Been working on trying to take out the starter on my 82 300TDT & it's a real PITA!! I searched the threads & found that I'm not the only one having a hard time with this. It tried the two U-joint socket deal & broke one, so I finally gave up & drilled through the firewall! I'm able to get to it now, but I had to stop before I could get enough leverage to break it loose. I'm going to hopefully get it out tomorrow morning.
The problem's I'm having with it are the solenoid, I think. The starter always turns, but it doesn't always engage & slips out a lot when it does. Hopefully it hasn't hurt the flywheel yet.

Well, wish me luck!

Mike

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Michael Roth

1982 300TDT Wagon
1982 240D Euro!, 4spd manual-Parts car now, dead engine
88 Jeep Grand Wagoneer-fixing up for offroading
1989 Ford F150 (rust bucket) For Sale!
1953 Dodge B-4F, 1 1/2 ton Stake Bed (new restoration project)

Did you ever find a wiper motor?

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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

You are probably not the first. I almost pulled mine when it would to even click, then I saw the stick was in "D".

Too funny! wish that was my problem!

Nope no wiper motor yet. You wouldn't happen to have one, wolud you?

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Michael Roth

1982 300TDT Wagon
1982 240D Euro!, 4spd manual-Parts car now, dead engine
88 Jeep Grand Wagoneer-fixing up for offroading
1989 Ford F150 (rust bucket) For Sale!
1953 Dodge B-4F, 1 1/2 ton Stake Bed (new restoration project)

Whats the 2 u-joint socket deal? I just used as many extensions as i could get my hands on(a couple of wobble heads) and turned the ratchet from below bellhousing.

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'85 300 Turbo Diesel- 308K

Im not sure about how tight things are in the 123.. but in my 126, I can get under the car and reach up and loosen the starter bolts fairly easily, a lot easier than say the back bolt to the injection pump....

I don't have an extra, just trying to help a wagon brutha out. It only takes the right person with an extra one to read this thread and hollar at you.
Anyone??

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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

That's what I was trying, but the angles were still too steep & I broke one of the u-joints. I'm kinda suprised that just a wobble or two were enough to let you in there. It's a really bad, tough spot.
My 82 240D was MUCH easier to change the starter out on, didn't take much time at all. This one has almost NO room to work in for this. Drilling the firewall wasn't too bad & I'll just seal it up when I'm done. Don't think I need to worry about rust with all the oil under there, either! Need to figure out where all that's coming from soon now too. I'm not using too much though, so I don't think it's a major problem right now.

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Michael Roth

1982 300TDT Wagon
1982 240D Euro!, 4spd manual-Parts car now, dead engine
88 Jeep Grand Wagoneer-fixing up for offroading
1989 Ford F150 (rust bucket) For Sale!
1953 Dodge B-4F, 1 1/2 ton Stake Bed (new restoration project)

still sick, but on the road to recovery! going to attempt to go back to work tomrrow maybe I'll get a chance to test the motor this weekend.

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1980 500SE/AMG Euro
1981 500SEL Euro
1982 380SEL
1983 300TD
1983 500SEC/AMG Euro
1984 500SEC
1984 300TD Euro
1986 190E 2.3-16
1986 190E 2.3
1987 300D
1997 C36 AMG
2003 C320T 4matic

past: 1969 280SE 4.5 | 1978 240D | 1978 300D | 1981 300SD | 1981 300SD | 1982 300CD | 1983 300CD | 1983 300SD | 1983 380SEC | 1984 300D | 1984 300D | 1984 300TD | 1984 500SEL | 1984 300SD | 1985 300D | 1986 300E | 1986 560SEL | 1986 560SEL/Carat | 1987 560SEC | 1991 300D 2.5 | 2006 R350

I empathize with you, I don't think it's AS bad on a 116 but I was able to get at it with a 1/2" 3" extension. Even then though I couldn't really turn it because I'm weak and the area was too small for added leverage. So, since I was taking it in for a block heater installation I had them replace the starter at the same time. You guys should replace one on an SDL. 1,000,000 times easier. I haven't had to do mine but I looked at it and there's plenty of room for sockets, breaker bars, etc. I know an SDL is usually considered more of a pain to work on, but this is one of those exceptions.

Thanks
David

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2000 Honda Accord V6 137k miles

1972 300SEL 4.5 98k miles

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I have always rebuilt my own starters but I have not had to do a MB starter yet. If this were any of the starters I have ever worked on I would think it was the starter drive from your description. Is the MB starter that much different? Why do you think it is the solenoid?

Sounds like you have either a drive going bad (the thingy on the end of the starter motor shaft that has a 1 way clutch in it) or you are loosing teeth either off the ring gear (flyweel) or the drive (starter side of things).

The only reason I say this is that inside the solenoid is a plunger that, when you apply power, magnetically sucks the plunger into its field and at the end of its throw it connects the power goodies to feed the starter its required 12v juice.
If the solenoid wasn't plugning properly, you wouldn't get any starter action. My guess is that it is moving fine but something is up with your drive...I will cross my fingers and hope your flywheel is pristine.
Might be worth rolling it over a few revolutions to check it over

I just did the starter on my SDL a couple weeks ago and I thought it was quite possibly the easiest starter I have ever changed. Being around my dad's and brothers' indy shops for a lot of years I have seen quite a few really bad starter locations, too.

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Keep everything as simple as possible-but no simpler--Albert Einstein

Guess I didn't know what all the solenoid did. I thought it just pushed the starter gear into the flywheel, didn't realize it activated the starter too. That's why I figured it was the solenoid. I'll definitely try to turn it over to check the flywheel too, that would REALLY suck! Guess I would have to do my tranny swap sooner than I wanted if it is bad. Was thinking of putting in the 4spd manual from my 240D one of these days.

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Michael Roth

1982 300TDT Wagon
1982 240D Euro!, 4spd manual-Parts car now, dead engine
88 Jeep Grand Wagoneer-fixing up for offroading
1989 Ford F150 (rust bucket) For Sale!
1953 Dodge B-4F, 1 1/2 ton Stake Bed (new restoration project)

On my '76 300D, my mechanic had to remove starter in order to install a block heater in the recommended location. To get the starter out, he actually unbolted a suspension arm (not sure which one) to drop it out of the way.

Dave