Maintnance, performed and needed, any advice welcome! - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

mytmousemalibu · #1 12-03-2008, 11:52 PM

HI fellas, Im chris, new here, Im a big DIY'er, I love finding innovative solutions to difficult problems, I love to fabricate things, welding, mods, etc!

Post Inspection.
Heres an update on my 81' 300SD as of today, things it needs and things i've fixed! Or if any of ya have a solution, post it! I've already Visited diesel giant tech too!

FIXED:
No dash lights or console. I made my own instrument cluster tool, pulled it out and found a burned bulb after checkin fuses and such. Still didnt work, so i played with the dimmer rheostat and got a flicker. Well since even at max setting the lights arnt that bright to me and a new dimmer isnt cheap, i wire brushed the copper contact bars on the back and took a piece of wireing, stripped it, twisted it, and made a bridge with it by sticking it in the holes and soldered it in place! Works perfect!
Odometer didnt work, stopped at 299K miles! Well beeing im a BMW tech and this is a problem on older bimmers, i removed the speedo unit and just like a bimmer, the normal broken part is the tiny rubber main gear that powers it had split off the brass center. After removing the gear cover and the other gears, i warmed the brass piece with a micro torch and using side cutters, gripped the gear shaft just below it and used another pair to lever the brass chunk off! the new bimmer gear pressed right on tightly as it should and reassembled it. Works perfectly! BMW and M-B both used VDO gauge and the gears are the same!
Cleaned ALDA banjo bolt and line. And adjusted ALDA some. All is well here!
Changed rear diff oil.
Checked Coolant protection
STILL NEEDS:
Broken seat spring repairs on both front seats
Drivers mirror, spring repair
Repair RF an LR window regulators
Windshield Wash system inop.
HVAC, air only comes out of defrost vents, rear blows cold and wont shut.
Diagnose Block Heater
Valve Adjustment & V/C gasket
Fuel system cleaning (Diesel Purge)
Lube, Oil, Filter
All other filters changed
Poor radio reception/ Antenna
Tachometer inop. flickers sometimes
Performance exhaust work (Aero Turbine muffler!)
Boost controller, EGT-Boost gauge
Interior lights inop.
Headlamp mountings/aim adj. issue and LF headlamp bezel
Wood trim repair? Could use some ideas on this, replace, re-veneer, other?
Turn signal cancel inop.
Belts marginal
Passenger elec. mirror
Timing chain & tensioner
Remove center silencers/resonators
Alignment
Few suspension bushings
Custom PCV re-route/catch can....No More Oily Intake Tract!
Center button on HVAC control, missing icon
Custom Cold air intake
Intercooler
Fueling upgrades, Pump, inj, delivery valves, elec. lift pump
Methanol/ H2O injection
Eventually, Paint & body work, upholstry!
Turbocharger upgrade, maybe compound twins?

Box'o'parts:
2-cans of Diesel Purge (i was told to add some ATF when doing a purge, good idea?)
All Filters/ Mahle / (exept trans kit and P/S)
1 meter- injector return line
Wiper insert
V/C gasket
Odometer gear
diff oil

Some Stuff im not worried about immidiatly like Performance and body work. Get her in good running order 1st!

leathermang · #2 12-04-2008, 09:16 AM

You should really enjoy your Mercedes as a project.

Since you really do not know how many miles it has on it I would put the timing chain and stuff that touches it at the top of the list....if a broken chain , due to a rail or guide giving way ( since they seldom break by themselves ) causes piston and valve damage your enthusiasm for the rest of the stuff will be affected adversely. That is my understatement for the day. Having the timing which is controlled by the chain set properly is very important to how the engine runs.

I would not use anything at the same time as the Diesel Purge unless it is suggested on the side of the can.

I would put "Methanol/ H2O injection" at the bottom of the list.

I would suggest that the first special tool you make is the one shown in the FSM for bolting above the cam gear when changing out timing chains which keeps the chain in contact with the cam gear when rolling in the new chain. Then offer it up to the ' borrowing tools ' section after you have used it.

Always take lots of digital pictures of your projects so you can share them with the forum...
Good Luck and welcome to the forum.
Greg

tangofox007 · #3 12-04-2008, 09:21 AM

Do your engine (and wallet) a favor and scratch "Custom cold air intake" off the list.

mytmousemalibu · #4 12-04-2008, 08:22 PM

Ok, thanks fellas! The M/W injection isnt a big priority, i do like it, decent power increase and a small jump in mpg, all if used in proper proportions, the d-max likes it! I'll try to get some pics soon.

I really do want and need to do the timing chain and guides.

As for the cold air system, I pretty much have all the stuff layin around exept a new fresh filter that i would source from S&B, which make IMO the best washable filter with more media in them than any others. I have a nice Dinan alum. tube and sheet alum to make the "box". I hadent planed on doing this till a turbo upgrade happens, so stocker for a while.

Anyone have some suggestions on the wood trim? the two end pieces at the center vents need sanded down and re-varnished but someone pulled a piece of the center console veneer off and the shifter surround isnt the best.

leathermang · #5 12-05-2008, 12:29 AM

You really do not want a cold air system. On a gasser ... ok... but not when you are using heat from compression to ignite your fuel air combo.... Why do you think block heaters are used in the winter ..... or glowplugs most of the time ? Or heated intakes on my Ford tractor ? Really a waste of your money and time.
Do the math on how much more air you can get into the system if it were actually cooler... a gasser is so much less efficient than your 22 to one compression ratio and using a spark plug to ignite the mixture... very different... this is my last word on this subject. You have SO much else which will improve your car to concentrate on.
If on the wild chance you actually made more power with a cold air system... it would be TINY...AND you would have to change your gearing in order to take advantage of it.

toomany MBZ · #6 12-05-2008, 01:25 AM

You do have a project in front of you, happy wrenching.
I understand there are seat bolsters available, they install on the corners.

Dee8go · #7 12-05-2008, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mytmousemalibu

. . . . Anyone have some suggestions on the wood trim? the two end pieces at the center vents need sanded down and re-varnished but someone pulled a piece of the center console veneer off and the shifter surround isnt the best.

Don't sand much. There's almost no thickness to that veneer. I stripped the console wood on mine, sanded lightly with 400 and 600 grit paper, applied just a tiny bit of Mahogany stain, and then sprayed about 20 coats of polyuerethane on it. I used semi gloss, but glossy would have been better, I think.

There are plenty of threads in the detailing section about this, and mine doesn't look nearly as good as some others' do.

mytmousemalibu · #8 12-08-2008, 02:02 AM

Great! Thanks for the advice fellas, i'll look into the seat bolsters and search for some wood repair!

Side note: Just adjusted the valves, kinda sucks to do, haha, i even had factory Hazet wrenches and the retainer holder. I adjusted them cold and was told to lean towards slightly looser on the lash. .35mm exh and intake i had to find a thinner feeler gauge and the thinest i could find in a pinch was a .15mm brass on but spec is .10mm so i lashed it snug with a .15mm feeler. they were all too tight before. Runs great! I also replaced the fuel filters, air filter,injector return lines, V/C gasket and ran 2 cans of diesel purge through it at this time and i thought it was fairly peppy before but it runs real good now! I was nailing some and the purge had it nice and quiet. Primer pump pushed more fuel out of it than in, so i Put a brand new Bosch updated type primer pump on! Re-plumbed the fuel line with fresh hose and went for a spin and it runs real good but on return to the shop, it was back to nailing again, not bad but noticeable. I have IIRC 4 injectors leaking and im sure there prolly worn out so I think ill replace all of them with Bosio's soon and do the timing chain too. Less you guys have any other suggestions?
Thanks guys!

Oh and Im not a fan of venting the crankcase into the induction system, especialy as nasty as it was so i built a PCV catch can for that to go to and keepmy induction clean now!

toomany MBZ · #9 12-08-2008, 05:13 AM

That hose inserts to a drain that goes to the oil pan, sorta, an oil separator.

mytmousemalibu · #10 12-09-2008, 01:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toomany MBZ

That hose inserts to a drain that goes to the oil pan, sorta, an oil separator.

Yea i saw that too. BMW's have a simular setup on there PCV system too. The system is working just not well and its still breathing in quite a bit of oily vapors and making everything nasty. I have no idea how many miles it has on it, the odometer was inop. when i got the car a couple of weeks ago and it stopped just shy of 300K miles. Its well worn, has alot of
blow-by in the crankcase, im sure a leakdown test would show fair leakage, so this is in large why its producing so much oily vapor. Its ok for now, It still runs pretty good, starts fine if you let it glow, plenty of power for an old engine. When it gets to the point of beeing a problem, ill look into doing an overhaul but for now, ill run it and maintain it as is. And tonight i finished the Oil/Vapor separator. Works pretty good, needs a couple of refinements but not bad. The factory unit in the air cleaner is plugged off. The valve cover port is now routed round the back of the V/C to the top of the separator on the left/firewall in front of the brake m/c.
(ill try to get pics) Its a 1' piece of PVC pipe with end caps, inlet into the top cap and has a copper "straw" soldiered into it that takes incoming vapor to the bottom of the unit inside, then it re-routes back up the chamber through stainless media to collect the oil from the air and oil drips back out of it to the bottom to be drained off via ball valve, the vapor travels through the media to the outlet at the top/side of the unit and is routed via hose down the engine bay to the underside of the chassis where it vents to atmosphere. I'm in a non-emmisions state but if i wern't its much cleaner now and could be routed back to the intake now. Im still working on media efficiancy to get it better. I'd like to use a cyclonic action to centrafugally spin oil out of the air aswell. More experementing to go!

Side Note: I made a simular system for my buddies Powerstroke, these too have oily induction issues, they end up with deteriorated boost plumbing and boots from oil contamination which they can blow off or split open. Also dirtys the intercooler up and drops effiency. Dirty engine compartment. More smoke and emissions, etc. BD diesel makes a nice separator unit for PSD's and I dont see why it cant work on any diesel but it is pricy. Thought I'd share!