Hey folks. I've been a long-time lurker here. I love this board!

W111 question.

I finally got my 1961 220s running perfectly! and- just when the carbs are perfectly tweaked, something went funny with my shifter linkage. I've got the 4 speed manual on the column style.

what happens is that the "horizontal" shift (front to back) is difficult, almost like there is a spring missing or broken. I first noticed a problem when I went to shift into reverse, and the horn came on and wouldn't stop.

Now, I can shift 1 to 2 fine, or 3 to 4 fine, but shifting from 2 to 3 requires a special shift-fu move I developed. has anyone else seen this? I've been told by some folksd that the problem might be in the gearbox. I hope not!

I'd like to get that fixed. That , some fresh paint and I'll be happy.

Your first clue was when the horn came on.
There are two hard-rubber bushings, that Mercedes calls 'vulkolan rings', anchoring the shifter pivot-shaft to the upper steering column bearing plate. When these disintegrate, the pivot-shaft slides up and down instead of just the shifter tube. The shaft hits the back of the horn switch and the excess end-play in the shifter prevents the shift lever from accurately moving between the reverse, 1-2 and 3-4 sectors.

You'll need to remove the steering wheel and the ball bearing for the horn ring, then move the horn switch aside. You may also need to unfasten the turn-signal switch and unplug the switch harness under the dash to allow enough slack in the horn switch wiring. Remove the inner & outer retaining rings from the upper steering shaft bearing before removing the clip & washer from the end of the shifter pivot shaft. Then unscrew the 4 allen bolts and remove the cast alloy bearing plate and bearing. Clean out any remaining 'vulkolan ring' fragments. Install one new 'ring' on the end of the pivot shaft. Re-install the bearing plate and install the other new 'ring' in the recess for the pivot shaft. Install the pivot shaft washer & clip, then the upper steering bearing and retaining rings. Re-assemble the rest in reverse order of disassembly. Don't forget the horn-ring bearing.

Before you order the rings, you might want to unscrew the pretty chrome nut on the side of the column, that secures the shift-lever, to see if the shift-lever bushing is disintegrating too.

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW