I can't see anything visually wrong with the hinge. But, it hesitates to close when the grill is about 6 to 12 inches from closed. Is there a secret problem that I don't know about?

You might investigate the not-so-secret concept known as lubrication. Oil the hinges.

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When cryptography is outlawed, bayl bhgynjf jvyy unir cevinpl.

If it has the 90 degree open feature that the W126 has, the springs might not be coming into play until it’s mostly closed. One of the springs came off on the 300SD when I was messing around under the hood, I noticed it could go back on in a few different places.

Michael

I agree with tangofox. On my '81 240D, the hood hinge springs are providing tension until I release the catch and put the hood vertical. The downward pressure required to close is the same all the way to latch. The elbow joint is important, but the bottom pivot is the one that matters. It can corrode up until it rips the sheet metal out. It happened to me. Just like Uncle Kent says, keep those wells clean and draining, and the hinges lubed. I had a set of NOS hinges, McGivered a solution to the damage with 1/8" aluminum, adjusted the latch, and it closes smooth as can be.

Care to share your solution? Sounds intrigueing. My '83 240D has the driver's side hinge "ripped out", as you mentioned. The other side is still great (clean, lubed, drained). Wondering what can be done or if I've just gotta "live with it"? Maybe some pics, if it's not too much to ask? Thanks

Like my knees!

On mine the previous owner had not kept the drains cleared and apparel water had pooled in that pocket where the springs go and the lowest hood spring hinges had rusted around the bushings and left a ragged hole where the bushing were on the sheet metal.

Also rusted through areas in the spring pockets.

Noise. One of my Springs still has the rubber sleeve around it that is about 2 inches wide the other does not.

If your hood hinges are intact and sticking as mention lube them with something as they are steel on steel so they rust.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

The tab for the spring is tack welded to the firewall area .. Lift the hood vertically and support it along the back so you can see where the old spring attached. It is a 1/8" or less thick metal tab with a hole it in for the spring. It is likely rusted out.. I put a 3/16" aluminum angle tab there and pop riveted and tapped into the metal with a hole for the hood spring. 1 hr fix and works fine. You don't even have to remove the hood to fix it.

Oiling the very back hood hinge points as well as the easy to get ones. Is just smart maintenance. You may have to remove the battery to get the one on that side. Both are way back so often missed.

From my own experience it certainly beats the destruction of the hinge mount. When the hood pin seizes in the bushing it will tear out the inner fender metal. It may be seized enough already to make closure of the hood hard.

Mercedes has a repair kit for that problem.

My '83 240D driver's side pin seized and tore out the metal, pin and all, on the inner fender. It was like that when I got the car. The right side is good and I've got it cleaned, oiled and lubed up like a mo fo. The hood still opens and closes very nicely and securely, without problems. No signs of lifting or shaking while cruising the highway at a blistering 60 mph. That hood is no lightweight, that's for sure! I use a prop rod on the broken side and can still open to 90 degrees. I've heard about the MB kit to repair the problem but haven't been able to locate it. Maybe NLA, maybe I'm not looking in the right place? Any more details on the kit? At this point, it's "on the back burner", but "someday" it'd be nice to repair.

That is exactly how my car was when I brought it.

The pulled out bushings were stuck to the hinge arm and alternating with heat and penetrating oil over the course of several days to get the bushing off turned out to be really hard to do.

This is the first mention of that that I have noticed? Please post a location of a site I can go to for more info on that if you have one.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

MB part number A1238800047.
Item 23 in the drawing.
2 kits needed if doing both sides.

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78 W116 300SD 'Desert Rose' new as of 01/26/2014
79 W116 300SD 'Stormcloud' RIP 04/11/2022

Thanks for the info! Appreciate it very much. I was hoping the "kit" included a small patch panel, with correct bushing hole, to replace what gets ripped out of the inner fender. Oh well, better to have what's available than nothing at all.
The diagram sparked another issue I'm confronted with....How to remove item #9.
That piece provides security for release cable access, I believe. I don't want to destroy it, but it seems kinda hard to get to....intentionally, of course. Although currently working fine, eventually I'm gonna want to adjust the hood release cable tension. Briefly looked at it when I first got the car and thought I'd "leave well enough alone".

When the pin seizes and pulls the metal out of the inner fender. It is best to remove the hinge. You need ox/acc type heat to get the pin out of the bushing without a big issue.

I never used the repair kit. Actually did not even know there was one untill a long time later. I had to use a stick welder to get enough reach to weld a repair back there. You need a full length welding rod.

When the pin is seized enough to tear the metal out. Believe me it is corroded in the bushing really solid. I believe I separated the pin from the bushing and just welded the torn out part back in. Cheap but not simple without heat and a stick welder. No room to use a mig welder head in there if I remember.

Relubrication properly of everything that should be done is probably a whole days job. It fortunatly takes time more than money. If you intend to keep one of these cars. Personally I think it is well worth the effort. On many of them perhaps almost forty years has passed with no door pin re lubrication speaks volumes for the quality of some of the parts.

Everything also works better after. You also tend to aquire a good range of lubrication types if you have not already. Plus learn if you are not already aware. What type of lubricant works best in certain applications. Even simple things learnt seem to have value over time.

I didn't have this piece on my first MB 300turbo diesel, a 83 W123 300D.
My understanding is that it is held in place with push pins, that need to be pried out.
Much like the ones holding the glove box, or the windshield wiper cowl in place.
Perhaps someone has a photo to contribute??

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78 W116 300SD 'Desert Rose' new as of 01/26/2014
79 W116 300SD 'Stormcloud' RIP 04/11/2022