PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post

matsalleh76 · #18 06-25-2010, 10:03 AM

Larry, you are correct: you run what you brung; personal preference determines what you drive, and how well you like operating it but we are all different, have different tolerance thresholds, etc. and one size does not necessarily fit all.

But part of the joy of playing with cars is choice: you choose what fits you best and after analysis, may choose to alter something to improve the fit.

After running everything from a Bugatti, Ferraris, various 6 & 8cly Alfas, a Stutz, etc. we wanted an everyday pre-computer sports sedan. We chose the 2.3-16 because it did what we wanted very well. But after a time it was evident there were areas that with a little thought, could be improved.....if we chose to do so.

The gear change was one. The manual Merc gear change arrangement is poorly engineered: long soft rubber bushed flappy rods connecting the gear shift to the gearbox change levers. It was a bit loose & vague. Of course we could and did drive it that way but compared to the rest of the driving experience it was not "nice" so we chose to see if it could be improved.

An hour on the lathe with some nylon bar stock, a few circlips, nothing radical, and we had a gear change that snicked crisply through the gears. Made a very good driver's car better.

Merc power steering on the 2.3-16 is great. The 2.3-16 has the fastest Merc steering ratio and is a joy. We just happen to like light steering so tried to lighten it up with a pump change. It did not accomplish anything, but if it had lightened the steering it, like the gear change, would have increased our driving satisfaction.

Now for the real reason for entering this thread: we have a 124 230TE automatic wagon. It has the slowest Merc steering ratio and only needs pegs around the big Merc steering wheel to qualify as a barge but we love it: great quality, dead reliable, and the best workhorse in the garage.

But we have chosen an area needing a bit of improvement: lighter steering will make keeping it between the buoys less of a chore. Alignment and steering component condition are not part of the problem: camber/ /caster/toe are all to spec and the steering bits & ball joints are all A-1.

We have established that changing to a higher rated PS pump will not lighten the steering. We and judging from the posts in this thread others, need to know if it is possible to lighten the steering with some work on the pressure valving in the steering box.

Please lets have some technical imput. That is what this forum is for. MBDoc?

Thanks & regards,
bobf.