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What have you done for your W116 today?

Started by BWalker82, 18 May 2011, 06:27 PM

w116john


hi daniel

yeah i had the lights out any rust sorted and seals replaced, i think i need to take them out and fit them better thats still on the to do list, i might have it done when i do some body worrk during the summer.

good to hear from you

john

ptashek

I'm not doing much with Goldie recently, due to lack of time to get her out of the garage, but the last two jobs I've done were mixture, timing and idle adjustment and replacement of the ignition ballast resistors.

As for the mixture, she was running a bit rich and CO was at 2.04%, idle at 700rpm. After adjustment, CO is at 1.4% (it was fluctuating between 1.37% and 1.43% at idle, actually), so maybe a little too lean this time? We've set idle back to 750rpm, but surprisingly the idle adjustment screw is maxed out - possible air leak somewhere on the intake path?

Either way, we've cancelled out the 3* timing retard I had originally setup to run on 95RON as I've found out recently the E5 fuel in Ireland is at 97RON these days. She's setup for 98 as per factory spec now, and I'm using an octane boosting additive to account for that last missing one ;)

The ballast resistors were still factory ones, but I've spotted last week that the 0.4 Beru has developed a hairline crack along the body. I've replaced both on principle, with genuine Bosch parts. Funny thing - both the original and replacement resistors read +0.2 Ohm above their rated value (0.6 and 0.8, respectively).

I'm taking her on another road trip across Europe over the next fortnight, so that'll add another 5k or so Autobahn kilometres to the clock.

In the meantime, my W124 is the go-to car for getting my hands dirty. So far I've replaced the throttle body, radiator, water pump, spark plugs, AC condenser, rebuilt the headlight wash/wipe motors, serviced the diff and tranny... and it's running as my daily, at 200k miles :)
1993 "Pearl Blue" W124 280TE
1988 "Arctic White" W124 200T
1979 "Icon Gold" W116 450SE

OLDGOLD

I drove about 15 miles this morning to go have breakfast with my daughter and when I arrived I realized that after I turned the key to shut off the ignition, the car was still running. So I opened the hood and pressed the engine shut-off button to shut the engine off manually. When I returned to the vehicle to drive home about 20 minutes later, I unlocked the door and all the doors unlocked immediately. My doors haven't worked for over a year and every time I shutoff my car, I only had about a minute before I lost all the locking vacuum. I was amazed to say the least!

So I drove home and the engine still wouldn't shut off. I opened the hood and inspected the vacuum lines and when I wiggled the brown vacuum line going to the shut-off valve on the back of the IP, the engine immediately turned off! I looked at the small piece of vacuum tube and it was swollen and soft and had seen better days. I had some extra tubing from one of my door lock diaphragms that I'd replaced a few months ago, so I replaced the old one with that. I started up the car again and after a minute I turned it off and it shut off instantly. I just tested the locks after 45 minutes and all of the locks popped up quickly and then sucked right down again after locking. Even the fuel door is staying locked! It used to re-open after about 30 seconds even after replacing the entire assembly a few months ago.

I am very happy to have it all working again and the fact that all it took was the replacement of a simple tube, makes me even happier! Great success!

OLDGOLD

I learned after replacing the rubber vacuum hose connected to my vacuum shutoff valve, that there was oil on the hose meaning that the shutoff valve was on the way out. I ordered the part from my dealership, but since I'm cheap and have another baby on the way, I went the cheap route and installed an in-line filter. This way I'll know if oil is being sucked back into the vacuum system before it makes it into the ignition. I've heard of oil being found in the trunk diaphragms! The filter is definitely a little larger than I though, but it will work for now.

Janse

I have switched the Bosch carb with a Holley. Man what a difference! Runs really smooth and easy to adjust! And Since I am not a purist, I like the way it looks with the Holley airfilter, since you can see the whole engineblock now. Just a few minor details to sort out and I can have the car back on the road after 6 years in the garage.

Jed

The 6.9 was feeling a little bouncy...over the last few drives seemed to get more and more bouncy.  Replaced all 5 spheres/accumulators. (first time since I've owned it for four years)

WOW!

Feels soon good! What an awesome drive.

1979 Mercedes 6.9 #5206 - restored
1979 Mercedes 6.9 #6424 - ongoing restoration
1976 Mercedes 6.9 #484 - restoration?

ptashek

I've changed both the small fuse box relays, and the fuel tank flap central locking grommet today. First time I've taken the cover off of the car in five months... Still held vacuum!

The relays were 43 years old at this point, the finest of the 1977 vintage. I've replaced them with fresh ones, only a few months old, more for peace of mind than out of necessity.

The fuel flap grommet, surprisingly, is a semi-transparent white now, not black. Looks better this way too.

Then back under the cover she went...

1993 "Pearl Blue" W124 280TE
1988 "Arctic White" W124 200T
1979 "Icon Gold" W116 450SE

gavin116

Hi Lucas


I think replacing those relays is a good insurance policy. I don't mind if the air con stops working, but I certainly don't want the fuel pump to go on strike... Where did you purchase such new stock?


Incidentally, I can't view your pictures running Safari, but they display okay with Firefox or Google chrome.


Can't wait for the summer to get my car out.


G
1979 450SE "Mrs White"
2022 Touareg-R 3.0TSi Hybrid
[url="http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/"]http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/[/url]
[url="http://forum.w116.org/the-org/british-near-london-meet/msg97613/#msg97613"]http://forum.w116.org/the-org/british-near-london-meet/msg97613/#msg97613[/url]

ptashek

QuoteWhere did you purchase such new stock?

Hi :)
I've bought them straight from MB in Germany at €32/each. They're made in Hungary, without any manufacturer markings on the housing. The originals were Bosch, made in West Germany. Time will tell if they're just as long-lived as the old ones.

I've bought a W124 headlight lens in the same batch, and it was also fresh stock - 2018, and made in Czech Republic by Automotive Lighting. The originals were either Bosch, or Hella.
1993 "Pearl Blue" W124 280TE
1988 "Arctic White" W124 200T
1979 "Icon Gold" W116 450SE

BCDC

280SE with 95,000kms. The windscreen washer didn't work, so took it out and it was seised and also the hose connection points were beyond repair, so I ordered an ebay 12V washer pump and installed it by cable tying it to the original one just for keeping the original part there even if doesn't work and now I have perfect windscreen washing!

Just wondering if all the electric window winders should operate at the same speed and if so if one is much slower it may need a lube or rebuild? The rear ones are fast the passenger one a bit slower and the drivers one quite slow compared with the others. Any help welcome.
1978 280SE Cream with blue interior. With SLS

BCDC

I took my 280SE to my friend mechanics and put it up on the hoist then replaced the exhaust hanger rubber doughnuts. Also all fan belts. the alternator one is a total bastard, down low and hard to get at but we did it in the end, so all new belts done. There is a little upright strut that was rattly between the front wishbone mounting area and the engine mounting area that I don't know what it does, but it's a little rattly. The other side one is fine. Tried to tighten it but must be stripped. Does anyone know what his little strut is?

BCDC
1978 280SE Cream with blue interior. With SLS

daantjie

Quote from: BCDC on 21 January 2020, 12:10 AM
Does anyone know what his little strut is?


That's a  torque strut to help with reducing engine vibration.  Replace them both at the same time.  Not very expensive.
Daniel
1977 450 SEL 6.9 - Astralsilber

rumb

They are hard to get off because the shaft spins when you are trying to undo the nut. Grab the shaft with some pliers.
'68 250S
'77 6.9 Euro
'91 300SE,
'98 SL500
'14 CLS550,
'16 AMG GTS
'21 E450 Cabrio

Alec300SD

IIRC the engine shocks have flats ground into the shank so you can use a 7mm open end wrench as a counterhold.
78 W116 300SD 'Desert Rose' new as of 01/26/2014
79 W116 300SD 'Stormcloud' RIP 04/11/2022

UTn_boy

Quote from: Alec300SD on 22 January 2020, 12:45 AM
IIRC the engine shocks have flats ground into the shank so you can use a 7mm open end wrench as a counterhold.

The originals and new old stock torque shocks have these flats you speak of, but most aftermarket ones do not have these flats.  Most people buy the aftermarket because OE ones from Mercedes are hundreds of dollars EACH......which I don't understand. 
1966 250se coupe`,black/dark green leather
1970 600 midnight blue/parchment leather
1971 300sel 6.3,papyrus white/dark red leather
1975 450se, pine green metallic/green leather
1973 300sel 4.5,silver blue metallic/blue leather
1979 450sel 516 red/bamboo