Mercedes W123 restoration

[jpizano23]

I am currently restoring a 1982 300TD Turbo Diesel, I bought it five years ago and it sat in my garage while I bought all of the parts I thought I'd need for the restoration.

A couple of months I started the work, I replaced all of the vacuum hoses (I had a few leaks) and connections, new radiator hoses and oil cooler lines, new water pump and thermostat as well as the voltage regulator on the alternator.
I adjusted the valves and replaced the all of the fuel lines,filters (pre filter and main filter), priming pump and I also replaced the sending unit (the fuel gauge wasn't working right), the screeen inside the tank as well as the return lines. I took out the fuel tank and cleaned it before reinstalling it.

The power steering was serviced and the filter was replaced, the battery tray was replaced (old one was rusted through). I cleaned the bango fittings on the alda and replaced the hard lines along with the fuel shut off valve.

Well two days ago I decided to start upt he old girl, she sounded like crap! She sounded better when i brought her home. I rechecked the clearance on the valves, it's good. I found a few leaks on the fuel return lines that probably developed from sitting so long, I replaced those as well this helped a bit. She's idling really rough and theres smoke coming from the engine compartment not so much from the exhaust.

I am going to go home tonight and test the glow plugs to make sure they're working. I'm also seeing some fuel around the injectors, could they be leaking? Does anyone have any ideas how to make my girl run better?

[Stretch]

The overflow pipes - the fabric covered pipes that are strung between each injector - are common sources of fuel leaks.

How long have you been running the engine since you started it for the first time after all of these years?

If you haven't used it in anger yet (so to speak) I'd be tempted to use it for a bit if it is drivable. All machines do better when they are being used.

[davidlee]

Its possible you could just have some air in the fuel system.

[jpizano23]

The first day I ran it for about 10 minutes it stunk up my garage and whole house. The next time it started fairly easily and stayed running for about 20 minutes, it ran okay during that time but then started wobbling like an unbalanced washer as well as spitting and sputtering.

I replaced the overflow lines one of them was bubbling out fuel. I read somewhere that there might be air in the lines so I unscrewed one at a time while I cranked the engine until fuel squirted out then I cleaned the area and started up the engine. Again this helped the engine but it's still running rough.

The vehicle isn't shutting off either so I tested the vacuum, my pump isn't drawing any vacuum at all, I disconnected the line going to the booster and there's nothing that's why I haven't tried to drive it. Ill I've ordered a rebuild kit from Mercedes Source to fix it, I'm going to take it out tonight get it ready for rebuilding.

[Junkman]

My recently purchased SD ran rough but is smoothing out after driving it. I adjusted the valves & a little on the rack damper. I will run it hard after I get new tires up front.

Your gauge not showing vacuum likely means that you have a large vacuum leak. Don't condemn the pump unless you isolate it from everything including the brake booster. A shop misdiagnosed a bad vac pump on my friends 240D when it really needed a brake booster.

Off topic Edit: Army, why the name change?

[jpizano23]

The rack damper ? I haven't messed with that yet, I'll look online and see what kind of adjustments I can do there. I already did the valves but I can recheck them no problem. I replaced the vacuum valves on top of the valve covers last night they broke when i was checking vacuum, they were already cracked and brittle. i disconnected the line that goes from the vacuum to the booster, there is no suction at all. I got my rebuild kit in the mail; it's not a hard job, I'll try to do it tonight.

[barry12345]

This car was not on vegatable oil was it? The stuff sitting in the system for five storage years might gum up pretty bad. If it was not run it for awhile more before doing anything else.

You could check for air coming out the return line of the injection pump with the fuel though. Just setting a hose into a vessel with a little fluid in it to submerge the end for bubble observation would be good.

[Mölyapina]

Have you performed a purge on it?

[Codifex Maximus]

Yeah, stinking exhaust sometimes indicates fuel that is less than pure. WHunter had a story about stinky fuel that was memorable.

[zu!]

Algae in the diesel? Have you checked your fuel filters? Did a rat make a nest in the air cleaner? I know you said you cleaned out the tank, but what of the stuff in the lines?

I would do a Diesel Purge.

[whunter]

Originally Posted by Codifex Maximus

Yeah, stinking exhaust sometimes indicates fuel that is less than pure. WHunter had a story about stinky fuel that was memorable.

bad smelling fuel, Gag, gasp, choke

Warning ALL Diesel Owners
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/309367-warning-all-diesel-owners.html#post2841158


Algae/Fungus fixation...
Algae/Fungus fixation... - PeachParts Mercedes ShopForum

Biobor, what is it, why do I need it???
Biobor, what is it, why do I need it??? - PeachParts Mercedes ShopForum

Filters, Fungus, Biocide, etc.
Filters, Fungus, Biocide, etc. - PeachParts Mercedes ShopForum

Algae Clogged Filter Pic StarTron WORKS !
Algae Clogged Filter Pic StarTron WORKS ! - PeachParts Mercedes ShopForum

.

[Junkman]

Dump some Startron in if stuff growing in fuel is likely.

[jpizano23]

So the engine is starting up a little better and running less rough. Still the engine takes a while to rev up, almost like it has to build up pressure for it to accelerate even when the accelerator is all of the way down. I tried to back it out of the garage, again it took a little bit to gain pressure before the car started moving backwards. I tried to move it back into the garage and I had to really get the rpms before it started going forward. I really hope that the transmission didn't get messed up from sitting so long.

When I cleaned the fuel tank I cleaned out the fuel lines and the return lines as well. Both of the fuel filters were replaced along with the air filters. I bought some booster that's supposed to clean the injectors too, I really hope that it works.

There's also an exhaust leak coming from the turbo side of the engine, I got under the car and i see smoke coming from the flexible exhaust pipe. Boy this old Mercedes wants everything replaced before she comes back to her former glory!

[Stretch]

Originally Posted by jpizano23

... Boy this old Mercedes wants everything replaced before she comes back to her former glory!

Welcome to the world of old Mercedes ownership!

[jpizano23]

I ordered the fuel purge stuff from mercedes source, I hope my injectors are just dirty and that takes care of the idling problem.

While I'm waiting i finished dynamating the interior floor panels and firewall, I also installed back the heat ducts and vacuum line covers as well as the car seats . I wired new JBL speakers for the front and installed a new JVC cd player using this link as a guide: Any 123 Radio Wiring Expertise?

I would've put the climate control too but the bulbs I bougth were too long and wouldn't fit into the slots. I did get the sunroof, defroster, rear dome light, and antenna switches in and hooked up to the light octopus.

i looked under the dash and saw that the tube to the driver's dash vent wasn't hooked up to the rest of the vent line, there was a piece of plastic tubbing missing. I used flexible metal tubing Autozone and some aluminum duct tape to hold it in place. I put in the wood panel around the shifter and reinstalled the window switches, I'm waiting for a new hazard light to come in my old one wasn't working.

Today I hope to finish the dash lights and put the glove box back in along with some of the dash panels and the last of the insulation padding.