Parts Catalog Accessories Catalog How To Articles Tech Forums
Call Pelican Parts at 888-280-7799
Shopping Cart Cart | Project List | Order Status | Help



Go Back   PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum > Do It Yourself Links & Resources > Restoration Projects & Long-Term Builds

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #106  
Old 01-12-2018, 09:20 PM
Diseasel300's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 6,025
The big ticket item though turned out to be the water pump. For a long time there has been an intermittent soft squeak noise in time with one of the cylinders firing only when the engine is hot. I had the hardest time tracking down what it was and was beginning to suspect I had a wrist pin squeaking or a camshaft bearing trying to seize.

Nope.

It was the water pump bearings. When I had the belt off to do the OAP, I spun the water pump and was rewarded with a horrible rumbling noise with a squeak as it came to a stop. Great......

Reading up in the FSM on how to do the job, it didn't seem like a big deal, just spin off the fan clutch, remove the pulley, and unbolt the pump. Easy right? Wrong. Apparently the fan clutch had been replaced at some point in the past and the monkey that installed the new one had Hercules tighten the bolt. There was no possible way it was ever coming out with mere mortal tools. Read about that clusterf**k here: http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/390697-603-fan-clutch-bolt-rounded-out-now-what.html

Since I had to ruin the clutch to get it off, I decided it was prime time to upgrade to the OM606 11 blade fan and clutch from a '99 E300D. The 606 parts will bolt up to a 603 no problem and the later clutch cuts in at a lower temperature than the original 603 part did.

The interesting part is that the 606 fan FEELS heavier than the original 9 blade aluminum fan, but it's 1/3 of a pound lighter! I finally got the parts in today and got the car back together and back on the road. After driving the SL and the Honda for the last 2 weeks, it's remarkable how smooth and quiet the SDL is in comparison. The SL is a bit rough and ready, but the Honda is pretty smooth and refined. The SDL is in a whole different class...

The good news is that there's no leaks (yet) and the engine is SOOOOOO quiet when on the road. It's amazing how much noise that water pump was making! It just sounded like engine noise!

I also did an experiment with a P/S leak. The return lines were all leaking at the clamps. Having been through that mess in the SL, I didn't waste my time tightening them, I just replaced them all with worm clamps. That stopped that leak, but I had another unusual leak on the steering box itself. No leaks from any of the shaft seals, but it was leaking from the joint where the top plate bolts to the box itself. Weird... I drained the P/S fluid out and refilled with Valvoline Max-Life ATF and half a bottle of Lucas P/S stop-leak. Time will tell the tale, but for now it seems to have stemmed the tide.

And of course this evening, the brake lining light decides to come on as I come to a stop at a traffic light. Looks like front brake pads are next on the agenda. It's always something...


Last edited by Diseasel300; 06-19-2021 at 10:06 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #107  
Old 01-13-2018, 10:18 PM
vwnate1's Avatar
Diesel Dandy
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Sunny So. Cal. !
Posts: 7,717
Thumbs up

The OM 616 & 617 water pumps are often 'fun' too ~
I wish I'da known about that OM606 up grade fan blade when we replaced the head on brothers '87 300SDL, the pump and other little tings were all lifed out and I tried to up date as we went along .

Agreed, the W126 Diesels are so much quieter than the older W123's are .

I'd love to stuff an OM603 into my old Chevy C/10 shop truck .
__________________
-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
Reply With Quote
  #108  
Old 01-13-2018, 11:34 PM
Diseasel300's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 6,025
The water pump was super easy, it was that stupid clutch that was the biggest issue. Had the bolt come out like it was supposed to, it would have been a 2 hour job, but that isn't how this car works.

The 606 clutch/fan is a somewhat common upgrade. The bimetal cuts in at a slightly lower temperature than the 603 design does. There are 2 different clutches/fans for the 606 too. There's the 9 blade for the N/A engines and the 11 blade for the turbo engines. I went with the 11 blade turbo version for the extra airflow.

Went for a short road trip earlier with interstate driving which usually sees the temperature climb on hills, even in cooler weather. No such thing today. Despite being 62˚ today, the temperature never budged, it stayed dead center in the temp gauge the entire trip.

It's really interesting how much quieter the car is on the road too. You just hear a low grumble of the engine and the tire/wind noise. The roar it had before is completely gone, was clearly the water pump this whole time! Sheesh!
Reply With Quote
  #109  
Old 01-19-2018, 09:26 PM
Diseasel300's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 6,025
New brake pads installed. Right front caliper was a rusty hulk and completely seized up solid. Once I hammered the brake pads out, the pistons slid back in the caliper like nothing was wrong, I suspect the pads were in a bind in the caliper, not the pistons sticking in their bores. With the new pads installed, no brakes dragging, no squealing, and no more idiot light on the dash! Fingers crossed there's a reduction in brake dust, the Textar pads that were on there were just obscene.
Reply With Quote
  #110  
Old 03-03-2018, 10:39 AM
Diseasel300's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 6,025
Minor updates and more baby steps:

Done over 1K miles with the new brake pads. Still working well and still no black wheels. I'm a happy camper!

The intermittent squeak noise has returned. It only happens at specific temperatures, and only when I have an injector nailing. If I crack the line to the nailing injector (#6), the noise stops. Not sure if it's the injector, the IP, the D/V, or what. The injectors are slated to be sent off to Greazzer for analysis and rebuild. Tired of messing with them.

I caught a case of diesel bug from a truly horrible tank of fuel about the time I did the brake pads. The tank has been treated with Bio-Bor, so we'll see how it turns out. Got the little "coffee grind" looking flecks in the prefilter. Annoying since that tank was PRISTINE before that ***** tank of fuel.

The weird throttle setup was really getting to me too, so I decided to go back to square 1 and readjust the entire throttle linkage setup. The first thing I did was throw the FSM page on setting rod lengths in the trash. They were all adjusted to the book and clearly that was only a suggestion because things still didn't line up quite right.

I disconnected all the rods except for the one connected to the injection pump. I set it so that when the throttle pivot was moved, it would go all the way to the full rack stop and when released, all the way back to idle. Next I adjusted the cruise control rod. It was about 5mm too long when adjusted to the book spec, so I adjusted it to fit MY setup. I now have it moving full-stroke along with the rod to the IP lever. Lastly I adjusted the accelerator pedal rod to fit my new setup.

With the new adjustments, the accelerator pedal now moves the throttle assembly all the way through its range of motion and the A/C cutout switch now actually does something. The crank for the bowden cable also now goes through its entire range, which it never has before. I guess the moral of the story is that sometimes common sense should reign above what the stupid book says. When driving, the throttle feel is much improved.

The last thing I've done lately is to delete the ALDA. With the A/C off, the car accelerates just fine, but with it on, it's really a dog off the line. I've had several people howling at me for years to ditch the ALDA and I finally decided to try it. I had an old ALDA that was pretty clapped out, so I gutted it, blocked off the sensing port, and reinstalled the bolt in the top so it looks factory. What a difference! It's like someone lit a fire under that car, it just about leaps off the line now! Unless you're really romping on it, it doesn't seem to smoke either, so deleting the ALDA will be a permanent modification.

Coming soon: rear springs and pads.
Reply With Quote
  #111  
Old 03-03-2018, 07:55 PM
vwnate1's Avatar
Diesel Dandy
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Sunny So. Cal. !
Posts: 7,717
Thumbs up

THANK YOU for the up date ! .

I'm about to order up some Biobor as I still get very fine black silt coming _out_ of the cigar hose's return end and occasionally those tiny chunks of 'coffee grounds' in the clear plastic intake screen too .

I'm too broken up/down to think about removing the tank for serious cleaning, I hope the Biobor does the trick .

You're correct about the throttle linkages, shop manuals tell you how to build it but final adjustments are often (not always !) necessary, it takes thought and experience, not just messing 'round like most seem to have had done before .

I installed a set of "Kleen Wheels" and by stopping is as good as ever and _vastly_ less dust .
__________________
-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
Reply With Quote
  #112  
Old 03-03-2018, 09:03 PM
Diseasel300's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 6,025
I pulled my tank when I recommissioned the car for no other reason than it sat in a field with 1/4 tank of diesel for 10 years without being touched. Despite that, the tank was SPOTLESS. Wasted a ton of time pulling the tank when it didn't need it. Then in one fillup, that record is ruined. 32 years without incident, ruined by a ***** fuel station. I intend to run "maintenance doses" of bio-bor with every single tank I get from now on. A solution to a problem that shouldn't exist in the first place. Ridiculous.

The throttle linkage bit really annoyed me. When set "by the book" they were nowhere close. What's the point of writing a procedure if it's wrong? Makes you wonder how many others are out there adjusted improperly with the owner being oblivious?

I thought about using the dust shields on my car, but with a bit of thinking decided "Why should I? That's a problem that shouldn't exist". That's why I chose to go with new pads. Now that they're bedded in all the way, they stop just as good as the TexTars did, just without the ridiculous dust. The Bosch pads are semi-metallic just like OEM and TexTar by the way, they are NOT ceramic.
Reply With Quote
  #113  
Old 03-03-2018, 09:13 PM
vwnate1's Avatar
Diesel Dandy
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Sunny So. Cal. !
Posts: 7,717
Thumbs up

Thanx, maybe I'll try the Bosch pads next time .

I well remember these cars when new, the front wheels dusted up terribly .

My '84 Coupe was ruined by stupid hippies in Sta. Monica (near the beach) : they ran it on anything that'd burn and left it sans fuel cap for God alone knows how long .

I've removed the in tank screen a few times, the last few times it's clean as a whistle .

I also removed, disassembled and carefully cleaned the fuel gauge sender as fungus likes to hide in there .

I once got a tank full of coffee colored Diesel from a Chevron station ~ this set me back quite a ways in my never ending fungus fight .

I think (hope) I'm nearing the end .
__________________
-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

Last edited by vwnate1; 03-23-2018 at 11:25 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #114  
Old 03-23-2018, 03:54 PM
Father Of Giants's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Newport News, Virginia
Posts: 1,597
I have front springs and shocks sitting around and thinking about getting the same for the rear.

Also, how do you shine up the metal in your engine bay?
__________________
1998 Ford Escort ZX2 5 speed - 279,000 miles My Daily

1992 Mercedes 300D 2.5 202,000 - Pure junk
2000 Mercedes E320 Black - 136,000 miles - Needs repair

Don't forget to grease the screw and threads on the spring compressor.
Reply With Quote
  #115  
Old 03-23-2018, 09:41 PM
Diseasel300's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 6,025
I really need to get on the stick and do the rear springs/pads in mine. They're so tired now that the car looks like a dog hunched down preparing to do its "business". Not an attractive look...

The aluminum valve cover, crossover pipe, and intake manifold got cleaned up when I had the engine apart in 2016. I soaked them all in a storage tote with "Oil Eater" degreaser for about a week, then scrubbed well with a brass brush to get all the thick tar out of everything. When done, I used fresh cleaner and some #00 steel wool to clean up the outside surfaces. That was the result, no real polishing or anything. Our climate here is so dry that nothing rusts or corrodes, so it wasn't really bad to start with, just sort of dirty.
Reply With Quote
  #116  
Old 03-24-2018, 12:01 AM
dieseldiehard's Avatar
Dieseldiehard
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Bay Area No Calif.
Posts: 4,368
diseal for sale in San Diego

Is this guy adapting your moniker ?

"99 Mercedes Benz E300D - $6900 (san diego)
automatic trans
diseal
automatic
European model
6900 obo"
https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/d/99-mercedes-benz-e300d/6529210184.html
__________________
'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!
Reply With Quote
  #117  
Old 03-24-2018, 12:46 AM
Father Of Giants's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Newport News, Virginia
Posts: 1,597
Hmmm, will a tank full of kerosene work fine as a degreaser?
__________________
1998 Ford Escort ZX2 5 speed - 279,000 miles My Daily

1992 Mercedes 300D 2.5 202,000 - Pure junk
2000 Mercedes E320 Black - 136,000 miles - Needs repair

Don't forget to grease the screw and threads on the spring compressor.
Reply With Quote
  #118  
Old 03-24-2018, 01:08 AM
vwnate1's Avatar
Diesel Dandy
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Sunny So. Cal. !
Posts: 7,717
Post Degreasing Your 'Benz

The stuff Rich recommends is far better but leaves everything 100 % OIL FREE so maybe not to good for the rust belt ? .

I used Kerosene when I lived in Guatemala because it was the cheapest thing available but I didn't like the oil film left behind .
__________________
-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
Reply With Quote
  #119  
Old 03-24-2018, 09:41 AM
Diseasel300's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 6,025
Quote:
Originally Posted by dieseldiehard View Post
Is this guy adapting your moniker ?

"99 Mercedes Benz E300D - $6900 (san diego)
automatic trans
diseal
automatic
European model
6900 obo"
https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/d/99-mercedes-benz-e300d/6529210184.html
"diseal" vs "Diseasel". Hmm, not sure. "diseal" sounds like a waterproofing spray
Reply With Quote
  #120  
Old 03-24-2018, 09:47 AM
Diseasel300's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 6,025
Quote:
Originally Posted by Father Of Giants View Post
Hmmm, will a tank full of kerosene work fine as a degreaser?
Having tried kerosene on mine, the "oil-eater" stuff I used worked WAY better and with less work. A 5-gallon pail is ~$50 shipped on Amazon and stretches a LONG way. I mixed 4:1 water:degreaser and just left the parts I wanted cleaned in there. All that sludgy crap in the manifold just literally wiped out like pudding.

It worked so well for my car that we use it to clean PCB assemblies at work now in a 20:1 solution. It's cheaper and far more effective than the actual stuff you're supposed to use and a vat of the solution will work for ~6 months before it saturates.

Unlike the purple stuff, it won't turn aluminum black either.

Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:45 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2024 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Peach Parts or Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page