Good Evening Forum Members,

The starter on my 1985 280sl stoped working a few days ago.
It started to go south with a slight delay in engaging and finally not engaging the flywheel at all although I could hear the selinoid engaging, a spinning and a metal to metal slapping sound coming from the starter area.

I ordered a new Bosch SR59X starter as speced for a 1985 380sl but when comparing it to the one I removed from the car I find it to be much smaller and lighter. The starter removed from the car is a Bosch #0001 314 018 with 1074311 stamped on the casing. Probablly the original MB starter. The car has 191K plus on it.

After examining the old starter my guess is that it needs a starter drive.
The starter drive has about 3/8 inch back and forth play and I hear a clunking (that metal to metal sound) when I shake it up and down.

Has anyone had the experience of replacing a starter drive? What does the job entail, any other parts needed in addition to the new starter drive? Does the casing need to be sealed in a special manner?
Is it worth the effort?

Should I try to find a exact new replacement or can I use the Bosch SR59X?
It's quite a chore getting at the bolts on that 110 engine, I want what I put back in the car to be long lived
Any and all advice would be much appreciated.

__________________
72 350SL #69
73 450SL Parts Car?
78 450sl Parts Car
79 450SLC - Sold
1985 280sl
87 190E 2.6 - Donated
90 300E-Junked
97 E420

SR59x is replacement starter and it has more torque than the original.
They are smaller b/c of newer Permanent Magnet technology.

Arthur,

Thanks for the info, I'll go forward and install it.
I'm just wondering what they'll do with the old core.
Rebuild it?


Knarf

__________________
72 350SL #69
73 450SL Parts Car?
78 450sl Parts Car
79 450SLC - Sold
1985 280sl
87 190E 2.6 - Donated
90 300E-Junked
97 E420