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Originally Posted by autobahnfahrer
I just picked up a 6.9 locally and think that it is an outstanding automobile! Unfortunately, there were no manuals included. I'm trying to figure out what is the push/pull lever in between the instrument cluster and the steering wheel. Is it somehow related to the air suspension or? Thanks!!
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This lever is the control for the 6.9's hydropneumatic suspension. If it is a stock US car, it only has two positions -- all the way in (normal operation & ride height) and one pull out detent (locked position & normal ride height). The lock position is important before raising the car off its wheels by preventing the fluid from circulating (under the immense pressure inherent to this system) throughout the system when the wheels are raised and the tension is taken off of the struts & accumulators at each corner of the car.
Non-US spec cars had a third position -- that of being pulled out two stops. This raised the ride height of the car approximately 2.5" and was intended for LOW-SPEED operation where a raised body would be required -- for example on rutted roads.
This position was not enabled for US spec cars because of 1970s governmentally regulated bumper height requirements. BUT, this was easily disabled through the use of simple aluminum sleeve that was placed onto the end of the control cable under the hood. This sleeve physically blocked the movement of the cable past the "locking" (one pull-out detent) position into the "raised height" position.
It can be easily removed if present by finding the valve (right behind the driver's side headlight atop the large black hydraulic fluid tank, with the "curlique" hose going from the hydraulic pump on the front of the engine block to the side of the hydraulic master valve. Look for the round disc-shaped control piece with the thin cable attached. If you see a one-inch long aluminum sleeve on the end of the cable next to the round disc (the sleeve being about the diameter of a pencil), all you have to do is loosen the cable clamp, remove the end of the cable, slide the sleeve off of the cable (save it if needed for the future), and re-inserting and clamping the cable. VOILA -- you now have two pull-out positions and the increased ride height designed into the system. The engine must be running to achieve the increased height, however.
The best and most informative web site for the M-100 cars can be found at:
http://www.m-100.info
Other sites are at
www.m-100.cc and
www.m-100.org. There are also other sites in Europe such as
www.m-100.de www.m100.de and
www.sechsneuner.de
Cheers,
Gerry