Thanks, i will check it out tomorrow.

Its a good feeling getting it going again. I just hope that when I start her up, I dont hear any bad noises or leave a blue cloud behind me. :)

Trying to piece everything back together, which is difficult as it has been so long since things were taken apart. I found this on the front of my engine, and do not know what is supposed to be hooked up to it. I can't hind a hose or anything that is disconnected in the area.

So, what is it?
http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m...0505091000.jpg

I've never seen that before, even my M115-powered '66 200. Maybe that fitting is used as a spacer I think.

It's a vent for oil/crankcase vapors. It connects to a plastic hose that runs back to a plastic tank or cannister in the trunk. I think there is also a vacuum connection to the cannister.

Thanks for the info, I have been very busy around the farm with spring coming, so the car is taking a backseat (no pun intended) to the fieldwork. Its coming along slowly but surely.

I appreciate all the help.

So, I don't think those two wire should be hooked up the way they are. :)

The car will run as long as I hold the key in the start position, but as soon as I let off of (run position) it cuts off the spark and dies. So, I need to figure out how its supposed to be hooked up. :)

You should have two wires connected to the "+" on the coil. One is a straight feed from the starter solenoid which is energized at battery voltage when the starter is engaged (start circuit). The other one comes from the ballast resistor to the coil. The ballast resistor feed side should be live with the key "on" or #2 ignition switch position.

Use a voltmeter to check both sides of the ballast resistor for voltage.

I have seen the starter circuit wired to the output side of the ballast resistor so there is only one wire leading to the coil.

The "start" circuit simply by-passes the resistor for a "hotter" spark in cold weather.

OK, so what is the "module" behind the drivers side headlight? Is that what you are talking about?

That is the transistorized spark control. The ballast resistor/resistors are the long porcelain (SIC) blocks mounted on the fender wall. They typically have a black w. red stripe wire connected to their "hot" or supply side. On their output terminals will be a wire which runs to the "+" on the coil and, depending on the set-up, one to supply the spark control box.

Here is a pic of the two wires I was talking about. One comes from the distributor, and one comes from the transistorized spark control module.

http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m...0515091700.jpg

All my stuff was converted over to the Crane optical system years ago. I just went out and had a look at a '85 500SEL which I'm working on and that wire goes directly from the spark box to the distributor. I'd guess you either changed distributors or the spark box and you now have an extra points feed wire. The wire should lead directly from the box to the terminal block on the points. It probably has a built in resistance value and when you double the wires you're doubling the resistance.

Bear in mind that I am looking at an '85 which has the Hall effect pickup inside the dizzie so your set up is probably a little different. When you connect the green wires it doesn't fire?

When the green wires are connected is when I get spark... but only when the key is in the start position. When i let go of the key (back to the "run" position) no spark. Nothing has been changed, or swapped out. Its just as I bought it.

Well, not counting the disconnected wires. :)

Like Mike said, it sounds like you don´t have a feed to the ignition from the RUN position of the ignition and you will need that for the car to keep running when you release it from START.

Can you describe what wiring is currently in place? Is the "-" side of the coil grounded (brown wire)? Some of the early transistor set-ups worked that way.

I checked all the other wiring and its all still hooked up. None of that was even touched or removed. That green wire coming from the distributor is taped up, (old tape, its been there for a long time) and it wont reach anything except a terminal on the battery. Could that be where it was hooked up? Its too short to reach anything else.

Are the ballast resistors located in a plastic box mounted to the fender? Here is how my coil is hooked up.

http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m...0517090918.jpg

I am travelling for a couple of weeks, so this is from memory.

Someone has screwed with the wiring, because that wire on the + side of the coil is not original.

You do have the setup with the - side of the coil grounded. The cylindrical object to the right of the coil is one of the ballast resistors (BR). You need to follow the wires and find the other one. I think that the flow of current/wiring needs to be

1. from the ON position of the ignition switch to BR 1,
2. from the other side of BR 1 to the transistor box
3. from the tranistor box to BR 2
4, from the other side of BR 2 to the + side of the coil

There is a wire from the starter to BR 2, which supplies power with the key in START. That apparently is working. I think you are missing connection 1 or 2 above.

In addtion, the transistor box needs its own power and ground.

The green wire runs from the distributor to the transistor box. As I said earlier, there should be a terminal block on the fender where they connect so you can change the points. If that´s missing, vou can connect them with a small screw and a nut.

Hope this helps.