Good advice, I've got the front end up on stands now - some exhaust work - I'll get a buddy to turn the wheel into the play margins and see if I can see if the pittman arm is responding quickly. Then again, with the wheels in the air would probably respond differently. A better idea is to get exhaust work done and drive it up on my steel ramps. That way turning the wheel into the limits of play will be more like driveability conditions and I can still get underneath to check things out.

I read an account on the web of a guy who put in a rebuilt box and was very pleased with the results. But what you say does make one think twice about buying the rebuild. The used box is a more attractive experiment.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K