Who says you can't go home again? Just bought back my 240/300. - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

lutzTD · #31 02-03-2008, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bgkast

Keep it a sleeper with the 240 badge.

sleeper, thats pretty funny

t walgamuth · #32 02-03-2008, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lutzTD

sleeper, thats pretty funny

Thats what I thought!

I am going with the 240 and 300 label one on each side of the trunk, which will mean something only to us insider diesel geeks.

Tom W

t walgamuth · #33 04-16-2008, 11:57 AM

Well I used just the 300d and the diesel badge.

I got it on the road today. The exhaust was hanging down so I went over to my favorite muff shop and got some hangers. I installed them and still had some serious clonking going on so went and looked again and found the rear sway bar link on the right is gone.

So my plan to drive it today to Muncie has gone by the wayside. I will be taking the infernal pt cruiser.

Oh well....its got great tunes!

Tom W

Stevo · #34 04-16-2008, 02:39 PM

Good show Tom.
So you have a rebuilt, N/A 617 with a 4 spd in a nice 240D. You have the aluminum rims that look like the steel ones and are going to run "painted to match" wheel covers then?, thats what IMO looks the best, I like the "traditional look. What color is the car, pics?

t walgamuth · #35 04-16-2008, 10:35 PM

Well its the ubiquitous ivory which is fine I have owned maybe nearly a dozen that color!

It has the bundt wheels now. The pictures above in the thread might as well be it. I may post some soon. It is all waxed up now and looks pretty decent.

When I started it this morning after sitting for a couple of months I thought it took a long time for the op to come up for a rebuilt motor. But I drove it around a bit to warm it up and brought it back to change the oil. When I went to take off the filter top I found the bolts to be finger tight! I had noticed that the filter housing had a few streaks down the sides but never gave it much thought.

I'm sure glad I decided to change the oil and filter before taking a trip with it! That might have gotten loose enough to lose oil pressure in a little while longer!

This car is a sweetheart. The clock even works!

With the 307 gears you hardly need fourth gear around town. But it has enough torque to take off even on a hill with not too much fuss.

i'm gonna put that new sway link on her and start driving her every day.

Tom W

t walgamuth · #36 04-17-2008, 01:25 PM

I have these silly little 185/60 tires on the front that I got with my 280e when I bought it back and the rear has 197/75s so the car is sitting pretty low in front. It has the caster neutralized and the car does not track like a 123 should.

I did the sway link this morning in about 20 min. ...it took longer to take the wheel off and jack up the car than changing the link.

Tom W

oilslick · #37 04-17-2008, 03:56 PM

[QUOTE=t walgamuth;1582711.

Who says you can't go home?

Tom W
an Architect in his natural environment... a 240d.[/QUOTE]

I think this is wonderful as I too have gone back to a 240D just today! It is not one that I have owned before and has not had a 5 cylinder transplanted into it but I missed mine so badly until I had to find another.

I own an '87 SDL and just sold an '87 D and while my SDL is one of the finest automobiles I have ever driven there's just something about the feel and "purr" of those w123 240D's. I am so happy! I never really liked the '87 D and I am not a big fan of the 603. I don't hate them but I sure love the simplicity of that little 4 cylinder engine. The 603 is a relatively simple engine but I am partial to the 240D.

Kevin

t walgamuth · #38 04-17-2008, 11:16 PM

Compared to a 616 or 617 the 603 is fragile and finicky, hard to sort and hard to keep sorted in my experience.

My 5 cyl na is just like a 240 motor with one more cylinder. It makes all the difference and with the stick and 307 rear it will beat the 240 slightly on fuel economy while keeping motor noise way down. It will also run 100 mph if you have time to let it wind out.

I intended to build the ulitmate 240d when I put it together.]

And I am back in my natural environment.....a 240d.

Tom W

t walgamuth · #39 04-20-2008, 10:12 PM

So I took it on its maiden voyage yesterday. I was a little overambitious.

I drove to my mom's house in Kalamazoo mi. about 180 or so miles. All was well as long as I was on the two lanes humming along at 65, but when I got out on I-94 I started driving 75.....well, after about a half hour or 45 minutes I started hearing this sort of ticking noise. First I thought it was tires on the pavement but if I let off the gas It would stop. So I pulled into a rest area and revved up the motor. Nothing.

So back out on the highway and soon it was making the noise again. And it got louder. Soon I was driving 65, then as I got closer to Kzoo I got off the interstate and switched over to the old Red Arrow highway and soon I was down to 45 mph and I was hearing ominous grinding noises from time to time.

Drat!

This morning I got up and jacked up the back and tried moving the wheels around and verified it was the left rear. I decided it must be the outer cv joint. The boot was fine so I decided to squirt in some grease with a needle attachment. I also called my BIK who lives in South Bend and asked him to bring his trailer up when he came for the sunday dinner. He did. I also loaded about 150# into the trunk to get the half shafts pointing straight into the hubs.

We loaded her up and trailered her to So Bend and from there I drove at modest speed back to Lafayette with my brother sticking with me, in his truck.

No problem.

So I guess I will be switching out the driver side half shaft.

Other than that she ran flawlessly and when I filled her up I recorded about 28 mpg.

Lots of little things to do still....adjust steering, at least 2 new tires, shifter bushing, and get some tunes installed....also get the ac working.

The engine was flawless....smooth and torquey....that Euro pump is very very nice. I feel no need for a turbo.

It may be the ultimate 240d.....which was my goal when I built her up.

Tom W

t walgamuth · #40 07-18-2008, 05:46 PM

Today I got her back from the indie with the five speed installed. I can shift into fifth as low as 50 mph and it won't complain much. Lower than that though and it buzzes.

The shifter is a little sticky. I think It still has mud in it from when the white car was flooded with it in there. I am going to brake clean it and then re oil it I think. The slight difference in the position of the back of the motor is just enough to get the shifter sitting in the wrong place. I will need to pull the rods and make them shorter....no longer since the lever is too close to the rear of the car at present.

I got the ac charged too and that is sweet.

Now I need to get some tunes working.

I am looking to get low twenties town and mid thirties highway.

Tom W

t walgamuth · #41 07-23-2008, 02:30 PM

I got the shift arms lined up and now it shifts like a dream. To get it to shift right you have to line up the shift arms with the shifter in neutral and then adjust the arms so they slip on easily. There is an alignment hole in each shifter arm that you can slip a dowell in or a drill bit to hold them together whilst you attach the arms.

This weekend I plan a trip to Ohio. We'll see how good she does on fuel economy.

Tom W