My Custom 1980 W116 300SD Project - Page 11 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Joseph_Conrad · #**151** 07-02-2011, 11:37 AM

Glad your car made the trip with no hiccups. This is a great thread, thanks for keeping it updated.

1980sd · #**152** 07-02-2011, 12:08 PM

NO BREAK DOWNS

Man, looks like the sunroof deal was a PITA but it's nice I like the big chrome handle

Sucks that something as simple as a hose can be so hard to find.

116's are the best...

Stretch · #**153** 07-02-2011, 12:56 PM

Fantastic job on the sunroof - I'm in the middle of doing the same for my W123. Did you remove the W123 one yourself? If you got it out of the driver's door on a W123 I'd be surprised if the trim wasn't knackered on the way out. I took out the rear window on my W123 to get it out nice and safely!

Squiggle Dog · #**154** 08-11-2011, 09:19 PM

Sadly, I don't have much good news about the 300SD. Last year I purchased 5 used, matching, proper size tires with plenty of tread. Now the casings are coming apart, the tread is wavy, and the tires hop. When I drive the front end shimmies and the steering wheel vibrates. When I travel above 60 MPH the shaking is violent. Not long ago I replaced the steering box with a C&M rebuild and all suspension components are recent. The steering was perfect. Now the car pulls hard to the right and shimmies violently. The dealer won't even align the car until I buy new tires. So I've got to save up for new tires. I'm TIREd of dealing with used tires because even when they have plenty of tread they seem to dry rot and deteriorate in short time. Oh, I also found a big nail stuck in the tread of the front tire...

Also, the previous owner installed used, mismatched front calipers (one side is an ATE and the other side is a Bendix). All 4 rotors are polished and worn very thin. I have to put lots of pressure on the pedal to stop and the wheels tend to lock up. So I need to replace the calipers, rotors, and pads soon.

I noticed that the shock absorbers are starting to leak oil.

The rainy season will be here soon and I need to replace all of the weatherstripping so I'm not driving around in a leaking, fogged up car. This is going to cost some money.

Biodiesel is near $6 a gallon so now I have to use diesel. My last oil change cost $120 doing it myself.

There's something weird about the shape of the front fenders that won't allow me to completely bolt on the under-headlight overriders. I've tried different pairs, but it almost looks like the entire front end shifted from a previous crash or the front core support from another car was welded on...

The good news is that I just purchased a pair of complete new old stock taillights with bulb holders, so I will have new taillights with rubber seals to keep the trunk dry. I sold a pair of old Zenith carburetors that I had no use for for $150, then used that money to purchase the taillights, so it was a good trade with no out-of-pocket expense.

Oh, and I'm losing my job of 4 years next month due to my contract being taken over by a non-profit organization that hires disabled people. I'm too healthy and too able to keep my job. Thanks, Obama.

mercmad6.3 · #**155** 08-11-2011, 10:18 PM

over the years i have found that W123's are actually W116's in a tight skirt.

That means that most of the front suspension (except the lower arms) is W116 and W126 . So,dont lose heart, go to a wrecker and score the big brakes from a 420,500 or 560 Second generation . You will need the discs ,calipers and a pair of new hoses . And grab the bigger backing plates .just stock W116 hoses are fine.
Everything bolts together with cutting,fighting or whatever to get brilliant brakes.
You will need the big second of wheels or a set of custom wheels in 15" or larger to clear the brakes. Note the size of a vented W116 disc as compared with a regular W126 disc.

katja · #**156** 08-11-2011, 10:39 PM

It always seems like everything is fine for a while and then all kinds of repairs are needed at once - when you least have the money. Murphy's law, I guess.

I think new tires could cure some of the handling issues, maybe all of them if they are that bad. Though it's curious as to whether the tires were just "tired" or whether there is some fundamental alignment problem that caused them to wear out. From what you have been saying, maybe the car was in some accident at one time and thus everything is a little "off" despite you replacing the steering parts.

I'll keep my eyes out for W116's at the big PNP near me, in case I can grab anything for you.

Squiggle Dog · #**157** 08-12-2011, 04:57 PM

I forgot to mention that the driver seat belt buckle failed. I noticed that the seat belt would come undone randomly as I was driving. I would click it back into place, then it would pop out again. Now the buckle won't hold the seat belt at all. I am stretching the seat belt across to the passenger side buckle until I replace the one on the driver side. In fact, all of the seat belts have something wrong with them; either the reels don't reel in completely, or the webbing is frayed, or the buckles don't work, or they are really rusty.

The W126 brake idea is interesting. Too bad I already sold my 15" Centra wheels!

The tires appear to be old and the metal casings are deteriorating, which is causing them to bulge. I can see it in the tread when I spin the wheels. The tread is wavy and hops from the structure coming apart. It's getting worse with time. I get a vacation check from work next month, so I may use that to buy new tires. I'd love a set of wide whitewalls (even if they are shaved), but they are expensive.

I noticed the shimmying start after I had the tires installed, so I had an alignment done by an alignment shop. It didn't cure the problem and it got worse with time. When I went to the dealer for an alignment they said that all of my steering components were as good as new, but that the tires were so bad that I needed to replace them right away.

Katja, keep a lookout for W116s up there.

Squiggle Dog · #**158** 08-25-2011, 10:02 PM

One of my upcoming projects is to replace the car's weatherstripping so that the interior and trunk don't leak. Taillight seals for the W116 are around $80 each and were definitely needed (not to mention the lenses were aged).

I had an old pair of Zenith carburetors I didn't need that I sold on craigslist for $150. Then I just happened to score a pair of brand new taillights complete with lenses, seals, metal housings, and bulb holders, new in the original boxes for $120 plus economy shipping. I was overjoyed to get a complete set of new taillights for less money than the seals alone would have cost, especially since a new light set would be about $1,400 from the dealer.

Squiggle Dog · #**159** 08-25-2011, 10:09 PM

I was very relieved to see that the taillight mounting area wasn't rusty. My last three Mercedes were almost rusted away to nothing in this area. This car only needed some bubbled paint chipped off, some light wire brushing, and a coat of Rust Doctor in spots, followed by wax.

I am very happy with how the new taillights look and once again I have succeeded to purchase high-dollar parts with very little income. Now I have to save up for an OEM front windshield seal and I can start sealing up the interior.

Squiggle Dog · #**160** 08-25-2011, 10:27 PM

Last year I saw an ad on craigslist for some unique-looking wheels with snow tires. However, I could not afford them and they were nearly a two hours drive away.

This year they came back up for sale for less money, so I responded to the ad. The seller said they only fit the very old Mercedes with drum brakes on all 4 wheels and that they wouldn't fit the newer models like 300D, which is why they hadn't sold. But then he also thought that the 300Ds took 15 inch wheels.

I was pretty sure they would fit, so I sent him the money through PayPal and told a friend of mine who lived by the seller that I would pay him if he would pick them up for me and deliver them the next time he was down here. My friend procrastinated for 2 weeks (no call, no show to the seller), so I finally had to drive up there and get them myself.

The good news is that they fit my 300SD. The bad news is that the key for the wheel locks was lost and I will have to take a wheel to a locksmith so I can remove the center caps.

They came with lug bolts, too. They are 14" and have Swedish Gislaved studded snow tires on them with hardly any wear. The rims are aluminum and the insides are painted. They are made in Germany (1983 date stamp) and I have never seen anything like them.

Now I have to focus on buying new all season tires because mine are coming apart and by the time I got back from 4 hours of driving my car was hopping and vibrating violently. I might even have to stop driving the car altogether until I can save up enough money for new tires.

I'm done messing around with used tires. I buy ones that look fantastic and within a few months they are dry rotted and coming apart.

I picked up a set of five decent 14X5.5 black steel wheels from PickNPull for $35 plus tax. I found out that I already have a set of 4 very nice black wheel covers with original paint, and since the paint on my bundts is flaking, I plan on using the steel wheels with the black wheel covers. I will put the bundts away for after I have them refinished.

And as for tires? I really want wide whitewall tires, even though they are not correct for the era of the car. The cheapest wide whitewall I could find was the Cokers at nearly $200 each. Then I came across some Hankooks that have had the white sidewall widened by shaving off some of the black sidewall. They are going to be a little lower profile than the correct size (185/70R14 as opposed to the proper 185/80R14), but it's worth it for the price of $350 for four and free shipping (I would order five). If I wasn't so hurting for money and facing unemployment I would spend $1,000 on quality whitewall tires. Here is a link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/4-185-70-14-HANKOOK-SHAVED-WHITE-WALL-TIRES-1857014-/280498607841?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item414f0516e1

TheDon · #**161** 08-25-2011, 10:32 PM

you want wide white walls..

easy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnwevOfIUqA&feature=related

I've done it and its cake.

also, those wheels look odd

Squiggle Dog · #**162** 08-25-2011, 10:43 PM

I've seen that before and I was considering shaving them myself. Of course, after I buy a set of tires it's still going to cost as much as those ones that are already shaved. If the tires I currently have on the car weren't bad I would attempt to shave them. If I was wanting to buy a high-end tire that only came in a thin white sidewall that would be a good option.

Squiggle Dog · #**163** 09-02-2011, 11:11 PM

You may recall that I was having problems with my tires, making the car hop and shimmy. Right before I left for work I inspected the tires again and I felt a ridge along one side of the front left tire. I didn't think it was safe to drive on, so I installed my spare from the trunk. When the tire was off the car I could see that it was crowned and getting ready to blow out.

Viewed from above it resembled a boomerang!

Surprisingly, the car still vibrated just as badly as before. When I arrived home I checked the tires again and found that there was a large bubble in the tread of the front right tire that was about to burst!

So, two out of the five tires were out of commission, leaving me with three left. I took the best wheel and tire from my fintail station wagon and installed it along with the next best one for a spare in the trunk. They are steel wheels and make the car look less classy mixed with the bundts, but oh well. I just need them to last me until I get my vacation check in a few weeks. Here's hoping. The car still shimmies, but not as bad as it did. I'm going with the Hankook wide whitewalls when the funds arrive. Being poor is no fun and sometimes scary.

Squiggle Dog · #**164** 09-03-2011, 12:38 AM

Last weekend I was very busy replacing the brakes. When I purchased the car, the "new" master cylinder the previous owner said was installed wouldn't hold fluid, because the rubber grommets were rotted out. It was also very rusty. As luck would have it, I found a master cylinder and booster in a W126 chassis sedan at what was then Pull-A-Part that were almost brand-new genuine Mercedes parts. I purchased them for $12! That was the first step.

The second step was replacing the deteriorated, bubbled, and torn brake hoses. I bought and installed new ATE hoses, which brought much peace of mind.

However, the rest of the system was still in sad shape. When it comes to my car, I like to use genuine Mercedes parts, or at least OEM brands. This can be a challenge on my budget, but I am vigilant and it has paid off. I was browsing eBay and I purchased a pair of brand new ATE front calipers for $70, which is about 10 times less than they usually sell for! Later, I found a set of brand new ATE rear calipers for $276 and free shipping.

One of the W123 sedans at Pick-N-Pull had a very nice set of rotors which had no lip on them, and other than being rusty, they seemed to be nearly new. So, with those parts in hand I started the brake job...

Squiggle Dog · #**165** 09-03-2011, 12:40 AM

The rotors were very worn.

The calipers didn't exactly match, with an ATE on one side...

...and a Bendix on the other.

The grease appeared to be a fairly recent mix of different types--and way too much of it. Too much grease can overheat the bearings.

These rotors I bought at Pick-N-Pull didn't look like much, but they had hardly any wear on them. I ended up using the hubs from these as the bearings were in great condition. I removed the bearings so that I could clean and grease them. Then I installed new grease seals.

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