1983 240D Shifter repair - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

1983 Old Blue · #1 06-26-2011, 07:18 AM

I am about to rebuild the manual 4 speed shifter. I was able to obtain the parts that are required. The end bushing is popping out. If anybody has attempted this repair and would like to share their experience, What to look out for? it would be appreciated.

Hip001 · #2 09-02-2011, 09:02 AM

how did it go? I'm wanting to do maintenance on mine. It has some slop in shifting.

boneheaddoctor · #3 09-02-2011, 10:05 AM

I believe TheDon recently did this.....

charmalu · #4 09-02-2011, 10:16 AM

He hasn`t been active since 6-28. new poster and no reply, probably moved on.

Charlie

boneheaddoctor · #5 09-02-2011, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charmalu

He hasn`t been active since 6-28. new poster and no reply, probably moved on.

Charlie

Good point......we hadn't noticed that.

TheDon · #6 09-02-2011, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boneheaddoctor

I believe TheDon recently did this.....

I did the bushings on the arms and rods. I havent gone into the shifter itself, yet....

1983 Old Blue · #7 09-02-2011, 01:43 PM

I finally got the nerve to attempt the repair I was able to get all the parts from my local Mercedes dealer. The shifter should be put in the neutral position and the shift rods should be marked. Removing the shifter from the car was fairly routine. The bottom of the shifter has slots where a bolt can be put in to hold the levers in the neutral position. I was very careful when dissembling the shifter. I even took pictures of the steps and noted the position of all the parts. This also was not much of a challenge. Now comes the nightmare. The reassembly. I spent the next seven hours trying to get the shift tube through the shift levers and the spring washers. I’m sure the factory has a tool to align the parts. In the end I just got lucky and they fit. The Haynes manual has a good break down of the assembly for reference. Now that all that is said, if the end bushing in the shifter assembly has not popped out I wouldn’t take the assembly apart. I think the slop may just be shift rood bushings. This is more common and a lot easier to remedy.

TheDon · #8 09-02-2011, 01:51 PM

Are you going to post those pictures with your details for each step you went through?

Your car looks amazing. Must be a FL member as well if I guess correctly.

vstech · #9 09-02-2011, 02:24 PM

Beautiful car!
I do hope you make a thread with descriptions of your process, and add in the pictures you took!
we have a DIY section full of member's instructions for performing specific maintenance on our cars, and I'd be HAPPY to add yours into the site!
thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1983 Old Blue

I finally got the nerve to attempt the repair I was able to get all the parts from my local Mercedes dealer. The shifter should be put in the neutral position and the shift rods should be marked. Removing the shifter from the car was fairly routine. The bottom of the shifter has slots where a bolt can be put in to hold the levers in the neutral position. I was very careful when dissembling the shifter. I even took pictures of the steps and noted the position of all the parts. This also was not much of a challenge. Now comes the nightmare. The reassembly. I spent the next seven hours trying to get the shift tube through the shift levers and the spring washers. I’m sure the factory has a tool to align the parts. In the end I just got lucky and they fit. The Haynes manual has a good break down of the assembly for reference. Now that all that is said, if the end bushing in the shifter assembly has not popped out I wouldn’t take the assembly apart. I think the slop may just be shift rood bushings. This is more common and a lot easier to remedy.

1983 Old Blue · #10 09-02-2011, 03:48 PM

I deleted the pictures from my camera but the drawing is a good representative of the shifter. In my case the ridge on the end bushing #23 separated allowing the bushing to pop out the end of the assembly. The only thing keeping it together was the driver side of the consul. A visual inspection can be done with the shifter assembly still in the car. If you see the white nylon end bushing moving when you shift into reverse its bad. There are three nylon parts that wear the end bushing # 23, the dampening bushing # 13, and the washer #30. These were not stock items at Mercedes but they got them the next day.
Mercedes part #:
115-267-06-76
115-267-22-50
115-267-07-50
There is a spring that holds the shift lever in. Once that is removed you can remove the two hex bolts # 21. Be careful to identify the sequence that the parts come apart (take pictures). As I said previously the hard part is in the reassembly. Getting the shift tube # 11 back in the bearing bracket # 9 means going through parts 30, 29, 28, 26, the two 26a’s . 26a’s are spring washers.
Because the end of the shift tube #11 is blunt it hangs up on one of the washers. If I didn’t get lucky, I would have spent the next day making a tapered tool that would align all the parts. If you attempt the repair you will need to clean all the metal parts and apply a liberal amount of white lithium grease. The shifter was restored to like new and I had to learn how to shift all over again because It was so tight. I hope this helps. Good luck
Tony, Nokomis FL.

phyxer · #11 09-02-2011, 08:38 PM

Those holes in the shifter arms are alignment holes. You can slide a rod through the three arms while removing the linkage and then when reinstalling. If I recall, that is neutral position. I have rebuilt three of these things and were pretty simple, just time consuming. Make sure you don't break off the plastic pin on your wood console upon removal. Most of all, remember to have fun.

Stevo · #12 09-03-2011, 11:26 AM

As I remember I made an alignment tool for those pesky washers from a piece of PVC pipe.

1983 Old Blue · #13 09-03-2011, 05:44 PM

I tried PVC pipe rounded at the edge, and a tapered wooden
wooden dowel with no help. The spring washers caused too much
tension. If I left one washer out it would be no problem but
to me that was not an option. If I ever have to do that job again
I will turn down a brass dowel to the correct dimention
and taper the end.

Tony, Nokomis, FL

GRpufnstuf · #14 09-28-2020, 12:44 PM

Hi everyone, sorry to revive this oldster but wanted to add and keep it alive for my reference too.

I rebuilt my 240d manual shifter this weekend (9/26/2020)

Pelican lists the plastic shifter bushings as NLA but I found the part #s on a few threads and they are still available through Mercedes.

A 115 267 22 50 (Urethane bushing behind steel pin/spring in steel shifter bits)

A 115 267 07 50 (spring cup)

A 115 267 06 76 (plastic spacer at shift lever side of housing)

They cost me approx $43 with tax in CA, the spring cup was $20ish and the other 2 were $9.10 each.

Pelican has the shift base in stock for $34 at this time. I may order one for my personal stock. The shift boot is in stock as well and only $11 or so. Ordering just to keep that plastic weirdness going. Maybe it adds a little spring tension to the neutral return?

I found it relatively easy to assemble once I figured out the alignment holes on the shift rods and patiently worked to shaft into the spring washers.

I could not get the small urethane bushing out of Of the steel tube of the shifter. I saw reference to a c-clip to disassemble but mine is a brass washer that is held in by a mushroomed steel rod. Doesn’t seem to hurt operation on the repair “bench”

ALSO seems like these parts could be made out of bronze and aluminum. I might take a crack at a bronze spacer and aluminum spring cup. I ordered an extra set of parts for reference .

I never found a lubricant reference but thought I should add that my original plastic parts seemed mostly rotten due to petroleum exposure and softening. I used Dielectric grease on all the plastic interface areas and only put the “good” oily grease on the moving metal to metal areas. Maybe that will keep this plastic stuff alive longer?

Thanks for all the good info in here/out there. I’ll try to thoroughly document my 240d 4spd install to my jalopy 300td and post in here when complete.

strelnik · #15 09-29-2020, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GRpufnstuf

Hi everyone, sorry to revive this oldster but wanted to add and keep it alive for my reference too.

I rebuilt my 240d manual shifter this weekend (9/26/2020)

Pelican lists the plastic shifter bushings as NLA but I found the part #s on a few threads and they are still available through Mercedes.

A 115 267 22 50 (Urethane bushing behind steel pin/spring in steel shifter bits)

A 115 267 07 50 (spring cup)

A 115 267 06 76 (plastic spacer at shift lever side of housing)

They cost me approx $43 with tax in CA, the spring cup was $20ish and the other 2 were $9.10 each.

Pelican has the shift base in stock for $34 at this time. I may order one for my personal stock. The shift boot is in stock as well and only $11 or so. Ordering just to keep that plastic weirdness going. Maybe it adds a little spring tension to the neutral return?

I found it relatively easy to assemble once I figured out the alignment holes on the shift rods and patiently worked to shaft into the spring washers.

I could not get the small urethane bushing out of Of the steel tube of the shifter. I saw reference to a c-clip to disassemble but mine is a brass washer that is held in by a mushroomed steel rod. Doesn’t seem to hurt operation on the repair “bench”

ALSO seems like these parts could be made out of bronze and aluminum. I might take a crack at a bronze spacer and aluminum spring cup. I ordered an extra set of parts for reference .

I never found a lubricant reference but thought I should add that my original plastic parts seemed mostly rotten due to petroleum exposure and softening. I used Dielectric grease on all the plastic interface areas and only put the “good” oily grease on the moving metal to metal areas. Maybe that will keep this plastic stuff alive longer?

Thanks for all the good info in here/out there. I’ll try to thoroughly document my 240d 4spd install to my jalopy 300td and post in here when complete.

I wonder if my issue is the shifter.
I get neutral and 3rd gear but cannot shift into anything else.

Or could that be something else?