1979 240D Getting discouraged. Tired of spending $$ - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

BrassMonkey · #1 05-14-2011, 03:19 PM

So you know I got this old car for $500 - It hadn't run in a very long time - the PO told me since last fall - but there is no way that fuel is only 6 or 8 months old.

Anyway - I got it running, adjusted the valves - fixed/rigged the glow plugs & fixed the brakes.

Its now a driver and I've gone to work twice (50miles round trip).

The car still didn't run that well and it smoked like a chimney on cold start. So - this morning I tossed in a new set of injector nozzles.

BIG success - the car still smokes like crazy at idle until I put it under load. White smoke not blue. For example - if I drive it 2 blocks and then back - no smoke at all.

The car is MUCH quieter - idles smooth and has a significantly greater amount of power than before.

BUT.....While testing out the new nozzles the rear of the car started making an awful grinding noise. Its not the flex discs - though those will arrive next week.

I pulled the right rear tire and brake caliper. I pulled back the CV boot and it was still full of oil - but there was a bunch of junk in there too. Like rusty chunks. I cleaned it out and packed with grease & reattached the old boot.

I then noticed the e-brake springs had let go and were all ground up. So I removed them and everything else e-brake related. Both sides.

I button the car up and back out of the garage. God awful grinding noise.

Old 4x4 guys say if the rear diff isnt leaking its because its dry.

I dont have an alan wrench large enough to pull the plug and look. What size does it take? I suspect its in there - or either of the axels CV joints.

Crap - I really dont want to put an entire new rear end on this car.

As it sits I have $1000 in it - w/o counting registration. Its really not a bad car - I just need to stop spending $$ on it.

Slow-Poke-220D · #2 05-14-2011, 04:52 PM

Hi BrassMonkey,

I know all about being discouraged but it sure feels good when you get things working. The other guys my chime in if I am wrong but I think you will need a 14mm hex to take the diff oil plug out. I don't think it is a good sign if you hear grinding from the diff.

If it has gone bad you should be able to find another used one. I just found another tranny and diff for $150.00

Please keep in contact, it would be good to hear that your back on the road and running.

Andy

BrassMonkey · #3 05-14-2011, 05:32 PM

I would like to first ID if its the diff or a CV joint. Its hard to tell from inside the car. Maybe I'll hold on underneath and have a friend drive around the yard! Darwin awards here I come!

Seriously though - if I know its a CV joint I can rebuild or whatever - I dont want to start tossing parts at this thing. I just want to fix the right parts.

Yak · #4 05-14-2011, 06:06 PM

Not that you need another $500 car, but maybe compatible parts.

I'm not up to speed on my IL geography.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=296105

letank · #5 05-14-2011, 06:36 PM

The junkyard are always a source of inexpensive parts. you can pull the rear cover and check for quality,

picknpull.com

car-part.com

thorsen · #6 05-14-2011, 07:03 PM

It's part of the process of waking up a sleeping car, and you probably have a few more surprises waiting for you. The downside is that it will seem like a money-pit, the upside is that you will become very familiar with your car and you will have a very streetable vehicle in the end.

BrassMonkey · #7 05-14-2011, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yak

Not that you need another $500 car, but maybe compatible parts.

I'm not up to speed on my IL geography.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=296105

Ouch - this car is much much nicer than mine. Wish I'd seen that before dropping the cash on this one.

Oh well - envy is a deadly sin.

I dont think I could convince the wife just yet to let me drag home an entire other car just yet. I need to drive this one more than twice.

So - what size is the plug on the diff? 14 MM?

I'm planning to run out tonight and get one & crack it open. Worst case I'll pull the diff cover.

The CV boots are done - but not busted - they didn't leak out yet. so the joints should be OK. THe diff though is caked in greasy junk - so I'm suspecting the diff is dry. If so - I probably trashed it by driving it. I have plenty of synth. 90w if I can just get it open.

BrassMonkey · #8 05-14-2011, 08:25 PM

picknpull shows no mercedes w/i 350 miles of me. Plus the $500 car listed above is 3 hrs drive - each way.

I would bring one home if I could find one locally for a couple hundred $$. I'd pull the good parts off and scrap the rest.

BrassMonkey · #9 05-14-2011, 09:50 PM

Update * I couldn't stand to just sit here in front of the TV so I ran out to the garage and put the car on the lift (well - the back of the car anyway). I crawled under and turned the wheels by hand.

Everything turned clean and free. No sounds - no grinding - no sticky spots. Nothing.

So I put the car in neutral and spin the drive shaft - checking the carrier bearing. All good. The flex disk is starting to frey - good thing these are on thier way!

So I dropped the car and backed out of the garage. It sounded like the bumper was dragging behind the car. Literally! Awful sound.

I rolled up and down the drive way a couple of times. & drove down the street 1x just to see if it got better. It would come and go above 5 mph but it still was not a good sound.

So- back on the lift. Nothing - no sounds.

I climbed into the car & started it up. Put it in gear and spun it up to 50 mph. No bad sounds at all.

After all of this - I think its a wheel bearing on the rear drivers side. It seems to only have an angry fit under the weight of the car.

THoughts? Are these expensive and tough to change?

alabbasi · #10 05-15-2011, 12:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrassMonkey

So you know I got this old car for $500 ......
As it sits I have $1000 in it - w/o counting registration. Its really not a bad car - I just need to stop spending $$ on it.

Sorry but I had to laugh. If I bought a Mercedes for $500 and got to drive it around the block after dropping another $500, I would consider that a major success.

I must have missed a couple of your posts... what model MB is this?

newtodiesel · #11 05-15-2011, 11:01 AM

Hi Brassmonkey

The good thing about getting all the stuff going on your car is once you get it sorted, you'll have a decent DD for a good long while.
I paid $400 for mine and I figure if I dump 2-3k in the car and am able to at least drive it for 3-5 years its a good deal! I could be wrong..but thats my thought process. That 2-3k could be less if I could do more. I need axles and a/c compressor. So those thing wont be cheap..but I am sure they will be worth it. I have been driving mine for about a year so far and still geting stuff sorted

BrassMonkey · #12 05-15-2011, 11:56 AM

79 240D - I've looked up how to pull the bearings - is there a way around the $70 inner bearing tool?

can I drive out the hub w/o removing this ?

Stretch · #13 05-15-2011, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrassMonkey

79 240D - I've looked up how to pull the bearings - is there a way around the $70 inner bearing tool?

can I drive out the hub w/o removing this ?

No - here's how I got the hub out of the trailing arm:-

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=277341&page=2

(starts for proper on page 2)

I used a DIY wooden puller tool

There's a metal puller for the rear bearings shown here:-

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=239902

You will however need the slotted socket for doing up and setting the bearing play. I bought the MB one - it cost about 110 euros - the other ones available are sort of a bit cheaper but you have to grind them down to get them to fit apparently.

You will probably find it cheaper to buy a good replacement trailing arm and fit that... they go for about 70 euros here - so may be $50 where you are?

WANT '71 280SEL · #14 05-15-2011, 08:31 PM

BrassMonkey, you'll probably find more help in the Diesel Discussion since your car is w123 chasis. I know this room is for '79 and earlier, but most people here have other models than yours.

I'm just trying to help you sort out your issues. Oh, and I agree with Al, for only having $1,000 in it and it being in your condition, you're not doing so poorly! If a car will move under its own power, it's worth a grand to me, regardless of what else is wrong with the car.

Best Regards,

David

Tomguy · #15 05-15-2011, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WANT '71 280SEL

Oh, and I agree with Al, for only having $1,000 in it and it being in your condition, you're not doing so poorly! If a car will move under its own power, it's worth a grand to me, regardless of what else is wrong with the car.

Want my w108 for $1000?

BrassMonkey: What does the grinding sound like? Does it get louder with faster speeds? I am going through this right now with my Jeep. I already know what's wrong. My brake disc dust shields are rubbing my rotors up front (both sides). Did you check this out first? It's often simple stuff!

I woke my 108 from the dead. It's now in hibernation. It starts & runs* & moves**, but needs a bit of work to be roadworthy. I am most likely going to part it out soon to get it out of the parents' hair. I could make a laundry list of stuff I replaced to wake it, work I did, and stuff it still needed when I parked it.

* With fresh 93 octane as opposed to the stale crap in the tank now.
** Due to a ruptured brake line, it moves, but doesn't stop so well.