1982 300 D resurrection thread

[888]

Originally Posted by barry12345

This enables the taper to slide down a little when the deformation occurs In the eye.

This appears to be a straight press, no taper.

Originally Posted by barry12345

If you are at your wits end you can see if you can locate a new boot for the joint and then use a pickle fork to separate the joint. Effort and time in locating the new boot is the reason my pickle forks remain idle in cases where I want to use the joint again.

I've used two different types of pickle forks and both interfere with the knuckle casting surrounding the joint before the taper on the fork has a chance to separate anything.

I've put it all back together and had my son on the 6' pry bar and me on the sledge. We've tried various angles and impact points working together. It's been hosed down with PB Blaster on and off for weeks. All we've managed to do is beat the eyelet on the LCA to the point it may actually be closing down on the joint and pinning it in place.

Frustrated doesn't begin to describe how I feel about this car. Any one of the tools I've used would separate a joint on most cars. Who designs a straight press 3/8" fit long surrounded by a casting preventing you from getting to it?

I'm taking the top of the knuckle back loose now, block up the LCA, and beating the crap out of the top of the stud. If not that, I'm going to start looking for places to cut this apart and stock up on cutoff wheels. Or roll it out in the snow and make room for something else.

Thanks for the encouragement and suggestions, there's no doubt you guys have been able to get these apart but nothing that works on others is working on this one. It's a California car and I'm not even dealing with Ohio corrosion.

[DeliveryValve]

Wow, I've popped several of these lower ball joints out and haven't had the issues you are having. I guess there is always a first for that.

I sent you a PM on this.

[888]

Originally Posted by DeliveryValve

Wow, I've popped several of these lower ball joints out and haven't had the issues you are having. I guess there is always a first for that.

I sent you a PM on this.

It's out. The only thing different I did was leave the lower steering arm attached to the steering knuckle. That apparently was enough to change the angle of approach for the smaller pickle fork to allow it to enter the joint and not hit the inside of the semi circular casting, limiting the entry of the taper on the pickle fork. I also used a smaller sledge hammer, maybe a 1 pounder on the pickle fork.

I stopped to take a measurement on the threads extending out of the eyelet so I could see if it was moving and thought I'd just whack the top of the stud a few times with the baby sledge just for grins and it fell right out. I had already whacked the top of the stud with the 5 pounder till it was rounded off.

Go figure.

Maybe it was the swearing, maybe it was the threat to push it outside in the freezing rain coming this weekend.

I asked the car and it's giving me the slient treatment. Probably because I made fun of the suspension design, or it could have been the swearing (I did get rather creative, and I work in a machine shop).

I've got it back together with the new/used knuckle with new joint pressed in, a new UCA, and new bushings between the sway bar and the UCA. Steering knuckle looks good and straight, just like the other side, the wheel should no longer be leaned in.

Just to let me know all is not forgiven, the new nylok nut for the Lemforder UCA joint decided to stop tightening before it was tight. I'll have to get another nut from the shop tomorrow and maybe put a tiny bit of blue Loctite on it.

If not for that, I would have put everything back together tonight. Or maybe not, I think an adult beverage may be in order. Maybe two.

Thanks again for the encouragement, I knew you guys had done it and it was possible. I've actually done this kind of stuff before, I've seen them pop apart when I've given them the correct motivation. I have no idea why this one was so obstinate.

The only thing I can come up with is the fact that the steering knuckle took that hit and maybe jammed it in the bore? Who knows, I'm just glad it's out.

[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!

[DeliveryValve]

Glad you stayed with it and got it out!

Originally Posted by 888

....

Just to let me know all is not forgiven, the new nylok nut for the Lemforder UCA joint decided to stop tightening before it was tight. I'll have to get another nut from the shop tomorrow and maybe put a tiny bit of blue Loctite on it.
...

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.


.

[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.


.

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!

[888]

Originally Posted by Stretch

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.

New oil pan is on and that's what I ended up doing (not using RTV along with the gasket). I looked at the gasketing method on the pan I took off and used that as a guide.

Caliper went right back on with no problems, oddly enough. Tightened everything back down, reinstalled the wheels after using some WD40 and Scotchbrite to attempt to make the wheels alloy colored rather than totally black. Sat the car on it's wheels and there is no sign of the inward lean I had before, so that's a good sign.



The tires up front are worn on the inside edge (pass side is down to the wires) so it's had an alignment problem for quite a while.

I broke off the vacuum line at the ALDA nipple some time ago so I ran a new line with some poly vacuum tubing left over from my old Passat.

The battery is on the charger, it was down to 12.2v and I think with the cold weather around here I'd rather it was fully charged. It's never had a problem starting but why chance it?

All I want to do now is fire it up and get it up and down the driveway a few times and see how it drives as best I can. If it runs fairly well, we can think about getting some replacement sheet metal and start digging into what the body will need.

[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.