My Custom 1980 W116 300SD Project Part 2 - Page 11 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Squiggle Dog · #**151** 08-02-2018, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLGUY

Is the broken ear on your compressor in one of the critical mounting positions? I don't think the heads are re-clockable (is that a word?). At least the 7 cyl are not.

EDIT: The K head is for the 5 cyl, the KG head is for the 7.

The ear that has a hairline crack is the upper rear that's closest to the block.

The hole spacing on the 5 cylinder Sandens look like they would allow for reclocking of the head, but there are two alignment pins between the head and the body that look like they prevent any change in clocking.

There is a 90 degree difference between the clocking of the 5 cylinder K head and the 7 cylinder KG head.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vwnate1

? Might it be possible to use a large flat washer on the far side of the cracked eat to gusset it and prevent the crack from spreading ? .

The flange nut that's on there seems like it works every bit as good as a washer would. There is also a brace that goes between the cracked ear and another one of the top ears. It seems like it's reinforced enough that it might be fine. Who knows how long it was cracked while it was on the old bracket with the belt tensioned.

ROLLGUY · #**152** 08-02-2018, 11:42 PM

I believe the 5 cyl heads can be clocked different if new pin holes are drilled, and/or there may even be another set of holes in the body under the reed plate allowing for clocking. I do know that the 7 cyl can't be clocked, the bolts are not symmetrical. If the ear just has a crack, I would have it welded before installation (it may be too late for that). If it has a crack now, and that ear is used, it may get worse. Just sayi'n.

Squiggle Dog · #**153** 08-03-2018, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLGUY

I believe the 5 cyl heads can be clocked different if new pin holes are drilled, and/or there may even be another set of holes in the body under the reed plate allowing for clocking. I do know that the 7 cyl can't be clocked, the bolts are not symmetrical. If the ear just has a crack, I would have it welded before installation (it may be too late for that). If it has a crack now, and that ear is used, it may get worse. Just sayi'n.

It may be possible to reclock the five cylinder heads if new pin holes are drilled or something. By doing that, though, in order to not have the cracked ear mounted to anything, I'd end up having the fill plug and wire harness either facing the block, or facing downward.

I think I'm just going to run it until it breaks, if it ever does. It might even be fine if that ear were completely missing.

Squiggle Dog · #**154** 08-03-2018, 04:40 PM

I had to connect a bunch of ground wires together, so I decided to reuse the ring terminal from a spare wire harness since I couldn't find any good ones locally and even online there weren't really any that matched. I can get them from Mercedes, but don't know what size each part number is. It was actually very difficult to get the wires fully removed from the ring terminal because they were crimped and then soldered on. But, with enough persuasion from a MAPP gas torch, I got the old solder burned off so I could open up the terminal.

I inserted the ground wires together into the terminal, crimped them down, and then soldered them like the factory did so it matches the other grounds.

The ground connections behind the instrument panel area were very rusty and needed cleaning. Maybe that explains why the tachometer would cut out occasionally.

Now they are all cleaned up.

I repaired the cigar lighter wiring, replaced the sheathing, and installed the connector cover. I also replaced the left front speaker wires with a spare because they had been chewed up by a mouse several years ago. I'd say that at this point the wire harness is done. Now I've got to tape it up so the wires aren't loose.

Squiggle Dog · #**155** 08-10-2018, 12:47 AM

Recently we've been having a lot of storms in the Phoenix valley area in Arizona, making it humid on top of being over 110 degrees; which has made for brutal heat. One of the storms knocked over a bunch of trees, which damaged the wall.

I converted the power windows to manual a while back, and recently removed the wiring for them, which left spots 15 and 16 open in the fuse box, so I decided I would attach the seat heater wire harnesses there so I wouldn't have to use an auxiliary fuse box. But, I realized that I cut the power wire that went to it, which originally passed from between fuse 1 and 2 to a relay, and then to the spot between fuses 15 and 16, so now those fuses had no power.

I utilized the short jumper wire which was originally designed to go from the fuse box to an auxiliary fuse box and attached it between fuses 1 and 2, and then attached the other end between fuses 15 and 16 so they would get power. I tucked the jumper wire down inside the fuse box after installing it.

Here is the wire harness for the front seat heaters. I had to solder on a new ground ring terminal because I sold the wire harness I had and then later on bought another one, and the person who removed it cut it off.

Here's the front half of the wire harness for the rear seat heaters.

Squiggle Dog · #**156** 08-10-2018, 12:48 AM

The new screen for the new Four Seasons 38604 expansion valve arrived. It keeps debris out of the valve.

I wrapped the wire harness with the first layer of tape, which is 3M Scotch Super 88 Vinyl Electrical Tape. Some parts of it were really tricky, but I started on the outside appendages and wrapped in toward the main body, and then wrapped from the end of the body toward the fuse box going clockwise.

The support braces for the climate control case are installed.

The second layer of tape, which is is 3M Friction Tape, is wrapped over the electrical tape. It looks identical to what Mercedes used so it blends right in and it's hard to tell which parts are original, and which I retaped. Surprisingly, I got all the tape at The Home Depot for about $3 a roll! I ended up using one roll of electrical tape, and five rolls of friction tape. All the tedious installation of the wire harness bracket and relays is finished. Making everything go back together correctly was mentally taxing.

I really had to guess at how to route some of the wires, especially the ones for the seat heaters. I think I got it figured out, and the end is in sight. I set up an appointment on Tuesday to get the system charged with R-12 at a very reputable shop in Tucson which has been doing automotive air conditioning since 1954. So, I have to make sure to at least have the hoses made and installed by then--though that's about the last day I can work on my car because I went to spend Wednesday getting ready for Utah because I leave on Thursday morning.

Squiggle Dog · #**157** 08-10-2018, 01:02 AM

Here is a comparison that puts into perspective just how much more complicated the automatic climate control is compared to the manual type, not to mention all the junk in the engine compartment like the servo and auxiliary water pump:

Squiggle Dog · #**158** 08-21-2018, 08:27 PM

I got a new genuine Mercedes belt (13X975 004-997-36-92) for the compressor. They are usually made by Continental, but this one was made by Optibelt. It's also six years old as it has a date of 7/12. This must be a size that doesn't often sell. At least it's German and has the star logo.

There is a plastic hose holder that goes between the brake booster vacuum line and the high pressure air conditioning hose. I had originally planned to reuse the original high pressure hose, but found rust inside the fitting and didn't want to risk contaminants or leaks, so I made a new hose with #6 reduced barrier, which has a slightly larger outer diameter than the original, so one side of the holder wouldn't fit. I found that I had a spare plastic holder with a larger end on one side, so I heated the plastic with heat gun so it would be more flexible, and pulled both holders in half. Then I swapped the ends so I ended up with one that would fit both the vacuum line and the air conditioning hose.

I used a Dremel rotary tool and a file and modified the Klima Design Works oil cooler line support bracket so it would fit on the power steering pump bracket.

The new Mastercool Hydra-Krimp 71550 hose crimper arrived. It comes with dies for #8, #10, #12, and reduced barrier #6, #8, #10, and #12 hoses. It worked fantastic. I paid $166.43 and free shipping for it.

Squiggle Dog · #**159** 08-21-2018, 08:29 PM

I used copper flare gaskets for the hose connections. There are four sizes used.

New grommets are installed at the firewall. The large hose has a 113-997-01-81 grommet which has had the hole enlarged so it could replace the no longer available 116-997-24-81. I put butyl windshield installation tape around where it meets the hose so it would be water-tight. Even though the new high pressure hose is a little larger than the original, grommet 116-997-03-81 stretched enough to fit.

The Klima Design Works bracket now fits and is installed. I had to drill out the hole on the side to 1/4" so the zip tie would fit. I tried fitting a Mercedes one, but it broke as I think the metal is too thick for an original one to work. I had a lot more clearance for the 180 degree low pressure hose fitting. I ended up removing the rubber from the hose clamp so I didn't have to struggle to mount it to the strain relief bracket on the compressor. I couldn't use the provided metal line holder that secures the oil cooler lines underneath because even when it was tightened up, the oil cooler lines were loose and would rattle, so I used the original from the R4 bracket. Since the new high pressure hose was a little larger than the original, I had to use a bracket from an auxiliary fan to replace the one that mounts to the body.

I made the hoses so that the service ports would be easily accessible and both holes on the support bracket would be utilized (it drove me crazy that it wasn't being used before). I have rubber U-channel which will go between the support bracket and hoses once I make the low pressure hose hole a little larger. The low pressure hose is #10 and the discharge hose is #8 reduced barrier.

The discharge hose routing is a bit tortured. There is a 45 degree fitting at the compressor and the hose bends up toward the support bracket. It gets close to the "cigar" fuel hose, but doesn't rub on it. I used a buffer ring 116-466-12-82 to keep the two air conditioning hoses from rubbing. The larger low pressure hose takes two of part number 116-466-08-82, but I ended up using three to keep the discharge hose from rubbing on it up front. If I had to do it over again, I'd use a 90 degree fitting at the compressor and then put in a 90 degree elbow splicer just after the support bracket. Either way, I feel a lot better about the hoses I made than the ones the Klima Design Works kit came with. The hoses from the kit weren't used because the low pressure hose wasn't a very good design and the oil cooler line support bracket needed modification to fit at all, so I'm not happy with that. The compressor bracket was good, though.

Squiggle Dog · #**160** 08-21-2018, 08:31 PM

I replaced the cheap hardware store grommets that dry rotted for the condenser mounting brackets with genuine Mercedes ones, part number 000-997-31-81. They fit well!

I installed the new receiver drier and found that the threads for the hard line were closer to the drier than the last one, so it was nearly impossible to tighten the nut at the flare fitting. I had to remove all the condenser mounting screws, unbolt the drier, tilt the condenser forward, and use a crows foot wrench on the nut while being careful to not break the headlight glass. If I had to do it over again, I would have fit in a larger condenser, mounted the drier inside the engine compartment, and bored a hole for the upper hose to go through the radiator core support.

I was up until 2:30 AM getting my car ready to drive to Tucson to get the air conditioning charged. I woke up three hours later to drive it the nearly three hours there, which is very difficult for me as I require about 12 hours of sleep a day in order to function. The shop spent about an hour and a half vacuuming the system and charging it with R-12. They came in and said that there was a leak at where the expansion valve connects to the evaporator, so they were going to evacuate the system so I could repair it. After that was done, one of the people in the office said that I had driven a very long way, so they would allow me to repair the leak so they could try again.

I removed the flare gasket and they tried again. It was leaking in the same place, so they had me remove and inspect the expansion valve. The new Chinese Four Seasons expansion valve had deep scratches and pits on the flare surface, so they told me it was junk.

I asked them if they had a 38604 expansion valve, and they said that they had a parts warehouse next door that I could try. I went there and they said that they didn't have a Four Seasons one, but they might have another brand. I said that was fine. They came out with an old stock OEM Edelhof brand made in France, which is what I wanted, but they are $200-$300 whenever I see them for sale. They sold it to me for $50, which was a great deal. It was set up for R-12 and even had the screen filter already inside. The sealing surfaces were also machined to perfection. What a difference between the two brands!

I installed the Edelhof expansion valve and they vacuumed and charged the system again. They told me that it was leaking even worse than before, and that they hate flare fittings because they don't seal well. They let me try again, and I decided that if it didn't seal this time, I'd try to figure out a way to replace the evaporator and expansion valve with an O-ring type, and then I'd have to make new hoses. Upon inspection, I saw that the aluminum flare surface of the new Chinese Four Seasons evaporator (which didn't fit correctly in the case in the first place) had deformed because of the imperfections of the Four Seasons expansion valve and the many times of tightening it. It figures, the two Chinese parts I put on my car were the ones giving me the most trouble. I put a new flare gasket in between and tightened, loosened, and tightened it several times in hopes that it would seat.

It being nearly closing time and having been there all day, the technician came out and said that it wasn't leaking. The total cost was $244.12. On the nearly three hour drive home, it didn't seem that cold and I was worried that the refrigerant was going to leak out. But, the vents weren't installed so I wasn't getting air blowing on me.

I spent the next day trying to recover from the lost sleep and attempted to put the rest of the interior back together so I could drive the car to Utah the next day. I cleaned and secured the fuse box and installed new fuses. I spent hours struggling with putting the dashboard back in. My hands were getting cut up and I was frustrated. It was after 2 AM and I told my roommate (who almost never sleeps) that it wasn't going to happen, so he said I could drive his car.

I slept for about three hours and got up because I had to take the three dogs to the pet hotel and needed to put the air conditioning controls back in so I could drop them off. I got the controls in and wired the CD player and ash tray, so even though the center console wasn't in, at least the dashboard was in and I had all I needed for the trip. So, I dropped off the dogs and started packing.

The air conditioning worked fantastic with the vents in place, even though the recirculating air flap wouldn't stay shut because I didn't have the vacuum lines installed. It got cold enough that I had to turn it down when we got near Flagstaff. My roommate came with and we stopped at Delhi Palace in Flagstaff for a tasty Indian buffet. The car did great on the drive, but I was feeling horrible from the lack of sleep as we got close my parents' farm in Utah. I didn't get to sleep until about 1 AM. I was disappointed to find absolutely no biodiesel stations along the way. Even the Moab Chevron station which had articles written about it offering biodiesel didn't sell it anymore.

Squiggle Dog · #**161** 08-21-2018, 08:33 PM

I found that the air conditioning in my 300SD is even colder than in my mom's new Toyota Corolla! We went through the arts and film festival in Helper, Utah. We stopped in at Udderly Ice Cream, a newly-opened ice cream shop. I ordered a non-dairy raspberry sorbet. My roommate has a little octopus that he brought with him and took many photos with. Here he is in the center, resting on a cone:

We saw the vintage motorcycle museum, which is in progress.

Bands were playing as well:

Me with my mother and stepfather. He's been really good to her.

Me with one of my sisters:

Squiggle Dog · #**162** 08-21-2018, 08:34 PM

There was a car show. No Mercedes, of course!

There was an excellent band called Shuffle playing. They were the best of them all. All of them were top-notch and the guitar player appeared to be the best one can be at it.

Glamour shot of my car on the farm:

My roommate bought a radio/phonograph cabinet at an antique store. It barely wouldn't fit in the trunk, so it went in the back seat.

All of the shirts I've been wearing belonged to my grandfather. He died in 1974, so you know they're old.

Squiggle Dog · #**163** 08-21-2018, 08:35 PM

Driving off.

We had a fantastic meal in Moab on the way home at 98 Center Restaurant, consisting of excellent vegan nachos, phở, a salad, and kimchi.

I was very impressed with my car. Even with the air conditioning running, it got great fuel economy, cruised at high speed (though I was still getting passed by people that insist on driving at least 20 MPH over the speed limit), and I blew past a nice W115 300D by Flagstaff. In the 1,200 mile round trip it didn't use any oil or coolant.

ROLLGUY · #**164** 08-21-2018, 08:58 PM

As always, you are doing a great job. However, I am assuming there is supposed to be photos that go along with the play-by-play. I don't see any photos on this entire page (11). Is there a problem on my end, or have you just not added them yet?

Squiggle Dog · #**165** 08-21-2018, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLGUY

As always, you are doing a great job. However, I am assuming there is supposed to be photos that go along with the play-by-play. I don't see any photos on this entire page (11). Is there a problem on my end, or have you just not added them yet?

I see them on my end, and the posts near the top have been up for a while, and the pictures were working when I made those posts.