Topic: TJs new 6.3

[TJ 450]

Today I began by draining the coolant which required jacking up the front end. It also gave me an opportunity to inspect a few things including the subframe.

Lo and behold one of the front mounting points has failed catastrophically, so this means the whole lot needs to come out. The cause of this is unknown at this stage.

The sump is also cracked (not a massive issue as long as the engine wasn't run without oil).

Tim

[TJ 450]

Another update;

The subframe can be repaired, but initial evaluation of the engine reveals that coolant has seeped into cylinder #7 possibly causing extensive damage and probable seizure. It has been soaked in ATF and the project mothballed until 6.9 #1432 is completed, then it will be full steam ahead with engine/trans removal and tear down as well as sourcing a replacement fuel tank and subframe repairs as required.

Tim

[Americium-241]

Here you can follow along as Tim pulls the heads off the 6.3 to check if rebuildable, spoiler alert - it is!

 https://youtu.be/c3nzYUEXKi4

There's also some vids of his 6.9's properly refurbished cylinder heads https://youtu.be/6_SDBfFTQFQ?list=PLy6jIoV99tqnDCifJAjqKsVoG-kvBYph3

and the current status of his 6.9 https://youtu.be/5Ez6zyOM14c?list=PLy6jIoV99tqnDCifJAjqKsVoG-kvBYph3

[goldacre]

Hi TJ, is this project still a goer or like my other rebuild, taking a bit of time

[TJ 450]

Hi Goldacre,

Yes, it is definitely “one of those projects”. I have been making progress though, but it’s certainly taking time.

The latest drama has been around having the injection pump rebuilt and sourcing customer pistons for the engine. The bottom end has been at a local shop for over a year with no progress, so I will be collecting it and taking it somewhere else in the next couple of weeks. There are quite a few obstacles yet to overcome, but I will get it 100% at some point within the next decade. 😎
In the meantime I’m having fun driving the 6.9 around and keeping it maintained.

Tim

[goldacre]

Awesome is the bottom end at a shop for grinding/boring out and measurements? If so give the guys a call at Harris Engineering in Osbourne Park as they have all the fruit for doing these jobs and very cost effective. Google their website and see what you think. Is that custom pistons? If you find some in Germany around Berlin area I will be over there in May and can check out for you and stick in my European mail forwarding service

John Green of MB Spares is offloading his parts stock on EBay, came across him when seeking out bits and pieces, may get lucky with his NOS? Will PM his contact details, I take it Tom Hanson at Irvine had nothing? Bummer.

As I have said before you are our Aussie Ed China so if anyone is going to pull this project off, it’s you!

G

[goldacre]

Hi Tim, looks like ur emails changed so could not forward link but look this up on EBay.au and it’s John of MB Spares

‘mercedesclassicdiscounts’

PS. Remembered I forgot to send Chris Sheedys cousins engineering firm address and number for that cross brace repair, he does customs etc for Jaguar in UK so should know how to fix or build. Will drop Chris a line tomorrow and post back.

G

[TJ 450]

Thanks for that. Yep, that’s custom pistons as the damage was quite significant in the water damaged cylinders. It may need to go all the way to 104.5mm to clear the damage. Tom only has low compression pistons, which are presumably for the 600, and are either standard or 1st oversize from memory. I’ll keep those details in mind.

With the front axle crossmember, I ended up getting a used one from Europe. I’m pretty sure it was off either a W108 or 113, which is good as it hasn’t had any of the stresses placed on it as the 6.3 would have. It just needed a couple of holes drilled for the air line brackets. It’s back on the car now, but I will need new lower control arms as they are also bent (not at all uncommon).

Tim

[goldacre]

Bugger :/ what’s the chances of slipping in a 6.9? I hear it evolved from the 6.3 so may have commonality; you would just have to slip a 4.5 in Bluey (get a high compression one) and make the 300 your daily driver now that would be cool, more so for the local gas stations trembling with anticipation of your arrival

John Green may know If customs are available, pretty sure they have rebuilt those engines in all conditions, they been around a while. Shame he is scaling down but is a specialist operation, no one would step up to the plate to take it on :/

Maybe see if a company can make liners to slip in to accomodate available sized pistons? Will drop Steve Taylor a line in Victoria to see if he knows someone as the Lotus engines use them so there is a market out there.

No luck with Chris in Busselton, his damn phone was always engaged but that’s good for his business

Will keep you posted. Promise

G

[rumb]

TJ, I have a set of upper and lower control arms. PM me.

[goldacre]

love this forum

G

[ptashek]

Tom only has low compression pistons, which are presumably for the 600

Tim, aren't you tempted to go low-compression + forced induction, like Jay Leno did on his 600 Kompressor? That'd be something on a 6.3!

[TJ 450]

I’ve considered the low comp option, although my aim is to keep it as original as possible in terms of spec. I’m sure someone will be able to make pistons to spec.

Also keeping the original engine and trans would be the right thing to do in my opinion.

Tim

[goldacre]

Make the most of pre-emissions restrictions and if can source Hc pistons go for it, Shame they decided to run two different production streams instead of ‘allrounders’ to suit all cars at high spec but manufacturing ethics were very different 18 years post WW2.

Someone somewhere will have a ‘garage queen’ box of them they will never use I am sure so hopefully they will bite bullet and donate to a worthy project where it will get done

As they say ‘be careful what you wish for’

May the Fourth be with you

G

[rumb]

These fellows will make pistons, rings and clips for you in any size.
Here is the email I received from them for a M108 engine I am rebuilding:

thanks a lot for your request for 6 new pistons for your Mercedes-Benz 250S, engine M108.
Theese pistons aren´t longer available at Mahle. neither in standard nor in any oversize, so we could easily produce them inhouse here.
Please copy of out Mahle Catalogue attached as a PDF -file
Here our quote:
piece price  for one complete piston inlcuding pin, rings and clips = crica 265,- Euro + Tax
Pistons will be made out of Mahle forged alloy material
Delivery: 7-8 weeks after placing the order. ( if you need it faster please let me know)
In case of an order please do send us one old piston with pin and rings as sample please andconfimrfinal new bore size of cylinders ( will it stay at cyl= Ø83,0mm?)
Of course you will get  back the old one together with the new ones
Any questions please fee free to contact me.
Hope this quote will find your agreement

kind regards and have a nice week-end

Klaus Wahl
Dipl.-Ing.(BA)

Wahl Spezialkolben GmbH

Gartenstrasse 57/1

DE-70734 Fellbach

Germany

Phone.  :+49 711 589660                                           

Fax.: +49 711 584436

e-mail: info@wahl-spezialkolben.de

http://www.wahlspezialkolben.de

 Sitz der Gesellschaft:Fellbach

Amtsgericht Stuttgart-Waiblingen  HRB Nr. 263972

Geschäftsführer : Helmut Wahl