The ups and downs of owning a W123.130 (non turbo 300D) - Conversion to petrol / gas! - Page 4 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Stretch · #46 02-14-2015, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cfh

Looks like you're building a shipping crate - for a motor?

Yep - well done. I'll bung up the measurements for it when I'm done (and if it fits!). Perhaps these will be useful to others.

My OM617 has been rebuilt so I want to make sure it gets to my final destination in one piece. I've got to make up something for the rebuilt 722.118 too and I'll probably chuck in the 722.112 and the spares I've got from another 722.118...

gatorblue92 · #47 02-15-2015, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stretch

Yep - well done. I'll bung up the measurements for it when I'm done (and if it fits!). Perhaps these will be useful to others.

My OM617 has been rebuilt so I want to make sure it gets to my final destination in one piece. I've got to make up something for the rebuilt 722.118 too and I'll probably chuck in the 722.112 and the spares I've got from another 722.118...

Please do. I know it would be a huge help to have dimensions and a list of materials you used.

calimustang · #48 12-06-2015, 08:16 AM

Wow! Been following up on this project.... any update?

Stretch · #49 12-06-2015, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calimustang

Wow! Been following up on this project.... any update?

The chassis is in a parking place for caravans and the engine is in self storage - I still need to get those dimensions for gatorblue...

...at the moment I'm still in temporary accommodation. When I get myself a new place I'll be pulling everything out of storage and introducing my new neighbours to the friendly sounds of angle grinders, welding and bad language!

Stretch · #50 02-06-2017, 09:46 AM

Don't panic!

Nothing much is happening with the W123 - I have to go and pay for the storage again in the next few days.

I did move some of the stuff - lining up ducks for when my Land Rover gets finished - and put it {the W123 stuff} in my new storage / hobby space.

Anyone recognise that engine?

If people would like some non turbo OM617 outer dimensions I might actually be able to do that for you!

Stretch · #51 11-05-2018, 02:00 PM

I'm not exactly what you could consider as "being back" just yet - but it might happen around the end of this year / beginning of next.

I've been flirting with Series 2a Land Rovers

I've been flirting with Volvo PV544s

(Pictures on request!)

BUT

BUT

BUT

!!!!!!!!

How I've missed my W123!

I had a ride in one today and - wow - so so so much nicer than the W201 (sorry W201 but this Granddad driver prefers old school stuff!)

#######

The kick in the teeth for this car was the blinkin' government making diesel an evil fuel to use. Since then I've been a bit bummed out about my impeccable timing - a fully rebuilt OM617 ready to go back in - just at the frigging point it was so silly expensive to tax (Now about 2200 euros a year)

Don't get me wrong I am more of a tree hugger than you might think even though I like diesel engines (mainly because using the adage "you are what you eat" other things could be done to make the fuel better) so I do appreciate that fewer diesel engines especially in inner city areas is probably going to be a good thing - so long as future solutions don't get lazy and mean the pollution gets shoved back under another carpet...

...anyway - as usual I digress...

...today I found a solution for the 300D!

I went to see some chap who is selling a M115.954 - mmmm - petrol - quick that's still allowed! That'll do for now.

So it seems for the time being the ultimate solution (before I convert it to electric) is for my 300D to become a 230 (!)

(Not even a 230E - no M102! Despite my experience with K jet and the M102 I reckon a carb diet will be just fine)

######

I haven't seen the car for the best part of four years.

It has been stored in a caravan storage place (which probably has a high mouse population - I expect bad things - I expect the car will be a wreck. Nevertheless I can TIG weld with the best of them these days so I reckon it'll come good.

Still expect a few disaster pictures and if the deal on Thursday comes good there could be a few pictures of a M115 with only 84,000 km on the clock to gawp at!

Stretch · #52 11-05-2018, 02:43 PM

Whether you wanted it or not!

Meet the Volvo =>

Unsurprisingly it doesn't look like this any more

I'll give you two guesses to what happened next...

Stretch · #53 11-07-2018, 02:17 PM

...but I just found one of these =>

...for a much lower price.

The picture above is a screen shot from a Dutch ebay-like site (Marktplaats)

They are indeed not very common but 350 euros for a gauge? For a W123 gauge?Mmmmm - yeah - oh well - at least the one I ordered on the bay of eee was a lot lot cheaper - still expensive but honestly I'd much rather be looking at a functional rev counter than that crappy clock

(Looks like I might be ready to trade in the quite rare diesel tachometer I sourced for this project years ago - well I say rare - they are rare over here)

#####

With any luck there should be pictures of the replacement engine tomorrow - fingers crossed eh?

Shortsguy1 · #54 11-07-2018, 09:58 PM

Hi Stretch. It was nice to see posts from you today. Whenever you become officially "back," the forum will be a better place. Hope you are well.

Stretch · #55 11-07-2018, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shortsguy1

Hi Stretch. It was nice to see posts from you today. Whenever you become officially "back," the forum will be a better place. Hope you are well.

Thanks chap - PM sent

Stretch · #56 11-08-2018, 11:13 AM

Hired a Transit van (I still like them even though they've gone through XX generations - one of the really good European products in my humble opinion - not as nice as a Sprinter with a twin turbo and automatic gearbox however - but hey - different price class) and went and got the engine =>

Fitted easily into the SWB Transit - I got a load of other stuff too

M115.954 with 722.119 transmission

All the bits are there except a starter motor and a dynamo. I've got a dynamo from the 300D but I have a sneaky feeling not a single one of the three 300D starter motors I have will fit!

The chap I bought it all from is a good bloke. He said he enjoyed hacking off the front of the car to remove the engine (!)

He seems to have taken his time sealing and caring for the engine - which is nice - note orange tape for example.

##########

HOWEVER - Drums please

The good thing about this purchase is that I think I've got everything I need to do the conversion (I expect a few technical hitches but on the whole I'm close to being "all set" as most of you guys in the US of A say)

#########

Additional spares =>

^^^^

One correct propshaft

One set of front springs (so I won't have some sort of messed up Mexican low rider stance) - I'm not 100% sure these will come good - they do "ring true" [clanging springs together to hear them ring is a good start - dull thuds = stress fractures / cracks] - but they are a bit heavily pitted in places

^^^^^
The correct air filter housing

Stretch · #57 11-08-2018, 11:36 AM

^^^^^
One instrument cluster with the all important speedo

84775 km == 52677 miles

I got a whole load of paperwork with the purchase. The car sat under a tree from 1981 because of a tie rod end APK failure (annual safety check). By 2013 the tree had done its best and the chassis was so rotten it got cut up and chucked. So that was the end of that.

^^^^^^
One correct fuel tank - with the anti-slosh / swirl chamber gubbins for petrol fueled cars

^^^^

One wiring loom with most of the connectors still there

^^^^
One correct differential
(That came attached to the subframe and trailing arms etc - I didn't really want the rest of the stuff - I'm not sure if those parts can be salvaged - they look pretty rough in places)

#########

Well there you have it most of the important parts for the conversion.

All in I paid 600 euros for the bits - felt bad about it and bunged the guy an extra 100 as a "gift".

So 700 in the hole - an effing good deal here in Holland - I couldn't have got a whole car for that - I'd be stuck with loads of stuff I don't want if I had got a whole car donor - and I'd have to have spent a few days stripping the bits out.

So bargain - I'm a well happy chappy here in Holland today

Downside=>

The workshop is a mess.

I guess I'll be spending the next few days tidying organising and storing bits...

...ahh "bits" => my favourite things...

Diseasel300 · #58 11-08-2018, 07:02 PM

So glad to see you back. Your threads are always such a pleasure to read with the back stories, the wisdom shared, and of course the pictures! This thread, your 201 thread, and your epic tome over on the LandRover forum (link in your signature) were a major part in inspiring me to create my own LTR thread on The Diseasel.

Stretch · #59 11-08-2018, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diseasel300

So glad to see you back. Your threads are always such a pleasure to read with the back stories, the wisdom shared, and of course the pictures! This thread, your 201 thread, and your epic tome over on the LandRover forum (link in your signature) were a major part in inspiring me to create my own LTR thread on The Diseasel.

I'm glad to be back - I think I let OD get me down - even though I didn't join in with the political threads. I've decided to "put that part of the forum on ignore" and just use the forum for what I think is more important - all things automotive...

...I will try to stick to the Mercedes theme as much as possible (!)

It is funny coming back to this forum it must be a little bit like cheating on your girlfriend / partner - you flounce off with a few different manufacturers only to find you really preferred how your first love was put together.

It is also good seeing that most of the good people are still here (as well as the OD warriors who don't join in with the technical side). In this age of insta-crap and arse-book many forums have been suffering from the exodus to these silly platforms. This forum too isn't as busy as it was but (kinda like I said) there's a strong element of keen enthusiasts here. That's a good thing that needs to be supported.

Thanks for reminding me about your thread: I've just caught up. I didn't realise you have a helper =>

That's almost cheating!

Diseasel300 · #60 11-08-2018, 08:33 PM

I tend to avoid the OD forum like the plague. I get enough politics in my normal life, I don't need bickering and in-fighting on a forum about CARS!

I actually have TWO helpers, the queen just tends to stay off to the side until her limousine is ready for her evening constitutional. So funny to see him in that picture, he was about 9 months old then, he turns 2 tomorrow. How time flies!

Keep up with your build threads, they're always interesting. I have a multi-part update for my own that I've been procrastinating on, maybe this evening is the time to finally update it.