Thanks for that - it looks like I was sold the right one for the age of my car (1992)

More starter fun
 

I could move forward a bit today 'cos I got a delivery

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1397584386

Oh yes a bulk buy

I decided to do something a bit dodgy - to give it a go

Removed the end cap with help of an impact driver - didn't kill the screws (for once)

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1397584441

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1397584531

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1397584630

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1397584630

More starter fun (2)
 

Removal of brushes

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1397584685

You can see the commutator is a bit scored. I was wishing for a decent lathe then I though perhaps my wood turning lathe could help a bit. What I've done is a bit dodgy - not ideal but I reckon it is better than leaving it alone...

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1397584803

After mounting the rotor in the lathe I span it to make sure it was running true - no obvious blurring - nothing I could have done to change it if it had 'cos there's bugger all adjustment on this lathe of mine.

I then used 260 grit and 400 grit sand paper to remove metal by holding the paper tight across both sides of the commutator. This isn't an ideal method of metal removal. Putting it on a decent lather would have been better - however - every time I visit my (oh so) friendly machine shop they charge me 60 euros; that's the cost of a second hand starter so I thought "what the heck".

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1397584903

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1397584903

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1397584903

More starter fun (3)
 

To hold the brushes in place to install them I taped them in place with electrical insulation tape

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1397585462

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1397585462

Cut the tape and pull it out!

Make sure when you put the cap and washer and horse shoe clip back on that the brushes do not hit the armature.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1397585462

I put in new M4 screws (just happened to be Allen head ones)

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1397586916

Last thing done today was a quick application of masking tape and then some clear heat resistant paint on the chaffing part of the armature

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...nt-chafing.jpg

OK enough of the starter!
 

I've got a whole load of pictures of the starter ready to go but even I am getting bored with it now - if anyone feels a continuation of the starter rebuild is worthwhile I'll start a new thread for the subject - otherwise I won't bother.

Essentially I found that the end bearing had a bit of wobble in it.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1397668966

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1397668916

I've shimmed it - now it runs more smoothly - hopefully the rotor won't snag on the stator any time too soon.

False engine bulkhead modification started
 

The wiring from the battery and the electronics boxes behind the battery runs along the back of the engine bay under some plastic ducting that is held in place with the usual Mercedes bayonet spreader jobber fixings => these are the bits that need to have the centre piece tapped out before the fixing can be removed. I always loose the centre bits...

...but not any more!

I've pop riveted some captive nuts on the back of the false engine bay bulkhead.

The captive nuts are meant to be spot welded into place but I didn't fancy my chances with that so I drilled out the spot weld indentations

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1398190294

Drilling from the back

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1398190294

Pop rivets

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...-bulkhead3.jpg

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1398190294

Now all I need to do is to unbolt rather then tap and lose.

Random order of events...
 

...back to the engine!

I had a busy week last week doing non car stuff and I was looking forward to cracking on with it all this weekend. Yesterday I was arsing about with the welding (more to come on that when it is done) and today rain stopped play. When it stopped I dashed outside to whip the head off again. I wanted to clean it up properly. It had lots of preservation gunk on it that had gone crumbly and flaky

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1398624019

The black crumbly junk has come from the underside of the valve cover - more about that in the next post

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1398624019

The gunk was removed with metal polish

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1398624019

Head is reassembled and ready to go

Cleaning up valve cover
 

I've really got to get the burnt muck off of the underside of the valve cover

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1398624369

Removal of the plastic cover for the crank case breathing system

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1398624369

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1398624369

I'm trying Eastwood undergone for first stage gunk removal

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1398624369

You should number all your spark plugs (hope they're H8DC0 plugs) and index them in their cylinders. That way the open area opposite the ground electrode is facing the intake valve. Moar POWAH!

I saw that thread on BW =>

Another Spark Plug Help Question - Mercedes-Benz Forum

I still haven't decided if I believe it all just yet - the FSM has a whole load of information that seems to be the opposite of what is being said - I'm going to look through it all and try to work out whether certain spark plugs are likely to fry the electronics or not.

As for positioning the gaps - well - perhaps I should just not have a heavy breakfast before I drive? (OK OK I'll see if I can line them up all pretty for you!)

Sucess!
 

Fuel lines and brake line for rear brakes back on

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1398701096

Failure!
 

Bloody valve cover is painted on the inside

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1398701189

There was only one thing for it - get stripping.

The rubber for the air filter at one end came of easily

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1398701435

The other one, however, snapped off

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1398701435

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1398701435

I was hoping there would be a nut under all that rubber but there wasn't so I got out a huge chisel (couldn't find the small one!)

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1398701435

Hammer round in an undoing direction to get this =>

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1398701580

More failure!
 

Nearly got it all stripped - I dug out the sand blasting cabinet from the back of the garage...

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1398701860

...then I remembered why that bloody thing has made its way to the back of the garage. It just doesn't have enough oomph to remove paint.

So I had to go for the crappy Dutch paint stripper option.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1398701860

[WHINGE]

I don't know what's wrong with this effing country they make some seriously good chemical products that would be just as effective as that aircraft paint stripper you guys in the US of A get - but they won't sell it to Joe Public

They let us have this crumbly powerdery **** that does sweet F A

[/WHINGE]

With persistence I got this far

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1398701860

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1398701860

I think I'll finish it off tomorrow with a sisal polishing mop - mechanical removal to the rescue?

Any tips (other than farming it out to someone else for 50 euros plus tax)?

McMaster Carr has those ruber mounting posts if you don't want to get them from MB.

-J

Thanks but that company hasn't made it over here yet. Pelican sell them for small change though - and I've seen them cheaper over here. I'll ask the dealer for a price too - I can't find the number listed though; I think it is 1169880511 but I'm not sure if there's a newer one. (Replacing the 116 with a 123 gets a hit but I'm not sure if that's valid)