Warning: ***Entering Soapbox Mode***

I specifically was not interested in anything newer than a 126 or 124 when I got my SDL since they were the last of the "traditional" cars with everything being mechanical and discrete in operation. The W140 and W210 that followed introduced truly ridiculous amounts of electronic gadgetry that I have no use for.

Good example: In a 126, pressing the window switch operates the window motor. Not so in the later cars....it has to communicate through the CANBUS to tell the window motor controller what to do. Seriously.....why? The newer they get, the more whiz-bang electronic crap they stuff in there. More stuff to fail, more stuff to go obsolete. Remember the iPhone plugs in the gloveboxes? How useful are those now?

Both of my Mercedes are hobby cars. I'd never dream of driving one as a daily driver, though they do get rotated into daily use from time to time to keep them used. My daily driver is a Honda, not because it's the best, most luxurious, best-handling car out there. It's because it's the automotive definition of reliable and economical. Comfortable on the road, nimble around town, and good fuel economy. My family has driven Hondas for nearly 15 years now, and not one of them has ever been to the shop with a major fault. That's what I want in a daily driver. Reliable.

Unfortunately also pretty boring. That's where my Mercedes hobby cars come in!

***End Soapbox Mode***

__________________
Current stable:
1995 E320 157K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 125K (SLoL)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

Gone and wanting to forget:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™) [Definitely NOT a Benz]

Where can I find the "fuel hose return line" that goes from the top of the fuel filer to drivers side fender to the tank?
The hose is elbow shaped at the top where it connects to the top of the filter with a hose clamp, then goes down and over to the fender where it is connected with a hose clamp. The hose is approx. 24" long and the wall thickness is double that of the fuel hose coming in from the tank.
Peach parts can special order it from Germany but it would be very expensive and take a long time before I would see it.
The Mercedes part # is. 1244709575-mbz.


Thanks,
Rick

Is that hose leaking? If not, I'd leave it for the time being. Fixing the issues on the lift side (suction side) of the fuel pump should cure your problems.

__________________
Current stable:
1995 E320 157K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 125K (SLoL)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

Gone and wanting to forget:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™) [Definitely NOT a Benz]

No it was not the one leaking but it is now!
I had to cut it on the elbow portion right where it gets hose clamped to the push on portion that sticks out from the top of the fuel filter.

You may be SOL on that part. If it isn't something you can "southern engineer" a replacement for, it may be worth your time to have Pelican special order it, or try the online Mercedes store of South Atlanta (google it and it should come right up).

__________________
Current stable:
1995 E320 157K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 125K (SLoL)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

Gone and wanting to forget:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™) [Definitely NOT a Benz]

Atlanta has the hose, thanks!
I thought as long as I have the intake manifold off and while waiting for parts, now would be a good time to have a look at the glow plugs. I put a socket on the #4 glow plug and gave it a slight turn and it was not tight so I turned it back in very carefully and same thing, it would just spin.turns out the threads are stripped in the head. I'm not sure what to do about this situation!

If the glow plug thread is really stripped, I'd stop work and stop buying parts for everything else and focus on dealing with fixing the stripped glow plug first.

__________________
85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 167,870 July 2025
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

At this point I'm tempted to leave it alone. I've been driving the car like this for 4 months. Last October I brought the car in to have the glow plugs changed and apparently the mechanic stripped one?

Is it stripped or broken off? If it was stripped, I'm surprised it hasn't blown out of the head!

__________________
Current stable:
1995 E320 157K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 125K (SLoL)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

Gone and wanting to forget:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™) [Definitely NOT a Benz]

Just talked to the guy that tried replacing the glow plugs, he is telling me it is not stripped but the portion of the plug that sticks out of the head is turning!

Did he replace that glow plug? If it's a new glow plug, the portion of the plug sticking out of the head should not be turning relative to the portion that is in the head. If it is indeed turning as he described, it means the glow plug is physically broken into 2 pieces.

__________________
85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 167,870 July 2025
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

No, it's the old plug he was trying to remove. he said when he was trying to remove it, it felt like it broke loose as if it was going to come out. What really upsets me about Mercedes is how they manage to bury those glow plugs so deep in the engine that you have to spend hours and hours removing just about everything attached to the engine just to gain access to them and when you finally do get to them you can spend days trying to remove them, heat,penetrating oil, impact wrenches! Then when you finally manage to replace one or two of them (because you broke the others off) you spend hours putting all the crap back on the engine that you had to remove.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9AO_cDdwS8

__________________
David


1996 Mercedes S124 E300TD - 129k - rolling restoration project -

1998 Mercedes W210 300TD - 118k (assimilated into above vehicle)

spock505,
I have watched this video several times in the past. Very informative and step by step how to. I could see doing this job but ONLY if the engine is out of the car!

It is still unclear to me if your mechanic removed the old glow plug and replaced it with a new one. What you need to do is remove the glow plug yourself to inspect the condition of the threads in the head and go from there.

__________________
85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 167,870 July 2025
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked