I have too much slack ....although I adjusted the box 3 times already ... with not much success.
The rest of the steering connections have no slack as far as I can see.. So it is the steering box.

As this is one of the early gear boxes (I believe it is the Gen1 gear box with the straight arm) there is only a limited amount of wear that can be compensated.

Now I bought a used late Gen3 W126 gear box because this one has the larger compensation option with a better chance of success.


Now my many questions -to those who know- about the preparation of this 'new' box for install in my 1984 500SEL

1. Do I need to swap the straight arm from the old box to the new box? Or can I use the new arm?
In case of the arm swap: That arm is sitting quite tight on the splices. Is there a good puller that works here?
2. With the new box on the bench I feel play in the arm, as soon as the arm is leaving the Center area.
But there is no obvious play in the Center area.
Is that play in the periphery acceptable or would you pre-adjust the box before installation? Any protocol for the prep on the bench while the box is easily accessible?

Best, Martin