Add another 1986 2.3-16V to the list . . .

* California car; purchased 2/00
* ~86,000 miles; driven 1,000 miles since purchased (never in the rain)
* Pearl black
* Pearl black AMG 16" rims (215/45ZR-16)
* [chrome AMG 17" rims in storage]
* Pearl black grille frame and insert
* Hella clear corner lenses
* Hella smoked rear taillights
* Tinted windows
* Zebrano wood kit
* White-faced gauges
* Bilstein shocks (have'em, not yet installed)
* H&R springs (have'em, not yet installed)
* Stainless steel brake lines (have'em, not yet installed)
* Blaupunkt CD player (have it, not yet installed)

Could use tips/info on:

>> Installing springs/shocks
>> Aftermarket muffler/purchase -- Sebring? Supersprint? Remus? AMG? Others? Where to buy (URLs), approximate pricing.
>> Bekkers "Big Bore Throttle" -- info; direct bolt-on or minor/major adjustments? DIY or take it to my shop?

Thanks 16V Bretheren!

Brian16V

Hi Brian,
Your car sounds great. Post some pix!
If you've never done spring/strut work, have it done by a shop. You need the right spring compressor to do it safely.

__________________
Glen Tokuhara
Beauty & the Beast and the wagon that could!

Hi Brian:

Welcome to the list. Your car sounds great.

As far as recommendations:

Minor driveability/performance improvements:

1. K&N air filter
2. Have resonator replaced with glasspack muffler (nice sound)
3. Locate the ignition reference resistor (R16/1) and replace it with higher value resistor, or just leave it removed. This will advance the timing up to 6 degrees. Just be careful that your car doesn't "ping", indicating too much advance! Stock resistor value on US cars is 750 ohms. I have removed my resistor entirely.

Check the archives on the Bekkers throttle bore. General consensus is it does not help on a stock car.

Good luck!

Tom Elerding

Tom:
Do you happen to have the part number for the stock 750 ohm resistor? Just curious what's in mine without getting my meter out

Thanks.

__________________
Glen Tokuhara
Beauty & the Beast and the wagon that could!

Hi Glenn:

Sorry, I don't know what the MB part number is. I went and looked at my R16 and there is no legible numbering on it. I don't have any documentation that would tell me the part number, either.

If your car is a US 1986/7 then I'd bet it is 750 ohms, corresponding to a 6 degree retard from the basic timing. Pull the thing out and see how your car runs without it!

Best regards,

Tom

Gentlemen-

Tom's dead right. Yank the R16, you'll love the difference. I do believe the part # is still on mine, I'll take a peek tonight at it and let you know.

To find, locate wiring harness coming from firewall toward #3 & 4 intake manifold runners. It's a black plastic "plug" that is dangling out from the harness itself, and is wrapped in electrical tape. You can't miss it. Just unplug it and you'll be fine. If you're running rocket fuel like we all should be anyway, you shouldn't get any ping, I don't. A number of us (Tom, Jim, Yee Fun, Robby, etc.) have a long running email about this one going right now. Feel free to email one of us for further detail. Good luck fellow owners.

Oh, and Brian16v, do a search on the forum about both the exhaust set up and throttle body issues, they've both been very well detailed here. Tom's right on about the exhaust, that is your best bet.

Cheers!

__________________

Paul

'02 ML320 3rd row - wife's
'01 //S8 Alumi*****
'87 930 Sport Seats / LSD
'58 TR3A commuter

previous

'95 //S6 6gang
'87 190E 2.3-16
'88 ///M5
'98 ML320
'93 300E 2.8
'90 300E 3.0

http://blogs.europeancarweb.com/index.html (Sgt. Schultz)
http://randomstupidity.tumblr.com/
http://www.sfest.com/gallery/

Paul,
I haven't had a chance measure my resistor yet but I did pull the following numbers off the resistor itself:
000 540
24.81
09 8659 24

It'll be interesting to see if the numbers match yours...

Thanks

__________________
Glen Tokuhara
Beauty & the Beast and the wagon that could!

Hello All. I am laughing right now because I just wrote a fairly lengthy post introducing my cars and myself. I went to check how it would look on a 'preview post', hit 'back' and it disappeared(D'oh). Oh well, my name is Mikko and I recently purchased a 1986 190e 2.3-16 in Rauchsilber. Mine has all the problems European Car said it would have and then some I will have a lot of questions for you guys, but I'd like to start with the archives, where are they? I will start with a K&N and then exhaust work so I'll definitely need to find info. I enjoy my cars when you can hear some exhaust during cruising and of course deeper and louder during acceleration with a hint of burble during deceleration, but not like some of these Civics and Neons with 5 inch cans on the back. I'd like to know what else I can do for little $$ such as the resistor swap you mention. Are GTC cams worthwhile? What are efficient weight savings. 3015 right, mine (proudly) is 2978 (no spare tire). Is it easy to remove the broken air conditioning? Speaking of a/c, does anyone know how to fix a broken temperature control wheel(?), I am talking about the wheel like device on the dash that has the numbers on it to set the temperature? Mine blows hot air no matter what(well I guess upon start up it's cold) and I am burning up. Lastly, has anyone had the lovely sensation of having their car jerk left everytime they re-engage the clutch after they shift? I am led to believe it needs new bushings, has anyone had to replace them and if so is it extremely hard? Thanks. I also want to say thanks to Glen for already answering some questions for me and for Google which led me to Glen's site. Lastly, any of you live in the middle of nowhere like me in Indiana?

Bis Spater.

Mikko

83 GTi, 86 190E 2.3-16, 87 Pathfinder SE, 91 Laser RS, 93 Talon TSi, 01 Jetta Wolfsburg ---all sticks.

Welcome, Mikko-

Yes, be sure to do some thorough searching here, we've all posted about many different aspects of our 2.3-16's.

To sum up the exhaust, trust me on this, simply cut out factory resonator and weld in a 2' tube type glasspack. Also cut out pre cats and weld in straight pipe for MUCH more power. All for < $200, easily, and sounds amazing.

Mine too has the temp wheel issue. Don't know how to remedy. I do get cold air if I "click" it all the way down to it's farthest position, but hot all other times.

Amen to yours having all the 'probs' Euro Car said it would, we're all in the same 'fun' boat together. We feel your pain, brutha.

What I and many others here agree on is the cams are a lot of $ for not much increase in power. Yank the resistor and pre cats, then tell us how much more power you want.

Front bushings could definitely be a culprit. Control arms are relatively inexpensive, but not a DIY for me at least.

Good luck, enjoy it!

__________________

Paul

'02 ML320 3rd row - wife's
'01 //S8 Alumi*****
'87 930 Sport Seats / LSD
'58 TR3A commuter

previous

'95 //S6 6gang
'87 190E 2.3-16
'88 ///M5
'98 ML320
'93 300E 2.8
'90 300E 3.0

http://blogs.europeancarweb.com/index.html (Sgt. Schultz)
http://randomstupidity.tumblr.com/
http://www.sfest.com/gallery/

Add me to the list of 16v owners. I am a proud owner of a smoked silver 1986 190E 2.3-16 5 spd in the NY-NJ area with 109, 000 miles in the clock. I am begining to learn more about the car, and I have been doing all the mechanical work. Right now I have K&N air fliter, Euro headlights with clear blinkers. New Bosch distributor cap and rotor, Bosch platinums, and Bilstein sport shocks in front.

I am just finding the time to install all the parts that I have, namely:

Deactivate the SLS (w/ Delsing block plate)
Eibach springs
Blistein Sport (Rear)
Jacob's Omni ign.
Stainless steel braided brake lines with Motul Dot 5
Delsing shifter bushing kit
Redline synthetic AT fluid
Redline synthetic limited slip diff fluid

Where can I buy a timing chain and tensioner assembly? How much approximately are the needed parts? My chain is starting to rattle during startup. Thanks to all the advice from this site, more power to all of you.

Bernie
1986 190E 2.3-16

Bernie-

Sounds great, you're on track to address all the 'gremlin' areas. Have you tried Bekker's yet? Do a search, you should find them, they've got the tensioner kit I believe.

Good luck, and enjoy the 2.3-16. My grows on me more and more as each day passes (though, it's true, it IS for sale should I pull the trigger on this '91 C4 Coupe I'm tempted with...).

__________________

Paul

'02 ML320 3rd row - wife's
'01 //S8 Alumi*****
'87 930 Sport Seats / LSD
'58 TR3A commuter

previous

'95 //S6 6gang
'87 190E 2.3-16
'88 ///M5
'98 ML320
'93 300E 2.8
'90 300E 3.0

http://blogs.europeancarweb.com/index.html (Sgt. Schultz)
http://randomstupidity.tumblr.com/
http://www.sfest.com/gallery/

Does anybody know the part numbers of a 16v timing chain, updated tensioner, and any other part/s needed?

Bernie
1986 190E 2.3-16

Count me in...I have an 86 2.3-16.


Pearl Black/Black interior
5 speed
125K miles
no resonator
Euro Hella H-4s
slowly restoring (Read: constantly repairing something)


bond
1995 LR Range Rover LWB (Rocks)
1993 500E (Rolls)
1986 190E-16

TO: BJFhmd

The latest info I have is that the P/N for the 190E-16V chain tensioner is: #102-050-17-11. Retail price around $370.00!

I just got a quote from Beckers. The timing chain tensioner kit is BIC102050, and the timing chain assembly with the gasket for $298.00.

Thank you very much. "Happy Holiday's to Everybody!"

Bernie
1986 190E 2.3-16