W201 / W124 5 speed shifter refurbishment - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

charmalu · #16 12-10-2015, 02:56 AM

Manny, I read on that 190REV site about the Delrin bushings, but there was
also a guy making bushings out of Brass or Bronze for a more positive firm
shift.

EDIT:

I was wrong, it is this site in the UK, click on engine/drivetrain and there is
thread on the shifter. some of the pictures are gone

Mercedes-190.co.uk

Charlie

sent from my pos computer
she`s ready to blow.

Stretch · #17 12-10-2015, 04:16 AM

Thanks for the input Manny - I've corrected the info above

gatorblue92 · #18 12-10-2015, 05:18 AM

Much thanks for posting this. Its on the list for the 300TE.

mannys9130 · #19 12-10-2015, 06:03 AM

I didn't even know it was a typo. Hahaha I thought you had tried the Lithium but didn't like it. It's straight now though.

I bet Moly would be better, since it'll help with the metal sliding parts.

Charlie, yes I remember there being talk of bronze bushings as well. I went with Delrin because I had read excellent things about the product and it was self lubricating. Once I had gotten really fed up with my bowl of pudding shifter, I decided I wanted a really positive shifter. The delrin was kind of pricey (it was under a hundred bucks, but I forget exactly) but I think it's worth it since I love the feel. The one set of rubber bushings cushions everything enough that the notchy feel is able to be dealt with.

Bronze bushings would be a very simple endeavor. A lathe would make quick work of them.

Stretch · #20 12-10-2015, 07:18 AM

Oh I forgot to say about the smell of my MoS2 - no smell - this isn't the cheapest crappy stuff you get for free with axle boots.

"Only the best for my POS W201"!

Stretch · #21 12-10-2015, 09:20 AM

Right - getting the new alloy shifter piece from the expensive repair kit into the new plastic support is pretty easy once you figure out that the new plastic has a bit tighter fit than the old one.

It will only go in one way and fit all the way in

Now the (what I've decided to call the) shifter bolt needs to go in to the new plastic support.

Make sure the little guide on the end of the clamp goes on the correct way

Then add some grease

Then align the clamp with the shifter bolt and the new bushings that have been pressed into the expensive alloy repair piece of the shifter lever.

All of my previous anxious measuring turns out not to be necessary =>

(see first post - I'll go back and add a note there about that)

All you have to do is fit the bolt - bit of jiggling to get the pin in place and then push on the circlip on the other end =>

...and there is just about enough space for a torx head bit =>

Go easy on these small screws - I reckon I'm probably a relative of Mungo from blazing Saddles so I force myself to use 1/4" drive sockets for this so I don't bugger the threads.

Stretch · #22 12-10-2015, 09:28 AM

I forgot to put the arrow on the original picture so here it is...

...so make sure your get the orientation right!

Stretch · #23 12-10-2015, 09:42 AM

The shifter rod connector levers that sit in the main plastic housing are buggers to fit

The metal spring washers are designed to apply a bit of stiffness in the system and they really want to wander about and do their own thing when you come to fit them.

Pain in the arse!

The force these washers apply is not trivial - look at the wear that you get on the end washers =>

('Cos I'm on a bit of a budget after that expensive repair kit I've decided to fit the old in a reversed position - but this is a bit miserly as the cost probably isn't all that bad even at the dealership)

I didn't scrimp and save on the grease though

However - the spring washers want to move and you get trouble like this =>

All of these separate levers and washers and spring washers have a mind of their own! They all move about and make it seem like it is impossible to fit the shifter bolt as once the spring washers are in place the friction / tension in the system is too great to reposition everything...

...following doesn't work

1) Swearing
2) Pushing hard
3) Hitting
4) Wiggling
5) Crossing your fingers and thinking of England
6) Adding extra grease to try and glue the buggers in place
7) Stabbing viciously with screwdrivers

...

The list went on until I found the following solution

Stretch · #24 12-10-2015, 10:03 AM

Clean and re-grease the parts

Firstly fit the two end washers

There's the washer shown above in the previous post (with the wear) and a plastic half moon strip that goes on the other end of the recess (that's the clear plastic part in the first picture above - in that picture on the left)

Then find yourself a long 1/4" drive socket that will fit in between the holes in these lower shifter mechanisms. It needs to be long enough to go into the plastic end cap - through the spring washers and the first shifter connector - but no further because you need to fit the other two connectors!

My 10mm socket just about did the job. My 11mm socket would have been better but for the serrated design on the outside of the socket to help you grip it with your fingers. A smooth sided 1/4" drive 11mm socket probably would have been best (but it is in storage)...

Fit the spring washers and the first connector lever and centre their positions by fitting the deep 1/4" drive socket.

You can't see it in the picture above but in this next picture you can just about see it in there (yeah thanks Canon)

With the 1/4" drive socket still fitted inside wiggle the other shifter connector rods into place.

Remember because you've got a 1/4" drive socket in there you can remove it by fitting in an extension and wiggle the bugger out.

Stretch · #25 12-10-2015, 10:23 AM

Not over just yet!

Whilst the deep 1/4" drive socket can help position the spring washers on the inside, the behaviour of those parts needed to be corrected with pushing and shoving from flat bladed screw drivers!

Also the position of the lower connector levers needs to be in the correct place before you can fit the selector bolt and shift lever assembly

For this I used a cross point screw driver with a 6mm shank

Right - there's now a 1/4" drive socket and extension and a screw driver holding the buggers in place. Plenty of opportunity to give the outside parts a few coaxing stabs with a flat blade screw driver if you think they deserve it...

...

BEFORE you even think about fitting the spring - take it easy and fit the selector bolt so you get the final good position of everything first.

Remove the socket and extension

Fit the selector bolt assembly

Once you know that selector bolt and shifter lever assembly will fit - remove it and then (and only then!) fit the spring

Then fit the selector bolt and shifter lever assembly and get that bloody end cap on sharpish before those washers and parts decide to revolt.

###########

Whilst playing about with this I found it was probably best to remove the switch for the reverse lighting at an earlier stage!

(I've made an edit in the first post about this)

Stretch · #26 12-10-2015, 10:37 AM

1) Don't forget to refit the reverse light switch

2) Don't forget to refit the gate plate bit (that I forgot to tell you to remove at the start of this thread!)

...Oh yeah and that rubber seal that sits on top of the transmission tunnel too...

3)

Remove one screw on that end cap at a time and refit with a bit of thread locker (don't over tighten Mungo!)

4) Bit of grease on the shifter bolt for good measure

And I'm calling it good.

Make sure you can get each of the lower levers to engage when you move the shifter bolt via the shifter lever.

#######

Disclaimer!

#######

I'm not getting out the bunting just yet - the shifter is not fitted to the car.

I do not know if everything is going to be hunky dory. Reverse might pop out - I might not be able to find 5th - perhaps the other gears will feel like they are AWOL - I just don't know yet if what I've done is good.

That new plastic support piece might not be compatible even though it looks like everything has gone together well.

Stretch · #27 12-25-2015, 07:04 AM

Loads of other stuff has happened and as it turned out today (Christmas day) was the first time that I had the chance for a test drive. The car was put back together ages ago...

...1st works...

...so does 2nd...

...and 3rd...

...4th is good...

...5th is a bit crunchy still (not happy about that)...

...reverse can not be selected!

Bugger.

Oh well - it was a gamble using the newer parts on the older system.

It looks like I'll have to modify and get the old plastic bit back in there again.

Fun and games for the New Year I guess.

To be continued

Blazemaster · #28 12-26-2015, 12:47 AM

Ahh bugger! I hate that feeling when I put something together and it still doesn't work. It usually kills my motivation and I go get something to eat and think it over. After a few hours or the next day the motivation builds up again.

Hope ya get it figured out, I was expecting you to say "It works great!". Machines can sure be a pain sometimes! Staying tuned...

Stretch · #29 12-26-2015, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blazemaster

Ahh bugger! I hate that feeling when I put something together and it still doesn't work. It usually kills my motivation and I go get something to eat and think it over. After a few hours or the next day the motivation builds up again.

Hope ya get it figured out, I was expecting you to say "It works great!". Machines can sure be a pain sometimes! Staying tuned...

I don't expect it to be too difficult.

I'm more interested in finding out why the amalgamation of old and new bits doesn't work. I'm guessing the sliding bolt that engages the three little "selector levers" underneath is a different design too...

Stretch · #30 01-02-2016, 10:28 AM

I took the shifter out again today and got the middle bit out so I could remove one of the wings (on the expensive bit) so it would fit in the old plastic housing (which didn't seem worn).

I taped it up to try and stop all of the swarf from getting inside it

...and then used a combination of a sanding wheel on a multi-tool thing and a rat's tale file to remove the metal.

I considered a cutting disc / grinding disc but thought better of it.

Sanding wheel is slower but way way more controllable.

#######

Put it all back together and I have reverse!

So job done. If 5th gear isn't as smooth as butter I'll have to go back into the gearbox again...