Parts Catalog Accessories Catalog How To Articles Tech Forums
Call Pelican Parts at 888-280-7799
Shopping Cart Cart | Project List | Order Status | Help



Go Back   PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum > Do It Yourself Links & Resources > Restoration Projects & Long-Term Builds

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 08-29-2013, 01:33 PM
Mölyapina's Avatar
User title not in use
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Chelmsford, Massachusetts
Posts: 4,373
My 1982 300SD Project Thread

So, where to start? I guess I should first start by reprinting the introduction I gave to the car when I bought it in May (feel free to skip down to where I talk about what I'm doing now; most of that is background on the car itself.):

Quote:
As a few of you already know, I bought my second car on Saturday – a white 1982 300SD . I bought it from a fellow forum member, tbomachines (Tom). The shell is a Texas shell. It’s original story is unknown, though I may try to track down the hands that it passed through when I have some spare time. Tom bought it a few years ago from another forum member who had taken the drivetrain out and was storing the shell in a hangar in New Jersey; Tom took the drivetrain out of his old, rusty ’82 (“Boxy Brown”) and transplanted it into this one. He then drove it regularly, replacing the tires, brake pads, calipers, and discs, glow plugs, motor mounts, filters (including power steering thingie), Battery, flex disc & hardware, water pump housing, thermostat, etc. along the way. Then, last fall, he tried to pull away from the filling station only to find out that the transmission would not engage in Drive. He then attempted replacing the B2 piston, but to no avail, leaving him to conclude that the B2 band itself was bad. He priced out some trannies, but didn’t have the time to fetch one or install it, so the car ended up sitting in Connecticut, doing nothing but killing grass & running occasionally (thankfully, Tom started it periodically & pushed it back & forth to keep the tires from flatting) until I went down this last Saturday and bought it. It was then towed to my home in Chelmsford where it sits today. The paint is very nice, and the body is TOTALLY rust-free with the exception of EXTREMELY minimal rust on the undersides of the fronts of both rockers and a hole under the battery. The car starts faster than our 2004 Corolla with 145,000 [EDIT -- at 149,500 as of today; keep marching, old soldier!]. I plan to put the transmission from my 1984 into this thing -- I will swap tailshafts, of course. Here are some pictures – I also have some questions which are listed below. The blue car is the ’84.





So, I just pulled engine and the tranny out of my parts-car 300D and am now working on getting the tranny into the 'SD. My first step has been attempting to modify the speedo from the 300D so that it will fit the 300SD. Everything is working well so far -- I will try posting pictures tonight. I will also be converting the car to manual seats and Delibes has said that he will be able to get me manual seat trim for the W126 next time he is over in Europe -- yay -- so it will look morealess factory. I got two free seats with very nice bottom cushions for free from JB3, so I will be swapping skins and have a matching interior with simplified, comfortable seats.

__________________
"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 11-08-2013, 10:24 PM
Mölyapina's Avatar
User title not in use
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Chelmsford, Massachusetts
Posts: 4,373
OK, so stuff has happened with the car . We have the transmission bolted up to the engine, and I might even be able to run it tomorrow if we finish everything up (!). Things remaining to get done are as follows:

1) Hook up the tranny fluid dipstick.
2) Double-check the tightness of the tailshaft nut and bolt up the driveshaft.
3) Bolt the FW to the TC.
4) Reinstall valve body & hook up Bowden cable, replacing the filter and pan gasket at the same time.
5) Fill with tranny fluid.
6) Finish bolting up starter.

Then it should be driveable! I will be focusing my attention on selling my spare engine after that, and then I'll have enough $$ to register the car.
__________________
"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 11-08-2013, 10:36 PM
Mölyapina's Avatar
User title not in use
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Chelmsford, Massachusetts
Posts: 4,373
These came in the mail from mikethezipper yesterday. THANK YOU MIKE THE ZIPPER!!!



They are Bilsteins for $40/pop for the rear. These will be installed after the speedometer is completed (post coming), the interior is finished to the point where it seats five, and the rear driver's-side window regulator is replaced.
__________________
"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 11-08-2013, 11:09 PM
Mölyapina's Avatar
User title not in use
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Chelmsford, Massachusetts
Posts: 4,373
OK, the speedometer. Since the tranny I am swapping in is from a W123, the transmission tailshafts are not identical because the W126 has an electric speedometer while the W123 has a mechanical one, and the speedometer is fed from the tailshaft. There were two reasonable ways to solve this problem:

1) Swap tailshafts. This IS possible going W123 (transmission 722.315) --> W126 (transmission 722.303) but IS NOT possible going W126 --> W123 because the mechanical speedometer needs to fed tranny fluid from a special line coming from the main body of the tranny that is not in the 722.303 because it does not need it. Despite the fact that I could have gone this route, I chose not to.

2) Put the mechanical speedometer from the W123 into the W126 cluster! This is a bit more difficult than it maybe sounds because the clusters are very different. However, going on Charlie's thought that "with enough hacking anything is possible", I poked ahead and it turns out that it's actually not too terribly difficult to fit it in. Here is the partially modified speedometer:

My 1982 300SD Project Thread-imageuploadedbytapatalk1383969783.669007.jpg

I trimmed the bottom of the speedo to squeeze the face into the cluster, and the one other thing that I will have to do is trim a little bit of metal off of the backing plate -- the steel cup that the speedometer/odometer mechanism sits in. The top is just a little bit too high for the W126 cluster.

Here comes my question: how should I take this metal off? It looks to be about -- oh, I don't know -- 1/8 of an inch thick? Should i use a grinder? A saw? What do you guys think? It's a very thin length all across the top, so I was thinking of using a grinder, but the only hitch is that I don't have one (rats). I'll get a better picture up tomorrow morning.
__________________
"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 11-09-2013, 12:23 AM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Mesa, Arizona
Posts: 1,763
Jooseppi, glad to see you are getting a lot done!

Interesting way to make the W123 transmission work in a W126! Too bad the tail cone swap doesn't work.

As for trimming, I would tape a piece of medium grit sand paper onto the work table and rub the edge down until a perfect fit.

I suggest you put the Dremel 3000 on your wish list! It is the best power tool investment I have made! Sliced off the rusty stud so I could remove the battery tray and removed loose rust scale. Hope soon to buy the attachment kit, get some polishing compound, and correct the scratches the body shop put on the mirror glass. What I love most is that variable speed so doesn't scare me and go to fast to where I do damage.
__________________
Current fleet:

1985 Mercedes-Benz 280TE - Waiting for heart surgery.

1985 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT - Rear ended 23 September 2016 and now looking for a new home.

1979 Mercedes-Benz 300TD - Parted out.

1964 Volkswgen Beetle - Vater's since September 1968 and undergoing a restoration.

1971 Volkswagen Sunroof Squareback with F.I. - in need of full restoration.

1971 Volkswagen Squareback automatic with F.I. - Vacationing with her caretaker until he is in better health.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 11-09-2013, 08:22 AM
Mölyapina's Avatar
User title not in use
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Chelmsford, Massachusetts
Posts: 4,373
More pictures on the speedometer/odometer project:

The W126 cluster -- the big white monster in the middle is the speedometer.


The W123 speedometer/odometer -- clearly very different . It looks horrid, but it works!


The two together. The bottom of the W123 speedometer has been trimmed to fit. I'll have to figure out what to do about the turn signal bulbs.


Fitment of the W123 speedometer into the W126 cluster. You can see the part that I need to trim off.


Attached Thumbnails
My 1982 300SD Project Thread-aiti-003.jpg   My 1982 300SD Project Thread-aiti-004.jpg   My 1982 300SD Project Thread-aiti-019.jpg   My 1982 300SD Project Thread-aiti-021.jpg   My 1982 300SD Project Thread-aiti-032.jpg  

__________________
"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 11-09-2013, 08:24 AM
Mölyapina's Avatar
User title not in use
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Chelmsford, Massachusetts
Posts: 4,373
Adriel, thank you! I'm SUCH an idiot -- totally forgot that I have a Dremel! I can use that.
__________________
"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 11-09-2013, 11:58 AM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Mesa, Arizona
Posts: 1,763
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jooseppi Luna View Post
Adriel, thank you! I'm SUCH an idiot -- totally forgot that I have a Dremel! I can use that.
Jooseppi, you are welcome! Glad I could help.

I can beat that: I apparently tossed out the mono-valve I bought!

I always unpack parts and put them in the bin. However, I didn't unpack it so it wouldn't get damaged, but swear I put it in the bin. I have torn this place up twice, last night and this morning, and nowhere to be found! Oh well! It is what it is!

Hope you get a lot done today!
__________________
Current fleet:

1985 Mercedes-Benz 280TE - Waiting for heart surgery.

1985 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT - Rear ended 23 September 2016 and now looking for a new home.

1979 Mercedes-Benz 300TD - Parted out.

1964 Volkswgen Beetle - Vater's since September 1968 and undergoing a restoration.

1971 Volkswagen Sunroof Squareback with F.I. - in need of full restoration.

1971 Volkswagen Squareback automatic with F.I. - Vacationing with her caretaker until he is in better health.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 11-11-2013, 03:48 PM
Mölyapina's Avatar
User title not in use
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Chelmsford, Massachusetts
Posts: 4,373
Quote:
Originally Posted by Adriel View Post
I can beat that: I apparently tossed out the mono-valve I bought!
Oh my! About two days after my 1984 300D had been hauled off to the yard (after I thought I had totally stripped it), I realized I'd forgotten to take out the speedo cable -- which I obviously need! So I called the yard. It went something like this:

"Holland Used Auto Parts!"

"Hello, I had a car hauled off to you guys a few days ago -- a 1980s Mercedes. I realized afterward that I left a part on the car that I wanted. Is there any chance it would still be in the yard so that I could come buy the part?"

"Uhh... yeah, it should still be there."

"Oh, okay! Uh, it did come in with no doors, do glass, no drivetrain... I mean, it was stripped. So even that would still be there?"

"Oh hahahaha yeah I remember that car. That's gone -- we crushed it hahahaha"

He seemed very amused by the memory of my car . I got a kick out of it.
__________________
"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 11-11-2013, 03:49 PM
Mölyapina's Avatar
User title not in use
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Chelmsford, Massachusetts
Posts: 4,373
Taking a break from putting the valve body back in -- going out to finish it now, hopefully before it gets dark...
__________________
"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 11-11-2013, 10:35 PM
jake12tech's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 2,878
Wow, that's the nicest SD I've seen in awhile. That paint is amazing after all these years! My 126 was Cabernet Red. Drive that baby till the wheels fall off! I plan on getting another W126 real soon.
__________________
Only diesels in this driveway.
2005 E320 CDI 243k Black/Black
2008 Chevy 3500HD Duramax 340k
2004 Chevy 2500HD Duramax 220k
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 11-11-2013, 10:50 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Mesa, Arizona
Posts: 1,763
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jooseppi Luna View Post
Oh my! About two days after my 1984 300D had been hauled off to the yard (after I thought I had totally stripped it), I realized I'd forgotten to take out the speedo cable -- which I obviously need! So I called the yard. It went something like this:

"Holland Used Auto Parts!"

"Hello, I had a car hauled off to you guys a few days ago -- a 1980s Mercedes. I realized afterward that I left a part on the car that I wanted. Is there any chance it would still be in the yard so that I could come buy the part?"

"Uhh... yeah, it should still be there."

"Oh, okay! Uh, it did come in with no doors, do glass, no drivetrain... I mean, it was stripped. So even that would still be there?"

"Oh hahahaha yeah I remember that car. That's gone -- we crushed it hahahaha"

He seemed very amused by the memory of my car . I got a kick out of it.
Jooseppi, guess you didn't see the other thread I made because I found it...

Bummer on the speedometer cable! But, at least the only thing you forgot.

Hope all went well!
__________________
Current fleet:

1985 Mercedes-Benz 280TE - Waiting for heart surgery.

1985 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT - Rear ended 23 September 2016 and now looking for a new home.

1979 Mercedes-Benz 300TD - Parted out.

1964 Volkswgen Beetle - Vater's since September 1968 and undergoing a restoration.

1971 Volkswagen Sunroof Squareback with F.I. - in need of full restoration.

1971 Volkswagen Squareback automatic with F.I. - Vacationing with her caretaker until he is in better health.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 11-12-2013, 01:10 PM
crazy4diesel's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Los Angeles area
Posts: 627
Dunno about you, but the missing black plug on the needle of the speedo would drive me nuts down the road.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 11-12-2013, 06:30 PM
TnBob's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Shelbyville, Tn
Posts: 1,907
No problem with your turn signal lights, the 123 cluster has two lamp sockets for them
__________________
1985 300D 198K sold
1982 300D 202K
1989 300E 125K
1992 940T

"If you dont have time to do it safely, you dont have time to do it"

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 11-12-2013, 06:31 PM
Mölyapina's Avatar
User title not in use
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Chelmsford, Massachusetts
Posts: 4,373
Quote:
Originally Posted by TnBob View Post
No problem with your turn signal lights, the 123 cluster has two lamp sockets for them
True -- I'll probably jut graft those into the W126 cluster somehow.

__________________
"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:05 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2018 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Peach Parts or Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page