1990 2.6 190e Restoration Progress
 

Ok. So far:

Replaced water pump (leaking)
Replaced thermostat with 80•C thermostat
Replaced belt tensioner adjustment cam thing
Replaced main radiator hoses
Replaced radiator (leaking)
Replaced spark plugs
Replaced spark wires
Replaced distributor cap and rotor
Replaced lower control arms/ball joints
Lubed throttle assembly
Cleaned throttle body
Replaced all vacuum hoses around the throttle body/iac/cold start injector
Replaced one tranny hose at the radiator that was leaking
Replaced tie rod ends
Replaced oil pressure sender
Replaced flex discs
Replaced one vacuum actuator that was bad (recirc air)
Replaced numerous vacuum connectors
Heater core
Main fuel line
One fuel pump

parts on the way this weekend:

OVP (red top)
Brake rotors / pads / parking brake shoes
rear view mirror
Speedo cable
Restoring an instrument cluster sourced from junkyard
Throttle micro switch
EHA{current one drips fuel)



future:

Troubleshoot climate control .. acuators only moves positions when I pick max defrost button

Transmission is hosed. Slow reverse engagement, gray oil, numerous leaks. Modulator does hold vacuum for what it's worth.

Any recommendations on the tranny? Ebay?

Oh, also got the fader to work. POs had wired everything to line out..
And took apart / cleaned the seat switches. Now power seats work.
And replaced rear deck with newer style one from junkyard

so other than those things, guess I haven't done much to this car :)

I'm getting the dvd on a diesel tranny rebuild available online. Should be similar... Am going to rebuild the current tranny. But looking for a tranny that works enough to get me through six months or so. Not clear how to pull that off :(

Pelican parts is going to be rich before this is over!

Edit: also did front rear engine tranny mounts. NO uro parts. ;)

ld:

You may want to post to the Diesel forum also; the mind readers hang out there, and they will be able to understand what car you are working on - even without you telling them!

It's a gas 2.6 190e. Figure that dvd rebuild is of the diesel tranny is pretty close

EHA arrived. I went ahead and put it on. I was a little nervous about getting a used one. So far so good. It isn't leaking. The other one was pouring fuel out the bottom. Hopefully I got away with it. :) 110 shipped w/ warranty.

Saw the title of post "1990 190E 2.6"

LD, what type of spark plugs did you use? Also, what is the condition of fan clutch? You did not mention replacing that. Also the alternator. Recommended upgrading the alternator to the 120/150 amp one from a S600/500.

The spark plugs are Bosch HR-9-DC+. I missed the fan clutch on the list above. I had to replace it because the PO had stripped the allen bolt. I had to grind it off. The new bolt is a torx head which is nice.

I keep seeing two different alternator part numbers. One has a longer shaft? Will the S600/500 alternator work for both?

I do have some amperage issues. When I turn the headlights on the blower motor slows down. I don't have an ahmeter to check condition, but the alternator looks original.

I used a 1995 S600, 120amp. awesome

Was it plug and play? Or did you have to make modifications?

I'm planning a big project to do the head gasket and timing chain. While I'm in there:

Rebuild steering pump
Alternator
Belt tensioner and shock
Pulley plate (?) Right below the distributor. Mine is obviously shot.
Rebuild the head

Looks like the next repair has to be the tranny though.

Can't wait to get the mechanical stuff out of the way. She's going to be a all black benz with euro headlights.

The gauge needles turned out better than I hoped. I used Tamiya X-6 orange from my local RC car shop. I I popped the glass (well, plastic) out of the cluster. It was less than graceful. The plastic in there on both of my clusters is extremely oxidized. I'm still planning my attack on repainting the plastic.

Yes, definitely plug and play,. the only thing you need to do is source a bigger gauge wire from the alternator to the positive battery terminal. some people chose the 140/150 amp from the mid 90s S 500, the reason I chose to use the 120 amp from the S 600 is because it was cheaper by about $80. I'm guessing there probably isn't a difference either once you get over a 110+ amp alternator because even at idle I'm cranking out about 13.8 - 14v.....with a full load I still put out about 13.x - 12.5+ v.

I'm a huge fan of the all black look. Actually I credit the theme of my all black car to forum member oldsinner. He has a black/red w140 and that is my favorite model/body style of all mbz.....that and the w211. I made the homemade projectors/hid lights to further make it stand out which I get a lot of compliments on. Even from enthusiasts that prefer the all stock look have given me complements. huge difference in light output as well.

Generally around here its recommended not to use the "R" resistor type spark plugs. The system was not designed for them. I use Denso T20EP-U in my 190E 3.0. I recommend them. They're pretty cheap.

I'm using Bosch 09146 wires. The only spec I can find on the wires says 1k resistors built in? So I shouldn't be using these plugs?

On these cars the resistance is built into the wire, so the plug should have no resistor in it. On other cars (non mercedes) its the opposite.

So my recommendation would be to not use any plugs with resistors in them.

Denso T20EPU is what I use in my 103. I've had no problems with them.

I found them for $10.88 shipped. I had the most luck googling for denso 5031

I may be getting a 93 190e sportline if I can get the seller to contact me back. Or another 2.6 190e with decent transmission. It's starting to make sense to me to just buy another full set of parts. The lesser of the two will be stripped to the bone and frame scrapped.

This weekend ended up being egr mania. I took it off to inspect/clean. Turns out, when I apply vacuum it "works" but leaks down quickly. I put it back on and stripped the thread in the header. That was a blast. Thread chaser did fix it. :)

So long story short, new egr on the way.

Egr valve arrived. Found oem new for $109 shipped. :)

This stripped thread is turning into a bigger problem. After fighting with it I managed to get about 15 lbs of torque on it. If I put any more it will probably completely wipe the threads out. I can't feel or hear exhaust gas coming out of it, so it is more or less sealed up for now

What's a good permanent solution? Next bolt size up and rethread with tap?

Mostly, as above, the wire needs to be upgraded, also, you need to swap your old pulley in the bigger alt. great upgrade especially if you have an upgraded stereo system.

I swear sometimes my idle would fluctuate due to loss of electric when I was blasting the stereo. Just a theory........

I was under the impression my 1987 260e when new had non resister plugs with the risistance built into the plug connector.

I got the non-resistor densos mentioned above. I got the others thinking pelican would have the correct ones listed. Although, with the $1000s in orders I've placed here that would be the only complaint I have.

New spark plugs in. The engine is running a touch smoother. I gapped to 1.0 and torqued to 18 ft lbs.

Euro headlights and bilstein touring shocks arriving Friday.

Now just to troubleshoot the bouncy idle at hot restart and random hesitation when warm. I got the hf master inection test kit. My plan is to test inline at the fuel filter to verify pressure from the fuel pumps. Then at the fuel distributor test port (?) to test the fuel pressure regulator. Any tips or corrections to my testing strategy?

Yep this is how all the MB's of this era were. No resistor in spark plug. Resistor is in plug connector/wire.

I thought the Denso T20EPU's were pre-gapped?

They came gapped at 0.6. Alldata called for 0.8. Everything I have read says mb shops are gapping them at 1.0.

Head ready for a rebuild. It was advertised to me as in excellent condition. I'm just planning to do the seals and repaint the valve cover. I'm going to take it to a machine shop to have it planed and checked for cracks. While it's sitting there... Any suggestions?

Just changed the coil out with a TPI coil. No more shudder at take off and runs much smoother.

Ok then... When I removed the breather from the air cleaner found oil mixed with coolant all up in that tube. Intake manifold leak? How dire is it? Hadn't planned to to the head until next month while I research.

After a long break I'm back in the saddle. I pulled the fender off to replace the charcoal canister with a new one. I suspected something was up based on symptoms. Turns out all the hoses going to it are missing... Blah

I was wondering where you went. Did you ever get the tranny reverse problem fixed? And how about the head gasket?

The tranny is still messed up. I'm still weighing my options on low mileage junkyard pull vs $2000 rebuilt. I just got the last tool I need (chain hoist) for the head gasket.

Yesterday I did the front sway bar bushings and charcoal canister. Today is going to be new fuel injectors, air intake boot, and fuel filter. I may do the idle arm bushing if time allows.

I've been daily driving it since January without doing any work to it. It's been kind nice. :D

Idler arm done. Some notes...

To get the bolt out, you can either remove the exhaust (ouch) or remove the top bolt from the right engine mount and jack the engine up. I went for the second option. That top engine mount is a menace. I used a box wrench, and put it back on the same way "gutentite". Not sure how you'd get something in there to torque it to spec.

Just installed my state registration renewal sticker. That puts me at the one year mark. She's running and driving so much better than day one. I'm starting to feel a little beaten down. But I do feel I'm getting close to resolving mechanical issues so I can pretty her up.

I've been spending about $200/mo on tools/parts. Not to mention cheap insurance. Still coming out on top over the $550/mo car payment I used to have. Plus I traded in my rc car racing hobby to take this on. So let's add another $200/mo saved there. I find car work more technically rewarding than rc racing but less social. May look into a local club for Mercedes gossip and pitchers.

Drag link and steering shock done. Getting a torque wrench on the top of those drag link bolts was a real treat. ;). Air tools are really paying off, otherwise. I can't imagine not having them now.

Next project is to rebuild the power steering pump. I flushed it out with a turkey baster this weekend. I have a spare on my bench I got on fleabay. Seal kits should arrive Monday. I'm going to swap it out, that way I'll have a spare if something goes wrong with my rebuild.

Side note: this tool has been invaluable for steering linkage:

http://m.harborfreight.com/3-4-quarter-inch-forged-ball-joint-separator-99849.html

Mine is a different color and came in the front end service kit. I did inner/outer tie rods with it and the drag link. I do wear a face shield when using it and try to get back. The really stuck ones sound like a gun shot when they let go.

I also moved a throttle spring so it matches the pic in this thread:

300E 2.6 throttle cable repair - Mercedes-Benz Forum

I think mine was not in the right place.

That wraps up the steering. I was cruising down the highway the other day and thought wow, this car is driving really very nice. Tight steering, responsive throttle, smooth running engine.