Hi E30,

Clearly you are an accomplished wrench! Can I ask what you used for guidance on the tranny rebuild? Just your own knowledge or did you have a book or video or ? Just curious. Autos are black magic technology in my book, while I have changed a head and an engine over the years, I'd never open one!

Rgds,
Chris W.
'95 E300D, 405K

I have quite a bit of experience with auto transmissions through work as well as training (General Motors master tech and ASE master tech), but I work with a guy that ran an Aamco for many years and has experience with Benz transmissions. To be honest I would rather tear apart an auto than a manual as it usually only requires sockets and snap ring pliers whereas a manual needs a press and lots of specialized tools. Just like anything they go back together in opposite order of how they come apart and the older Mercedes autos are solid except for the clutches.

Small update, not many pictures, started installing some more of the audio, should have everything back in tomorrow

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Update 10/16
Welded up rust hole under rear seat
Finished running wires for the amplifiers and speakers
Installed late model headlight switch and ran wire for rear fog
Installed dash, have to finish installing everything into it and need to solder ends
onto wires for radio and amp

Also found out yesterday that I need a new HVAC control head

Just a heads up, if you have never installed a new headlight switch there are a lot of wires (ok well only 11) label them

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Since you have the cluster out, here's a simple mod that may come in handy. If you change steering wheels in the future, smaller diameter wheels tend to block the low fuel light. I've run dry twice when using an AMG wheel. The easy fix is to solder leads from the contact points for the yellow triangle to one of the unused "idiot light" panel at the bottom of the cluster. Both lights will glow in response to the fuel sender. Also, don't put a new bulb in the O2 sensor spot . . . There's no reset, it just lights up after about 65K.

Made alot of progress today, reinstalled everything in the dash and started to wire up the head unit, I then went to start the car and the key would not turn all the way, it would almost get to the accessory position and would jam up, did a little research and found that I would have to the ignition cylinder. Pulled the dash back apart to cut it and all all of a sudden it started working again. I have now removed the ignition assembly from the column and am going to attempt to take it apart and remove the column lock mechanism which is so problematic. Any advice on disassembly, I have not yet been able to remove the cylinder from the assembly and for some reason I have difficulties on all older euro cars when it comes to removing the lock cylinders (had to replace a few e30 columns and a couple vw's).

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Just that the tumblers break on those cars and should be replaced while you can still turn them to line up the holes.

Hey! Awesome work! I've been talking with your dad via email about working on a few things for the both of you. Looking forward to it!

You're making great progress.

Thanks JamesDean

Update 10/18
Fixed lock cylinder, had a jammed column lock
Installed dash for the second time
Started head unit and amplifier install


I also got to play with a new c7 Corvette at work today

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update 10/23
Got to drive the car home tonight.

Finished up the e420 brake conversion, ended up having to cut the backing plate around the ball joint due to clearance issues. Also had to flatten the stick on wheel weights that we use in our 50 ton press due to clearance between the rim and caliper. Also had to remove and disable the pad wear sensor due to clearance, I hate those things anyway, for anyone wanting to remove them as well just cut the wires off or remove the harness completely, do not put the two wires together as it will turn the light on.

After a drive with the new brakes I think I am going to upgrade the booster and master cylinder to e420 ones.

Installed a new s420 alternator and made a new wire for it out of 2ga jl audio wire. Load tested at 178amps at 14.7 volts, now were talking about some power.

Next items on the list are fix the squeaks in the seats, Install the hvac control head once it comes back from James Dean, sound deaden the hood and trunk, then handle the small nitpick items


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still need to clean up the wiring to the amps
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all cables were soldered and covered in heat shrink tubing
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clearance between caliper and wheel weight
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One word of caution on the E420 calipers: When the time came to redo my control arm bushings rather than just buy new bushings I bought new Lemforder control arms with sport bushings and a new ball joint. If you go that route you will end up needing to grind down some of the metal on the control arm as it will impact the rotor. Not a big deal or anything, just an FYI though.

Another upgrade you might want to consider:
Installing 300TE metal swaybar links in the rear. Stock ones are plastic, I broke mine taking an off ramp too fast.. Ended well only damaged the bumper.

Looking good so far! Alt upgrade is well worth it. When I first did it, I failed to swap the 190's alt pulley over and just used the one of the 143A alt. Doing that = squeaky belt. Didnt figure out it until 2 years later lol. New pulley, new belt = all quiet!

I was planning on upgrading the sway bars front and rear as well as new end links, I have already installed new control arm bushings and ball joints, my alternator did not come with a pulley so I had to swap it, took me a couple test fits because I shimmed the pulley to get it to line up perfectly. I still have a belt noise, I noticed it today, sounds like it may be coming from the tensioner pulley

Another good upgrade. The ones on mine are 500E front and EvoII rear. I need to drop the front one though, it needs repainted.

I did get new rocker panels in today though. Not sure when I'll get around to putting them in..
Klokkerholm W201 Rocker Panels - Imgur

Update, Its been a while but I have gotten a lot done, forgot to take some pictures though, Installed new front control arm bushings, ball joints, shock mounts and bump stops, lowered the car to even up the fender gap front and rear, got the dash all buttoned up and everything installed (still need to replace some bulbs, changes the oil twicw now, have 1300 miles on the engine now, just rolled the odometer over to 113,000 miles, adjusted the reverse light switch and kick down cable.

So far have averaged 20 mpg combined so I adjusted the fuel again and will see what I get this tank

I am sure I am forgetting a lot of stuff, will update when I remember


Edit: converted the car to r134a and I named her.
Allow me to introduce you to Elfriede...

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for reference to anyone wanting to cut springs, It rides like it did at stock height and in this picture there one coil removed from the rear, and 1.4 removed from the front, coils were cut from the bottom of the springs. Please make sure when you lower a car (regardless of how it is done) replace your bump stops and take it to a competent alignment shop. It also helps if you give the guy a tip for the extra hassle. I do this for a living and have been doing so for several years now and the alignment on this car still kicked my ass for two and a half hours (and involved an oxy acetylene torch).

So are you all done then?