Interesting that one person reported that car with old radiator ran at 110, when new radiator put in went to 85

Maybe there is crud in the passages in yours and a new one would help.

24 years and 196,000 miles is a lot if yours is the original radiator.

Unless yours was replaced sometime along the way. Difficult to tell without records, another reason for you to try and get them

thread and discussion here
How Long Will a Radiator Last - With proper service

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

Wow have to read that
I would like 85
its much better for the engine

100/110 is not good
it will wear the engine faster

Enrique said the new radiatirs are suspect
said he had to put 2 int a car before it got better

With crappy parts its hard to figure whats wrong

He says the thermo he installed is better than the old

has some whatever that keep its from sticking better

I'd like to know how to access this myself

Will have to feel the radiator better
it was hot
seemed hot at least on top evenly
which means it is circulating

Will have to feel bottom hoses
then again I don't know if its being pumped back into the engine OK

I will have to stick on it

Ole Euro is counting on me
& we have places to go

All very true. If it were my car and it had 196,000 miles on it and I was unable to find records of a replacement, for it along the 24 years, I would simply replace the whole thing mysef with a new Nissens or Behr, and new hoses and a thermostat.

Just preventative maintenance. 196k and 24 years is REALLY stretching it, on an original, if you ask me.

Maybe see what Enrique thinks. I remember once, at Alouis radiator, seeing a big package for a Mercedes 190E radiator. And it said on it, EURO Mercedes radiator.

So, I would try and find out whether the EURO 500SEC uses a slightly different radiator than the US cars.

Doubt that they do, but I would check before I bought one. Enrique might know.

Also a good Mercedes parts house like Rusty's "Buy MB parts" in Atlanta

possibly www.*************** (or something similar to that)

or Phil's Fastlane (sponser of this site) on portal page

or www.epsparts.com (European Parts Specialists ) in Santa Barbara is good.
Randy Steele is the owner


I have personally bought parts from Rusty and Randy and both of them really were good, correct parts at a good price. Shipped fast and well packed.


But be sure you buy the parts for a EURO car. Not the US one. Although sometimes they would be the same

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

Thanks good to know
have to jot that down
but guess there are no US 83 500 sec's

Stiil I know what you mean

Battery has international on it
so even it may be different..

That can get confusing
unless its say hood pads

I'd think the hood design was same

Did you see the number on my pass side valve cover gasket?
ther is a number ther
is that the engine number?

Perhaps the cam &things are different in the 83 sec 500
I'd like to find specs

Have to vbe careful taking it to a mechanic

they could tune it to wrong specs

Even things like spark plugs

I'm not going to going crazy
but have to be very careful

Oooooh wish we had the auto bon
but I guess traveling at 140 mph
is a thing of the past
Good ol Gulf War
its a waste of gas
we should be looking into hybids
to conserve energy

My Euro is thelast of a dying breed
gievn way to technology
I'm sure they will be able to try to get similar performance
while being earth friendly
but I am grateful for having thr chance to drive this fine automobile

I would agree. It is better to find a mechanic who understands the difference between what the EURO cars need and the AMERICAN spec cars need.

Plus a car mechanic who likes and understands the W26 cars.

I think Enrique is a guy like that. My opinion. I personally like the NGK spark plugs for the 560SEC. A US spec car. What is nice, is that once it is tuned up well, and has good plug wires, normally you dont have to do it again for another 30,000 miles - a lot.

Its very possible to pull yours out, look at them and clean them, check the gap, and maybe put them back in. But new plugs aren't very expensive anyway

True, a Euro Mercedes, especially an expensive one when new, like a 500SEC, requires a leap of faith to start out with as one's first Mercedes.

This is my first - very possibly the last one,too as I like it.

You need the right parts, and sometimes for the Euros they are harder to get.

But Mercedes maintains a parts inventory for these so you ought to always be able to get them.

I am pretty sure the Mercedes Benz Classic center, down in Orange County, now would inlclude your car in its parts support network, and could help you.
You would have to call them

Thing is with the Euro cars, they are more rare and unusual than the US ones, and with goodies like the Higher compression engine, they are faster, and they have better console heater controls on them, and of course the euro lights and bumpers, and triangles on the best of them.

But the people who know Mercedes will recognize them and appreciate them and be envious.

The supply of them is growing smaller all the time

__________________
1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

Sorry I dont know what you mean; there would be no number you could see on the valve cover gasket that is underneath the valve cover

I haven't checked my valve covers, are you saying you believe there is an engine number on them?

I an sure there must be, but I would personally doubt you find it on the valve cover. Perhaps on the engine block somewhere? But I don"t know where that would be.

Not sure why you are asking.

__________________
1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

there are numbers on mine

Ok its not the sealing gasket
but its a rubber part between head & valve cover

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/attachments/tech-help/47458d1188424781-upgrade-83-mer-500-sec-88-volvo-gle-mbposeng-.jpg

On American cars
well older ones the engine code was stamped on fron around timing cover
Exhaust manifolds usually had a number also..

I saw somewhere the engine number is on it
So I was looking
only numbers I saw so far were on the balc gasket bet head & valve covers