Topic: TJs new 6.3

[UTn_boy]

Not a problem, yes I realised that afterwards. I've seen these pistons listed on Niemoller but everyone else is saying NLA including Tom Hanson.

Australian dealers wouldn't know what was going on lol.

The guys rebuilding the pump were able to get the delivery valves but that was all. It was well over a year ago though. They were dealing with a Bosch agent, although I suspect it just goes in the too hard basket.

Tim

Well, you have to remember that the Classic Center is never the definitive authority on anything.....much less any dealership.  Especially on a 6.3.  If it's not a 300SL, 190SL, or a Pagoda then they don't really keep up or care if parts are available or not.  If they'll let you, just take a list of part numbers in to a local dealership and ask them if they'll order those part numbers for you.  If they're too dumb to realize that you just saved them the time to look the parts up and not order them, then send me a private message and I'll somehow get a set of new pistons to you.  I always look out for my own!    And remember that new pistons come with new rings and wrist pins.  Also, several undersized bearings are also still available.  One thing you will have trouble finding are head gaskets.  They've become no longer available.  Essentially, Mercedes approached their trusted gasket maker, Elring, and asked them to make some more head gaskets for the 6.3.  Elring responded by saying that 1,000 sets was mandatory as a minimum order, and Mercedes, being the conceited cheap bastards they are, told them to go get stuffed.  So availability of the head gaskets is in limbo right now.  Hopefully you already have some. 

The same can sort of be said for Bosch Classic.  It depends on who answers your inquiry.  Sometimes it's a knowledgeable person that can get things done, and sometimes it's a young kid that has no idea what a 6.3 is.  If it's not on the computer they have no idea what to do.  So they tell you it's not available.  There is no consistency anywhere these days, and it makes finding parts an experience that'll make you want to pull your hair out. 

[goldacre]

Awesome if your Goldfields endeavour gets you to Leonora area drop me line, have a colleague out there who is great value. Great Southern can give you a couple of contacts who are also tops  as far as wheatbelt house I have Central and North East covered so PM when around.

Will check out GCD dates for 2020.

Keep up the good work on the Merc, if can sort out image posting will upload the Merc classics I found in Germany, OMG 

G

[rumb]

UTN - Yesterday I called my local MB to order some parts. He asks me for the VIN which I give and it confuses him and he replies what year is that car?  1977 - oh we can't order parts for cars that old they are not it the system.  I tell him that's ok I have the part numbers.  I give him the part number of the diff pinion shaft, he looks it up and says it's not available.  I tell him it is as I looked it up.  Oh wait a second - it is available from Germany.  BTW the reason I call my local MB is that all the online MB dealers their system seems to want $250 freight on that specific $44 item. I grill him to assure me that there will be no freight charges. I also ordered the door lock lubricant that all they online wanted $50 shipping for.  I order and try giving him my MBCA number for a discount and he tells me that their parts counter has no way to record that information so they will give me the discount when I come in to get the parts and pay.

If like pulling teeth with these clowns!

[UTn_boy]

@RUMB........my favorite part about that whole story was when you said, "That's ok, I have the part numbers". haha  I'm very fortunate in that I have a friend that works at a dealer somewhat close to me who knows and loves these older models like we do.  I've used him for nearly 10 years now.  I knows just about every trick in the book, but he also knows that age and VIN are insignificant when it comes to being able to order parts for older models......sans foot notes for VIN breaks, of course. 

And yes, I, too, would never ever order from an online dealer source like you mention, and for the same reasons.  They have this really stupid system that bases shipping on something other than actual weight.  They don't even use any kind of flat rate......I think they pay a monkey to make up shipping prices.  One day you'll order a $30 part that weighs less than a pound and they'll charge you $200 for shipping.  The next day you'll order a $2,000 part that weighs 100 pounds and charge you $20 for shipping.  Go figure. 

And ANOTHER stupid thing I've recently heard about is if you use one of these online dealer websites and order something that is in Germany they'll cancel your order for no reason.  It's almost useless.  After hearing this I tried one of these online dealers for myself. The one I used was based out of California. I ordered a new cylinder head for a customer's 1991 350SDL.  It was right at $2,000, and shipping was $80.  I checked with Paragon and Netstar beforehand to make sure that there was stock and availability.....and there were plenty in Germany.  So I placed the order, and the very next day the order was cancelled, and my money refunded.  So I then CALLED the dealer to ask them why my order was cancelled.  They told me that the part was no longer available.  I kindly informed them that they were wrong, and that if they'll look on Netstar and Paragon that they'll see that they are still available, and that there are plenty in stock.  They then said, "Well, if a part is in Germany we have to cancel the order because we aren't allowed to buy parts from Germany".  It was the absolute most stupid excuse I'd ever heard, and I HATE that we're surrounded by such ignorance. 

My local dealer, whom I never use, (because they charge more for parts than others close by) doesn't even honor any kind of MBCA discount or anything.  They have nothing to do with MBCA.  Then again, MBCA is pretty much a thing of the past.  It's a bit of a Sh*t show right now, and has been for several years. 

However, yes it's like pulling teeth from a hen.  They hire people that know absolutely nothing about anything and expect results.  I just don't understand.   

[TJ 450]

@UTn,

I'll see how I go with these custom pistons locally but will definitely bear this info in mind. Luckily I bought a set of head gasket kits over a year ago, along with the bearings and lower gasket kit. It sounds like things could be dire otherwise.

@Goldacre,

Thanks, I'll let you know when I'm up there, I plan on going up around Beacon fairly soon. I was at Leonora a couple of months back (went out to Lake Perkolilli and did a bit of exploring). Definitely going back out there too.

Tim