Parts hoarding question

[Marcan82]

Good Day all!

Wondering what your thoughts are regarding which parts may become unavailable soon and would make sense to have on hand in advance of replacement. For example, my car is a 1978 240D 4spd with 136k miles on it. I currently have a clutch slave, front and rear pads, parking break shoes, front inner/outer bearings.

What else would make sense to buy now and have on-hand before things become impossible to get and/or become very expensive.

Thanks to all who reply!

[engatwork]

Try to get a spare ignition tumbler.

[Marcan82]

Thanks for your reply, I see that there is a ÜRO PARTS 1234620479 available for relatively cheap. What are your thoughts on this brand for this component?

[Sugar Bear]

How long will you keep it?

How much do you drive it?

Get Ate brake hoses, fuel injector return line, VC gasket, spare vacuum pump and a fresh vacuum pump diaphragm and a water pump

[Diesel911]

Originally Posted by Marcan82

Thanks for your reply, I see that there is a ÜRO PARTS 1234620479 available for relatively cheap. What are your thoughts on this brand for this component?

Many on this forum used to avoid URO parts. But not just URO but no Mercedes ignition lock Tumbles have been said not to last but a few years. However, there is another side to the story.

I was at a locksmith's shop, and he was on the phone telling someone that what kills Ignition Lock Tumblers is have a bit wad of keys hanging off of the Ignition Key.

I don't know if they are still hard to find or not but a few years ago the supply of steering collum locks dried up. I thought I had an ignition lock tumbler issue, but it turns out inside my steering collum lock had busted in 2 places.

That happened to me several years before when new ones were still for sale. If you buy a new steering collum loc assembly, you also get a new ignition switch and a vacuum valve. While it seemed expensive it was a good deal considering the other parts and it turned out I needed a new ignition switch.

Back to the lock tumbler. After replacing the steering collum lock my lock tumbler fell apart after a bit more than a year. I replaced it with a Meyle made in China one and have several years use on it. However, when I installed the steering collum lock I bypassed the locking rod. So that means the Meyle lock tumbler did not have the stress of compressing that locking rod spring. So, my experience with Chinses tumbles is not a good one to go by.

[Marcan82]

It's my fair weather daily(ish), taken to work a few days a week (60mi round-trip).

Regarding the spare vacuum pump, boy are they PRICEY! Am I expected of this part failing? Would the diagphram be enough to keep as a spare?

[resago2000]

since you have a manual, vacuum pump isn't the end of the world. I have an electric one to handle the remaining working vacuum devices.

[Marcan82]

Thanks for your reply.

What happened to necessitate the need for an electric vacuum pump?

[resago2000]

it stopped working, and yeah, I could have bought a kit to fix it, but if the bearings went out, it could destroy the engine. so I opted to remove it, buy a plate, and spent $40 on an electric vacuum booster and some hose.
it's worked out well.
I don't have a manual, but my '77 trans doesn't use vacuum.

[Sugar Bear]

It's probably worth eliminating the factory vacuum pump and going to an electric to prevent future major engine damage when the vacuum pump bearing fails.

[resago2000]

A good set of injectors is a good idea

[vstech]

It reminds me of the Ghostbusters scene where Ray is describing the deal he got on the ecto cruiser and listing the repairs needed...

[vstech]

https://youtu.be/IUJPu-lFO70?si=p5TYGZJHMhbgseMx