New here. Just purchased a Fin Tail. Many questions!

[clayton92]

Hello everyone!

After missing my 1958 180b for quite some time I came across a great deal on this 1966 230s Fintail that im very excited to start working on. Ill do a introduction thread later to the point:

1966 w111 Mercedes 230s Inline 6 dual Zenith Carbs

Q: The car was driven up until about 3 years ago when the man got ill and passed away. I put some fresh gas, a battery in it and it started, didn't run very well but enough to load it up in my trailer. Got it home, fogged the carburators with amsoil power foam, put a new fuel filter on and it started running awesome! So I put about 40 miles on the car just driving around all day. All the sudden it doesn't want to idle. If your giving it throttle, it revs up fine and drives as it should but once you let off it just dies.

A: Carb rebuild? I'm sure there's trash in the carb now, they weren't oo ahh lookin when you took the intake off. I'm horrified to even try it. I can't find anything detailed on synchronizing them together and I also know they have something to do with the shifting.

Q: The car is over heating I believe. My temp gauge does not work so I need to go buy a aftermarket one for now. Being Im in S. Florida, I just took the thermostat out for the time being because it was quite aweful looking and sticking. There is some water movement in the radiator but I flushed out just about everything I could as far as the cooling system goes and a lot of trash came out of that radiator.
Anways, a lot of steam comes out of the overflow hose after driving around town for a bit. Could this be something with the cap or maybe it is over heating? I plan on taking the radiator off and going to have it cleaned out and re-soldered being there are pin holes around the top tank at the seam.
A: Going to have the radiator repaired. Anything else I should do?

Q: What's considered top speed for this car? I swear those RPM's are turning at about 55. I need to get a RPM gauge because im sure its close to about 3000 rpms at that speed. Im aware it starts off in 2nd from a stand still unless you put it in the 2 position which would technically be first.
A: You tell me! lol

Q: When coming to a stop, the transmission every now and then will feel like its in neutral. then you bump the throttle while your sitting there and itll fall into gear (2nd gear I guess since that's what it starts off at).

What could this be?



Anyways I look forward to seeing some advise! Any preference on where to get the carb kits? Is it worth the 83$ a kit from pelican vs. a 40$ kit on say Ebay?

[meltedpanda]

well after sitting < I would have started with draining all fluids , especially fuel lines. So you probably are right , lotsa gunk in carb, lines ect.. will require a good cleaning. Could be a vacuum line off ,or broke with the recent activity
Also points condenser, easy stuff , all check , you may find all sorts of reasons for rough run
Radiator, I'd recore or try flush , when out flush the engine, hoses as best you can

that is one nice finny though, any rust? hows the inside?
lust lust

[clayton92]

Well, I got bored and was messing with it yesterday. I changed all fluids, put some marvel mystery oil in the fuel, and about 5 minutes of run time in the driveway it was running completely different! Very high idle though so I re adjusted everything at the Carburators and got it running smoothly. Shifts and goes into gear like a dream. I may have escaped murder here.

Yeah there's pleanty of rust to go around. Next week I'm going to take the radiator out to have that re built. While that's happening I'll be buying some metal and patch panels and taking the interior out to put in new floor boards. After that the passenger side rear door has rust all the way through so I'll be cutting that out and putting patch panels there also... Fun little project to keep me occupied at least

[pilleway]

Clayton, I'm in the same move! I had a 1959 180a Ponton for more than 15 years, then sold it (I was joung and did not know what I was doing so I dold it! WRONG!!) so I have good memories so I looked for one like the one I had but found a 220b.
I bought a 1962 220b two months ago, and I can tell you that initially when looking to for the car, my base line was, get a car that looks complete (emblems, moldings, sheet metal, etc) and have the vehicle running. Finally I found one and I bought it.
Then my project started first to assure safety, so I went in to the brakes. (when barking it pull to the right, found a line plugged, fix!). Engine (rebuilding the two solex carburetors, done), remove the camshaft cover and it looks OK), After this work I was able to drive the vehicle and moves great. Of course mny minor issues.
Now the car is in major work, because I remove the complet front suspension, found out a lot of rust and dirt (muddy), so many components will be replaced, so the project is for a long time, but I think this is probably the best Hobby you can get.
In the mean time the main heater module was removed to get all the leaks fix.)
One of the greatest things I did to the car when I got it was, to get the transmision shifting lever to work smoothly like a BM, so all the mechanism was redone and now works great!
After all the mechanical work is done (probably will take me more than two years I will look in to the body and intiriors)
It will be great to share experiences so we can learn from others and /or to know that someone is doing a very similar project.

Congratulations
"Get something redone/fix/rebuild/restore sure is rewarding"

Pille

[pilleway]

I wanted to share some photos but do not know how to do it, can you help?.
Regards.

[clayton92]

That's awesome! Sounds like my life completely lately lol. Where did you find your linkage bushings for the shifter? Is yours an automatic?

To post a picture, the easiest thing to do is if you haw a Facebook or something, right click it and it property's then highlight the picture URL then copy it. Then here all you have to do is hit the picture icon above the posting box and paste it there.

OR you can create a photobucket.com account and upload it there. Then they will give you a link to copy and paste here.

Good luck with your build! Keep me posted on everything you do!

[pilleway]

Clayton, be sure I will keep you posted!
Mine is Manual, initially I did some of them link bushings with nylon material, then I found them in Pelican parts with part numbers 000-991-38-22-M69, 115-992-03-10-M36 at Manual Transmission Shift Cables and Parts and replace them later.
I think we can help each other with experiences and pictures. In the shop.
Look how the engine looked like!
This how the brake cylinders look like when I started! https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/q73/s320x320/1005403_345680845561143_1243924926_n.jpg
I will keep sharing some of my experiences.
During the weekend I remove the complete front suspension and this is a ton of work in cleaning and assure the parts are OK if not to be redone and/or replaced.
Have a nice week.
Pille.

[pilleway]

Here are some pictures:
How the distributors were rebuild;

How dirty the front suspension is/was!

Difference between new engine mounts and old.

I was looking in to the engine compartment and the engine will come out for refurbish as well to restore the complete engine compartment.
Have a nice day.
Pille.

[pilleway]

For some reason now I can not show pictures! I'll be working on it.
Regards
Pille

[pilleway]

For some reazon I can not show pictures?
I was able to load the fist 2 but after there is no way I can do it, I try to do it as the fist ones and does not work! any other suggestion?

Regards
Miguel.

[pilleway]

Here I'm agian!, can not get the pictures but have the link, My appologies, I'll be working to get the pictures directly and not a link.

These are the carburetors after the rebuild: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=345692495559978&l=162540f217
This is the mod I found in the suspension; https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=345693395559888&l=f103557c06, https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=345693642226530&l=67bce9b1ec
The difference between old and new engine mounts; https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=345693765559851&l=219f68d979,
How the brake cilinders looked like when just disassembly, of course were rebuild; https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=345680845561143&l=656ae34a82

Ill be doing some more work and will post more pictures,
Today the engine was out and the engine cleaning started, as well as the engine compartment.
Good night.
Pille.

[pilleway]

I do understand that pictures should be posted and not links, but I do have problem, as I mentioned, the first 2 were OK but then I can not, I do not know what can happen, any help will be appreciated.
Regards.
Pille.

[pilleway]

I vive up my selfservice, can not fin a wat to post pictures. IFE I find the way to do it I'll come hacker.
Y
See You!

Pille

[clayton92]

Hmm I'm on my mobile right now, nice car! Although I believe our carbs are different sorry I haven't been on much, been super busy. I'll be posting later on.

[pilleway]

My last message was self spelling corrector, did not noticed because I was not happy trying to download the pictures.
I have not try agian to show new pictures, that is why I gave up. If an easy way to do it will help! I have try the ones you have posted.
Regards, have a nice week.
Pilee.