1983 300D Tear-down Photos - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

BillGrissom · #1 03-04-2021, 04:00 PM

Photos as I disassemble a 1983 300D. Hope this helps anyone who is digging around under the dash blind, as I have before. The photos show how the dash is installed and parts fit. Let me know if you'd like any more photos. Anybody around Sacramento who needs any odd body hardware or bulky parts, let me know (re description below). I'm keeping the parts which often fail for my own cars.

I was gifted a 300D by a guy who needed it gone after his son put the engine in a Toyota. Flat-towed it home and stripping parts I might use someday. Mostly needed the left fender and hood to repair a crash from my daughter running a red light, but many other good parts, since I own two 300D. No chance of restoring it since all doors and windshields were gone. The body has a purty modern paint color (light grey-blue). It was abandoned at a body shop before the prior owner bought it for the engine.

The dash secures to the body at 4 points. Pry up each front speaker cover (remove 1 small Phillips screw) to find a larger Phillips screw which goes into a body bracket below. The other two points are at the lower aft side of the dash (towards seats), a hex nut. You must remove the headlamp switch, and the foam tube (disintegrated?) to the cabin temp sensor (middle top of dash). Once pulled away, disconnect the front speakers. I recall those are the only attachments, put check the photos.

The headlamp switch befuddled me before. Since little risk, I pried harder on the knob and it just pulls off, a bit strange since you normally pull it to actuate the fog lamps, but maybe my prybar pushed on a release. I gave up previously on one of my cars since didn't want to break anything and thought there might be a hidden Allen screw. Under the knob is a large hex, which a 15/16" socket fit. Then push the switch thru the dash. It is likely stuck on the foam, so no fear.

The plastic defroster ducts are attached with bent tabs, but unlikely you would need to replace them. The steering column is 2 pieces. The lower part is collapsible (safety reg), and its square end fits into the power steering gear.

cmac2012 · #2 03-04-2021, 09:54 PM

Good stuff. Knowing where and how to pry on interior parts is golden. I mentioned elsewhere that I have more than a few times gone to boneyards to practice on interior parts with a near zero chance of being sold. Just find a badly cracked dash or the like and practice on that.

BillGrissom · #3 03-04-2021, 10:21 PM

Perhaps the best reason to know how to dig into the dash is to replace a leaking heater core. That is an intimidating job. One guy reported it took him 3 days to replace it. He ended up reusing his since the Behr replacements cost >$300 and his looked OK other than leaking at the rubber gasket. He just crimped the aluminum fingers tighter. If true, you might instead seal yours. While in there, I'm trying to figure how to easily remove the climate box of my other cars with the center console in place.

I did that on my 1984, isolating it and running a solution of block seal (silicates like pottery glaze) heated on a camp stove, using a spare aux water pump to circulate it. I let it dry several days, then squirted in silicone Flex Seal thru a tube poked down the heater core tube.

Fixed the leak, though after 10 years I smell a little coolant when I first turn on the heater. But, no measurable coolant loss, so must just be a few drops. The smell goes away after driving a bit.

charmalu · #4 03-05-2021, 01:31 AM

Good info Bill. Digging into the Dash can be one of those dark areas most
do not want to enter.

I learned my education on these W123 in PNP taking them all apart.
I have removed probably 15 dashes and removed the manual climate
control ac/heat box from several 240D. The whole ac/heat box from
PNP is some where over $60.

Here is a good thread DMorrison did several years go on a 300TD and 240D
taking the Dash apart to get into the Evaporator. Very detailed.

PeachPartsWiki: Replacing the A/C Evaporator

These Wiki DIY Threads use to be easy to find.

Charlie

BillGrissom · #5 03-06-2021, 10:43 PM

More photos as I salvage every part I might ever need. Considering cutting off the rear quarter panels since those are hard to find and idiots crunching your car there is common. I removed the sunroof assembly today. I took 2 photos of the overall sunroof as it was dropped from the ceiling, but gone from my phone, so just a few shots. I had left it mostly detached, hanging by the drain tubes and went in to get my phone, got distracted for 30 min, heard a bang outside and found it dropped on its own, so slightly bent the control cable tube (as shown), though not kinked so saving it. I show the tube temporarily attached to show it routes. Reinstalling the the sunroof assembly over that tube might be tricky since it bolts up to the rear and extends deep into the sunroof. To fool with that tube, you would need to remove the Given the turns, I doubt you could slide the tube aft much. You would likely need to angle the sunroof upward at the rear. Seems you would need to have either the front seats out or the windshield out to remove the sunroof assembly. Easy for me since no seats or doors.

The only way I worked the sunroof tube out was to detach it from the motor in the trunk. That requires opening the motor assembly and removing the drive gear to slide the tube holder out. The tube can then be pulled out forward. Most people would never need to replace it, just the cable inside which pulls out after driving it forward with the motor. Many here worry about the rubber drain tubes at each corner. The rubber was still flexible and like new in this 1983, which apparently was last in San Francisco (minimal summer sun). Some say you could poke a hole when cleaning the sunroof drains, but the rubber is very thick so you would have to be forceful. I just use a jet of water. The aft tubes are very short as shown. The front tubes are ~2 ft long and exit in the door jamb (can see end of tube there).

One photo shows the dash with most parts out. That might help you understand how components attach. Many likely wondered how to remove the rain gutter trim and sunroof drains behind the rear doors. The trim pops off by prying it off at the bottom then sliding upward. Be careful where the front and aft section meet since there is a very thin metal rod under the black rubber top. It broke on one side (or already broken), but the trim is still useable. At the aft, under the trim is a flat plastic louver which covers the drain openings, secured by 3 plastic clips as shown. The clips have releases to remove from the body openings.

The horizontal trim below the sunroof drains is tricky to remove properly. I didn't figure it out until I had mangled the holes where the main part secures to the body with 3 sheet-metal screws. To get at the screwheads, you are supposed to detach the insert by sliding it aft so the square knobs align with the locking holes. Good luck. Even after getting it on the bench, I had to tap the square plastic locks thru the holes with a punch and hammer, so you would likely bend the insert it trying to properly pull it out.

BillGrissom · #6 03-06-2021, 10:45 PM

Photos 6-8.

charmalu · #7 03-07-2021, 02:33 AM

That horizontal trim piece in post#5, I screwed up one on my 85 till I figured
how it`s attached.
As I remember on the second one, I slid a thin flat screwdriver under the
wide part, and lifted it up, but holding it flat with my other hand, to keep
it from curling up. Then worked toward the rear pried up and the tabs pop
out of the plastic inserts.
Then take out the philip screws.

I late Ir pulled a few at PNP for spares, of course they are a different color
paint.

Strip off the paint, and the strip is aluminum and it can be polished to
look like chrome. Looks real nice on a darker car.

Charlie

BillGrissom · #8 03-27-2021, 02:19 AM

Totally stripped and about to sell the body for scrap metal. I decided to salvage the quarter-panels since those must be hard to source today and I would hate trying to remove one at PicNPull. Never cut one off before and knew it would be tough. In contrast, front fenders just unbolt. Not sure I approached it best since took a day. The 2nd one went quicker. The trickiest part is at the C-pillar, where several sheet-metal pieces and brackets come together and hard to get a cut-off wheel in there. The bottom rear door is also tricky cutting. Check the photo descriptions for locations. Perhaps the photos will help someone else work the metal.

I went thru about 8 cheap Harbor Freight abrasive wheels. Only takes a few tools, which I show. A special spot-weld cutter (mini hole saw) makes quick work at the door opening. The crashed brown hood and fender are from my 1985.

I show my 1985 with the donor sheet-metal and how I bent the front frame rails back so the donor hood aligns with the radiator support latch. I hope to match the paint code to finish painting it the color of the donor, which has fresh paint from being abandoned at a body shop. I swapped the trunk to get that paint, moving the 1985 trunk to my 1984 since its trunk had a dent I previously repaired, but unmolested is better.

I was tentative about taking the suspension, but figured why not since I recalled spending a full day 30 years ago searching every junkyard in Atlanta for a front hub for my 1969 Dart w/ 9" drums and no luck. The rear independent suspension is very heavy. Fortunately, no springs got me, though a jack did slip on the front suspension and parts moved fast, but I had a chain around the spring to secure it. Might have been bad otherwise. I do have a good inside spring compressor, but it is slightly too large to fit down the puny hole that M-B provided in the spring tower (need a special compressor or enlarge that hole). The transmission bell-housing is broken at the bottom (not me), so I'll just salvage the internal hard parts. Always wanted to see a M-B transmission innards anyway.

BillGrissom · #9 03-27-2021, 02:25 AM

more photos

BillGrissom · #10 03-27-2021, 02:27 AM

more

BillGrissom · #11 03-27-2021, 02:32 AM

more photos

BillGrissom · #12 03-27-2021, 02:36 AM

1985 frame rail repair and donor parts