I have an early 1981 500SE engine & trans that I put into a different car (a 107 body). The donor car had approximately 220,000 miles, and I do not know the full service history, therefore I do not know whether the transmission is all original, or if it has been worked on before. There is a transmission slippage problem when it is cold. It will engage 4th gear, yet any amount of torque will cause it to slip severely. Strangely, it does hold the engine RPMs up in overrun conditions (throttle released) during deceleration in 4th gear - it only slips when any power is applied. The problem completely disappears once the transmission is warmed up, and then it works perfectly (except for the fact that it shifts more harshly than my US spec 450 with the 3 speed trans). I have adjusted the linkage & bowden cable to specs, as well as trying it a bit out of position either way (more or less pressure) without resolving the problem.

I am mechanically proficient, yet very ignorant about the internal workings of automatic transmissions. I remember reading about a band #2 piston sticking problem, is this likely to be what could is causing the problem? If so, can that problem be resolved without taking the trans out of the car? Also, could the vacuum modulator diaphragm have anything to do with this (if it is old & becoming hardened and possibly less pliable when cold?). THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR HELP!

(I have a couple of other questions, but this post was long enough already, and I don’t want to be a pig!)

PS: I have been visiting your web site for the past six weeks, and I think it is ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!

I would take out the transmission and exchage it for a refurbished unit. I have rebuilt many of them and have found that if you do not know them inside and out you will have to go back into them multiple times to correct the smallest of complaints.

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Benzmac:
ASE CERTIFIED MASTER AUTO TECHNICIAN
LEAD TECHNICIAN FOR 14 BAY FACILITY
MERCEDES SPECIALIST 8 YRS
PARTNER IN MERCEDESSHOP.COM

Thank you for your response! I have heard good things about the rebuilt transmissions available through the dealer network. Too bad they don't offer them for grey market cars. (caveat emptor?) Oh well, the engine probably won't last much longer anyways - it drinks A LOT of oil & pulls A LOT into the combustion chambers under high vacuum conditions, even after I put on new valveguide seals (plus you could feel a lot of movement in the valve stems when rocked sideways). I'll let you know which blows up first :)

PS: does anyone know of a good 560 engine & trans for sale at a decent price? Preferably a euro-spec 560 (I'm allowed to dream, right?)