PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post - Shift lever--'89 560 SEL

MikeTangas · #8 05-31-2002, 01:13 AM

Don’t pull this splinter off. Gently sand both sides of the splinter, you want to retain as much of the wood as possible to maintain the integrity of the panel – the fewer voids the stronger the joint.

Once both pieces have been sanded and all saw dust blown from the pieces you are ready to glue up. Start by gently lifting the splinter.

With the splinter raised you are able to insert a small amount of wood glue between the splinter and the panel body. Next you will apply a small amount of glue to the panel, along the mating area. Do not use too much glue or it will squeeze out, making a mess and filling the recesses that accept the coin tray.

This is about the right amount of glue, possibly just a shade less. Once the glue is on as pictured, take the broken piece and mate it to the panel. As the two pieces come together, slide them against each other to spread the glue evenly on both pieces.

You will need a set of small clamps, similar to those pictured, to clamp the panel up. They can be found at your local home improvement store and should only cost a few dollars.

The panel and broken piece are clamped together securely. Notice how the glue is squeezed out from the joint. This looks like much more glue than it is, plus the majority of the squeeze out went to the backside of the panel.

Note: The larger clamp in the center of the panel is the clamp I use to install shift rod bushings – perfect size for the job.

The leading edge of the panel should now look like this picture. Notice how at the right and left side of the panel there are recesses? The coin tray fits into these recesses. You have to be careful not to get an excess amount of glue in the cutouts or you will not be able to fit the coin tray. The excess squeeze out in the center of the panel should not interfere with the tray but I would try to clean some of the glue out with a damp paper towel to be safe. More squeeze out than pictured will have to be cleaned as the narrow groove between the recesses will be filled and the coin tray will not sit flush in the groove.