Getting my 74 240 ready for 27th GTG, questions - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

JB3 · #1 08-17-2011, 11:15 AM

Car has been sitting in my ownership for over a year, and before that, unknown, but its been sitting a long long time.

However, It starts, and drives, so im going to try and drive it a couple hundred miles down to Chad's MB fest.

Im changing engine oil, diff oil, tranny oil, fuel and oil filters, air filter, and ill be taking along some coolant, but whats in there passes a hydrometer test so Ill leave it for now.

question-
I want to change the MT shifter bushings before I leave cause its seriously sloppy, are there two types like on the later 123 4-speeds? I saw only one type on buy mb parts, but two types on fast lane.

also- anyone in the RI area want to convoy down to the GTG, let me know. Im going cross CT on rt 66/6 to 15 and down from there for a nice slower country drive part since I have no top end.

Palangi · #2 08-17-2011, 09:08 PM

Just a word of caution....

Changing the oil filter on that beast can be a real adventure if you have not done it before. Guaranteed to be very messy the first time.

On an old one like this, the engine mounts may be collapsed enough to make it hard to get the filter can out. You may have to jack the engine up an inch or so.

Pay attention to which way the plastic filter disk goes. Clean and re-use.

Make sure the o-ring seats correctly.

Careful not to cross thread the bolt.

JB3 · #3 08-17-2011, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Palangi

Just a word of caution....

Changing the oil filter on that beast can be a real adventure if you have not done it before. Guaranteed to be very messy the first time.

On an old one like this, the engine mounts may be collapsed enough to make it hard to get the filter can out. You may have to jack the engine up an inch or so.

Pay attention to which way the plastic filter disk goes. Clean and re-use.

Make sure the o-ring seats correctly.

Careful not to cross thread the bolt.

Thanks for the tip, just put it up in the air and had a long look at that, Ill go back and see if the engine mounts might make an issue with the filter can, it did look awful close.

Also identified the shifter slop, its all on the shifter end, and looks like the small plastic sleeves like on fast lane.

Tune up for the drive list is now-

-Oil filter and oil
-Power steering filter
-air filter
-fuel prefilter and main filter, is there an in tank filter on the 115?
-front sway bar links
-MT fluid change
-diff oil change
-4ct exhaust hangars
-I need a total of 14 standard lugs, ive got 10 shorties holding on bundts on the front, and 3 of the correct lug per tire on the rear.
headlights
-also may do something about the tires, have 3 different sizes on there now, rear tires are fine and match, but fronts are two different tires, one much larger

Other than that, it actually looks pretty solid with the exception of some dry cracked axle boots which im not going to fix at this time

Stretch · #4 08-18-2011, 03:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dropnosky

...
question-
I want to change the MT shifter bushings before I leave cause its seriously sloppy, are there two types like on the later 123 4-speeds? I saw only one type on buy mb parts, but two types on fast lane.

...

You should talk to junqueyardjim about manual transmission shifter bushings - he's recently been busy with 'em...

JB3 · #5 08-24-2011, 09:55 AM

ordered the wrong shifter bushings, I have 3ct auto tranny bushings, not 3 manual tranny stick to linkage bushings, which I need. Anyone know the correct part number for these bushings on a 1974 115? I will need to next day or 2 day some from the fastlane guys if any are available.

If not, ill try and cobble something together.

Chad300tdt · #6 08-24-2011, 10:12 AM

My only advice is to check this thread.
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=252249&highlight=w115+fuse+box

JB3 · #7 08-24-2011, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chad300tdt

My only advice is to check this thread.
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=252249&highlight=w115+fuse+box

Checking under the fuse box at lunch. Thanks Chad

JB3 · #8 08-24-2011, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dropnosky

Checking under the fuse box at lunch. Thanks Chad

amazingly, not a single thing under there, but I can see how quick that space can fill up. I might add some kind of shield to prevent that if I park the car outside.

JB3 · #9 08-24-2011, 04:50 PM

phil is coming through for me, correct bushings coming my way, hopefully here by friday (should be).

Part numbers are-

Your shift ends at transmission are W0133-1637822
(could not buy just the rubber bushings for some reason, only the entire end is available, might cross fit with some 123 bushings I may have somewhere, I should be able to check once the new ones are here)

Bushings at linkage to shifter are W0133-1644080

JB3 · #10 09-12-2011, 09:41 AM

so everything thats ever been said about the mess of changing the oil on one of the 115s is true.

First I started by using a sealed top catch basin. Big mistake, the drain plug on this motor is so huge, over an inch across, that the draining oil will overflow this style catch basin in about 3 seconds. Open top is the only way

Second, after covering yourself with oil draining the pan, you then get to remove this steel canister which is of course full of about 3 cups of oil, that you will then tip onto yourself while its also leaking from the loosened bolt on the bottom. Imagine an overflowing glass of water with a hole in the bottom. When you open it, it will also drain a bunch of oil out onto the frame which will travel in all directions

There is also a separate prefilter on top of the actual oil element, I need to get another of these, but once you dump the oil out of the canister, you have to pull out the entire threaded central rod to replace the seal on that, which will spill yet more oil that was collected down in the bottom of the canister that had not already leaked out.

I did this on a lift, and I still managed to make an enormous mess with oil

katja · #11 09-15-2011, 01:17 AM

LOL...I did my first few changes on my friend's lift....maybe that's why he won't let me use it any more. I really spattered a lot of oil.

I have the new style oil pan now, which has a normal drain plug. Much nicer. Also, I've learned to let the oil drain from the loosened bolt in the filter canister before removing it entirely. And I learned the value of kitty litter (though those black spots do add visual interest to the garage floor). Last time, I changed my oil & filter on the ground without even jacking the car up, and spilled very little. I'm getting better at it...though I still hate trying to get the canister back into place...not much clearance there and hard to do by feel.

Now, on to the "oil bath" air filter. I think they call it that for more than one reason...

JB3 · #12 09-28-2011, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by katja

Now, on to the "oil bath" air filter. I think they call it that for more than one reason...

went to change this with the WIX paper element that was sold to me for this vehicle, and having never seen an oil bath air filter.

Clearly, the wix element is for the wrong vehicle, how do you service this mesh screen? Do you soak it or spray it out? Looked pretty clean to me. Here is something I never would have thought could be said- The oil level on my air filter was correct, and the oil was fresh, despite a few dead floating bugs.

New issue, its not charging at all anymore. Was weak when I first started playing with it, but not anymore.

Palangi · #13 09-28-2011, 08:23 PM

Clean the filter element with kerosene or similar. Do not use something volatile like gasoline. (I used to keep a spare filter so I could just swap them and clean at my leisure).

Muck out the old oil with towels or stray cats or whatever is available. Refill to the arrow mark with engine oil. It only takes about one inch.

katja · #14 09-28-2011, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Palangi

Muck out the old oil with towels or stray cats or whatever is available.

Here, kitty kitty!

Reminds me of my former all-white cat that liked to sit under the Peugeot diesel my parents used to have....he developed a nice black spot on his back.

Now, as for the charging issue....my unscientific diagnosis says you likely need a new alternator, though you might want to check the belts first. I remember something about the "star" -like bolt that adjusts the alternator in & out to tension the belt, was difficult to get a grip on when I was messing with it a few years ago after a belt started to make noise. I had to take the car to my friend's as he had a better selection of tools than I do, because I would've stripped that adjuster completely if I had kept working on it.

JB3 · #15 09-29-2011, 09:56 AM

Alternator looks pretty new and belts are newish and well tensioned, ive ordered another voltage regulator first to see if that fixes the issue, but a complete new alternator is pretty reasonable on the online retailers, so if the regulator does not fix it, ill pull the entire thing and get it tested, then maybe replace it.

Thanks for the info on the oil bath filter, is there any reason why this would be desirable to keep? Basically, id like to pull it and replace the canister with a later paper filter canister that I have.

replaced the front sway bar links, and still have to resolve the shifter bushing issue. The ones I got from Phil were actually not correct on the shifter end, im thinking it might be a later shifter assembly, its using later 123 bushings. The main problem too is not the bushings, but the actual nubbin on the bottom of the shifter that connects to the linkage is loose. I have to spot weld that back into place, then replace the bushing.

2 weeks till the rescheduled meet on the 8th! gotta get this sucker drivable

also pulled all my damaged and bent trim off the sides since I was missing some incredibly expensive pieces of that trim. I like the look of a trimless 115, I may fill in the holes when it comes time to do body work on this car.

Long term its gonna be two tone, haven't decided on the color combination yet, but it won't be dark brown any more. Im sorry if you are a big fan of the brown, but 37 years as that hideous color are too long for any car!