This is my 1982 Mercedes 240D base model Sedan . it has 362,XXX miles and the power steering fluid (ATF) was looking pretty nasty and smelled like Navy coffee to boot so I removed the original washable typ filter and cleaned it, carefully cleaned out the fluid resivoir in the pump using lint free towels (think blue filling station window towels) and re filled it with correct Dexron/Mercon synthetic ATF .

In 100 miles with lots of lock to lock turning, it was nearly back to the original dark color so I drained (I use a turkey baster see Pic. #1) and refilled it again and will keep on doing so until it remains translucent red and smells sweet .

Sadly the input shaft weeps a little bit so Tom came by and picked me up, we headed to Stanton, Ca. (the poor part of Orange County) where I'd located two W123 Diesel Mercedes in different if nearby junkyards .

The first yard's exact year and model car (1981 W123 240D) had only been there 8 days yet it looked like a turkey carcass three days after Thanksgiving.....

Sigh .

Tom found a nice, matching color & upholstery pattern driver's seat for his 1987 W126, I think it was about $65 including the core deposit and the electric motors, they charge separately for seat motors .

It took me less than an hour to get it out, I shoulda done it in 15 ~ 20 minutes but my broken hand makes things very slow these days .

Tom had to help me lift the seat out of the car, I thought it weighed 75 #, he said more like 35 but between the two of us it was easy .

Off we went to the second junkyard where I found several W126's in decent shape, all were gassers though and so used double sheave pulleys, this won't work on a W123 OM616/617 Diesel Diesel engine as the Diesel's single sheave alignment is different .

I finally spotted a lone 1983 300D mostly intact, , looked in the PS resivoir and the filter was gone missing from when they'd drained all the fluids before placing it out in the yard but the fluid residue smelled sweet and was RED as ATF should so I dismounted and bought it, $35. including core charges and the original hardware and threaded adjuster etc. such a deal ~ no warranty of course ~ I never buy warranties on used parts .

I also bought some seat belts for a guy's 1981 300TD, he's been frantic looking for the middle belt in the rear seat, I found him a nice one with the receiver and everything .

I also finally figured out how to remove the cruise control amplifier, Brian mentioned _one_ bolt holding it in place a long time ago, it's a 10MM ATF bolt that you need to use a 4" 1/4" drive extension going over the dash to firewall support on, then it comes right out and drops the C.C. amp. & bracket right in your hand . (it's still a serious PIA to access though)

I just found a guy who repairs them cheaper than Programma in Florida and does a better job too as he automatically replaces the thirty year old capacitors and they normally don't and this is 1/2 of what causes them to fail, along with the 'cold' solder joints .

The junkyard called the C.C. amp a 'relay' and charged me $11.45 for it, at this price if it works I'm golden, if not I'll mail it off for repair and still be ahead .

Also couple little tidbits like original oil and fuel caps with Mercedes logos and NO RUST, the plastic covers for rockerbox shifting valves and 'Just So' original hardware, Cheese head screws, full band hose clamps with Mercedes logos and the normal stuff that gets lost or tossed over the decades but makes the car reliable and safer when you drive it daily to the ends of the Earth as I do .

I can't stand up straight after all this work but I'm washed and happy, I hope to get this pump cleaned up and installed to - morrow after my fun & pain filled O.T. session .

I'm sure there are many details I forgot but I'm blotto after this long hard day .

It's now Saturday and I've managed to clean the outside of the pump but nothing inside, _yet_ .

I -did- discover the source of my coolant leak and have ordered the necessary heater hose .

Whew .

I am loving this Retirement deal ~ I work until I want to stop then flop ion my recliner until I'm ready to go again .

It began raining Friday so I took part of to - day (Saturday) off (after, of course, I rescued my new radiator and drove 44 miles on 'empty' to source more unobtanium parts), I spent several pleasant hours in my recliner, electric heater gently warming me and my pups who took up Supervisory positions in my lap .

Life is good, *very* good right now .

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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

Wanna come clean mine out? Please? Mine looks like it's circulating baby poo! So far I'm up to 4 flushes and still coming out nasty! I suspect it had never been changed in the life of the car, truly vile!

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Current stable:
1995 E320 149K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 120K (SLoL)

Black Sheep:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

No need for ATF in the power steering pump. It isn't the 1980's anymore. The world has moved on. The ATF from yester-year isn't chemically the same.

Use real synthetic power steering fluid. This stuff:



Also throw the old filter away. I don't care if it looks reusable, it's not. If you want to truly flush the system, you need to unscrew the low pressure line and put it in a bucket or something. Fill the fluid up as someone is turning lock to lock to flush all the old fluid. Don't let it get to low or you'll suck air in the system and be in trouble. Just pulling all the fluid out while there is still a bunch in the lines does nothing. All that flesh fluid just gets contaminated over and over again.

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'80 300SD - '83 240D - '00 E55 AMG - '02 G500

? Have you ever actually tried that ? I have and it went through a gallon of fluid in about 45 seconds ~ no way I could keep up with the flow and as you correctly pointed out : allowing the pump to run dry even briefly is death .

With 362,XXX miles on ATF I'll stick with it .

Thanx for the heads up on that filter, fifty years ago they were used as fuel, air and tranny filters and we washed them out and re used .

I'll add a few paper element ones to my next Pelican Parts order .

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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

No ;

I'm plenty busy working on three old W123 Diesels plus a yard full of vintage vehicles needing attention .

You'll just have to clean that sludge out of the P.S. system your ownself .

It's not terribly hard, I've done it many times on many vehicles . takes time and effort to do a good job .

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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

Don't run the engine when flushing. Simply lift the wheels and turn steering lock to lock. This works on anything old. Lo pressure line stays connected to the box and the low pressure port from the pump is plugged or at least prevented from leaking.

@Harv, why would you put high dollar synthetic in a system that has worked for 30 yrs on $10/gallon Red Merc?

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85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

I'll throw out that a Chrysler TSB a few years ago recommends switching all older p.s. systems to ATF+4 when doing major repairs and their new cars started shipping w/ ATF+4. I assume that applies to my 1960's Mopars too. Most brands are fully synthetic. I expect that means no concerns using ATF in p.s., unless someone can point out anything different in our M-B systems. My 2002 Chrysler uses a "Toyota" p.s. pump, according to the sheet w/ a rebuilt one I got, and Chrysler and M-B were integrated for a while and shared parts like transmissions.

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

Just take the plug out of the bottom of the steering box and drain it too.

THANX ! .

I'd forgotten all about that plug .

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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

Highly Recommended :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonnie_Prudden

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pain-Erasure-The-Bonnie-Prudden-Way-by-Prudden-Bonnie/142080915443?epid=779898&hash=item2114aeb7f3:g:mhEAAOSwIFtaELtZ

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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

THANK YOU very much .

I have multiple back and neck injuries , fused vertibrae and so on plus my mangled hand and arm so I have to be very cautious in the excersizes I do now.

I'm supposed to be dead yet I'm beginning to pick up my tools again and looking forward to trying to ride a Moto again .

Forward, *gently & carefully* forward ! .

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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

FWIW, this guy likes to use plain jane tractor hydraulic fluid. It's dirt cheap.

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

Fair enough but there's a reason they specify ATF and also a reason why most P.S. pumps on old Mercedes keep working just fine for 400,000 + miles......

I have a case of the TD ALC fluid but I won't be using it in my TD's pump .

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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

Mine is leaking like a sieve... it's thrown so much fluid around my engine bay it's difficult to tell what's come from what. Certainly the front seal is leaking and internally who knows what else. Considered doing a rebuild but found a nicely rebuilt ZF pump for $75 shipped.

Your pump will keep on pumping until the end of the world even if you filled it with butterfat. It's your steering box that won't appreciate the ATF. Apparently, the steering boxes had a tendency to die prematurely even as far back as the lates 80s and 90s.

My box has been leaking after I sprayed down the steering coupler with some penetrating fluid in anticipation of replacing it.

Not looking forward to doing that job. Planning on doing the piping and everything.

Apparently, you can get rebuilt steering boxes with tighter turning gears that reduce the turning radius. Definitely planning on doing this once I have the time.

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-Typos courtesy of my mobile phone.