As the title states- im going on a journey tonight in my '83 300d and was curious about a few things.

I've never taken the car out of town, but it has been rock solid for the past ~3,000 miles.

So, just briefly, here are some things that could be of concern that I have done in the past 3k miles.

Oil change
All new belts
New water pump
New alternator/voltage regulator
New engine mounts
Both fuel filters
Front wheel bearing
Brake pads + rotors
Trans fluid/filter change
Rebuilt injectors
5 New bosch glow plugs
Air filter
Valve adjustment
Rear axle fluid change


So here are my concerns-

One is this center piece of the driveshaft- is it supposed to look like this? With the splines exposed? i have never owned/worked on/driven/ or ridden in a w123 before purchasing this one. So bear with me

https://www.flickr.com/photos/137222699@N06/shares/Sob98B


The second concern- Belts. When i got the car, the alternator bracket was broken (the one mounting to the engine), and before i replaced it, the belts were riding on this hose pictured below the fan.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/137222699@N06/shares/A85764

I have since fixed all of this, and the belts are all tight except for the a/c compressor one. I thought (for whatever reason) that this hose was for oil cooling, but after closer examination, it is just a hose for the A/C system correct? If it did end up breaking on my trip, i could still drive? My a/c has never worked, that is a whole different project for another time. So not like i have working a/c.

Thanks in advance. trip will be about 700 miles round trip, straight i20 interstate driving the whole way. Bringing a full size spare, jack, and toolbox

Car does not overheat, i have let it run for 4-6 hour periods, idling for alot of it, and it barely tips over 80 Celsius.

Anything else to check?

Seems like you stay on top of your maintenance you should have no problem. I regularly do 700 mile trips with my 85 300SD had to trailer it all the way home ounce because of a blown torque convertor and just barely made it back ounce because of a blown prechamber due to bad fuel injector both things caught me by surprise but driving such old cars long distances all things break sooner or later. For peace of mind join AAA, carry a flashlite, cheap multimeter, and couple of basic tools. I use my SD as a daily driver and in the span of about 10 yrs. have had to trailer it home about 4 times.

In-town driving is far more demanding on a car than highway driving with the exception of a couple of areas: wheel bearing and tires.

You've listed "wheel bearing" as recent work, so after you've driven about twenty miles or so, pull off and check the temperature of your wheels - don't use your hand unless you would like a burn. Compare left side to right side, front and back. An abnormally hot wheel could be cause by either bearings or brakes.

Check the date codes on your tires, make sure your spare is holding pressure and you've got the jack and tools and wheel blocks to change the tire on the side of the road.

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Respectfully,
/s/
M. Dillon
'87 124.193 (300TD) "White Whale", ~392k miles, 3.5l IP fitted
'95 124.131 (E300) "Sapphire", 380k miles
'73 Balboa 20 "Sanctification"
Charleston SC

How's the radio? 700 miles with no music is going to be a looooong ride.

__________________
$60 OM617 Blank Exhaust Flanges
$110 OM606 Blank Exhaust Flanges
No merc at the moment

I think the driveshaft splines showing like that is OK. I haven't been under there much and never fooled with the center bearing, but don't recall a boot there. Google Images or FSM photos would answer.

There is no oil hose on the R side of the engine, other than one of the short tranny cooler hoses. Can't tell what the larger hose it, but I think you are right about it being the high-pressure AC hose, which runs from the compressor to the L side of the engine, going up behind the alternator, routed fwd of the oil pan. In my 2 300D's, I re-routed it straight over to the condenser fitting, supporting it at the radiator support bottom. There is a ~1" D coolant hose which runs from radiator bottom to coolant reservoir lower fitting, but it runs outside the main radiator hose (~1.5"D) so wouldn't be in your photo. It is a fairly cheap hose and still available.

I would worry most about the coolant hoses. If any show cracks, replace them. If your aux water pump is leaking at the shaft (R side, front), I would just remove it and install a length of 5/8"D silicone heater hose (I did). It is useless and can only cause problems.

Also, insure you have plenty of gap between the p.s. belt and the oil cooler hoses. When the L motor mount sags, the belt can saw thru the top oil hose w/ disastrous results. That happened to my 1984 300D when my son was driving home 600 miles, but fortunately must have happened near our house since still a few quarts left in the pan, but it sprayed oil all under the hood.

If the vacuum pump on the front of the engine starts making a clacking sound, that means the roller's bearing fell apart and the arm is dragging on the "ski ramp". Happened to my 1985 300D, again w/ my son driving home. The arm was half worn thru after ~100 mi driving. Once it wears thru and slides into the timing chain, the engine can be destroyed (not the smartest design).

Overall, your car will be much more reliable than many modern cars. Once running, the engine needs no electricity, so all you will loose is headlights and tail-lights after the battery is drawn down, so just drive slow in emergency lane until the sun rises, then keep rolling. Get a cheap cigarette-lighter voltmeter ($6 HF) to monitor the charging so no surprises (should be >13.5 V engine running). Electrical problems are the first thing to strand a car, w/ over-heating next. Most modern cars have aluminum heads which can warp from even a single boil-over. Your cast-iron heads are much more forgiving, but don't tempt fate. Many new cars ship w/ no spare today and just a can of "tire seal". Studies found that most men today are nancy-boys who won't even attempt to change a wheel, even the guys driving big trucks who pose like a fix-it guy.

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1984 & 1985 CA 300D's
1964 & 65 Mopar's - Valiant, Dart, Newport
1996 & 2002 Chrysler minivans

1. check/fill all tires, including the spare, to the recommended tire pressure.
2. confirm that you have the tire jack and tools necessary to change a flat, should one occur. don't forget the reflective warning triangle and road flares.
3. check wiper fluid level and make sure wipers operate smoothly and correctly with no streaking or squeaks or stutters. replace wiper blades if needed.
4. check all the exterior light bulbs to ensure they all work, headlamps, brake lights, turn signals, etc.
5. dont forget to bring a charger for your cell phone
6. I don't see brake fluid flush/change on your maintenance list. If it has been more than 2 years, or you don't know how long it has been, the fluid is overdue to be changed.
7. I assume when you replaced the water pump, you also drained/replaced the coolant with brand new coolant and distilled water, rather than re-using the old stuff?
8. In the trunk, I would bring a spare quart of oil and jug of engine coolant. That way if you need to top-up while on the road, you have the correct fluids on-hand.
9. Carry a complete spare set of belts with you. If a belt shreds or breaks, you can always get a tow to the nearest corner service station, but if they don't have the belt in-stock, you're stranded. Best to have the new belts with you on-hand.

__________________
1998 E300 turbodiesel

America's Rights and Freedoms Are Not The Enemy!

I second the AAA membership
on a car this old .. well , on any car.... you really can't tell what might break ...

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1980 240d ,

chain elongation, cam marks reference:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?threadid=10414

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/305365-9-degrees-chain-stretch.html

evap fin cleaning:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=156207&highlight=evaporator

A/C thread

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/297462-c-recommendations-mb-vehicles.html

Thanks for all of the rapid replies everyone. coolant was changed and radio works good, just put new speakers in

I need to change the brake fluid, it has not been done.

Wish me the best everyone. Not sure why i am more scared to go in this car vs my 2010 mercedes

The splines do stick out because you're missing a rubber boot that covers all that. See that groove in the large nut? Thats where it attaches.

Speaking from experience, there is nothing like being 500 miles from home and experiencing a major mechanical failure. You then get to talk to the local MB dealership who may show mercy on you but then may not. And, with many parts for these older MBs showing NLA at the dealership, you now have another problem. And just try and find a local indy who knows what they are doing at 10:00 PM at night. As soon as they find out you are from out of town, cha-ching!! there goes the cash register.

I was just speaking with a friend about this very thing last evening. Around town I have no problem traveling in these old benzers. A long trip is another matter altogether. Once upon a time, I had a 300D develop overheating issues 500 miles from home. Had to check into a hotel, try and find a water pump and change it out in the hotel parking lot while other hotel guests stared at me. NEVER AGAIN.

Nowadays I simply rent a car from one of the well known national chains. If anything breaks while out on the road, they will REPLACE the car at no charge. No wrenching, no parts chasing, I simply get to enjoy lower blood pressure while out on a long distance trip. It may cost a few nickels to rent but if you shop around you can find some good deals; your peace of mind is worth SOMETHING.

AAA with the premium membership for loooooong tows home.

It's priceless when you need it.

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1981 240D Four on the floor, Orient Red over Parchment, bought with 154,000 but it's a daily driver and up to 180,000 miles, mostly original paint and all original interior.

Please let us know how your trip went .

In 2016 I drove my aging (300,000 + miles) 1982 240D with less than 200 # compression on #1 cylinder three weeks to Az, Nev. NM etc., sure it was slow up the hills but I had a great time and never worried one bit .

Take care of the basics and have a good trip, I always do .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Car performed flawlessly on the way there, heading home right now, currently about 2.5 hrs out.

New found love for the little $400 w123. Now to fix the A/C.

Good to hear - make a thread for your AC work, I’ve got to begin contemplating tackling mine this spring.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good for you. I knew you would be fine. I have a 300CD that now has 344k miles. It is my daily drive and in the past two years has gone on one 2500 mile and one 1700 milr trip. We are planning to tour the Florida panhandle in April, another 2500 mile trip.

I would rather drive it than our 2008 E320 or my F150 pickup. The old Benz is dead nuts reliable and if fate does deal us a low blow I can fix it myself on the road.