Former owner was a *****. 1978 300D
 

well, after i have the 1978 300D since 3 weeks now, i have fixed quite some problems:

• replaced the old loop style in series plugs with pen style plugs parallel wired,
• fixed some vacuum problems because the car wouldn't shut off,
• the voltage regulator and alternator didn't have a good connection (corrosion between the connection),
• the steering box was wrongly adjusted,
• the exhaust resonator broke off

• and yesterday i realized that a belt was squealing, i realized it was the V-belt (Alternator / fan belt) and tried to tighten it.

Then, i realized, the tightening bolt (with the geared head) is sticking out and cut into the alternator impeller wings. Of course there was no nut on the back to prevent the bolt from moving out..... This problem of course caused the belt to break, because the bracket slid down and prevented the alternator from turning.


All i can say. the guy i bought it from was full of Sh** .....as he stated that the car had :


new glow plugs,
new exhaust,
NO rust (some areas are rusted through, underneath a thick layer of under floor paint which i recognized today after a thorough inspection......).


Guess it was my fault not to inspect the car for at least an hour, but he sounded like a decent and honest guy....




fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me...




But i am still pleased with the car because it's easy to work on.


The belt change today was about 15 minutes all together.....




Sorry for the rant, but i'd wish the guy would be right here in my garage with me and doors closed and the volume of the music all the way up.... :mad:

The alternator belt also turns the water pump. Did you overheat?

Welcome
 

Some of this may help you

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/321775-welcome-fleet-1976-w115-114-300d-dark-green.html


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Yes, but i realized pretty quick, and i turned around, head gasket is still tight and engine runs smooth.

Just wait until you discover you have no heat but in deforest....

All the horse hair padding in the seats have crumbled, leaving only skin and springs.....

Oh and the last piece de resistant....you start burning a quart of oil per 200 miles...

Welcome to first Gen w123 ownership...:D

uuuh, i do know that i only have heat in defrost,

aaaaaaand, i know that the seats are worn out,

but: the oil is fine for now......

Welcome to vintage car ownership. First rule is never trust the seller.

I bought my 300SD over a year ago. The original asking price was $1200. I knew that I was not going to be looking at a peach. I caught about half of the things that need to be replaced. The rest I found out about later. I used what I found to get the car for $850 cash. I would have walked away if the engine did not start like it did. The battery had two feet in the grave and was sinking quickly. When the seller tried to start the car, I thought "no way this POS is going to start with a battery that dead." She popped off alright! I swear I could have cranked the engine faster with a ratchet wrench. I realized the engine had some pretty good compression to start at that slow of a crank speed.

Thousands of dollars later and over a year's worth of weekends, the car is getting to be pretty respectable. It needs paint but I have done tons of work to it from fixing oil leaks to rebuilding the injectors and getting the window slides replaced. The whole time, it has been my daily driver and never left me stranded. My plan is to restore and upgrade the car to the point where it is in show-room condition. ...or close to it...