1982 300 D resurrection thread

[888]

Originally Posted by DeliveryValve

Glad you stayed with it and got it out!




Do you mean the nut just spins the ball joint stud? The stud has no friction. If it is, you'll need to jack up the lower arm and get upward pressure on the steering knuckle into the upper control arm.


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Yes, that's what happened, the new nut for the stud from the new UCA going through the top of the steering knuckle would not draw up, it just spun at a certain point. Everything looked to be fully entered and in position. I substituted a standard hex nut of the same pitch from our shop bin and it drew up just fine.

I guess the correct term for the Lemforder nut is not a nylok (insert in the thread) but a self locker? I've always considered both one use parts so once the Lemforder nut started spinning, I planned on throwing it away. It wouldn't back off without persuasion, another reason I had to throw it away.

In any event, I reinstalled the water shield, the rotor/wheel bearing assembly, and stopped at the caliper. I had to work that off of the rotor so I assume I'm going to need to persuade the piston and pad back a bit to get it back in place.

I'm thinking of replacing the lower oil pan while it's blocked up. There is a dent in the front of it that I don't care for. I have a replacement pan and gasket courtesy of our hosts all ready to go on. I assume this gasket should have some RTV on the pan side of the gasket or not? I have a Haynes manual but I'd rather ask here to be sure. Thanks!

[Stretch]

Originally Posted by 888

... I assume this gasket should have some RTV on the pan side of the gasket or not? I have a Haynes manual but I'd rather ask here to be sure. Thanks!

Actually it is probably best to not resort to RTV. The main reason for leaks on the lower oil pan is most likely due to dents and thus warped pans. ust replace with a new gasket and a new lower oil pan and the planets should align and all will be good in the world.

As for Haynes - I've been very rude about Haynes in the past - please use the FSM on startek to stop my emergency toilet paper jokes!

[ROLLGUY]

I have done many of these. The bottom of the LCA needs to be resting on something solid, and as close to the joint as possible. A good whack with a hammer on top of the stud should have done the job. I have also used a HF tie rod separator with great success. Although it did not fit all the way in as you experienced with your tool, it put just enough pressure that a slight blow with a hammer on the part pushing against the stud popped it off with ease. Don't give up on it, it will be worth the effort to get the car back on the road.....Rich
EDIT: I missed the last post saying you got it apart-I knew you could do it!

[Stretch]

If I remember correctly inner tyre wear is often caused by upper control arm wear => still worth having a look at the rubber parts of the suspension before taking it to a shop / trying to adjust the suspension - never easy to align a system with worn parts.

[888]

Originally Posted by Stretch

If I remember correctly inner tyre wear is often caused by upper control arm wear => still worth having a look at the rubber parts of the suspension before taking it to a shop / trying to adjust the suspension - never easy to align a system with worn parts.

Makes sense, I replaced one UCA as part of the steering knuckle repairs, I could probably replace the other on general principles. It's not that hard or expensive. Thanks

[888]

Last night after recharging the battery, I fired the old girl up and took her for a limited drive up and down the lanes to my barn and out to the road. No insurance so I can't get out on the road but I have probably 300' of twisting driveway out to the road and another 150' of twists over to the barn.

The good news:
Despite sitting for quite a while in an unheated barn in cold Ohio weather, the car nearly started after the first glow. It stumbled a bit and tried but failed. It started on the second glow, which I take as a good sign on a diesel, my compression should be decent.
After the front end work (knuckle, UCA, sway bar bushings) on the damaged side, the steering and handling seem just fine.
I was able to get up to enough speed to get the car to shift from first to second so it 'seems' my transmission is working properly.

The news that tells me I have more work to do mechanically (other than the fan apparently slightly contacting the plastic shroud, thought I had that fixed already):

Despite changing the air filter, cleaning the air filter housing, cleaning the vacuum line from the valve cover to the air filter housing, changing both fuel filters, getting the plastic pipe to the turbo properly sealed via boots and clamps, and cleaning the ALDA banjo bolt (wasn't that bad at all), the car still has a definite misfire and poor acceleration. It was dark by the time I got home from work but based on the video my son took of the car as it went by him on the driveway, I could see a decent amount of sooty exhaust in the glow from the taillights at a throttle position that probably shouldn't create that much exhaust based on other diesels I've owned.

I know the car drove back from California last summer and was running and driving when it was hit. I can't imagine someone would drive it with this kind of misfire so I have to lean towards something from the impact causing the misfire. Would a problem in the vacuum system cause a misfire?

I know already I have a vacuum leak because the engine will only shut off with the lever on the injection pump and I thought the leak would be in the lock circuit to the driver's door in the hinge area where the car was hit. Oddly enough, the power window on the front door still works and I would think that power cable runs the same place as the vacuum line. Regardless, I'm going to pull the panel under the dash on the driver's side and whatever else is needed to get to that vacuum line and cap it off prior to where it leaves the body for the door. Once the car shuts off with the key, I guess I'll know the vacuum system is working properly and I can see if the misfire gets better.

I did break off the vacuum line at the ALDA because of the cold but I replaced a large section of it with polyurethane vacuum line I bought for a B5 Passat some years ago, so that should be good.

I did see a thin coating of black sludge on the underside of the main fuel filter housing and the prefilter was black and opaque so I question when the filter was last changed. I do have a can of diesel purge that came with another vehicle I bought some years ago. I was thinking of filling the main filter with that as many times as possible and seeing if it would clean the injectors if a vacuum leak wasn't behind the misfire.

Any thoughts or suggestions? I need to get rid of the misfire before I move on to the body, which will be a major expense.

PS. I was able to get the glovebox door open and found the all of the original owners manuals etc in there with lots of stamps for ongoing maintenance in the booklet. Also found the original owner's name and index cards in his handwriting indicating exact mileage for the various maintenance/services that were done. It appears that this car is what the PO told me....a well cared for one elderly owner California car. Kind of neat to have proof of that, though.

[ROLLGUY]

For the vacuum, just put a golf tee in the hose going to the two yellow lines going into the cabin. That will isolate the central locking system from the vac circuit, and the engine should shut off with the key. You can then sort out the vac leak in the locking system before putting it back on line after doing the body repairs.

[888]

Originally Posted by ROLLGUY

For the vacuum, just put a golf tee in the hose going to the two yellow lines going into the cabin. That will isolate the central locking system from the vac circuit, and the engine should shut off with the key. You can then sort out the vac leak in the locking system before putting it back on line after doing the body repairs.

Thanks, that makes sense. Think there is any link between the vacuum issues and the misfire?

[ROLLGUY]

Originally Posted by 888

Thanks, that makes sense. Think there is any link between the vacuum issues and the misfire?

I doubt it.

[Maxbumpo]

Originally Posted by 888

I did see a thin coating of black sludge on the underside of the main fuel filter housing and the prefilter was black and opaque so I question when the filter was last changed.

Bingo! At the very least, one of the reasons for the poor running.

Vacuum has nothing to do with the poor running.

I haven't read all the thread, but if the car sat a long time, you may also have water in the fuel tank. Water is where the fungus lives that eats the diesel fuel, so you may need to address both the microbial growth and the water in order to really solve the problem.

[888]

Originally Posted by Maxbumpo

Bingo! At the very least, one of the reasons for the poor running.

Vacuum has nothing to do with the poor running.

I haven't read all the thread, but if the car sat a long time, you may also have water in the fuel tank. Water is where the fungus lives that eats the diesel fuel, so you may need to address both the microbial growth and the water in order to really solve the problem.

Thanks for the replies. I had another member on here who had a similar car in the past mention prior to me purchasing it that vacuum could play a part in the misfire.

The car sat for possibly 3 to 4 months, no more. I rescued a VW Rabbit that sat for 4 years and didn't have water or microbial issues with that, so it never crossed my mind I would have them here. I added a few bottles of STP diesel treatment to the Rabbit and off she went (for the next 7 years). Is 3 or 4 months long enough for this problem to develop in a Benz?

The 300D has 3/8 tank, I've added power service white to the tank for the cold weather and on general principles. I'm reading that you're suggesting using the diesel purge or other product of that sort to clean out the injectors?

I'm basing my thoughts on the fact that the car made it from Cali to Ohio mid 2016 and there's no way it would have made that trip running like it does right now. That's why I questioned the impact and vacuum and discounted the condition of the filters.

I did not take into account the possibility of fuel related issues, unlikely as I thought they were given the short period of time that the car sat. That is something that could have happened between the trip across country and now. I can add fresh diesel to fill the tank, more Hawes or PS white, and/or some other treatment if there are suggestions as to what should be added.

Thanks again for the input.

[888]

Today, I removed the main fuel filter to run the can of diesel purge through the engine, it took two filters' worth to run the whole can. The first filter full sort of stumbled it's way to running when starting up, but it seemed to respond better to the throttle than it did before. It started right up on the second filter full and purred pretty nicely. I was standing outside the car reaching through the window the second time rather than climbing back across the seats from the passenger side (driver's door won't open) so I couldn't reach the throttle but the idle seemed really nice.

I also added 5 or so gallons of fresh diesel to the tank and it's 60 degrees here instead of the usual 20, so those are other variables.

I shut it down to try to find the reason that the fan shroud is making so much racket. I can't find any interference and it doesn't seem all that loose, but it's driving me crazy.

While running the diesel purge, I also tried capping off the ports from the vacuum manifold for both the yellow and yellow black vacuum lines to isolate the door lock circuit to allow the car to shut off with the key. Didn't have any luck there so I guess the problem isn't due to the door circuit.

That's all to report for today. I will say the car started like my Cummins trucks on that second filter full of diesel purge. Turned the key from outside the window and the car just couldn't wait to start running and purred nicely. That was encouraging, tomorrow I'll climb back over the seats and see if the throttle reaction is really better and the misfire really is reduced or maybe even gone.

[888]

Today, I got it out of the barn on a nice day and ran it a few more times up and down the driveway. It's better, but still seems hesitant to pick up speed off throttle and has a weird rhythmic vibration at part throttle. I first thought it sounded like an old school steam engine train. Once the throttle is past a certain point, it responds better than it used to prior to the diesel purge.

I checked the various balls and joints in the linkage for play, hosed down the pivoting areas with PB, and coated the sockets with lithium grease after prying the linkages off. I think it works a little bit freer now but I didn't have time to drive it again.

I loosened the oil filler cap while it was running to see if it looked like a train via blowby but there was no smoke at all up through the loosened cap and no sign of the rhythm I felt in the action of the cap while sitting on the valve cover.

The car never really has had a chance to warm up much so maybe I'm expecting too much from it starting it cold and expecting it to run perfectly.

One other thing I have is a small leak from the bolt on top of the main fuel filter, that started when I loosened it a few times to fill the filter with diesel purge. I'll get new crush washers from work tomorrow and get rid of that leak, tightening the bolt as much as I can doesn't seem to stop it.

Anyway, it was decent today and I took a few photos while it was outside. Not a beauty but it's not rusty, either. I'll take homely over rusty.

[ROLLGUY]

Originally Posted by 888

One other thing I have is a small leak from the bolt on top of the main fuel filter, that started when I loosened it a few times to fill the filter with diesel purge. I'll get new crush washers from work tomorrow and get rid of that leak, tightening the bolt as much as I can doesn't seem to stop it.

You need to replace the Orings on the bolt, that should stop the leak even without any crush washer. I have only seen a few with crush washers, but most don't have them.

[888]

Originally Posted by ROLLGUY

You need to replace the Orings on the bolt, that should stop the leak even without any crush washer. I have only seen a few with crush washers, but most don't have them.

Thanks. I believe I replaced those when I installed the new filter but I can get more from work.