sorry -

im learning car repair all on my own, completely from scratch, so forgive me. but, im about to take out my radiator on the 82 300sd next weekend. im wondering, what are the other two radiators up there? i notice the small one on the right (drivers side), which i presume is the oil cooler. but theres also a thin radiator mounted right in front of the engine coolant radiator, which never seems to be warm at all. is this the transmission cooler?

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1982 300sd, 230,000 miles, svo/wvo conversion... yellow

http://www.jaymoschella.com

That's the a/c condenser. It'll get warm when you crank up the a/c in the summer.

ah, excellent. luckily, my a/c doesnt work (or, at least, the belts not mounted. and im assuming the compressor is shot). so i dont have to worry about that!

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1982 300sd, 230,000 miles, svo/wvo conversion... yellow

http://www.jaymoschella.com

when you get to the oil cooler, be very very careful. the rad can be removed without removing the oil cooler. if you do it this way you must be very careful to reinstall the oil cooler alongside the rad with all the tabs interlocked etc. if you allow it to flop around you will wear a hole in the fragile aluminum.

if you decide to remove the cooler, be very very carful when you unhook the hoses from it. again, the attachment is very fragile. you must use two wrenches to undo the connectors to keep from tearing out the fittings from the aluminum tank.

good luck

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Don't even think about disconnecting the oil cooler hoses!!!!!

The oil cooler is attached to the radiator by two bolts/clamps at the upper and lower corners. Just remove those and leave the oil cooler in place.

yes. my idea was that i didnt have to touch the oil cooler, but that i simply had to disconnect the mounts and clips for the radiator proper, take off and replace the hoses, then put it all back on. do i have to even touch the oil cooler?

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1982 300sd, 230,000 miles, svo/wvo conversion... yellow

http://www.jaymoschella.com

You'll need to unbolt the cooler from the main radiator. There's a nut and a bolt at the top and at the bottom.

While the radiator is removed, seriously consider spending two hours to thoroughly clean the fins. Debris accumulates in the fins that you won't easily see, but, it severely restricts airflow. Hold the radiator up to the sun and peer through the fins. If you can't easily see through them, you've got some work to do.

The best approach is to get some professional condenser cleaner and use it with compressed air held right against the fins. Supposedly HD has some of this stuff, but, I haven't verified that.

Should he do that before or after he installs the new radiator?

You might want to replace the belt to the Air Conditioning system too while you are in there! Having AC in winter is kind of nice because you can run the AC in heat or defrost mode and remove the cold moisture from inside your car! It will help to defrost/defog your windshield faster. My belt was off too and when I replaced it, I found out the only thing from keeping my AC pump from operating was a few onces of refrigerant, about $20 bucks! That thin radiator in front of your radiator is you Air Conditioning condensor, very important! Get yourself a Haynes service manual if you don't have one already, you will never know when you will need it when you're not around your computer!

hm. well, my compressor looks ancient from the outside. i would think its a million-to-one shot that it will work. what would happen if i put the belt on, but it was seized up?

also, i have the haynes manual, but i find it too be less than optimal. its okay as an overview, but for someone like me, who has almost no point of reference where car repair is concerned, its a little to vague to be useful.

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1982 300sd, 230,000 miles, svo/wvo conversion... yellow

http://www.jaymoschella.com

Before you put a belt on it, try turning it by hand first. Grab the front face of the clutch and see if it turns! If it does put the belt on and charge the system and you are good to go! Refrigerant cans are under high pressure and you could get hurt if you are not sure of what you are doing!! Your AC system MUST be charged from the low side of the system only! If you are not comfortable with this, then take it to someone you can trust and let them pressure check your system for leaks first and let them do it if everything is ok! A buddy who has done this before can be a great help and this is something someone should show you how to do your first time. Mercedes Benz's tend to collect moisture and sometimes leak and having your AC system working will help to keep the car dry by dehydrating it. A Haynes Manual can be sketchy, but it is better than nothing. I've got both Haynes and Chilton and between the two I can get where I need to go! Let us know what happens!

hmm. interesting. actually, i just went out and took a peek. though its rusty as hell, the compressor does spin freely. but, if it was a wheel, i would say the bearings are sort of shot. it moves with little resistance, but if i spint it, it will only make maybe one or one and a half turns on its own. is this in spec, i wonder?

anyhow, tomorrow i have to bring it in for some work that im not comfortable doing myself. maybe i'll ask them to take a look while its in there.

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1982 300sd, 230,000 miles, svo/wvo conversion... yellow

http://www.jaymoschella.com

Yes, the AC compressor will not just spin freely like a top! If it did, this means it is shot. The fact that it turns freely, but with a little resistance leads me to believe There is some residual Compressor oil in the system. A good sign or at least a good start!

oh, exciting. of course, my aux fan is fried, so i would have to replace that ($$$). i wish i had started reading this forum a couple of months BEFORE i bought my car. because i would have bought my car. i would have bought one that cost about $2000 more, with all the stuff that i need to replace already functioning (ball joints, motor mounts, glow plugs... radiator, a/c fan... probably others too).

and yes, i have learned what the, "no such thing as a cheap mercedes" means. on the other hand, though im making small strides, its infinitely easier for me to look under the hood of this car and understand it than any other cars ive owned, and i consider the opportunity to learn how to actually maintain my car to worth something. granted, i wouldnt say its worth the cost of all of the above repairs. but its worth something...

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1982 300sd, 230,000 miles, svo/wvo conversion... yellow

http://www.jaymoschella.com

He should do it after he installs the new radiator. That way, he'll have a decent spare.