First off, I am pretty sure that I am going to have to replace the master and slave cylinder in my car. I just bought it a couple weeks ago. The idle is rough and it smokes quite a bit. It is also leaking some oil and possible an exhaust leak on the muffler. I have about a grand to get this thing up and running for my daily driver. Probably about 50 miles a day. Do you think this would be sufficient funds to do such, and what all would you recommend replacing to do so?

Thank you.

I'd break up the tasks into specific questions in different threads.

What are you trying to fix first: the clutch? the idle? Smoking? oil leak? exhaust?

Have some info ready: what color smoke? have you checked compression? leaking oil where?

My recommendation would be to inspect, then pressure wash the engine so you can identify sources of leaks.

Do a valve adjustment. Change the oil and maybe drop and inspect the pan for foreign objects. Change the fuel filters (maybe a diesel purge - but there's some discussion on whether that's snake oil or good maintenance). Inspect any oil lines for weeping/seepage. Sign up for EPC startek online. Check all fluids - including coolant. Find a source of biodiesel and run a few tanks of that (it smoothed the idle in my 300CD). Inspect the motor mounts.

Build a shopping list....

I'm 98% sure I have the transmission figured out. I just haven't gotten the parts to fix it yet. The exhaust leak is pretty self explanatory. I plan on doing a valve adjustment and checking/changing fluids. I guess my main questions are about the oil leakage, the rough idle, and any common service parts or common things that go wrong to look for. The rough idle could very easily get fixed once I do a valve adjustment, and the oil leaks I guess I just need to put a little effort into tracing them down. One looks like it is coming from the transmission, but it could be oil just trickling down there.

I think I am more or less curious if you guys think it is feasible for me to get this thing into daily driver shape for around a grand.

A "grand" will buy a lot of parts. Can you do all the work yourself. You don't really give us enough info to come up with a good answer. Has the car been badly neglected. Has it been sitting under the trees for the past 10 years. A 74 is getting close to 40 years old. Lots of time for everything to wear out, especially if it was neglected. Get it running and driving first. Go slow on repairs. Don't do anything unless it needs it to run and be safe. If you need good transportation every day, maybe a honda or some other newer ricer car would be better for you.

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Junqueyardjim
Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important. C.S. Lewis



1983 Mercedes W123 240D 4 Speed 285,000 on the road with a 617 turbo, beautiful butter yellow, license plate # 83 240D INDIANA

2003 Jaguar Type X, AWD. beautiful, good mileage,
Mom's car, but I won't let her drive it!

Ya, I can do most everything myself. If I haven't done it I will at least try. I am thinking about buying another car for a daily driver, but the more I think about it I just want to get this car running good for a daily driver because I'd rather have the money into it and have it running then to drive anything else. It hasn't been horribly neglected. I know the glow plugs have recently been replaced with newer model ones, the steering linkage has also been replaced.
It has been driven every once and a while by the previous owner, they had it around 6 months. They bought it from their friend who drove it daily until he sold it to them. So, without digging to far into the car thus far I "assume" it will be in decent shape overall, but I am not 100% positive yet. I know it def. needs a valve adjustment and master/slave cylinders.

I hope you get it straightened out. That said, a car that old (it's 36, you know what that is in human years? lol) may not be the best as a daily driver. There will be times you're going to have to wait on parts, for instance.

But it is a Mercedes diesel.

Would you be kind enough to put your car in your avatar or sig?

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83 SD

84 CD

Why do you think master and slave need to be replaced?

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Here is a video of it running.

My clutch went to the floor and from what it felt like and from what I've researched and talked to different people it pretty much is 95% going to be the slave or master cylinder.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il60e98xUhE

You may want to clean the fuel system, a purge. Then change the filters. Maybe have the injectors tested too.

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83 SD

84 CD

I let it run for a while and reved it some and the idle evened out a lot. I'll post a vid later. BUT, I finally figured out what caused the clutch problems... not the slave cylinder, but the bracket holding the clutch pedal broke. I just noticed it while inspecting the master cylinder. What is the common fix for this? Replacement, reweld?

I would just have the pedal bracket welded, or find a used replacement.

As for the hard starts and rough running.

Are you sure the glow plugs have been upgraded? if so check each one, it really doesn't sound like all of them are working.

I would also recommend having the injectors tested and rebuilt if needed. Contact Sean Watts, he is a member here on the forums and he rebuild injectors(i think his username is cseanwatts. He did mine and im very happy.

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1985 300TD Turbo Euro-wagon
1979 280CE 225,200 miles
1985 300D Turbo 264,000 miles
1976 240D 190,000 miles
1979 300TD 220,000

GONE but not forgotten
1976 300D 195,300 miles
1983 300D Turbo 175,000 miles

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...e485-1-2-1.jpg

Okay, thanks. I think I might still have some clutch problems even once the break is fixed because it was taking a lot of gas to take off in first and it would grind trying to shift to reverse and on occasion when I shifted up to second.

Is it bled?

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CC: NSA

All things are burning, know this and be released.

82 Benz 240 D, Kuan Yin
12 Ford Escape 4wd

You're four times

It's hard to

more likely to

concentrate on

have an accident

two things

when you're on

at the same time.

a cell phone.

www.kiva.org It's not like there's anything wrong with feeling good, is there?

I don't know. The day I picked it up I drove it about 60-70 miles mainly highway, and then I got to my uncles and it the clutch bracket broke as I was turning on his street down shifting. I plan on bleeding it, but I can't use the clutch at the moment to even see what it is doing.