weekend Wrenching

[alabbasi]

This weekend has been quite busy and most of it was spent on the 560SEL as it has been acting out. Last week, I was tracing down a problem with the prop shaft vibration. I thought that it was a flex disk but it turned out to be two loose bolts on the front flex disc which i tightened. A couple of days later , the car felt as if the wheels were about to fall off. In looking underneath, I found a huge leak in the hydraulic system coming from a high pressure line from the air cell to the height control valve.

I ordered a new one from the dealer and installed it which was great fun as that line has about 8 different curves.

I also replaced the front shocks as they were in pretty gruesome shape and now it drives well. I've also had a problem with the shifting on this car which would always shift hard. This turned out to be a disconnected line from the vacuum modulator to the intake. Probably from the people who worked on the car before I bought it and tried to seal every vacuum line they could because they had no idea where it went. Now it drives and shifts great.

I also got the 500SEC AMG running which required putting the engine wiring and all ancillaries back on and then replacing the FD with one I had sitting on the shelf.

[loepke72]

Guess I can post here now that I actually worked on the car on the weekend! The 560SEL lost the master cylinder for some reason, I almost had a wreck with it near home yesterday. Still have a bit of air in the lines after replacing it, but at least the car stops OK. The driver's seat developed a mind of its own due to water getting in the seat memory module. Right now I have the seat adjusted OK, so I pulled the fuse for the seat until I can get another module. Not sure where the water came from, but I think the sunroof was partially open before I got the car.

Picked up a 1976 W115 240D yesterday as well for $350. Alabbasi will know about this one as he went with me to pick it up. It was advertised as a car to be parted out, but it was complete, and I was able to drive it home, although it was a bit slow, smoky, and had vibration due to driveshaft center supports and a bad transmission mount. That 560SEL made me forget just how slow 240Ds really are. It's a solid car that I hope to make a daily driver out of later on.

[alabbasi]

Erich, you'll never get in trouble for speeding in that car but it's a great buy. The body is as straight as an arrow and it started very easily. I'll look forward to seeing it come along.

[alabbasi]

Today was spent tinkering with my 560SEL. It's a little tough to start after it had sat for a while and I suspect that the problem is that it's losing fuel pressure so I replaced the fuel pump check valves on both fuel pumps but this did not cure the problem. Any ideas? Car runs perfectly once it's running.

I also replaced the rear brake pads and rotors and adjusted the vacuum modulator as the vac line was disconnected by the PO and I needed to do some fine tuning.

Lastly I cleaned the connections to the wiper motor as it sometimes works and sometimes doesn't, with the exception of the high speed.

Erich (Leopke72) was kind enough to agree to replace the dash on my 560SEC which was horribly cracked in exchange for some parts with a nice dash from a 420SEL that I got from David S Poole who is on this forum in exchange for parts. I actually sold the car to David as he needed a number of 420SEL parts about 2 years ago after buying it from Hitman X who is also on this forum (and if anyone says we don't have a community, they need to move to North Texas).

Tomorrow I plan to drink, enjoy the sun and switch out the ropey leather seats in my 560SEC with a very nice looking set that I bought from a fellow in Wisconsin on the MB coupes forum.

Unfortunately it's not all on the up and up, I got the AMG kitted 500SEC up and running but removing the valve covers today revealed a lot of water in the engine. Shame, but I have a spare engine so it's not a disaster.

[JiveTurkey]

Al if we lived next door to eachother I think we'd have great fun wrenching. I spent the day doing bodywork on Wilma, drinking, enjoying Classic Vinyl, and having a Cigar. How's the weather down there in Texas? My only experiance with Texas is when I cruise through the Pan Handle on my way to Arizona every once and a while.

[alabbasi]

Today was 60 degrees and sunny, it really could not get any better.

Originally Posted by JiveTurkey

Al if we lived next door to eachother I think we'd have great fun wrenching. I spent the day doing bodywork on Wilma, drinking, enjoying Classic Vinyl, and having a Cigar. How's the weather down there in Texas? My only experiance with Texas is when I cruise through the Pan Handle on my way to Arizona every once and a while.

[JiveTurkey]

Bastard. I remember days like that in Phoenix. Today I swear my urine nearly froze before it left my body. The plastic filler still hardened perfectly though. Thank gott und Karl for small miracles.

[alabbasi]

Today was quite productive; I decided to replace the seats in the 560SEC with the nicer ones that I bought from a fellow forum member in WI.

My seat leather was hard and the seat motors had stopped working so it made sense to replace them instead of having new seat covers installed.

The job turned out to be a lot more time consuming them I thought with the seats being unmovable; it took some effort to pull the bolts off.

However owned this car must have been very careless. There are cigarette and cigar butts all over the underside of the car and the carpet had heavy coffee stains.

I got a bucket full of soap and a scrub brush and scrubbed the carpets, then used my hand held carpet washer to such the excess water out.

Much of the wiring from the new seats had been cut upon removal so I had to cut the wires from my old seats and splice them in.

Then I gave the seats a good clean and condition with Lexol and installed them.

My seat motors and steering wheel motors now work!

Lastly I masked the dash board and shot the yellow parts of the new dash with gray paint. The match is great but I over masked so I have some tiny yellow areas that I need to take care off.

By the time I got finished, a buddy stopped by so we had a couple of beers and I treated myself to a HUGE steak on the grill.

I'll get some pictures tomorrow.

[JiveTurkey]

Thats not a job I envy Al, I hate messing with any kind of wiring. You really did a good job bringing the carpet back. Looks (sounds?) like you kicked some ass though.

[alabbasi]

Fortunately everything is colour coded and I knew what i needed to cut by looking at the intact wiring in the old seats.

I just realised that I bought a fancy new digital camera which should have no problems taking pictures in the dark.

Here are some after pictures:

[JiveTurkey]

Thats worlds better Al!!! Well done. By the way, those pictures are bigger than John Candy's casket. (Too soon?) Next step looks like it might be the console wood trim. I've been reading up on how to do mine as its flake-ier than a bowl of wheaties.

[alabbasi]

I pulled a pretty decent one from a clunker a few weeks ago which i'm going to put in at some point. I was hoping to do so this week along with buffing the paint but good grief this took a lot longer then I expected.

These seats weigh about 70lbs.

[JiveTurkey]

If I were closer to Texas I'd come over and buff the paint. I do it by hand with a blend of polish and I've gotten some very fine results. My fees can be paid in frosty beverages made from Hopps, fermented. I'm curious to see if I can save the wood (veneer) in the 250. I've always wanted an SEC, preferrably an '88. They look like great fun.

[alabbasi]

Yeah you can save it, you need to sand lightly and then re-clear but it's a slow process. There is a place in NC called Heritage Woodworks that does fantastic work. I met the owner at a club event and he demoed the process of putting new vaneer. It was pretty cool.

[JiveTurkey]

I was thinking about hitting it with paint stripper to remove whatever is left of the old gloss, and then lightly going over it with 0000 steel wool. I'm nervous because the veneer is so damned thin. Once I have all the old finish off I'll start hitting it with clear.