Dear all,

yesterday the water pump on my 3.5 M116 engine started leaking quite badly. it seams to come from a hole at the bottom of the water pump housing. By looking at the schemes on the Workshop manual it looks like the sliding ring seal behind the propeller has failed.

I have a spare water pump but I have no clue whether it is better than the one I have in place now and I don't want to do all the work of replacing the pump only to discover it is also faulty.

I'm still to decide if I order a gasket kit and renew them on my spare water pump before fitting it or if I order a new water pump. But this will take some days anyway.

My problem is this is the only car I have and I had planned a 800 miles round trip early next week and the thing won't be repaired by then. So far it takes two hours of driving before the temp needle starts going up and I need to refill the radiator. When the engine is stopped it does not leak, unless I take the radiator cap out and then it starts dripping from the water pump. I would like to tempt the trip anyway by stopping and refilling from time to time.

My question are:

- can it get worse than that?

- do I risk some water pump complete failure such as bearings seizing etc?

- will a stop leak of any sort help at least reduce the leak?

- anybody drove a car with a similar problem?

Thanks!

The weep hole is usually where a water pump leaks after the bearing has worn enough to cause the bushing in front of it to leak.

Water pumps, even from the dealer, are cheap compared to other damage that could be caused by not fixing it.

I suggest replacing it immediately with one you know is good.

Complete failure is possible, but you might make it. Who knows.

Yes, it will become worse.

No, don't use stop leak.

__________________

Don't Chrome them; polish them

X2 on 280EZRider

you might make it but the risks are large on burning up your engine or the pump failing catastrophically and taking out your hood, radiator etc. Just not worth the risk. I have a new one sitting in my shop if you are near Seattle you can have it today and just replace it for me when you get back.
good luck
Barri

__________________
61 Austin mini
67 Lotus 7
74 450sl
76 Cadillac 8.2l (501 ci)

some new cars

megasquirt conversion on:
djet 74 450sl http://www.mercdjetmegasquirt.britautorepair.com/
cis 76 450sl http://www.merccismegasquirt.britautorepair.com/

the best view is always from the point of no return

Thanks Barri! Unfortunately I'm at the other end: Washington DC.

If it's a problem of beaings wearing out then my spare water pump seems to be OK. I just took out the propeller with a puller to see the condition of the seal. I took out a plastic washer that seems OK but I'm hesitating to take the seal itself out as I may damage it in the process. I may as well put it back together and try it as is. Wish me luck!

Otherwise I finished the wiring on the 5.0 M117 I'm Megasquirting and got an MS3 controller and a relay bord. I'm now to fill all the input and see if it works. Would you know where I can find the %M117.960 ignition curves as I will need them for EDIS?

Thanks!

as soon as I saw that I remembered " its Gael" hes in DC - I have an ancient brain running on very few HP some days.

you can pull the timing curves from the bosch web site - they work by distributor number rather than mercedes model number. I have everything ready for mine but have been rebuilding an audstin america and completing my lotus project - gues I'll get to edis the 450slc I am rebuilding.

as i remember berfinroy or mercmad (see what I mean about memory) is running just edis (I think its mercmad) and might be able to help. I dont have anything for the 117.960 specific.

cheers and let us know how the MS goes

pics of my Austin america 450slc euro and lotus 7 I am working on

__________________
61 Austin mini
67 Lotus 7
74 450sl
76 Cadillac 8.2l (501 ci)

some new cars

megasquirt conversion on:
djet 74 450sl http://www.mercdjetmegasquirt.britautorepair.com/
cis 76 450sl http://www.merccismegasquirt.britautorepair.com/

the best view is always from the point of no return

Waow, your Lotus looks nice! They say it's like a motorbike on four wheels!

This morning (before reading your answers) I went to Autozone, got a bottle of leakstop with copper in it and poored it into the radiator. I'm just back from dropping my wife at the airport which is a 50 miles round trip. I checked the coolant level once back home and it was still where it is supposed to be and I don't have anything dripping anymore. I cross my fingers as I don't want to start working and spending money on that (very good) engine as I'm a few weeks away from replacing it with the 5.0 one.

Ron (Mercmad) did put EDIS only on a 6.3. I'm sure he will chip in if he reads this.

I did a web search but was unable to find any ignition curve for the 5.0. The distributor p/n is 0237404006. If you happen to have a link, please send it to me or post it here.

Thanks!

Okay now, you guys have me completely confused. You are going to use EDIS (wasted spark from a Ford product I 'm guessing). So, this means you are going to be running it from either a trigger wheel or cam/crank sensor, correct? If so, then of what possible relevance would a Bosch distributor ignition curve be?

Start at 8 degrees BTDC at idle and advance it to 20 degrees at 3500 RPM's. Retard the lower end until it passes emissions (if required). Advance the upper limit until you have knock then retard it 5-10 degrees at a time until it meets your needs. The higher advance will be running your engine on its limit in both performance and economy. Not necessarily a good thing.

The stock ignition curve has no bearing on the injection system you have installed as it is no longer controlled by air flow as was the CIS.

Acceleration is being controlled by a combination of the TPS, MAP sensor, fuel tables and the O2 sensor not just a calculated guess of how much ignition is required to fire X amount of fuel being delivered at Y amount of air flow at a set RPM.

The stock curve also depends on the vacuum retard mechanism to draw the timing down to a "safe economical" level once acceleration ceases and you go into cruise mode.

Whole new ball game.

Why don't you just seek out a cheap rental car for this upcoming trip and save your self some grief?

Jim

__________________
14 E250 BlueTEC black. 45k miles
95 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 66k miles
94 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 152k miles
85 300TD 4 spd man, euro bumpers and lights, 15" Pentas dark blue 274k miles

barri - I haven't seen a lotus 7 for years - Looks like a nice car. Does it have any sort of top? Doesn't it rain occasionally in Seattle?

__________________
Graham
85 300D,72 350SL, 98 E320, Outback 2.5

see what I mean GGR - I have a small HP brain - MikeD is 100% correct - just make sure of your lower and upper ends and the MS will take care of everything else depending on crank position and speed and MAP. I will pull the bosch site for you. I have it on my bookmarks at home (not there right now)

i took the windscreen off graham and put on a pair of "replica" brookland screens so I have noting to attach the roof to now! if you go fast enough the rain doesnt get you though and I have a cockpit cover that covers from the screens to the tail lights for when I stop. Once December gets here though it just gets parked and I use one of the other cars or my sl with the hardtop on the seven is not very good in the snow!
cheers
barri

__________________
61 Austin mini
67 Lotus 7
74 450sl
76 Cadillac 8.2l (501 ci)

some new cars

megasquirt conversion on:
djet 74 450sl http://www.mercdjetmegasquirt.britautorepair.com/
cis 76 450sl http://www.merccismegasquirt.britautorepair.com/

the best view is always from the point of no return

Gael, please change your water pump. Way back when in the early 80's, I let a friend borrow my 220SEb and she called saying the car had overheated. I drove over to it and added some water. It just went in and drained out. I installed a replacement water pump and all was well. Don't delay.

__________________
Regards

Warren

Currently 1965 220Sb, 2002 FORD Crown Vic Police Interceptor

Had 1965 220SEb, 1967 230S, 280SE 4.5, 300SE (W126), 420SEL

ENTER > = (HP RPN)

Not part of the in-crowd since 1952.