1980 450SL Resurection advice?
 

I am currently getting the old girl out of long term storage and gradually waking her up.

Unfortunately money and time were on the short side for the last few years and I have only recently had any of either.

So here's the situation so far...

I started by draining the fuel tank and flushing it with fresh gas.

Then I replaced the battery and crossed my fingers and turned the key...

Lots of cranking but it wouldn't catch.

I figured the fuel pump had gone south while it was in storage.

So back to my parts place for a new pump...

Got home and 45 minutes later the new pump and filter were installed.

Nothing... This led me to think I had a dead relay...

So in to the passenger side kick panel and pulling out the glove box liner.

I found the relay and pulled it out.

Back to the parts house and $134.00 later I have a new relay.

Plugged in the new relay and turned the key again... Nothing!

Cranks like hell but no fire.

So I poured a little gas in the throat...turned the key and we have ignition for about 5 seconds.

So at this point I am getting air and spark but no fuel.

There's a head scratcher, new fuel pump and new relay...no fuel getting to the engine?

So I consulted a guy from our forum and he advised me to jump terminal 30 and terminal 87 on the plug for the relay(30 is always 12 volts and 87 is the load side to the fuel pump.) If the pump is good you should hear it wind up. He also advised me to remove the air cleaner and push down on the plate with the key on. (this should open the injectors and you should hear them chatter.)

Surprise the "new" pump was dead right off the shelf!

So back to the parts house and return the bad pump.

Home again and under the car for the 4th time this week...

I am getting good at this, I got the new pump on in just under 20 minutes.

Back in the car to jump the relay again and check the new pump.

Presto!!! We have ignition and the engine sounds like it has been asleep for a decade!

So I shut it down and checked all the fluids. I am on my way back to the parts house to get a few things for a tune up, oil change and a filter kit for the transmission.


So here's the big question, I noticed I am getting a pretty significant leak at the drivers side valve cover gasket and it's running down onto the exhaust manifold.

Are these gaskets tough to change? Is there any thing I should be aware of?

Should I change the gaskets while I have it drained or will it make a difference? While I have it open is there anything else I should look for or check?

You might opt to tighten the valve cover bolts a tweak or two. Often enough that ought to do it.
If it were me I would go to the Toyota dealership and secure one each tube of their brand of black silicone. Some of the best I have ever seen.
Remove the valve cover and inspect the valve cover and you should find a split if the initial tightening didn't work. Degrease the area and give a little dab. Gently replace the valve cover and in 1/2 hour you are rolling.
If you want you can replace the valve cover gasket. I have been in the maintenance field way too long and won't spend the money because I know I don't have to.
Toyota black silicone is the only silicone I recommend. Water pump gasket sealant. A big thumbs up.

Thanks for the tip I will try and tighten it a little first...

If that doesn't work I will give the silicone a shot.

I think there's a Toyota dealer around the corner from me.

Try tightening first. Make sure the gaskets are seated on the cover all the way around, especially on the corners.

If that doesn't work, buy the new valve cover gaskets. They can be had for about $25 bucks. Do the job right and you'll never have to do it again.

Don't mess around with sealers, that's not the way the covers were meant to seal.

I would remove , and replace , inspect while in there, the oil tubes, lobes ect.
I would also replace all the rubber lines, and check vacuum connections

x2- I'm with Panda (Ron). Better be safe than sorry.

Glad you posted, I called the Toyota dealer and asked about the sealer...
$17.00 for a small tube?
I'll pass.

I think I will buy the gaskets and do it right the first time.

Thanks for the advice.

Anyone else here ever have an issue with their 107 draining batteries?
I've checked to see if there are lights on or accesories running when it's off, can't find anything obvious. I have looked at the fuse panel and there doesn't seem to be any thing wired into the fuse bus. I have removed the aftermarket stereo and capped ALL the wires (even the speaker wires...overkill I know but better safe than sorry.) I have not been able to find the culprit.

I think I will buy a big open knife cutout switch that installs on the battery post and just turn it off when it's parked until I can get to the bottom of it.

The biggest culprit for battery drain is that damn climate control servo. When you turn off the ignition, it is suppose to go into park mode. You'l hear it cycling(maybe), when when the ignition is turned off.

Try this: With the engine running, get out and open up the hood. Get back inside and turn the car off. Quickly get back out and stand near the passenger side firewall. You should hear the servo motor running for about 10seconds. If you don't hear it, that's your power drain. It will stay energized and drain the battery if the "park position isn't reached. 8 out of 10 times, that will be the problem. If you don't hear it, give the servo a few hard taps on the side, that may be enough to get it going. If not, pull the two 5 pin connectors and disable the servo, that should stop the battery drain.

I gave your servo check a shot but I can't seem to get out quick enough to hear it...I am calling a friend to come over and stay in the car and turn the key on and off I think that will help but I suspect you may be right.

Does anyone have a pic of the servo I'm looking for?

I would like to think this isn't a difficult repair but I have no idea what the thing looks like or the exact location. Is it on the firewall,fender well, block?

I will post again in tomorrow or the next day when I am sure I can't hear it running after shut off.

Thanks again for all the advice, I love this FORUM!

Steve

It's on the passenger side up against the firewall. It's black and has about 10 different colored vacuum hoses going in it. If it doesn't takes you more than 10-15 seconds to get out of the car, you should have heard it. If you have good hearing, you can even hear it while in the car. Like I said before, if you don't hear it, that's likely your power drain problem. A very common issue the all Mercedes of that era incur, almost with exception.

Do yourself a favor and buy the factory repair CD. It will save you countless hours, a lot of money, and you'll be able to familiarize yourself with all the mechanical, body, and interior features.

Not what I thought it was...
 

I found that the valve cover was not the culprit for what I thought was a pretty significant oil leak...

Turns out I had a minor oil leak and a pretty significant power steering leak or even a transmission line leaking!
I found this while I was under the car to drain the torque converter!

Before I got started on the fluid drain and service for the transmission, I was inspecting the under carriage and looking for any significant damage or issues that might need my attention. I finished looking over the oil filter housing, and pan. I was working my way back to the transmission and noticed that the cross over tube for my exhaust was covered in what appeared to be oil. I poked around a little more and found significant fluid dripping from just above the drivers side side suspension components. I picked up a little bit of the wettest part and saw that the color was very red. usually a clue .

A closer inspection has yet to be done as I can't reach it from the top end and I am not sure if there are things I need to remove frist and in which order.

Stll after it!!!!


Thanks again to all for the helpful advice!

Steve

P.S. The climate control servo isn't making a sound... According to the post by 450 sl guy I should go buy a replacement and swap it out?

Can I get it cheap or possibly re-manufactured?

servos are not cheap, and used are suspect. I see you live in a warm climate, why not just bypass it ? Several DIY's on the subject

I don't believe I suggested you buy a replacement. I suggested you disconnect the two 5 pin electrical connectors to stop the drain.

If you can find a used one, it's likely bad. A good used one is hard to find, and usually a couple hundred bucks. I bought a couple of used ones, took them apart and built one working unit.

Did you try tapping it on the side with the ignition on? Sometimes they just get stuck and need a little persuasion to start. If you can get it to run, that's a good sign it's not too far gone.

Reseat the electrical connectors. Clean the electrical contacts, wiggle the wires, tap it with a screwdriver. Try everything I suggested and you might get lucky, or not.

PROGRESS REPORT
 

I have had the car out of the garage and around the parking lot now twice.

I even let it run the whole time I was washing it night before last.

I changed the spark plugs and made the mistake of trying to adjust the air/fuel mixture and boy did I goof it up good!

I managed to adjust it just far enough out of whack that it died from either over fueling or starving... don't really remember which way I was tweaking it when it died.

So I thought that a good way to find the mid point would be to turn it all the way clockwise until it stopped, and then back it out a half turn at a time trying the ignition until it came back to life.

NOT MY PROUDEST MOMENT!

Then I learned something really important!

Apparently when the screw is all the way down it gets tight enough to strip the end of the little stock spring loaded extension.

(That cute little aluminum doohickey that lets you adjust it without removing the breather)

So in my moment of panic I immediately assumed the worst and thought perhaps the screw had com all the way out.

AGAIN NOT MY FINEST MOMENT.

So after an hour or so of trying to get some one to loan me a scope and a magnetic or pincer grabber I started looking online for any info that might help.

I was killing time waiting for a friend of mine to call me back with the scope when I came across a Bosch K-Jetronic manual PDF I could download.

After reading the manual thoroughly I finally understood exactly what I was dealing with.

Out to the car again and I discovered there was a large machine screw on the right side of the extension and what looked like a large brass rivet on the left side of the stock extension. So my first inclination was to try to gently pry the rivet up through the plate. Slow going and patience revealed what I was looking at was not a rivet at all but a smooth button top machine screw!!

This was the first glimpse of light at the end of what I thought would be a very long dark tunnel.

So with a little persuasion and a very small set of needle nose pliers i managed to remove this extension and not have any little pieces of metal in the air intake where they definitely do not belong.

First catastrophe averted!

Now when I inspected the business end of this thing I discovered it was the problem and not a large Allen stud rattling around in the intake.

I picked up the phone and called my friend back as he was pulling up the driveway with the scope. (We both had a good laugh over the mess I had caused)

So now the extension is off and stud was in the lever run all the way down. MAX FUEL DELIVERY!! Not a good place to have it. If I intend to adjust the air fuel a little at a time until it will start.

So i backed the stud out all the way to its stop point. Yes it has one where the threads are peened to prevent the exact problem I was afraid I had caused.

So I am now starving the engine of fuel and adjusting a little at a time so I don't flood it and have to wait.

A STRONG CAUTION!!!!

Just because these threads are punched to prevent you from pulling the stud all the way out doesn't mean it cant be done!

Back it out only until you begin to feel resistance then start adjusting clockwise in very small increments 1/8th turn at a time and try to start it with each turn until it try's to fire.

Be careful to make sure the key is OFF when you turn the adjusting screw and don't press the flap down or you may get false signs of life.

As soon as it shows it is trying to fire turn the screw clockwise in VERY tiny increments like 1/32 of a turn at a time until it starts and idles without dying.

When you have a solid idle, gently turn the stud clockwise 1/32 more and stop take your hand off the 3mm allen and listen for a 30 or so seconds. (this will give the system a chance to recover from any pressure you were applying with the tool.

These things are really touchy... A light touch and patience is a must have to adjust these K-Jetronc CIS systems.

I can't stress this enough.

Still getting a pretty lumpy idle even with the new plugs.

I have a brand new set of OEM wires coming in Monday.

I will install these as soon as I get 'em and hopefully this will solve the missing and crummy performance.

As soon as this is fixed were on to setting the timing (and possibly a new cap and rotor)

Until then I am looking into making a small aluminum plate with a 4mm rubber gromet in the center to cover the obvious vacuum leak that removing the bad extension is causing.

I can make this myself and use the bottom of the old extension as a template and two stock screws to hold it down.

I might even try to repair the extension itself with piece of a 3mm Allen.

I'm a little fuzzy on how best to attach the steel Allen to the brass plug on the bottom of the extension.

Drill & Tap a fine thread then epoxy it into place with some solid metal to metal high temp adhesive?

Any thoughts?

I am not a fan of epoxy and would not count on it as being reliable. Look for used orginal or fabricate set up that does not need external support. You must remember you have high temp, vibration and petrol products. Which is also another point, make sure any rubber product you use can withstand the same
BTW
I think you need to write a book :) you have the skills!
Good work , and good luck

Good Point
 

I had considered the heat but not the fuel it would be exposed to.

I have a friend who runs a machine shop I will be talking to him about this tomorrow and I'll let you know what his thoughts were.

In the interim I am just going to put a large piece of aluminum ac duct seal tape over the holes. Leak temporarily solved until the right part can be reinstalled.

This stuff is pretty awesome, This metal tape (the industrial grade) is designed to hold through mutiple cycles of heat and cold extremes.

I first wondered if it would be high temp enough to hold, but a friend who works on boiler heat systems said that it is used to seal the plenum boxes in large heat systems for commercial buildings. He tells me that he has seen the galvanized boxes rust out and the tape still holding with little to no damage to the metal under it.

Thanks for the compliment on my writing skills.
If i were to write a book I haven't got the first clue what subject it would encompass.

I think for now I will stick to turning a wrench and swinging a golf club until I figure out what I would want to write about.

Why a book on Mercedes repair of course! :)

Well....
 

I am really not a Mercedes expert by any means.

Although in the last few months I have become intimately familiar with the one I own...

Maybe I'll write a book on this experience.

Could be a best seller among the psychiatric community! :D

true , true

Passenger Side Window Switch?
 

I noticed while I was in the car the other day that the passenger side window switch has blown apart.

The little black plastic rocker was sitting on the shift console with one spring contact still in it the other spring is in heaven now.:( Or probably in the cigarette lighter socket where it can cause the most damage!

So here is my problem the new replacement switch doesn't match the old one and it looks cheap next to the original. At $50 each I don't want to replace the good one with another cheap looking replacement. I want to find a vintage switch so they match and I have already talked to the parts supplier I bought the replacement from and "surprise!" they WILL refund my money!

Anyone out there have a good used switch?

PM Me if you have it!

Update
 

I got the new plug wires installed and I am very impressed how much difference it made but I'm still getting a rough idle and what feels like a couple of dead cylinders.

I pulled the cap and checked it thoroughly no visible cracks but a definite carbon line across each contact.

I cleaned them up as best I could but no improvement.

I have ordered a new cap and rotor should be here in the next day or so.

Until then

I'VE FIXED IT!
 

I took the stand off extension I was talking about to a friend and he fiddled with it for a few minutes and showed it to me under a big magnifying glass.

The lower third of the 3mm Allen tip was rounded out like a ball.

I looked a little closer and found that the top two thirds of it were still in decent shape.

So we put a micrometer on it and it's still 3 mm!

I took it and the magnifying glass over to the grinder (love variable speed grinders) shaved off the rounded end and we are back in business!

Now I need to get the little gasket that goes under it and reinstall it!

Can anybody here find me a part number for the gasket?

BRING OUT YOUR DEAD!...BRING OUT YOUR DEAD! LOL
 

I know I am violating every rule of forum etiquette by bringing up this ancient and moldy post from 2009 but I had to share the awesome news with everyone regarding my progress on my SL!


IT'S ALIVE!! ALIVE!!

I have finally managed to get her out of the garage and on the road again!


So an update on the work involved.,

I went through the entire electrical system and checked, repaired or replaced every piece that was not functioning properly.
New alternator,Battery,coil,rotor,dist cap,wires,plugs.
Scrubbed the fuse panel terminals and installed all new fuses. Pulled and cleaned the contacts for all relays. Pulled the gauge cluster and replaced the bulbs and cleaned all the associated terminals.
Power window switch for the passenger side.


Installed new belts and radiator hoses.

The Warm-Up regulator, fuel guage sending unit, fuel pump assembly including filter and collector, fuel head, and injectors. Also removed the fuel tank and sent it to be boiled out and reconditioned. Re-installed the tank with new connecting lines and filler neck hose and replaced the rubber gasket on the fuel cap.

Traced every vacuum line in the car and replaced or repaired all those pesky leaks you develop over thirty-two years.

So now my climate control actually works, the door locks actuate like they are supposed to and my a/c blows cold again without even having to charge it!

All this while working full time and moving to a new condo!:juggle:

The end result is a fire breathing beast of an Automobile that I am proud to call mine!

The paint is in desperate need of buffing out to get rid rid of the haze that has developed on it and I need to go through the entire suspension front and back, I'm sure i need to replace the sway bar links in the rear at the very least.

I'm still looking for the under dash panels for both driver and passenger side.
I need to replace the leather and horse hair pads on both seats and re-glue the passenger side kick panel MB-Tex skin.
I'm also looking for a fuse box cover that isn't broken.

The interior in my car is apparently orange bamboo or perhaps mahogany.

It's that lovely orange brown that jag owners call British Tan.

Anyone who can help me locate the interior parts PLEASE feel free to message me.

good job!