I'm considering saving a 1970 220 D/8 (115.110) from the unkind fate of sitting to rot under my father's barn. Its a neat old car, not too much rust, etc. The engine was rebult in 2001, after which my father drove it for a year or so. Its been sitting ever since.

I rescued it about 2 months ago and having been driving it ever since. I've replaced the leaking fuel line, replaced the belts, and had the oil changed.

Shifting from 2nd to 3rd has become an ordeal. It is physically hard to shift the lever (floor mounted). Its almost like it gets stuck in no-man's-land. It doesn't happen every time, or even every day. The clutch doesn't seem to slip, and its easy to get into 1st gear. I took the car in to a guy who works on old mercedes. He tells me I need a new clutch, and that it will run $1300! Do the symptoms I've described sound like I need a new clutch, and if so, is $1300 the going price?

I've been reading through some old posts on the board re: 220D's, and wonder weather I should change the trans fluid, the coolant, fuel & air filters, etc. I've never worked on a diesel or a Mercedes, but I'm game for learning how to. Are these things that (1) should be done and (2) can be done by me?

I've heard that Mercedes present a 'challenge' when changing the oil on your own, is this one of them?

Any other preventative maintenance that I should be performing?

Many thanks for the help!
(NB: I made a similar post on the Vintage section of the board but have expanded the post here in hopes of getting more advice, etc.)

didn't you like the advice we gave you over there?

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

tom - i appreciated every word of it!

i decided to ask questions in this forum too b/c i read that more people view the general diesel forum vs. the vintage bd. i'm trying cast a wider net around the collective wisdom of the board.

i always check both.

personally.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I never check the other forum, so it was probably a good idea to double post. {not for any info I may give, but from the smart guys....}
My W123 240D often gets kinda hung shifting between 2nd and 3rd. Happens very seldom, but it is a good hang up. I really have to ram it out of where it gets stuck. I don't know about your set up, but my '80 240D had collars that connect the shifter rods to the tranny shafts. Mine were loose when I first got the car, and I could never get it past 2nd gear. I tightened the collars on the shafts from tranny, and I could move through all gears. I suspect mine are either loose, or just not lined up squarely.
It may be worth checking on yours to see if you have the same type of set up, and if so, maybe you have an inexpensive fix. Let's hope......

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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

Jimmy -You've described my shifting problem perfectly. I really have to whack it to get it unstuck, or I can sometimes wiggle it and put it back into second. It always shifts fine the next time. I haven't checked to see if mine have collars that connect the shifter rods to the tranny shafts. I'll see if I can figure out exactly what I'm looking for and the tighten them if need be.

If neutral-to-first when stopped is easy then it's not the clutch or the master or slave cylinders.

Could be synchros (change the oil first) but most likely loose/worn out bushings in the linkages outside the transmission. Perhaps not set up right if the transmission was pulled as a engine/transmission unit when the engine was rebuilt. Have somebody "run the gears" while you're underneath to get a good picture of how the linkages move around.

Yes and yes to 1) and 2) - flush the brake fluid first. A running car isn't as important as a stopping car.

You're going to like this car.

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daBenz - 1970 220D

I have no trouble shifting from neutral to first. Relieved to hear that rules out a bad clutch or master or slave cylinder. I'll get someone to help me check the linkages.

I tried to check the trans. fluid, but am embarrased to say that I can't figure out where the reservior is. Is there a trans. resv. tank or dipstick somewhere? I scoured the engine looking for something but came up short, and my manual doesn't show one either. Help?

The fill/check plug is on the right side of the transmission, about half way up. A plug is a bolt with a tapered threaded part. The taper jams the mating threads together and creates the seal. Look for a bolt with a bit of thread exposed near the head. I always make sure I can get the fill plug out before I remove the drain plug. Doing a search in these forums will lead you to the correct version of ATF to use.

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daBenz - 1970 220D