ago a method of restoring old dull paint that came from an RV site that I picked up.
>
> My 1982 Coupe has all original light metallic blue paint. The top surfaces, hood, top and trunk have lost all ability to come back.
>
> Well, I spent a day with a white (this is important) scrubbie (not the green or blue!) that I picked up at an auto paint store. To that I used Bar Keeper's Friend in conjunction and started in on my top surfaces, trying to clean things down to the original paint and get the blotches out. I was not 100% successful, but it looked pretty good. At this point, my paint was extremely dull.
>
> I then went and got this wax from Lowe's, an industrial strength, high traffic wax.
>
> With the car completely washed clean of all of the old paint and abrasives, I started putting thin coats of wax back on my top surfaces using a micro fiber towel. I also used disposable gloves to apply the wax.
>
> Over the course of a week, I have now put four coats of wax on my car and it looks amazing. I'll probably go for another couple of coats of wax before I call it good, but it is so much better than my car has ever looked.
>
> The first coat or two of the wax will be disappointing and have dry spots, but once you start building up the wax surface things really start to look good.
>
> And yes, I have had two people ask me if I had a new paint job! I am a stickler trying to keep my coupe all original and this has certainly helped the appearance.
>
> This is not a tough job guys, nothing like the old Simonize "yellow can" days.
>
> Chip
> Houston
>

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[diesel_mercedes] Re : Reverse light switch location

 


It's on the left hand side of the tranny proper , a combination switch that's in the narrowest place between the tranny and the unibody , you need to twist a lock ring before the electric plug comes off .

Then you'll need a 90 degree tool to remove the screws , not a really fun job IMO .

Have you tried testing it by backing up to a glass fronted building @ night and s l o w l y moving the shfit lever through the gears to see if the B.U. lights blink momentarily ? .

Some times the shifter linkage bushing gets worn out or falls apart , leaving the switch un able to align properly .

Did you personally remove and replace both back up light bulbs ? .

-Nate
Steve wrote:
>
> Any one know where the reverse light switch is located.
>
> 80-84 300D Automatic trans
>
> Another one of the items I was tagged for during the inspection.
> Did not fine it under the shifter cover. Is it on or in the trans ?
>
> Is there a relay also ?
>
> Thanks
> Steve
>

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[diesel_mercedes] Re: A/C working pretty good - W123

 


I don't know what the Max. pressure is but that's not very good .

I've forgottoen the basic rule for using R-134a in an R-12 system .

There's a rule of thumb as you DO NOT use the same charge in weight .

Did you clean or replace the expansion valve ? .

Occasionally cleaning & flushing the lines & evaporator helps boost efficiency greatly too as the old oil and misc. crud builds up inside .

-Nate
Jim wrote:
>
> Some of y'all might remember I reported putting a $50 20X16 parallel condenser on my 84 300D (which required two new custom hoses - $65), new dryer, new expansion valve, new o-rings wherever I took anything apart (didn't take stuff apart just to change o-rings), cleaned the evaporator with the Toyota foaming cleaner and a soft toothbrush, put a vacuum on the system and charged it up so it finally held a charge (two tries - first time the pressure switch was leaking). Well, it blows 52 degree air from the center vents on an 80 degree day as long as I'm moving. In stop and go traffic, it doesn't get quite that cold, and it struggles to overcome latent heat from sitting in a parking lot on a sunny day. Seems to need a 3000 RPM rev up to get it going initially after startup. I have it charged to the top of the safe zone. Don't know if I have it overcharged for the parallel condenser. Anyone know optimum charge pressure for parallel condenser on these old systems? It's 134a.
>
> Jim
>

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[diesel_mercedes] Re: The RULES

 

Nate, at this point, I think you've got a pass to post whatever you want here...

- Jefe

--- In diesel_mercedes@yahoogroups.com, "Nate" <vwnate1@...> wrote:
>
>
> Taran ;
>
> This all sounds pretty good and do - able except , I simply cannot help saying " the EVIL Klima I servo " .
>
> If this gets me banned , so be it .
>
> However , I *do* share the misery with others making the same sad , wretched journey.....
>
> Foo-Foo Fuels are fine as long as you don't put 'em in _MY_ Mercedes .
>
> -Nate
> Taran (El Gran Jefe) Dijo :
> >
> >
> >
> > Philosophical/political arguments along the lines of "my fuel is better than yours", "fuel x is a government conspiracy", "fuel y kills puppies", etc. do not belong here. Heated opinions that don't have anything to do with diesel MB's.
> >
> > I realize this isn't a black and white rule, so here are some guidelines. What follows isn't directed at you, Jim. It's for all group members.
> >
> > DON'T POST
> > -----------
> > - messages that include words like "lies", "liar", "evil", "conspiracy", "hate", "!!!!", "Area 51", etc.
> > - messages written in all-caps
> > - messages that include obscenities, personal attacks, or a disrespectful tone
> >
> > DO POST
> > --------
> > - experiences using alternative fuels with your diesel MB
> > - recommendations about fuel-related products, vendors, projects you have tried
> > - questions about modifying your diesel to use alternative fuels
> > - where to buy/how to make alternative fuels
> >
> > I set up this forum as a resource for learning more about these great cars. I like to think of it as a coffee shop where we can drop in and swap stories, questions, and some laughs. 99% of the time, that's what goes on here. Unfortunately, sometimes people get emotional about stuff. And every once in a while, a crazy hobo comes in and starts screaming at everyone. Both situations create more work for me. So this is all I ask of our members:
> >
> > 1. keep it friendly
> > 2. don't be that crazy hobo
> >
> > Thanks for sharing your thoughts and being part of the group. And I'm with you on the vacuum.
> >
> >
> > Taran
> >
> >
> >
>

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[diesel_mercedes] Re: Fuel Economy Check '84 Euro 300TD Auto

 


Oh yeah , sorry ~ this shows you how dang tired and wiped out this flusherginner sciatic nerve thing makes me .

Anyways , 23.6 MPG's , not great but not bad considering it's a big old heavy station wagon with the SLS pump whirling away and consuming power .

Did I mention that this Euro Spec. wagon goes like a scalded cat ? .

It makes my Coupe look like a 4 cylinder , no foolin' .

-Nate
Mark wrote:
>
> Sooo,
>
>
> What does that figger to, MPG-wise?
>
>
> Mark in Lakewood, CO
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Nate" <vwnate1@...>
> To: "diesel mercedes" <diesel_mercedes@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Friday, June 15, 2012 7:33:24 PM
> Subject: [diesel_mercedes] Fuel Economy Check '84 Euro 300TD Auto
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> This car has the desirable 'M' code injection pump and simply put , goes like a rocketship .
>
> 284 miles , mostly SWMBO driving around town , no AC used 'cause it's broken (again) .
>
> -Nate
>

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[diesel_mercedes] Re : Pick-A-Part Parts

 


Oops ;

Sorry Tony , I didn't get this before I went .

Only one W-123 Sedan there anyways and nothing left on it except the M-110 gas hog DOHC L6 cylinder engine .

You want the left front window lift with motor ? .

Or just the electric motor or what ? .

TIA ,

-Nate
Tony wrote:
>
> Nate, could I pay you to acquire an electric window mechanism for my 300D? drivers door. Aint no parts hereabouts to be had. gladly pay all costs and your time.
> Tony
>
>

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[diesel_mercedes] The RULES

 


Taran ;

This all sounds pretty good and do - able except , I simply cannot help saying " the EVIL Klima I servo " .

If this gets me banned , so be it .

However , I *do* share the misery with others making the same sad , wretched journey.....

Foo-Foo Fuels are fine as long as you don't put 'em in _MY_ Mercedes .

-Nate
Taran (El Gran Jefe) Dijo :
>
>
>
> Philosophical/political arguments along the lines of "my fuel is better than yours", "fuel x is a government conspiracy", "fuel y kills puppies", etc. do not belong here. Heated opinions that don't have anything to do with diesel MB's.
>
> I realize this isn't a black and white rule, so here are some guidelines. What follows isn't directed at you, Jim. It's for all group members.
>
> DON'T POST
> -----------
> - messages that include words like "lies", "liar", "evil", "conspiracy", "hate", "!!!!", "Area 51", etc.
> - messages written in all-caps
> - messages that include obscenities, personal attacks, or a disrespectful tone
>
> DO POST
> --------
> - experiences using alternative fuels with your diesel MB
> - recommendations about fuel-related products, vendors, projects you have tried
> - questions about modifying your diesel to use alternative fuels
> - where to buy/how to make alternative fuels
>
> I set up this forum as a resource for learning more about these great cars. I like to think of it as a coffee shop where we can drop in and swap stories, questions, and some laughs. 99% of the time, that's what goes on here. Unfortunately, sometimes people get emotional about stuff. And every once in a while, a crazy hobo comes in and starts screaming at everyone. Both situations create more work for me. So this is all I ask of our members:
>
> 1. keep it friendly
> 2. don't be that crazy hobo
>
> Thanks for sharing your thoughts and being part of the group. And I'm with you on the vacuum.
>
>
> Taran
>
>
>

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[diesel_mercedes] Re: Going to the "red storyline"

 


LOL ! thanx for the laugh Jim ;

I need it after to - day's workout .

-Nate
Jim wrote :
>
> OK, so I had half a tank of diesel, and my primary fuel filter, you know the clear one, started sucking air, bubbling like co-cola. I swapped the filter out with a new one, still sucking air. I figured it was one of the hoses and/or clamps. Swapped them all out, still sucking air. Now I'm starting to wonder if the metal fuel line is cracked or something. No fuel spots on the ground, no drips, but maybe it's such a small crack or hole that it's sucking air but not dripping. Oh crap, that thing is $250 and a beeyatch to install. So I thought I'd try a temporary replacement. Bought 15 feet of 1/4" rubber hose, started in the engine compartment, zip tied it to the fuel lines, jacked up the car, zip tied it all the way to the back, cut it to length, set up a connector, got my clamps ready, put a big pan underneath the fuel tank, pulled the rubber fuel supply hose (the one on the bottom of the tank) off the metal line so I could quickly swap it to the new rubber hose, hoping not to spill too much diesel. Expected a flood...nothing. WTF? Damn tank was empty! Fuel gauge sender unit center rod got corroded and stuck the float at half-way. I should have known I couldn't have really gone 1400 miles on half a tank of diesel LOL. Anybody need 13 feet of 1/4" fuel line? I am such a moron...
>
> Jim
>

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[diesel_mercedes] Re: Re : A/C Condensor

 

I have had good luck with a 20x16 universal condenser in my W123 84 300D that I got for $50 from rycompressors at yahoo dot com. They have an a/c tech who's enough of an old timer to know about our cars, how to troubleshoot, etc. and you can get him on the phone, though he's really busy. They're in Florida so I think they know a/c. I wouldn't go back to the original condenser after having this one working for a while, it's good.

Jim

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[diesel_mercedes] Re: Alternate Diesel Fuels

 

Lawrence, I am so jealous, converted my sears garden tractor, to 24V, and it works fine. Building a house on pension money so have no spare cash for EVs. But my teeth hurt to get a road EV.
Tony
PS Taran, I know this is a bit OT but hope it is OK.

--- In diesel_mercedes@yahoogroups.com, "Nate" <vwnate1@...> wrote:
>
>
> Pretty neat Lawrence .
>
> I await the day when they crack the battery nut and have long distance Electric Cars .
>
> I don't want one but still....
>
> -Nate
> Lawrence Wrote :
>
> I drive
> my diesel on veggie oil and my electric vehicles are powered by my solar
> panels. That's the best I can do now and my ultimate goal which might seem like
> heresy here is to get rid of the diesels and go electric. Until I can afford a
> proper long range electric I'll be burnin veggie oil in my W123 TD or 240.
> Lawrence Rhodes.... http://www.evalbum.com/418 I still own the car, motorcycle
> & scooter.
>

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[diesel_mercedes] ]Update2 - Reverse light switch

 

The joy of having a odd car.
My switch does not match the one for an 84, 80, or 78.

Looks like I am drilling out the rivets and going in to see if I can clean it up and make it work.

PS. I pulled the trigger last night and ordered my support joints.

Steve

--- In diesel_mercedes@yahoogroups.com, "Steve Parolin" <stevenparolin@...> wrote:
>
> Looks like it is combined with the neutral safety switch.
>
> Good write up here
>
> http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w123-e-ce-d-cd-td/1442932-how-replace-your-neutral-safety-switch.html
>
>
> Steve
>

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[diesel_mercedes] Discussion closed - Re: They LIED

 

Thanks, nothing to forgive. I looked over the thread and it seemed like several people chose to get heated. I like passionate discussions, but online they tend to degenerate into name-calling.

In the future if there's a diesel issue you feel strongly about, post once. If a civil conversation starts, great. If it gets heated, walk away. What happens is that 2-3 people start rapid-firing angry messages back and forth. The rest of the group gets sick of hearing the noise and tells them to take it elsewhere. Then people get offended and the fight keeps going.

Everyone should remember that this group is about sharing information, not proselytizing or bickering.

Thanks for posting,

Taran

--- In diesel_mercedes@yahoogroups.com, john public <brad_macaboy1234@...> wrote:
>
> Taran,
> If I was responsible for starting the furor, please forgive.
> I am concerned about the taxation of our diesels and felt, perhaps instinctively, that if others were apprised of measures to curtail their use, maybe we could do something as a group in the future if necessary. I am worried about intrusion upon our liberties, especially the use of our cars!
> I have been a member for a long time, enjoy the group and reading posts though I do so infrequently write anything. Like Jim, 20 years ago I'd not consider myself ever to be  MB 300D/SD owner, until I received one from a client departing the country. Since then I cannot imagine not owning one and am always "on the lookout" for the next one to transplant a good engine into. I think the engines are some of the best ever mass produced.
> Thanks, again.
>
> --- On Fri, 6/15/12, Taran <taranreese@...> wrote:
>
> From: Taran <taranreese@...>
> Subject: [diesel_mercedes] Discussion closed - Re: They LIED
> To: diesel_mercedes@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Friday, June 15, 2012, 11:09 PM
>
> Thanks Jim. I agree, the practical use of alternative fuels with diesel Mercedes autos is a welcome discussion here.
>
> Philosophical/political arguments along the lines of "my fuel is better than yours", "fuel x is a government conspiracy", "fuel y kills puppies", etc. do not belong here. Heated opinions that don't have anything to do with diesel MB's.
>
> I realize this isn't a black and white rule, so here are some guidelines. What follows isn't directed at you, Jim. It's for all group members.
>
> DON'T POST
> -----------
> - messages that include words like "lies", "liar", "evil", "conspiracy", "hate", "!!!!", "Area 51", etc.
> - messages written in all-caps
> - messages that include obscenities, personal attacks, or a disrespectful tone
>
> DO POST
> --------
> - experiences using alternative fuels with your diesel MB
> - recommendations about fuel-related products, vendors, projects you have tried
> - questions about modifying your diesel to use alternative fuels
> - where to buy/how to make alternative fuels
>
> I set up this forum as a resource for learning more about these great cars. I like to think of it as a coffee shop where we can drop in and swap stories, questions, and some laughs. 99% of the time, that's what goes on here. Unfortunately, sometimes people get emotional about stuff. And every once in a while, a crazy hobo comes in and starts screaming at everyone. Both situations create more work for me. So this is all I ask of our members:
>
> 1. keep it friendly
> 2. don't be that crazy hobo
>
> Thanks for sharing your thoughts and being part of the group. And I'm with you on the vacuum.
>
>
> Taran
>
>
> --- In diesel_mercedes@yahoogroups.com, "n61cm" <jim@> wrote:
> >
> > I think alternative fuels is a valid topic of discussion here.  If it weren't for alternative fuels, I wouldn't even have my old MBeater.  If someone would have told me 10 years ago that I'd own one of these, I'd have told them they were crazy.  Then I found out what they'd run on, and how easy they were to work on, and how entertaining their engineering was, and I fell in love LOL.  Except for the vacuum.  The vacuum sucks. 
> >
> > Jim
> >
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>

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[diesel_mercedes] Re: Re : Kevin's 1981 300D

 



Hi All,
Kevin, on a 300 sel gasser of mine the drivers window regulator was acting up as well and I would just push the window up with the palms of my hands to get it to seat fully up. I found out (to late) after removing the door panel there was a nut/bolt point that was loose towards the bottom of the regulator that let the gears separate as the window reached the top 10% of being closed. Had I tightened that up before the gears on the regulator fed on themselves too long, I would have saved the time and cost of installing a new one. I wound up buying one from Rockauto after not finding any old Benz'nearby in the pick-a-parts.

John KC8SIL
Cincinnati,OH
'88 300 SEL (waiting for a diesel swap out)

--- In diesel_mercedes@yahoogroups.com, "Kevin Kraly" <kraly@...> wrote:
>
> I found a guy about 40 miles from me who has every part I’ll ever need. He has a mostly complete ‘82 300D with the same exact int/ext color combo as well as a few other parts cars. Whenever we meet up, I’ll be like a kid in a candy store! The ‘82 has a nice interior including firmer seats which mine could use. I’m going to get all the vacuum bits from tranny to valve cover to have on hand to make mine right.
>
> Kevin in Hillsboro, Oregon
> 1981 300D 300+Kmi, Old Blau (still workig on a name)
>

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