Tools Advise and more

[rmmagow]

1983 300D 170000

1. What would be the best set of of Allen tools to get for maintaining this car? I have full sets of regular tools, wrenches sockets etc but understand the MB uses allen heads for a lot of fittings. I usually but Craftsman tools so I guess what I'm asking is what range of sizes should I go for. Also is there a need for allen tools with a long reach.

2. The Cruise Control. Anyone know how or know of a site that could walk me through trouble shooting this? It does nothing so I'm looking for kind of a step-by-step to see if I can find which of my extermely expensive parts is broken.

3. Tippy Seat Syndrome. The driver's seat feels like it kind of tips towards the door. I've fiddled around with the height adjuster and wiggled around to see if it's maybe just something hung up underneath but it still feels like it's listing to port. My 58 220S also has a similar feel although not quite as pronounced. Any remidies for this? Is there something I should look at in the seat mechanism?

4. And lastly (for today anyway). Is there a source for the sun visors with the built in vanity mirrors or maybe even just plain visors. Mine are a mess and I want to replace them.

5. And REALLY lastly, is $5,000 too much for a 83/84 300D with under 100K and in nearly perfect condition? I am in the process of looking for my second 300d (or maybe and SD). Selling off my stable of old Jap luxo barges and going Mercedes (gas for toys, diesel for everyday) for the next 10~20 years.

Thanks Much

[wolfgang]

If the seat tips, look for rot/rust in the floor

[84300DT]

5. if the car is really mint .. then 5k mite not be a bad price to keep it off the market.. but .. it really should be a creampuff

[rickjordan]

For the seat tipping, is the seat actually tipping or does it feel that way? Your seat springs could be shot. My neighbor's driver's seat in his '80 300SD has broken springs. A new seat spring frame can be bought for these cars. Depending on where you buy yours, it will basicly run you about $110.
As for Allen wrenchs, obviously they need to be metric. As for sizes, the largest I have had to use is 8 mm. That was for the motor mounts. I would get both "L" shaped wrenches and some "T" handled wrenches. Most of my tools are Craftsman as well.

[P.E.Haiges]

I have a Craftsman set of allen wrenches that are in 3/8 drive socket wrenches that are extremly handy. They are 3,4,5,6,8,10mm sizes or something like that and fit just about everything on my MB. I suggest you buy that set.

Quality seems very high because I have used them for a long and never broke any. Of courseif one did break, Sears would give me a new one no questions asked.

P E H

[CarolinaMBZ]

Sears does not carry (nor do they carry a 3mm hex socket) and you will probably need to order from Snap-on if you can't find a local alternative.

[dabenz]

For the big hex you can just use a hex key available anywhere (I bought mine at a NAPA). I just slip a box wrench over the "handle" end for more leverage. You could cut off the long end of the hex and slip into a socket if you don't have the swing room (wrap the socket end in masking tape so it fits snugly in the socket). A good excuse to get the good 6-pt sockets.

[P.E.Haiges]

For the cruise control you probably need a new or rebuilt circuit card sometimes called the amplifier. There are some resouldering fixes you might find in a search of these BBs.

OK, maybe there wasn't 3 mm allen wrench in the set. Maybe it was 4 thru 12 mm. I also have a wrench with from an old MB tool kit that was made for the differential plug. It is a flat bar, angeled at one end with a 14mm male hex at each end.

P E H

[CarolinaMBZ]

PEH, I was referring to the sockets, and thought your post was referring to range for the keys (Post was therefore not meant to dispute you in any way but a gratuitous comment grounded in frustration at prior difficulty in obtaining these "basic" tools). I just reread your post and realized it referenced sockets (If I were ever to correct anyone on this site (unlikely) I would hopefully have been much more tactful about it).

Sorry for any unintended negative connotation to my post.

BTW, I believe the Craftsman hex keys do come in a large range of sizes.

Dabenz: re: 14mm being everywhere. I previously checked 7 different auto parts stores (including big chains and NAPA) and never found one when I conducted my search. Perhaps, your local stores are better stocked. Was your NAPA a small store or a Pepboys size store. I ultimately had to get socket from Snap-on which was too long for manual transmission and therefore got 14mm hex key from a specialty tool store in town. Tough aquisition. Always looking for information to save steps in the future.

[leathermang]

On the cruise control deal... seems that substituting a good part into the system is one way to find out what works and what does not... to that end... ************************ says in my 123 catalog they will let you purchase the actuator, and if that does not fix the problem , let you return it ( no damage of course ) just for the shipping cost, then try the computer...questions at 818-779-2823....Greg

[P.E.Haiges]

CarolineMBZ,

No offense taken and you were right about there not being a 3mm allen socket. Just for accuracy, I went out to the garage and checked my Craftsman allen socket set. The set consists of 5 allen sockets: 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 8mm and 10 mm. It seems like I never needed a 12mm allen wrench, since I don't have one. I made an allen wrench that would fit the older MB fuel tank filters but I can't remember the exact size, ~25mm.

For the head bolts that need more torque, I cut off a 10mm allen wrench and use it in a 6 point 1/2 drive 10mm socket.

P E H

[dabenz]

CarolinaMBZ,

NAPA Part No. 67264 for the 14mm hex key. $6.50 in July 2000. Bought it when I thought I had lost my other tool, which was a bent bolt with a 14mm head. I'm not a big fan of NAPA due to their dual pricing structure, but up here the truck from the Twin Cities warehouse delivers daily. With their computers all I need to do is order before noon to have it by 7:30am the next day. In hindsight I should have bent another bolt and ground the sides down, and preserved my cheapskate reputation.

[dabenz]

I forgot to answer the store size question. I live in a county that has two stoplights, and one was out of commission for 1 1/2 of the past two years. I guess that puts me in small store country. Both stoplights are now working, by the way.

[leathermang]

On the cruise control... check out CJ's page...

http://www.mindspring.com/~houlihan/merc/cruise.htm

[CarolinaMBZ]

Dabenz, thanks for the p/n. How long is the hex part? (how far from the end of the socket does it go out?) My Snap-on was approx. an inch and a half and for what it cost, I couldn't bring myself to try to shorten. If I had I would have destroyed exactly one half of the Snap-on brand part of my tool set. If relatively short, I will order one from NAPA.

Thanks again.