I had the U-Joint replaced on the 85 300D. dropped it off at South Bay Drive Line in San Jose. they sent it up to San Leandro to a machine shop that cut out the stakes. they may have cut in grooves for the clips, I don`t remember. they sent it back to South Bay, and they installed a Ford U-Joint that is grease able. think it is a standard joint used on mustangs.

Cost was around $265. he said to give it a shot of grease about every 10,000 miles. they do the work, and it comes back balanced.
This also included a new center support bearing.
Charlie

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there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

I removed 2 of the Bearing Caps.
Don't know if I shot myself in the for or not.
None of the Ford U-joints are a direct fit. The Bearing Caps are 24mm (about 0.947) and the Ford U-joint Bearing caps are 1.06 (about 26.93mm).
I could see a shop using them because they could ream out the bore and since they would be doing the rebalance removing the metal would not matter.

I did find that there is a BMW U-joint that has 24mm Bearing Caps but cannot find the OD/how wide the U-joint is. And it is available; made by Meyle.
NAPA has dimensions on many of their U-jonts but not all of them.

If NAPA has one in stock that I can measure I will know for sure.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

I'd be interested in seeing some pictures if you have the time...

Good luck!

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

This thread might help you source a part:

A Hint at My Next DIY Pictorial

The Lobro U728/4 was an exact replacement for OEM. However, they are not easy to find. I bought mine from another MB owner that had a stock of them and had posted about them on some other forum.

These U-Joints in new condition are not supposed to have a "center detent" that they snap in to for the inline position. The U-Joint on the driveshaft is supposed to have smooth operation through its range of motion. But what happens over 200,000+ miles is that they wear in one spot because the alignment of the driveshaft doesn't change very much.

I have had the driveshaft on and off the 1982 300D more than any human should be required to perform due to a vibration issue that I wanted to get fixed. I rebuilt one driveshaft using the Lobro U-Joint, and I put in a second driveshaft that was rebuilt nicely by a driveshaft specialist. It turned out my vibration problem was caused by a loose front yoke on the transmission. I suspect the transmission was probably rebuilt at some point, and the big nut that holds the yoke on came loose, allowing the yoke and that short section of driveshaft in front of the center bearing to move a bit - causing vibration. The real issue wasn't found until AFTER I bought the expensive overhauled driveshaft.

I did not really like the end result of my own driveshaft overhaul, because I didn't come up with a good way to hold the caps in place like the original stakes. I seem to remember trying my own staking and perhaps some epoxy. If I had it to do over again I think I would try a few spots of light, careful wire welder hits. All you need to do is hold the caps in place so they don't come out.

So I can offer the following:

1) Yes, the driveshaft overhaul is possible. Your results may vary. Finding the U-Joint might not be easy.

2) While the driveshaft is out, shake the driveshaft yoke on the transmission to make sure it is tight.

Hope this helps,
Ken300D


P.S. I forgot to mention I also tried a used driveshaft. Driveshaft out. Driveshaft in. Driveshaft out. Driveshaft in. Driveshaft out. Driveshaft in. Oh, the horror. The horror........

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1982 300D at 351K miles
1984 300SD at 217K miles
1987 300D at 370K miles

If I cannot find a U-joint I will not be able to finish the job myself other then getting a used driveshaft.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

keen 300D; thanks for the info and some more hope!
I looked up the info mentioned in one of the threads:
The Lobro U728/4 was an exact replacement for OEM.
New Old Stock OEM Lobro: 24.07 mm x 74.2 mm

And I found a GKN cross reference to that number (GKN and Lobro are part of the same company).
Interesting is that it shows up as a Mercedes application. See pic.

Attached Thumbnails

 

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Well I am finding part numbers but not a place to buy.

The Lobor #U728/4 cross references to a GKN UC reference #18725. Both of those numbers reference to a Hardy Spicer #HS299.
When I went to the Hardy Spicer site and looked it up by dimensions (24mmX74.5MM) the number given was #K5-A657. Staked Mercedes is listed with these part numbers.

There is also a Mazda U-Joint Hardy Spicer #K5-A777 dimensions (24.06X71.40mm)

All the searching saved me a trip to NAPA to measure a BMW U-joint which in the charts is not wide enough.

As I said I have not found an actully place to buy.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

No luck with finding a source so far.
On place answered and said they stopped carrying the (Lobor #U728/4) U-joints because people kept bringing them back because they could not figure a way to install them.
He said is supplier also did the same for the same reason.

At different site I plugged in the U728/4 in their search by part number section and a U-joint popped up with a different number.
I did another search using my Vehicle and that same number came up.
That sounded good but it had 2 U-joints per vehicle?
So I Emailed them but have not received an answer so far.

Still searching.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

I found oue! Up Date.
I used the U728/4 Part Number and plugged it into the below sites search by part number and came up with the below info (NOTE: I DID NOT BUY MY U-JOINT FROM THE BELOW SITE, I JUST USED THE PART NUMBER):
http://www.aboveallmotorwerks.com/product.aspx
Driveshaft U-Joint (2 Needed Per Car)- 22 2537 031
Ch. # 123- 123 - More than 10 IN STOCK - Will Ship on Monday
$ 24.45

I went to another part seller and plugged in the 22 2537 031
number in their search by part number and came up with a 9004100031 part Number and it said it was a GMB U-joint. Since this one cost less and than the other site and I also can get free shipping if I order enough I took a chance that it was the same U-joint.

The short story is that I recieved the U-joint today and while it is wider than the original it looks like it will work.
The New U-joint is aproximatly 76mm wide and the U-Joint Yoke is 79+mm wide. The Bearing Caps are 24mm and that is what the Yoke Bore also measures.
See Pics

Attached Thumbnails

   

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Be particular about getting it "centered" in the driveshaft.

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Jim

Just need to measure the distance from the out side of the Yoke to the face of the Bearing cap and make sure they are the same on both sides of the yoke.

I believe my biggest worry is if I press the Bearings in too far. The C Press I have is not a very precision Tool.

At the worst I will lose a lot of labor time but the actual cost off the U-joint was $18.
If it does not work out I eather find another Shaft Assy. or have this one rebuilt.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Just a thought - so don't spend too much time on it - it all depends on what you have to hand. But if you have a coarse thread on your C press then you can make the closing effect of the jaws "finer" by using a level and pivot:-

Attach the C press to the long end of the lever and the short end to the bit you are pressing...

You might be able to rig something up like this. If not good luck / consider buying something with a finer thread. May be a hydraulic jack will be smoother?

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

d911: How are you planning on restaking the bearing? I'm watching this thread as I have an upcoming transmission swap on the list soon, and I have the same problem. I wonder if the ujoint will be the same for all shafts of the same vintage? I have a w201.

I will be posting pics and descriptions. I will start working on it again to day.
As for the W201 do a parts search first. Try that place I mentioned in Post #24. At that place you can search by the make, year, and model.

If you get a U-joint number from them use that number and see if you can cross reference it at your favorite parts seller.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

It is not the coarseness of the threads that is the problem it is that there is too much play between the threads of the C Press and the Threaded shaft. Meaning that it does not exactly go straight.
It might be that I can do the Squeezing with my Vice. The vice Jaws are more parallel than the C Press is.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel