This evening I installed a Bosch rebuilt starter on my 1984 300SD. If I did not have this resource for technical information on the ins and outs of this repair job I am sure it would have taken me a few hours to complete the task. After reading an excellent write-up with pictures by Steve Kaa, I was able to complete the job in one hour and ten minutes. I was taking it easy while sipping a couple of beers, so I was not rushing, this is probably the fastest maintenance job I have ever done. The detail of information with the necessary socket extensions and the wobbly extension attached to the 10mm allen head socket, made the task of loosening and extracting the starter mount bolts amazingly staightfoward and easy.

Thank all of you dieselheads who post information on this site! You guys make working on my car myself possible.

Really, besides Steve Kaa, I would like to thank Brian Carlton, Forced Induction, BGkast, Larry Bible, and other members whose name I cannot remember, for helping out so much with post after post of useful information. Last weekend I flushed my coolant and cleaned out the spaces in between the fins on my radiator, which I learned mostly from posts by Brian Carlton. I even used the scrubbing bubbles bath foaming cleaner after reading a post by Brian. It worked really well, I was able to get the radiator completely cleaned out on the outside. Now my car runs no hotter than 87C or so on a hot day. I would be completely lost on how to accomplish these maintenance procedures if it was not for this site. Thanks also to Phil at mercedesshop for the forum.

Please excuse the lenghty post just to say thank you to all you guys who post information on this site,

Gilbert

seconded!! this place rocks, I can't imagine spinning a wrench on my babies without first consulting this oracle.... a wealth of first hand knowledge served up in a 95% friendly atmosphere.

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Cheers,
Robert

You mean.........somebody actually used that Dow Foaming cleaner.........to clean the fins.



I really need to find a professional condenser cleaner when I do the job again. The Dow cleaner was a stopgap because I had nothing else immediately available.

Glad it worked out for you.

any HVAC supplier will have phosphoric acid condenser cleaner (the pink stuff) in gallon containers for around 12.00 try R.E. Michael, or totaline distributers. they also sell some non acid stuff, but you can't dilute it as much and it's much slower.

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Thanks.......that's exactly what I want to get..........

OK Gilbert, haven't these guys taught you to add your car to your signature....



That starter replacement is quite a repair on these cars. Nice job. I need to search for his procedure. **edit: what is his forum name? Searchie noworkie.

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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

Hey Jimmy,

I am just too damn lazy to put the car in my signature, so I just type it out in the post that I am typing at the moment. Like this, 1984 300SD. I believe that Steve Kaa's screen name is "skaa". Here is my attempt at linking you to the write up. 300SD Starter R&R, w/photos

It made the job ten times easier than it would have been without the key info.

Gilbert