Need Help with Late W123 Driveshaft Balance Marks - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

rs899 · #1 07-17-2004, 03:41 PM

I bought an '84 300D parts car to back up my other 2 W123s. It had a bad engine so I pulled it with the transmission so I could store the transmission inside. In doing so, the driveshaft separated (although I had unbolted it at the tranny) so I'm not sure how the two halves are supposed to go together.

Now I have the driveshaft out of my wife's 300D turbo (build date 5/83) to replace the flex discs. I notice that there is a bit of wear in the splines on the driveshaft so I would rather not use it (this time I marked it). Now , I would like to use the one out of the 84 parts car, but I'm not sure of the balance since it has been separated.

I have read that some time in late '83 ( after 5/83?) they finally had the idea of marking these at the factory.

My question is, what do the marks look like?

On the 83, it would appear that a sort of double line is molded into the ujoint yoke (on the longer rear piece)and this lines up with a little protuberance that just touches the hex on the hex-headed end of the shorter front driveshaft (not the big locknut).

____
____ .......... <

Maybe looks roughly like above. In between the marks (where the periods are)are the splines on the rear shaft, the center bearing assembly , the big nut and the smaller hex head of the end of the front shaft.

Am I correct or am I just wishing something into what I am observing on the 83?

I have a Haynes and a W123 factory manual that is 1982, and niether of them mention this.

Rick

rs899 · #2 07-18-2004, 06:40 AM

Answered my own question.

I forgot that I had a CD-version of the factory manual (once you have a paper manual its very easy to forget) and it's covered there.

Yes, those are the marks (two parallel lines on the ujoint yoke and one at the hex on the front tube. So, I guess that means I can put my 84 shaft together using those marks.

If I interpret what they are saying correctly the manual also states that the mark was present before August 82 but they didn't bother to use them to balance the shafts (?) So, I guess that means that if you have a pre- August 82 shaft, you see the marks, you separate it, you align the marks, you shafted yourself!