280SE 4.5 questions

[~M.]

1- Radiator... considering options. Have a wonderful old mercedes mechanic (unfortunately ~75 miles north in loverly SoCal traffic ) who can get it re-cored, but radiators are something we tend to prefer to do ourselves. That said, can't find anywhere that sells radiators for these particular beasties (haven't called a dealership yet; were hoping to avoid dealing with them). Anywhere online that we're missing that might have em?

2- Also, any good sources for a passenger side trim ring for the air vent?

3- Hydro-pneumatic leveler groans a bit when going from a dead stop... haven't gone poking at it yet, but is this something that is liable to be a valve, or need lube, etc?

4- Gas mileage... I know he's a pig, but curious what anyone else is getting. Right now it's a fairly even "10mpg" but that's not entirely accurate as his odometer reads off by (rough guess) about 15% and his speedometer reads off about 20-25%. I'm guessing 10mpg is a bit more like 13mpg.

5- And finally, most of the older mercedes I've seen have had their paint color matched on hubcaps. Was this the norm or an option or is Gustav just unique in all silver?

This has been an almost daily driver since he came home on 4th July, and he's done absolutely wonderfully for a 35 yr old car with a mostly unknown history and (probably) 250k miles. Looks to have been loved in previous lives in NM and TX (had some receipts in his glovebox) but somehow ended up in an auction. Rather fixing his quirks as we go.

Thanks!

~M. the very much still learning these wonderful machines

[murdockspencer]

I've got that same car which I drove for a while now I'm doing work to it.
1. Radiator will definitely be cheaper to have re cored. I think the list price on that radiator is somewhere around $600. I had mine re cored last year and it cost around $300 I think. You should be able to find a radiator shop on your own in your area. The radiator in this car comes out easily.

2. A good parts source in your area that I have used before is Millers Inc in Fountain valley. millermbz.com

3. My car doesn't have a hydro pneumatic leveling system, I thought only the 300s had that.

4. I've never figured my mileage as my odometer hasn't worked in a while, but what I've heard on here from other users is that around 12 mpg is average for this powerhouse.

5. Mine are the same color as the car but I don't know about it being an option. Maybe it started to peel on yours and the previous owner just stripped it all off?

have fun driving the car, I can't wait to get mine back on the road.

[Tomguy]

1) Leaky or calcified core? Recore it. Is the seam leaky? It can be repaired as long as the top half isn't cracked or deformed. These are brass and quite easy to fix compared to aluminum/plastic beasties.

2) eBay or a parts car. I don't think you can get one new.

3) The compensator on the rear axle groans? And you can hear it?? Damn, I should let your ear listen to my Jeep to find that damned squeak... anyway, the unit isn't really serviceable and a new one is around $1500 - a spring kit is about $200 and a viable alternative. You can see if its just a bushing though.

4) 8MPG city and 13MPG highway were my averages. Never broke 13 - but I never drove under 80, either.

5) Not sure, although I have seen all chrome caps (no paint).

[nhdoc]

I have a spare radiator that should fit your car if you are interested. It was checked out by my local radiator shop last year, and then I sold the car ('72 280SEL 4.5) and never installed it. It's used but really clean, no scale and seems perfect.

PM me if you want it for $200 including shipping anywhere in the USA.

[~M.]

Thanks guys!

Originally Posted by nhdoc

I have a spare radiator that should fit your car if you are interested. It was checked out by my local radiator shop last year, and then I sold the car ('72 280SEL 4.5) and never installed it. It's used but really clean, no scale and seems perfect.

PM me if you want it for $200 including shipping anywhere in the USA.

Appreciate the offer! Will keep that in mind if you'll have it a bit... we'll pull Gustav's in the next few weeks and see what sort of shape it's truly in. The mechanic found leaking ~6 months ago, but I haven't found from where yet and he's run pretty stable temp wise, even the day it hit 118F. Only coolant I've traced was the radiator cap which just started hissing 'bout two weeks back and whose replacement just arrived... and of all the things he leaks (tranny fluid being the worst) I've not found green on the drive (except when the husband moved the '94 project miata )

Originally Posted by Tomguy

2) eBay or a parts car. I don't think you can get one new.

3) The compensator on the rear axle groans? And you can hear it?? Damn, I should let your ear listen to my Jeep to find that damned squeak... anyway, the unit isn't really serviceable and a new one is around $1500 - a spring kit is about $200 and a viable alternative. You can see if its just a bushing though.

2- I was afraid that would be the answer.

3- Yeah, that thingie! murdockspencer, that'd be why your car doesn't have one Anyhow, Gustav from a stop about sounds like an 80 yr old gent, who requires a cane, getting out of bed in the morning. Once he gets moving he's one of those 80 yr olds who does triathalons. Am constantly amazed at him on the freeway. At an indicated 60mph (somewhere in the neighborhood of 80mph) all it takes is curling a toe and he very politely goes to an indicated 70

Regarding Jeep squeaks... had a 2000 cherokee sport in a previous life back east that I loved to bits and put almost 100k miles on. The only squeaks I recall were the squeal when it needed a belt, the real quiet thwap thwap when it got a hairline crack in the transfer case, and a vibration at ~70mph that were U joints. I heard em before dad (owned a car shop) or guy dating at the time (a master mechanic) did, but didn't know enough of how things worked to convince them I really was hearing something til it got worse. Anyhow, unless it's a noise one of my previous cars made I'm unlikely to be useful for anything other than pointing to a general area, and it'll be a while before I'm back east again

[MercyBenz63]

About the hub caps,

It was standard for Mercedes to have different (from body color) hubcaps in the case where the car was two-toned. The hubcaps would them be painted the same color as the roof.

Otherwise the caps should match the body color.

Geez these cars are just great aren't they. I should ditch the 6.3 altogether and get a nice 280 SE 4.5!

[ramonajim]

Sent an inquiry to MB USA's Classic Center regarding the hub caps - here is the response I got from their Paul Heule:

All wheel covers, hub caps, are received unpainted. The covers are usually
painted to match the body color, once received at the wholesale / retail level.

Regards,

Mercedes-Benz USA
Classic Center
Classic Parts Support


Jim
Lucky enough to be an occasional Gustav co-pilot (one of the many perks of being the husband of ~M)

[nhdoc]

I think they mean replacement caps come unpainted, as I have seen those many times. The original caps which came with the car would have been painted at the factory to match the body color if it was a one-tone car or the roof color if two tone. The replacement caps came unpainted and there was a mask they'd use to spray them to match the car.

Maybe someone bought replacement caps for your car and didn't bother painting them or stripped off the paint from some non-matching replacements. MB would not have delivered a car with unpainted caps, in my opinion.

[cth350]

My old 280se 4.5 got 8mpg on a good day. She was old and tired. But, they love to be driven long and hard distances, so do as much as you can.

Sounds to me like a drive down to Chula Vista is in order. Stop by Ecology and the other pick-and-pulls on Energy Way. Stop in to see Bob Gunthorp at Oneger's too. His shop isn't a pick and pull, but he can sell you a good used compensator if you can't find it. There's another cluster of yards in Chula Vista, just find the other Ecology yard.

You might want to ask him about the groan, just to make sure it is the compensator and not one of the 6 pieces of rubber in the rear needing to be replaced. You might want to do that on general principles and get an alignment.

As to fuel consumption, There's a gizmo on the wirewall connected to the manifold by a length of hose. Replace that hose and make sure the ends are clamped. Then, find somebody with a CO meter and have them adjust the mixture until the proscribed level of CO is present. That gizmo, more formally called a manifold pressure sensor, reads manifold vaccum level and is not smart enough to understand leaks. Also, there is a set screw on the sensor that can be adjusted, but leave that to somebody that has done it before.

-CTH