w 115 a dream come true

[thevtechater]

a few months ago i was blessed with the opportunity to restore a 1974 w115 and the best part is all expense will be paid! the car used to belong to my lanlords,but then he died and his family asked me to restore it at their expense. the car is in immaculate condition, it has only covered 40000 kilometers, the paint and interiors looked like new and it always had mobil 1 for oil.the only problem is the car hasnt been run for like five years or something
. In this thread i will inform you guys on the built up. so stay tuned.

[diametricalbenz]

well that will be interesting.....we will stay tuned

what sort of restoration is required? body in addition to the mechanicals and of course.....rubber?

[thevtechater]

when i first had the car, the car wont start. so i checked the battery , it turns out that its dead. so i replaced them, got a new one and the car starts like a breeze, the engine sound alot smoother that most of the 21 century econoboxes in my apartment complex' parking space,testament to the built quality of Mercedes before daimlerchrysler. but, after leaving the car for one night the battery got darined again. so i decided that there must be some cable problem that discharged the battery. it turned out that few cables have had theyre isolators eaten away by rats! so i replaced the broken cables with new one along with the cables underneath the dash. while i'm on the car i also got the carbs cleaned (since i dont know how to set up a stromberg carb so i decided to leave it as is), the engine compartment de greased and the radiator flushed, i also replaced a few ruuber on the master brake cylinder system. after all this i started the car and the car started smoothly, even better than before. i took the car for a spin across Bandung (you know, the place the dutch used to call the paris of Java), the car runs beautifully, the ride is typical mercedes, bumps and irregularities on the road are absorbed nicely, road noise is minimum, plus, i got stares from people that i passed along the way (due to it's almost showroom like condition). I parked the car later that day, and the next day the car won't start again, and again the battery is low on charge. it turns out that the alternator belt is loose, so i replace them. the car runs well so far.
next up will be fixing the air conditioner system, then somerust on the body.
wnybody got any suggestions on working on the w115's ac?
should i replace the compressors or should i fix the original one.
i understandmodern compressors are more efficient therefore they took up less engine power to drive them.
tyhx guys, i'll keep you posted, hopefully with some pictures next time

[300SDog]

Outstanding!! And yer among smart company here at the most important international vintage MB forum on the internet - where nobody wants to drive anything else, knowing our VMB's are easily the most repairable and predictable cars on the planet.

With respect to reviving the AC, there's additive lubricant and sealant can be fed into the system at charging it up. Also dye solution for exposing leaks thats visible under flourescent black light.

[Dee8go]

Got any pictures you could post here? It would be fun to watch your progress.

[todds]

There is a bracket widely available for directly replacing the older York type compressors your car would have with a modern Sanden type which is quieter and smoother and uses less engine power. Probably a worthwhile upgrade if you plan on using your A/C often.

[thorsen]

Here is the bracket and compressor ToddS was referring to:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/attachments/vintage-mercedes-forum/53191d1205366235-72-280se-mixing-old-new-100_1874.jpg

Is the car yours, or are you just doing the work?

[progun]

Where do I find this bracket and compressor setup? I may be getting a W115 also. Thank, Paul

[thorsen]

Ackits.com

5033 is the York to Sanden adapter.
http://www.ackits.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=01&Product_Code=5033&Category_Code=

[thevtechater]

yeah i guess i'm in the right place for vmbs, i mean your response is awesome.
pics coming up guys jus have a little problem, the battery is still darined if the car is left parked for more than 1 night.
what could be the problem guys?

[t walgamuth]

Trunk light might not be shutting off.

Tom W

[ctaylor738]

Trunk light is a good suggestion, but you may not have found all the damage done by the rats.

Disconnect the ground at the battery, put your meter on Amps, and connect one lead to the cable, and one to the battery. You will probably see a small current flow. Then remove fuses one by one, and check the meter. When the flow stops, you have found the circuit with the drain. Then you need to methodically check the wiring on that circuit, looking for wires that may be grounding due to damage.

Can be tedious, good luck.

[Mark DiSilvestro]

Originally Posted by ctaylor738

Trunk light is a good suggestion, but you may not have found all the damage done by the rats.

Disconnect the ground at the battery, put your meter on Amps, and connect one lead to the cable, and one to the battery. You will probably see a small current flow. Then remove fuses one by one, and check the meter. When the flow stops, you have found the circuit with the drain. Then you need to methodically check the wiring on that circuit, looking for wires that may be grounding due to damage.

Can be tedious, good luck.

In addition to the usual suspects - trunk light, glovebox light etc... and the checks suggested previously, I've seen leaky diodes in an old alternator cause a battery drain.

Happy Motoring, Mark

[thevtechater]

still havent got time to work on the car this week guys, i'll keep u posted. thx alot guys

[thevtechater]

i'm back guys.
I put a lamp serial to the negative of the battery and
it took me a while to get all the cables on the 115 sorted out.
like you said ctaylor, it IS tedious.
it turns out that whats been causing the battery drain problem is:
1. a broken cable in the wiring circuit that is connected to the first fuse on the fuse box, and
2. a leaky diode on the alternator (big thanks to you, Mark DiSilvestro)
so i got the wire fixed, pull out the alternator (myself), and send it to an alternator repair guy. It is fixed and now i got no more battery drain problem.
Next stop: tackling the presently non functioning Air Conditioning system.
Thanks alot guys, i'll keep you posted