Breakdown on I-5, Oregon, near Eugene - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

83w126 · #16 10-19-2019, 12:25 AM

I have a complete #18 head I would sell for $350 if you end up needing one.

cmac2012 · #17 10-19-2019, 03:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieselbenz1

Did the mechanic condem the head or the gasket because he saw bubles in the coolant?

Sorry to be incommunicado. It’s been a busy day. Turns out the radiator went south. The tank pulled away from the aluminum in a big way. That’s consistent with what I saw when I pulled over. I’m actually pretty optimistic. After I let it cool for about an hour on the highway I put in a quart of water, this in order to start it to drive up on the tow truck. The engine hadn’t been noticeably complaining before I shut it off. Ran just fine onto the tow truck.

cmac2012 · #18 10-19-2019, 03:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diseasel300

If coolant was all over everything in the engine bay, it's highly unlikely to be the head gasket. Probably the radiator, overflow bottle, or radiator tank.

I bow to the master.

cmac2012 · #19 10-19-2019, 03:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by merc lover

That sucks. I had something similar happen one time on a 1984 300D. I replaced the water pump and the thermostat, still no joy. The car continued to operate at high temps.

What sucks is being a long ways from home and having something like this happen. If it were me, I would check out both the radiator and the thermostat with my bet being a bad radiator.

My biggest breakdown ever anywhere near this far from home. Might have a good ending. I bought an 84 300D they had on the lot. They being “Autobahn Imports,“ the correct name for the indie garage I was towed to. I wrote “Autobahn motors,” in the OP. That’s the name of the Mercedes dealership in Belmont, just south of SF.

First W123. More info on the thread.

cmac2012 · #20 10-19-2019, 03:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by merc lover

There is an advantage to towing it home. You know the mechanics in your area and you will have more time to sort out the problem(s). You are under stress and stress tends to make us make bad decisions.

Just my two cents.

I would like to, but I don’t think it’s practical. The car is 550 miles from home. U-Haul won’t approve my tow set up. They quizzed me. My van is a Chevy G20, they didn’t even ask if it was a 350 (it’s a 5 L, a 305). They will let me rent a dolly. You need to unhook the driveline, I would guess it needs to be removed. I don’t want to kill my van doing this. Would probably consume about $320 in gas, to say nothing of missed work and other details.

rocky raccoon · #21 10-19-2019, 07:09 AM

I replaced my radiator some years ago with one made by a Danish company named "Nissens". Readily available drop in and it seems better quality than the OE.

engatwork · #22 10-19-2019, 07:49 AM

I've used Nissens radiators without any issues.

ah-kay · #23 10-19-2019, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmac2012

My biggest breakdown ever anywhere near this far from home. Might have a good ending. I bought an 84 300D they had on the lot. They being “Autobahn Imports,“ the correct name for the indie garage I was towed to. I wrote “Autobahn motors,” in the OP. That’s the name of the Mercedes dealership in Belmont, just south of SF.

First W123. More info on the thread.

You are trading from one disaster to another disaster. I would just dump the sdl, rent a one way rental to get home.

Btw: the jury is still out on the "good ending". Good luck in any event, you need it

cmac2012 · #24 10-19-2019, 12:21 PM

The SDL is one fine machine. Needs a few things fixed but it is one sweet ride. Never have I gotten 22-25 mpg with this sort of size, carrying capacity.
I’m liking the 300D I bought.

A one way ticket home was out of the question. I’m on my way to a hippie Faire in Ea WA just south of Canada. Way up in the hills. Will see my daughter and grandson for the first time in a year. Also I have two boxes of avocadoes to sell, trade, and give away. One of my clients runs a Greek deli SOMA in SF. They are at perfect ripeness now, just outstanding avocadoes, which may or may not be spelled this way. Some dispute on that point.

merc lover · #25 10-19-2019, 12:24 PM

So, to better understand, you ditched or traded in the car at the repair facility then bought an SDL they had for sale?

Diseasel300 · #26 10-19-2019, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocky raccoon

I replaced my radiator some years ago with one made by a Danish company named "Nissens". Readily available drop in and it seems better quality than the OE.

Quote:

Originally Posted by engatwork

I've used Nissens radiators without any issues.

Radiators for the SDLs are NLA. Not available from Nissens either. Aftermarket are available from various Chinese manufacturers in all-aluminum format which seem to be ok. My 350SD had one and seemed to cool no worse than the stock radiator does.

JHZR2 · #27 10-20-2019, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ah-kay

You are trading from one disaster to another disaster. I would just dump the sdl, rent a one way rental to get home.

Btw: the jury is still out on the "good ending". Good luck in any event, you need it

How so? What objective evidence is there that a 132k mile w123 is a disaster?

Towing with a flat trailer in an underpowered van is another story.

Since it was a radiator and not a HG, swapping in a new or good used radiator should be step one on the SD, then see if everything else is sound. May be salvageable.

ah-kay · #28 10-20-2019, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHZR2

How so? What objective evidence is there that a 132k mile w123 is a disaster?

Towing with a flat trailer in an underpowered van is another story.

Since it was a radiator and not a HG, swapping in a new or good used radiator should be step one on the SD, then see if everything else is sound. May be salvageable.

The newest w123 is 1985, so it would be at least a 34 years old car. How reliable would that be just off an used car lot? I would take a 34 years old car with 132k miles with a big pinch of salt unless it is kept in museum. I can make it 0 miles if I wanted to.

I drive old Mbz and I have never been stranded. I drive up and down from San Diego to SF a few times a year so it is on average a 1200 miles trip. May be I have been lucky but I also have confidence in my old bangers. The bottom line is that I treat them as disposal cars and move on if it dies.

resto108 · #29 10-21-2019, 12:57 PM

Put it on the dolly backwards, then you don't have to worry about disconnecting the driveshaft.

junqueyardjim · #30 10-21-2019, 01:24 PM

resto108 said "Put it on the dolly backwards, then you don't have to worry about disconnecting the driveshaft" . True, you won't have to worry about the driveshaft but you will have to worry about keeping the car on the road. Because of the geometry used in setting the front wheels/suspension, it will tow very badly in that position. It will wobble and really be all over the road. Don't do it!!