220D design and maintenance profile for (new) forum members

[strelnik]

Hello all,

I'd like to see if we can't create a listing of weaknesses, typically neglected items, or design flaws for each of the major diesel models which our members drive/work on.

Following is a list of these for Jordaan DMC-12 mostly, since he bought a 220D that was not initially roadworthy.

Special thanks to High Desert Benz for his major contribution to all this! Thanks for all your help, Shaun.

First, the W115/220D uses an OM615 engine, the first of the modern series after the 62X series that was mostly the 1960's series. The focus of the 61X series (615-616-617) was increased power and acceleration, obviously culminating in the five-cylinder turbos we all know.

Recommendations/things to observe:

1. Get the factory service manual first for the engine and next for the chassis. Get an owner's manual as well for info, they are cheap on EBay or from MBUSA or the forum members. READ THEM ALL. Learn to know your car. Learn maintenance intervals, locate components, identify special tools and maintenance intervals, plus items to "baseline" once you get the car. TALK TO OTHER MEMBERS!!

Now to the particulars:

2. Note the heaters fans- there's 2 - one for heat, one for AC. They are a dirty mother to replace, most of the dash has to come out. The heat one is the worst, it's buried in the back of the housing.

3. Check out the steering box mounting points---they sometimes start to crack where the bolts go through the frame and break the bolts. If it is cracked a plate w/new bolt holes can be fabricated to re-enforce the frame.

4.Check all front subframe mounts, they get old and rot, this makes the front end feel loose. Sub frame mounts are easy to change. It's the same subframe as a 107 uses. NOTE FOR JUNKYARD USERS!

5. Check everywhere for rust. 115s are more prone to rust than 123s due to the metal used and the salt used when they were first brought to the US. Common points are lower front fenders and bottom rear of quarter panels. Check jack points especially

6. Check over the fuel system and all linkages. Check all hoses and filters The IP uses a leather diaphragm for the air/fuel control. If it has a hole the engine will run rough, smoke like crazy and surge under light throttle. $200 from Bosch, 30 minutes to change. Filters are readily available, and similar to all 1960s era filters. Check the Bowden cable and the engine shut-off.

7.Engine and fuel pump (IP) Lubrication: Check for oil leaks, check the engine oil filter housing area for cracks in the housing and oil seepage when the vehicle is running. Housings are sometimes over tightened or not tightened properly. Check the oil pressure after you have changed oil for the first time, check it cold AND warm. Check it in gear and in neutral if you can. So many knuckleheads use The Dipstick Brothers' house brand of gas engine oil in these cars and it makes me want to scream!

SPECIAL NOTE: The injection pump holds its own supply of oil. The drain and fill are on the side of the injection pump. Use the owner's manual and look at the spot on the side of the IP. Drain it all, fill a small lever-type oil pump with a flexible hose to squirt fresh HD 30 or diesel engine oil into this sump after you empty it. Close it up and check it out daily for about a week. Then check it weekly. You need to know how much oil it uses so it doesn't go dry. I think this is what happened to Jordaan's IP, which killed it, tho the engine is good.

Change the primer pump to the more modern one and check all flexible fuel hoses. Check out the tank strainer as well.

8. This is the first car that had all 4 disk brakes, if I remember right.. Unless your car was left in the Kalahari desert, you will have to do major maintenance on the parking brake. If your car WAS left in the Kalahari desert, watch out for the scorpion nests when you go under there!!

If you rebuild the calipers, use a little anti-seize compound in all the caliper parts where they may come in contact with brake fluid and where corrosion from the water the brake fluid attracts can hurt your brakes.

Expect to change the brake hoses at a minimum and bleed the clutch on the manual trannies.

9. Check out the vacuum pump, and the tightness of the connections to the brake booster. There are two models of vacuum pump, both are rebuildable for under 25.00 and don't require too much elbow grease.

10. You will need several odd sized Allen wrenches (7, 14, 22 at least ) and a special loose 27mm socket to take off injectors. Talk to a lot of people before you buy, get tips. One tip: used good is better than new junk

11. Your glow plugs are the larger 18mm x 1,5 mm "candle stick" type that has been around since the 1930s. They are wired in series. You can replace them with Bosch 80035 super hot plugs and start your car in no time flat. Your system does require clean contacts more than others, so you may want to think about switching to parallel-wired GPs, but that's your call.

12. If you have the misfortune (my opinion) to have a 115 with auto transmission, check the tranny fluid level and quality. It will probably need a filter and pan gasket, and some adjustment. The one good thing about the Borg-Warner TK35 used on some of these is the bragging rights: you can tell all your neighbors that the car gives the appearance of standing still when it's really moving...


--------------Any way, this is a start----------- Please feel free to add info, so we can get a solid profile of the car and its needs compiled. Then do this for every model. That would be a real help to the people who are not familiar with this car.

I like these cars, am just upset they got so badly treated after the first owner sold them.

[Lycoming-8]

Great idea and great info. Would add to your Special note to item 7, that besides going dry, these separate sump style IP's can also have diesel leak into the sump and badly dilute the oil. Owners need to have some way to suction out a portion of the fluid and determine viscosity vs some fresh oil at regular intervals.

Also, re: item 5, ours rusted thru at a couple of spots along the junction of the front floor board and the sloped toe board.

Re: item 8, the collapsed rear brake hoses caused our car to be taken off of the active driver roster. That was back before forums, so did not figure it out for quite a while. Car has been inactive so long now that it likely will never get back on the road. Too many other projects.

Re: item 9, agree that the vacuum pumps are fairly easy to rebuild, but when they fail it can be a real panic to the uninitiated. All that oil being burned when the diaphram fails causes some major blue clouds.

[vox_incognita]

-have in mind that there are 2 oil filters in the cannister-one plastic mesh full-flow and a big cylindrical by-pass one.The plastic one is reusable-plug the holes with a screw-washers-rubber-combination and rinse in fuel,then blow with compressed air.If it`s ruptured,replace.Observe the correct orientation on istallation.Do not run the car without it.Always replace the by-pass one.Always replace the oil filter cannister rubber o-ring(comes with the by-pass filter).

-The arcticles about checking timing chain stretch,valve adjustment and IP timing(drip method),delvery valve seals replacement in the DIY section apply to /8 diesels too.(verify the numbers stamped at the back of camshaft....beginning of fuel delivery...valve lash)

-Do not neglect the oil bath air filter-check and replace oil regularly.Do not overfill.

-Starting the engine with a shot pull/push knob is possible(given you have sound glow plugs).Avoid jump-starting.
-To stop the engine,just move the IP lever forwards(vehicle front).

[The220D]

Any idea where I can find a booster vacuum hose for my 1970 200D? I've searched about every online parts store I have stumbled accross, but no luck.

I rebuilt my vacuum pump about 6 months ago, but I feel like I am losing vacuum at certain times when the car is at idle and I am stepping on the brakes. The car starts to idle hard, something in the engine compartment makes a very strange noise, and the brakes seem to lose some of their power (or at least feel like they are).

[JordaanDMC-12]

This is a great thread! I believe that is what happened to my IP. Oil in these cars and in any car is a must. If any 220 out there or any car has an oil leak even a small one, REMEMBER ALWAYS CHECK ENGINE OIL LEVELS!!!!!

I had an oil leak in my 220D and it leaked a good amount in the beginning and ended up slowing down right before it went to the mechanics. I drove it up a hill and around town. I thought I would check the oil once I got back home, It was below the min and I freaked out. Drove to Auto Zone and got some oil and filled her up ASAP. Moral of story check oil!!!!!!! Even if you think you have enough, it saved my engine and it could yours too!

Strelnik, again this is a great thread and you pretty much covered all of it. IF anything else pops up I'll list it, if it already hasn't been!

[420]

Another thing to look out for is a broken power steering pump bracket.
It's not uncommon for these to break where they bolt to the front of the engine.....or so I've read.

Mine was broken there when I got the car.....it was broken when the previous owner got the car. He just held the braket in place with a C-clamp on the oil pan. I'm going to replace the bracket.

[t walgamuth]

Two weaknesses are the poor design on the alternator adjuster. Pi$$ poor design not worthy of mb. Also the ac compressor bracket is a Frankenstein monster of a POS which you have to deal with whenever the water pump needs changing.

[Colorado220]

Originally Posted by strelnik

6. Check over the fuel system and all linkages. Check all hoses and filters The IP uses a leather diaphragm for the air/fuel control. If it has a hole the engine will run rough, smoke like crazy and surge under light throttle. $200 from Bosch, 30 minutes to change. Filters are readily available, and similar to all 1960s era filters. Check the Bowden cable and the engine shut-off.

Does this surge go away after a couple min warm up?