PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post

Greg in Oz · #15 10-13-2004, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tvpierce

(The original post has been answered, so here goes...)

Greg,

Can you elaborate on the oil separator you fabricated. I recently found that mine is destroyed on my '92 201/2.3. As you mentioned, what's rediculous is that the older ones are metal, will last a lifetime, and are available as a separate part. The "improved" design is plastic (read: brittle and literally falling apart after 10 years) and are NOT available separately from the valve cover. Go figure!

Do you have any images of the part you made?

Thanks in advance.

Jeff Pierce

It seems crazy that the metal oil separators which will last forever are available as a spare part but the plastic ones are not. I even had my dealer order a metal one in for me hoping it would fit but it would not. They suggested I try modifying it but I could not see the sense in this effort on top of the cost of purchasing it. Instead I put the effort (about a whole Saturday afternoon) into fabricating my own. Unfortunately I did not photograph it (I should have, it was a work of art!). Basically it is as close a copy of the plastic one I could make from sheet steel. Most of it is from one sheet cut and beaten into the required shape with drain holes drilled where required. The outlet "pipe" was fabricated from a second piece of sheet steel and was silver-soldered (brazed) into place on the main piece. The only tools used were tin-snips, ball-pein hammer, files, drill, bench vyce and oxy torch. I was careful to check that nothing interfered with the rockers. It seems to be working fine.