1981 380SL Distributor Vacuum Advance Unit - NLA?

[Delawho]

Need some parts source help. Ran a vacuum check on my Distributor Vacuum Advance and it is not holding a vacuum. I have been looking for a couple of days on the internet parts sites (here at Pelican also), called a few local import parts centers and it apprears to me that this part is No Longer Available? Any help in sourcing one would be most appreciated.

[mbboy]

Originally Posted by Delawho

Need some parts source help. Ran a vacuum check on my Distributor Vacuum Advance and it is not holding a vacuum. I have been looking for a couple of days on the internet parts sites (here at Pelican also), called a few local import parts centers and it apprears to me that this part is No Longer Available? Any help in sourcing one would be most appreciated.

Try ECS Tuning ($109.42)

Home Page > Search > 0001586618 > ES#1602222 VACUUM BOX,I - 0001586618

Just curious, I have an 81 380sl, too. What symptoms led you to suspect the vacuum advance, and how exactly did you diagnose it?

Thanks in advance.

[Delawho]

3 symptoms - idle was intermitantly rough - idle for a while - then fall off for a milisecond. 2- while trying to maintain a steady 1500 RPM on the accelerator it was hunting for it up and down about 100 to 200 RPM's and lastly shifing from 1st to 2nd the eng/trans shuttered.

I 1st assumed perhaps the O2 sensor giving faulty readings - because it was like a lean/rich issue - but it did it when the eng was cold and the O2 sensor wouldnt read until it got hot (650F I think) anyway - I got a reading on the 02 and it was fine.

So next I just took out the mityvac and tested the a/c switch over valve -fine- that lead back to the distributor vacuum advance - pulled the vacuum hose - pulled a vacuum with the mityvac directly on the advance pod- and it bled down slowly - that was it. I capped the vaccum lines to the vacuum advance and the rough idle and hunting and shifting issues were gone.