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Garage => Test Drive => Topic started by: gavin116 on 10 April 2011, 01:54 PM

Title: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 10 April 2011, 01:54 PM
Dear All,

I thought I might introduce myself now that I am the official owner of my childhood dream car, a W116.  Back in 1974 when I was going on five, my interest in motor cars was sky rocketed by this marvellous car.  Our next door neighbour (an orthopaedic surgeon) decided to spoil his wife: a 350SE in Sahara Yellow with Bamboo leather upholstery.  However not to be out done, the civil engineer living across the road from us, done very similar, and soon his wife too was driving a 350SE in Signal Red with Parchment leather.  I really preferred the latter, and I still think any Benz looks great in red!  Aside from the looks, another thing still firmly entrenched in my mind is the sound of that wonderful three and a half litre V8 being floored, as the civil engineer's wife Sheila gunned it up our hilly road.  (The 350 was the flagship in South Africa, as we didn't get the 450 in the W116, although I think it may have been an option in the R107 although I stand to correction.)

Well, having trawled the internet for ages looking for a W111 300SE, I had all but given up hope of owning a classic Mercedes, when I stumbled on the 'org'.  This rekindled my childhood dream, and soon I was looking for a W116.  Having done a bit of homework, I discovered that the 350 wasn't a popular model here in the UK, and that the 450 was the car to go for.  As the car may yet be used at our Spanish home on occasion, I needed a car with air-con, and because our drive is so steep and curved, a SE would be more manoeuvrable than a SEL.

The internet revealed a few really nice single owner 450SEL's in lovely paint combos, and I really liked a metallic blue as well as an icon gold car, but alas neither had air-con (both cars sold really quickly).  Undeterred, I continued to search, and would you believe another 450 came up for sale, SE wheelbase and air-con!  Problem being it was Classic White with black plaid upholstery, not my ideal colour or choice of upholstery.

Nevertheless, here I went again (having looked at a few W116's which were unsuitable) to take a look and a test drive.  Well, what can I say, it was love at first sight, it nearly took a lemon to get the smile off my face.  The car has a one owner history, and is very largely unmolested and in original near mint condition.  The owners pack in the glove box even included the "blank spare key" (not sure what you called this key, it is basically the metal component, without the black plastic housing), it has a full service history stamped in its logbook (till she was laid up in a garage for several years), and her data card, revealing that she was a very nicely specked car (except maybe the cloth upholstery - in my opinion), even the red card from the cruise control etc., etc.

I bought the car there and then, or rather paid a deposit.  A few weeks later, I completed the deal after some strong negotiating by text messages whilst skiing in the French Alps, although I still feel that I paid £1K too much.  But then, I figured you don't see many 116's come up for sale in the UK in this condition.  Indeed, I cannot say that after living in the UK for 12 years that I have seen a single 116 on the road! After much wrangling, I finally managed to organise a gap to go and fetch the car; you see my partner doesn't know that I have bought a classic car! ... yet ...

So here I stood one week before my birthday outside Leeds train station with the keys to my 116, and early birthday present to myself. I thanked the owner for delivering her to the station saving me a lot of time and hassle to get get to his village some 40 miles away.  I hooked up the TomTom, inserted my new iPod cassette into the radio, selected Neil Diamond, ABBA and other seventies music from my play list, slipped the gear lever in D, and off I went!

The car does have some idling issues, and idles fairly roughly when cold, and is slightly better when warm.  Nevertheless, she handled the Leeds city centre traffic with ease, and then, she took to the motorway with just the same level of consummate ease. The auto gearbox is truly amazing!  It shifts up and down wonderfully well.

The next issue I found was that the cruise control wasn't working properly (on the test drive, the air-con wasn't operational, and the cruise control did engage, but the speed wavered up and down by 5 miles either way).  The vacuum system is well, as the unit will accelerate, but it will not hold a speed.  I realise that I will need a rebuilt actuator.  Otherwise, she did well at motorway speed.  I kept to 65 ~ 70 mph, as I do not know the car well enough yet.  However on some overtake manoeuvres, it willingly touched 90 mph, and I could feel that she was not yet out of breath by a long way!

At that speed however, the steering did feel a little light and woolly, and I will need someone to look at the steering components to see if we can remove some of the play in the system.  I must say that I found the seats to be wonderfully supportive and comfortable.  And seeing as though we may well have experienced one of our ten days of summer, the cloth seats were very good on the skin in the hot weather, and I never once got stuck to the seats.  I did however notice two thing about the centre armrest.  I felt that it was positioned too low, and strangely, mine is connected to the passenger seat (i.e. the left hand side seat).

Being laid up for so long, I was a trifle worried about the radiator and cooling system.  Well, as per our British road system, that was put to the test too!  About halfway through my journey, an accident occurred on the motorway, and I drove into the back of a long tailback.  Well, we took an hour to cover just a few miles.  I was not very comfortable with this arrangement, however there was no incident, the heat gauge which ran just a little over half way (175F: stupid temperature scale, as I understand Celsius) then started to steadily climb to just over the 3/4 mark (212F). I am not sure what would have happened if the air-con was howling away?  Was I right to worried about the gauge reading 3/4?  This did prompt me to turn the car off from time to time.  She did however start first time every time, so no hot starting issues there.

Everything was going really well until the last four miles of my journey's end when the car started to misbehave really badly! Suddenly I was suffering from intermittent fuel starvation and miss-firing problems.  This caused the car to stall on several occasions, and I think I was very lucky to get her to the storage facility.  I did get out the car with the engine spluttering, and as I approached the rear of the car, I hear a whirring sound which I thought was the fuel pump.  I can only assume that some of my problems may be a overheated or seizing fuel pump, dirt in the system, I think the tank was only drained when it was recommissioned and not 'cleaned out', or I had run dry?

She was fed 76 litres of fuel and I travelled 230 miles, the needle still indicating 1/4 tank left. Feeling somewhat fed up and exhausted as my day started at 4:40 AM, I left the car at the storage facility, and took the train up to London.  I hope to go and see the car this coming Friday, where I plan to look at her more closely.  I will see if I can fill her up, and see if the fuelling problems resolve themselves.  I would also like to look at the air-con, but don't know where to start.

Hopefully in a few weeks I shall take her up north to the SL Shop where she will get the necessary attention that she needs:
1)  Full service.  Including fixing the rough idling problem.
2)  Brake service - I will renew all discs, pads etc, and also get them to look at the "brake" light that comes on and off, could well be the floats in the brake reservouir.
3)  5 new tyres, she has 14inch Bundt alloys.
4)  Air-con re-commissioned.
5)  Radiator re-cored, new water pump, radiator hoses etc, as well as "mercedes" antifreeze.
6)  Retro fit a rev counter that I have already acquired.
7)  Sorting the cruise control.
8 )  Discuss feasibility of new battery and alternator.
9)  Look into the feasibility of retro fitting rear seat belts.
10)  Look at replacing some of the exhaust, or again feasibility of renewing entire exhaust with a stainless steel type.
11)  Assessing the bodywork.  There is a small rust issue in the engine bay.  Also some minor rust on the sunroof tray, and it had some work done to the sills [the repairers didn't follow the correct black colour for the wheel wells and the lower sills  :(]  Also refitting the headlight wiper arms if I cannot do so myself.  I would have really liked to get more hands on myself, but lack of a workspace and tools is my obstacle at the moment.  Although not a mechanical genius, I am not entirely cack-handed.

Well, I look forward to many pleasurable hours with the 450.  I would value any advice from fellow members, and also would really like to meet any other Londoners who own 116's, or indeed anyone else in the UK.

Regards

Gavin

P.S. Stork, that new 116 badge will look so cool with my classic white paint job!
P.P.S. I shall endeavour to post some pictures on the net, have seen how it is done on the forum, lucky for me "Stork" has a mac too!

Left hand side front three quarter view
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28463-1/Advert+picture+left+hand+side+front+three+quarter+view.jpg)

Left hand side rear three quarter view
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28465-1/Advert+picture+left+hand+side+rear+three+quarter+view.jpg)

View of driver's seat
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28455-1/Advert+picture+drivers+seat.jpg)

Rear seat right hand side
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28474-1/Advert+picture+rear+seat+right+hand+side.jpg)

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: carl888 on 10 April 2011, 07:27 PM
Congratulations Gavin, that is a very nice car, I think the interior works well and I like the colour combination (As i have a white one myself :)

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: WGB on 10 April 2011, 08:08 PM
Hi Gavin - welcome to our worls.

I will have a look thorugh your pictures when I get a faster internet connection.

A few observations.

1) The wheel wells were originally in body colour it is only the sills that were painted black.

2) The cruise control is usually the ampflier whose capacitators age and they can be re-built easily enough. It lives in teh dash area behind the instruments.

3) I din't know they made a 450- without a tach - instructions on fitting one should be readily available on thsi site.

4) Get the cooling system checked and the radiator cleaned ( Here we get the tanks removed and the core rodded clean) - incorrect timing and mixture can also cause these motors to run hot. Water pumps only need to be replaced if they leak.

Bill
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: KenM on 11 April 2011, 07:02 AM
Nice one Gavin, the black interior goes really well with the white, very nice combo. Strange about the armrest being attached to the passenger seat, the car wasn't originally LHD was it?

Good luck with it, looks like a good buy.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 11 April 2011, 04:32 PM
Hi Bill

Yes, it does seem odd that a 450 would have the clock only and not a rev counter.  Anyhow, that shall soon be changed.  The new clocks arrived today, I shall look at them tomorrow.  In the meanwhile, look at all that lovely Zebrano on the the dash.  I didn't realise that the wheel wells were body colour, they always look dark so I just assumed that they were painted black.  Thanks for the other advice, I shall follow up on this before I part with any money (re: the radiator)

The dashboard
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28486-2/Dashboard.jpg)

The speedo and clock
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28496-2/Speedo.jpg)

And Ken

I am not sure why the armrest is attached to the passenger seat.  But I did look at the "Vin" number again, and the 7th number is definitely a number "2" which signifies a RHD vehicle.  I can only assume that a gremlin must have crept into the production line, how un-teutonic!.  I cannot wait to go and see the car this Friday.  I hope that I can get her running well again to do the trip up north in a few weeks time.

The "vin plate"
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28491-2/Serial+number+plate.jpg)

Regards

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: jbrasile on 11 April 2011, 04:57 PM
Congratulations Gavin!

Love the plaid seats! Tach was an option even on the 450SEL, I have actually seen a couple here in Brazil for sale with no tach. It is pretty straight forward to install.

The only 116 where a rev counter was std was the 6.9

Tks,

Joe
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: WGB on 11 April 2011, 08:55 PM
All German production cars had the armrest on teh Left hand seat whether LHD or RHD.

South African Production cars were the only ones with the armrest on a RHD driver's seat. This continued through the 126 range as well.

What you call the VIN plate is actually the build plate and has the build number as found on the original Data Card as well as the codes for the extras fitted - many of which would have actually been standard for the particular market it was destined for.

737G is paint code 737 - G is for Glasurit brand paint.

The actual VIN should be stamped on the firewall upper central and will be different from the build number on the plate.

If it is a 1979 model give us the VIN number and I can probably guess the month it was built.

Bill

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: KenM on 12 April 2011, 04:42 AM
Yep definitely a UK delivered car Gavin.

Bill I dunno about the armrest thing, my Aus delivered 450 has the armrest attached to the drivers seat. My UK car has it attached to the passenger side, (also RHD), there must have been some logic to it somewhere.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: jbrasile on 12 April 2011, 07:05 AM
My 74 280S LHD had the arm rest attached to the passenger seat.

Both 450SEL's  the 78 and the 80 LHD have it on the driver's seat, I think they changed this around 76 together with the other mods such as K-Jet, etc...

Joe
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: WGB on 12 April 2011, 08:36 AM
Interesting info.

Both my RHD 450SEL and 6.9 have it attached to the passenger seat.

I owned a 1987 126 300SE and it was attached to the passenger seat.

I have only seen one 126 280SE with it attached to the driver's seat and that was a South African Car - I was told at the time all RHD SA cars were the same.

When I re-upholstered my 6.9 I thought of swapping sides - didn't look particularly difficult to acheive but decided to leave it in it's original position.

Bill
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: TJ 450 on 12 April 2011, 10:43 AM
If I remember correctly, Carl Jones' car has the arm rest on the driver's seat.

Tim
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 12 April 2011, 02:42 PM
Hi Bill

I have the Vin number, it is 116 032 22 094711.  Looking at the service book, I see the delivery date was 12 Sep 1979.  Nevertheless, I would be very interested to know when my car was actually produced.  I also have the original data card.

Regards

Gavin

Data Card
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28501-2/Data+Sheet.jpg)

Vin Number
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28506-2/Vin+Number.jpg)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: adamb on 13 April 2011, 08:25 AM
Hi Gavin,

Welcome to the list and congratulations on your purchase. I am a fellow Londoner - living in Wapping presently. My 6.9 is the the same 737 colour code as yours but not for long, see my other posts. I have not seen many 116s around London or the UK for that matter. By comparison 107 convertibles are positively common.

Having owned a fair few 116s over the years I can confirm that German built RHD cars all have an armrest on the passenger seat. Nowadays I think it's a nice quirk. Let me know how you get on with fixing that cruise control as mine needs work too - it doesn't work full stop.

No idea how much you paid but the cost of putting the car right will cost more most likely. However, the delight of owning and driving a 116 in good condition will be worth it.

Adam
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 14 April 2011, 01:32 AM
Hello Adam

Nice to hear from you.  I was following your posts, and recall that you are having your paint work done.  The last pictures I saw, the car was without its chromework. How is the job coming along?  Do you have any during pictures from the paintshop.  I seem to remember that you are going for a custom black metallic if my memory serves me correct.

Anyhow, at some stage I must come over to see you and the 116, seeing as I live very close by in Hammersmith.  Do you still have your parts car, and if so what colour combo is it?  What does the centre consol look like?  Also looking for rear seat belts, an a few bits and bobs

You are right about our cars being bottomless pits when it comes to money...

Looking forward to meeting you some time soon, hopefully when I get my fuel starvation and miss-firing problems sorted.

Gavin

Can't wait to see Stork's bonnet (hood) badge in the flesh.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: calvin streeting on 14 April 2011, 02:08 AM
well done.. I live in kent, but work in eltham (south east london). maybe we should all meet up :)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: WGB on 14 April 2011, 09:56 AM
Hi Gavin,

Your original data card does not contain the production date.

Here is a copy of the data card of my 450SEL that was supplied to me by D-B three years ago when they were still supplying them by e-mail - my 450 is a UK delivered 1979 model.

(http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh219/WGB_album/11603322093288reduced.jpg)

You will note that AFAIK although yours is a 450SE and starts with 116032 the production numbers for 450 SE and SEL models continued in a sequential run irrespective of chassis size.

My car is chassis no 93288 and the build date is on the card as 29-05-79.

Your car is 1523 later hence I would suggest that it was built approx July 1979.

You can get some further guesstimate by removing trim like the knee rolls or the horn pad and if original they will have a date either stamped or on a sticker on the reverse side. My car has lots of stickers marked May 1979.

Bill
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: adamb on 14 April 2011, 05:18 PM

Hi Gavin,

I've posted pictures since the original where the car is missing it's panels and the panels are stripped of paint. You should see the pics in the gallery. I am still keen to go for a new colour but that's because I've had my white 6.9 for 10 years now and feel it's time for a change. If the paint condition is good then white looks pretty good too. I like the trim combo on yours. Mine is black leather so looks pretty similar.

The 450SEL parts car is dark blue with cream velour interior. The inside is in a bad state and the outside is not that hot either. However, the doors are pretty good and can certainly be reused. The same goes for the bonnet and and boot. I believe the car has rear seat belts but will confirm. The bumpers are rotten, sadly. The dash is in good condition and then there is the engine and gear box which will go on forever.

Despite all, it is possible to run 116s relatively cheaply so long as you are not too fussy. In the last ten years the only item which required rebuilding was the rear limited slip diff. On a standard 450 you don't have one so it's not a problem. Apart from regular servicing and some new break disks, pads, new suspension spheres and windscreen wipers, nothing else was required. I suggest you take it easy rather than pore in all the money at once.

Cheers,
Adam
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: calvin streeting on 15 April 2011, 02:24 AM
Quote from: adamb on 14 April 2011, 05:18 PM

The 450SEL parts car is dark blue with cream velour interior. The inside is in a bad state

mmm.. How good is the back seat and carperts.. and i realy need to find the colour code for my interior...
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: adamb on 15 April 2011, 08:27 AM
There was a water leak into the car and the rear seats are damaged. The front are actually in a better condition. Not that clean but as far as I recall have no tears. I'll try and get pictures some time as I need to sell some bits and recoup the costs of getting it in the first place.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 15 April 2011, 04:45 PM
Hello Adam (and fellow 116 owners)

I went to look at the car again today.  Had her in the light of day, and discovered several imperfections that I hadn't noticed before.  Nevertheless, I am still in love, and considering that she is 32 years old, that's not bad.  I have taken heed of what you are saying about pouring huge amounts of money into the car, as one can easily get carried away with one's first 116 (end up like Charlie with a beautiful car, but probably dead broke!).  I had a look at the gallery again, and perused your during photos.  Got any more pictures from the paint shop? Who and where are they? And what about your colour, have you finalised it yet?  I am liking the classic white "737" more and more, although I do think that some of the metallic greens and browns work well on a 116.  I also like smoked silver, but it was never an option on the 116 as far as I know. And then there's RED!

When I started her today, it was a little difficult to get her to idle, she kept on missing and running on less than all 8 cylinders, and she wanted to stall as soon as I touched the accelerator. Discouraged, I turned the ignition off and I started to look around the vehicle. I was examining my ash tray, (the previous owner was a smoker, and the car does have a somewhat unhealthy smell) which I managed to break when I emptied the full ashtray at the services on my trip down to London.  The catch mechanism was slightly bent, which I managed to force back into shape.  However, the wood cover did come off in my hands.  I will take advice on how to stick it back on, i.e. which brand of double sided tape or glue to use.  The original tape looks very thin compared to the tape I have seen in hardware stores.  [This did however reveal a date inscription, Bill ,it would appear our cars are more or less twins, the ashtray veneer was some date in May 1979.  I will take a photo before I glue it back in place.]

I also noticed that the front passenger safety belt is defective (won't retract at all) and I will need to replace it.  At the same time, I also saw that the right rear door beading is damaged, so Adam I will need this piece from you if it is still up for grabs?  There is a small amount of rust under the bonnet, do I need to attend to this, and is it serious?  Will this mean there is a leak into the interior?  The front passenger footwell?

Rust in the engine bay
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28516-2/Rustinenginbay.jpg)

What is this box (there is also some rust beneath it)?
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28526-2/Whatisthis.jpg)

Otherwise the sunroof tray has rust in the anterior region.  Do I need this attending to sooner rather than later?

Rust on the left hand side of the sun roof
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28534-2/sunroofleft.jpg)

Rust on the right hand side of the sun roof
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28521-2/sunroofright.jpg)


Pulling myself together , I decided to try starting the car again.  This time she started first time, and idled much better with no miss-firing.  Having got this far, I took her for a little spin, and gave her a token £50 of petrol (sadly that only equates to 36.26 Lt), she is now just a little way over half full.  Got a few stares again from passersby.  I am not sure if it's all that chrome, or the sound of the V8 that makes the people smile.

I will need to do some other work soon.  I must get a service, to see if I can get the miss-firing issue resolved, as well as new tyres.  By the way, the fuel pump is now whisper quiet.  I can only assume that the problem was caused by an overheated fuel pump?  I will also need a rear box on my exhaust, as this is starting to blow.

Who do you guys in Greater London recommend for a service, bearing in mind that the car is garaged in Guilford?  And where should I take the car for its exhaust.  And should I go stainless steel?  What brand of tyre do you use on your 14" rims.  And what is the speed rating of the tyres for a 450?

Next visit I plan to take a new Bosch S5 830A 100Ah battery, and loads of cleaning things to tidy up the engine bay and the inside.  I shall be spraying the interior with a fair amount of Febreze to try remove the smoke smell (or any suggestions from the audience?). >:(  This will then be followed hopefully with a full service once I have read through all your suggestions.

Regards

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: calvin streeting on 15 April 2011, 05:14 PM
Hi.. and welcome..
Quote from: gavin116 on 15 April 2011, 04:45 PM
There is a small amount of rust under the bonnet, do I need to attend to this, and is it serious?  Will this mean there is a leak into the interior?  The front passenger footwell?
might do common rust spot, remove the carpets for awhile and spray it with a hose (while giving it a wash and polish)..

Quote from: gavin116 on 15 April 2011, 04:45 PM
Otherwise the sunroof tray has rust in the anterior region.  Do I need this attending to sooner rather than later?

Rust on the left hand side of the sun roof
http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/818/sunroofleft.jpg

Rust on the right hand side of the sun roof
http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/5127/sunroofright.jpg
could hover out the rust and do a leak test (but also get some strimmer wire to make sure pipes are not blocked).


Rust on the right hand side of the sun roof
Got a few stares again from passersby.  I am not sure if it's all that chrome, or the sound of the V8 that makes the people smile.
[/quote]
yep...never get tired of that.. :)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: adamb on 16 April 2011, 09:09 AM
Hi Gavin,

No more pictures from the body shop yet. Those were the last I took. The car is still stripped with the most recent news being that we are waiting on a replacement near side wing, we agreed that the current one was not worth saving. They are also pulling out a rear dent which resulted from a rear shunt 2 years ago. Some b*stard drove into the back of me,  sued and won the court case! More about that another time... The body shop is near Chelmsford. They were the most professional operation that I visited when researching shops back in January/February.

Be cautious about diagnosing FI faults before confirming that it's not the electrics. Many people on this forum have had old Benzes and can confirm that the electrics are much more prone to trouble. Your description of symptoms makes me think that the problem is on the ignition side.

The seat belts can be replaced. Does yours not go back even when you feed it in? Usually it's due to weak springs rather than an outright failure.

The ashtray panelling can be just superglued back on I think.

Your rust situation is not bad. Mine had a similar amount of rust in the sunroof drain channels. When I got the car initially, rain water would drip on my thies on right turns! I used Isopon filler to repair the rusty drain pipe after removing the head panel. Now that the car is disassembled, the rusty sunroof frame will be repaired properly. Apparently W126 cars have the same frame but I have no personal experience of that.

Are you sure that you need to replace your exhaust? Mine had some pinholes in the bottom of the rear silencer which I fixed with some exhaust paste. 10 years on, the same exhaust is still doing its job. 6.9 exhaust parts are damn expensive. When I bite the bullet, I will go for a custom large bore free flowing pipes and silencers.

Go for H-rated 205/70/14 tyres. The choice is not huge and my car is wearing a mixture of Toyos and Goodyear Eagle NCT3s.

I can't recommend any service agent as I've not used any and do all the servicing myself. For bigger jobs (e.g. propeller shaft rubber doughnut replacement) I trust my ex-local VW garage in Woodford Green. On the southern side I have a friend who runs his own one man shop in Redhill and I am visiting him later today. Like me, he rides Triumphs and I would trust him completely for mechanical repairs. Those are the only mechanics I know these days. Why not try doing the service yourself - it's satisfying!

Regards,
Adam
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: adamb on 16 April 2011, 09:15 AM
Quote from: gavin116 on 15 April 2011, 04:45 PM


What is this box (there is also some rust beneath it)?
http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/2985/whatisthism.jpg


This is an ignition control module (amplifier) - creates a stronger spark. They can fail completely and you will be totally immobilised. Also they have been known to fail intermittently. I had a 1973 280SE where the ignition started to play up after the car ran for a while. Leaving it to stand for a night would fix the problem until the next run when it would get hot again. In the end I replaced it with an aftermarket optical ignition solution which was pretty good. BTW, pre-76 cars had points rather than induction based timing signals so that solution would not work here. I have a spare module in case mine fails.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: thysonsacclaim on 16 April 2011, 11:40 AM
Gaven,

Congratulations on your purchase! The 116 is a fine car, indeed. I'm a new owner as well and very pleased. Your story was enjoyable to read.


Adam
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: adamb on 17 April 2011, 03:42 PM
Gavin et al,

I looked at the parts car and took some pictures (http://gallery.w116.org/v/garage/adamb/partscar/1). Sadly I was mistaken and there are no rear seatbelts. Plently of other stuff though  :)

Adam

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 17 April 2011, 04:26 PM
Evening Adam

I want to see if I can get my new rev counter installed, but I need to get a VDO two pronged female socket and the wires.  I hope that you will be able to spare me one.  If you can locate one on a wiring harness of sorts, send me an e-mail, and I'll put some pounds in the post.  

From this thread:   http://forum.w116.org/mechanicals/tachometer-7671/

"But below this quote is a pic of the back of my cluster.  One thing I forgot to mention was the need for a VDO two pronged female socket.  These sockets are found in a few places on our cars so grab one including the wires that go to it.  The plugs only fit one way and ensures you wont short the tacho by putting the plug on the wrong way.  Just remember, regardless of colour, top wire from the plug is the signal wire, bottom wire is the 12V supply."

I must also find out how you upload pictures to the gallery.  I did play around a little, and will try again, see if I can place some pictures in the gallery.

I bought some bits and bobs at the weekend to begin giving the car a thorough clean, and attend to some of the rust.  I will do this in a few weeks time.  Then I must look at having the car serviced.  Perhaps when you get your 6.9 back, I might come round and watch as you do a service...

By the way, I no longer need to "hide" the car, as I came clean at the weekend.  Strangely, I thought it would result in loud screaming or sulking, but things are pretty normal. ;D

Regards

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 17 April 2011, 04:28 PM
Sorry, I forgot to mention that the advice was Oscar's response within the link, so if you scroll down to his response, you will see it in context, and also a picture of what the connector looks like. (Oscar, thanks for the instructions, when I tackle the rev counter I may still need to pick your brain, as my coil and the 'connector block' near the coil looks different to the ones in the link.)

Regards

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: adamb on 19 April 2011, 02:30 PM
Quote from: gavin116 on 17 April 2011, 04:26 PM
Evening Adam

I want to see if I can get my new rev counter installed, but I need to get a VDO two pronged female socket and the wires.  I hope that you will be able to spare me one.  If you can locate one on a wiring harness of sorts, send me an e-mail, and I'll put some pounds in the post.  


No problem but you'll have to wait a little as I am not around much till May.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 30 April 2011, 05:08 PM
Hi All

I had a chance today to go down to the car storage facility and "play" with "Mrs White" (one of the Cluedo characters, i.e. Mrs White, in the storage garage, with the rough idle, he, he... ).  Much to my surprise the latter half of a morning and the best part of the afternoon simply melted away.

One of the 1000 reasons why I just love 116's
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28177-2/One+of+the+1000+reasons+why+I+love+116_s+so+much.jpg)
I really must reattach that ashtray facing.

I managed to rub all the visible rust off the anterior part of the sunroof tray and the wind deflector.  The areas were vacuumed, and then painted  with Hammerite rust converter [Kurust].

Wind deflector treated with Kurust
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28229-2/Wind+deflector+treated+with+Kurust.jpg)

I took the metal trim piece off the anterior part of the sunroof opening, as well as the left hand side lateral trim piece. Unfortunately when I put the trim pieces back, I managed to half strip the most anterior screw - it had a finer thread, and was somewhat longer than the other four screws.  Guess I will need to try get a part number and source a replacement from the stealership.  I also poked some strimmer cord through the drains.  I presume they were open, as I encountered little resistance and no gunk was expelled.  I was quite surprised to find that these drain out of the "A" pillar almost level with the car's waist line.

Rounded philips screw head
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28248-2/Rounded+philips+screw-head.jpg)

On a more positive note however, I managed to start cleaning the engine bay.  I began with the fuse box, removing all the fuses, and brushing the terminals with a steel brush, followed by a brass brush and finally a nylon brush.  Halfords (UK automotive spares shop) had run out of some of the fuses, so I still need to replace a few fuses with new in the "second" row.  I must say, that those old fashioned fuses are a difficult to replace in the holders.  Next time I change them, I will take a pair of heavy tweezers...

Fusebox after some cleaning
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28242-2/Fusebox+after+cleaning.jpg)

I then started cleaning the back of the engine bay and the fire wall.  All the vacuum tubes have come up a treat.  I managed to get to grips with some of the areas where I need to do some rust treatment.  I bought a new Bosch battery S5, HSB 019 - a large beasty, perfectly up to the job of giving life to the electrical system.

Being such a lovely day, I felt it only right to take Mrs White for a spin.  Off we headed down towards Worthing, hiccup free thankfully.  Looks like my fuel starvation problem is a thing of the past.  Upon my return I decided to take a few photos of the engine bay, especially of a "blue relay" that seems to connect to the alternator, although the fuse part didn't have a fuse installed. Does anyone know what this is for?

Mystery blue relay
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28211-2/Mystery+_22blue_22+relay+without+fuse.jpg)

At the same time, I came across this single connector that was lying on the manifold on the right hand side of the engine bay.  It has one central round terminal similar to an earphone jack, the outside plastic insulation has a little step and a small catch that is connected to a heavyish gauge blue wire.  I assume that it may have something to do with the washer pump, alternator or a temperature sensor?   I shall take along a new piece of wire, some heatshrink and a soldering iron on my next trip to effect a repair, and will then try to hunt down where the connector goes.  Perhaps someone can enlighten me.

Connector at the end of the blue wire
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28188-2/Connector+at+end+of+the+blue+wire.jpg)

Whilst on the subject of enlightenment, can anyone tell me if these holes in the rear of the car just behind the bumper are per factory?  And do they need to be blocked off/and how?

Do these hole need to be blocked off?
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28201-2/Do+these+hole+need+to+be+closed+off_.jpg)


I also took a photograph of my non functional front passenger seatbelt.  A look at the buckle makes me think that these are not the original seatbelts.  I will need to replace these before my next M.O.T. (roadworthy test).

Non retracting safety belt
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28219-2/Non-retracting+seat+belt.jpg)

Next visit, I want to put 5 new tyres on the car.  I was thinking of putting on Hankook Optimo K715 205/70 R14 T.  I also want to wash the engine, and the rest of the engine bay again using a degreaser as opposed to a washing -up detergent.  I presume that I must remove the air cleaner, block off the air inlet, at the same time, wrap the coil and the fuse box in plastic to effect a waterproof seal.  I can then paint everything with engine degreaser, leave it to "cook", and pressure wash the whole lot.  Are there any other components that you would suggest I cover, and are there any components that I should not paint with engine degreaser/cleaner?

Enclosed also see the date stamp on the rear of the wood veneer for my ashtray.  It is dated 18 May 1979, which confirms the delivery date of 12 Sep 1979 as marked in the service logbook.  (It is possible that the car may have been held in stock as it is almost four months to the day.)

Date stamp on the back of the ashtray veneer
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28193-2/Date+stamp+on+rear+of+veneer.jpg)

Till later

P.S. What a palava to embed the photos, there must be an easier way...

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Squiggle Dog on 02 May 2011, 02:12 AM
Oh my, that is a crazy awesome interior!
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: 1980sdga on 02 May 2011, 10:25 AM
Wow that's a sharp interior!  I don't think we poor yanks ever got the hi-zoot seats. The manual AC controls are nice as well!
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: pompy on 04 May 2011, 07:57 AM
Awesome car, Gavin!
Ship it to South Africa - you know we need more 450 SE's here!
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 07 May 2011, 04:55 AM
No can do Pompy!  But I do plan to take the 450 to live in Spain when we finish our remedial work on the house, perhaps another year or two, mañana, mañana.  At least she will be living in the sunshine, I only hope that I have the air con running by then.  I really wish I had ready access to a "Ryan" though, I really need to find a "someone helpful" who is London/South East based.

I wanted to do much more cleaning and degreasing of the engine when I went to see the car yesterday, but the storage guys don't really want me working on the premises. Nevertheless, I managed to get a few things done.  I repaired my burned temperature sensor harness (see the post in "Mechanicals" [I don't know how to make a clickable link to the actual post, but at least I can embed pictures now.]) My thanks again to Joe and all the others who contributed to that post.

Temporary repair until I get some heat shield sleeving
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28328-2/Temporary+fix+of+temperature+sensor.jpg)

I then discovered that I had lost a wheel bolt on the right rear wheel.  I thought that I should get this replaced immediately.  Off I went to the local MB dealer, and tried to get the part.  I was told that my car had steel wheels from the VIN number, which I disputed, saying that it has 5 "aluminium disc wheels with radial-ply tyres" code "640" on my data card.  Going by their information, the guy produced a wheel bolt which I then tried to fit, only its diameter was too small.

My data card, does "640" mean something other than "aluminium disc wheels with radial-ply tyres"?
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28430-2/Data+Card.jpg)

So back to the office, and the parts man suggested I take off one of the wheel bolts and he would look on the shelves and find a similar part.  Back to the car, opened the boot, looked under the rear carpet.  Found the jack, and then found the red tool bag.  Delved in, but couldn't find the wheel spanner.  The parts man then produced a nice shiny new wheel spanner for me (surprising good price too! [MA221 581 00 01]), and then it was off with one of the bolts.  A little gefuffeling and he came back with a 126 part number [MA126 401 06 07], but alas they had no stock.  I managed to procure 20 of these at our local MB dealership in west London.  I hope they will fit.

My new wheel bolts
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28355-2/New+wheel+bolts.jpg)

I thought that I would replace all the wheel bolts, as they are a black colour at the moment, and this is also in preparation for replacing all the tyres (x5).  I would value any advice on these, I am looking at Falken FK-07U 205/70 R14 H (95), Federal SS-731 205/70 R14 H (95), Federal SS-657 205/70 R14 T (95), Toyo TEO Plus TYTE +A 205/70 R14 H (95), Hankook Optimo K715 205/70 R14 T (98).  I really like the look of the Hankook tread pattern.

When I got home, I started to clean the inside and chrome bits of the ashtray.  The years of tar were soon lifted from the inside chrome trim with a little steelwool and elbow grease, the galvinised tray itself cleaned with dishwash liquid and an old toothbrush.

Years of caked tar and nicotine removed from the internal chrome trim (some of the plating has peeled and reveals a little rust beneath)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28350-2/Cleaned-up+ashtray.jpg)

This was left to dry, and then the veneer was re-glued.  I used loctite superglue gel (so much easier to use than the ultra-viscous liquid), a few dabs on the old black double sided adhesive that remained on the wood veneer and the metal ashtray, and it's as good as new.

And the wood face now in place
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28345-2/Veneer+re-attached+to+ashtray.jpg)

I once again took the car on a longish drive, about twenty miles, and encountered open roads, twisty country lanes and town traffic.  The car performed flawlessly, but then just as I got to within two miles of the storage facility, the fuel starvation/ignition problems reared their head again.  At one point the car stalled totally, I slid her into neutral, restarted the engine, gave it a good dose of the loud pedal, and the problem stopped immediately.  This episode was far less severe than the first episode when I drove the car down from Leeds.   As I didn't get out of the car this time (too much traffic), I could not say if the fuel pump was noisy or not.  

I can only conclude that I have dirt in the fuel tank (as I put another 20lt of fuel into the tank), the radiator hoses may be leaking steam onto the HT leads or dizzy when the car is hot, or the car doesn't really like going to the storage facility ::)!  Any other ideas?

I will be off to see the 450 in about three weeks time, when hopefully she will get "new shoes".  I will post more pictures then.

Keep 116ing

Gavin

P.S. I've enjoyed reading all Raptelan's posts, sorry about the recent damage to the drivers side.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: jbrasile on 07 May 2011, 10:22 AM
Nice to hear things are coming together, it is always very satisfying bringing our cars back to top condition like that.

Regarding the wheel bolts - EPC indicates 108 401 00 70 as the correct p/n but from your picture they look correct, maybe there was a p/n replacement. Funny because I bought a set 2 months ago for a client and they came with the old p/n

As for you sudden loss  of power/miss problem. Check if the fuel distributor filter is not clogged. Same thing happened to me while driving my client's 77 6.9 after restoration, it was running fine then all of a sudden lost power and would only idle, if you stepped on the gas it would not move, revs would not go up at all and it would simply die. Replaced fuel distributor screen, and all back to normal.

P/n is 000 074 60 86 - looking at the fuel distributor it is the first fitting from left to right

Item 50 on the image below

(http://i1003.photobucket.com/albums/af159/MBClassic/0000746086.jpg)

Tks,

Joe
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 08 May 2011, 02:22 PM
Hi Adam

Thanks for looking in the car for a similar connector.  I thought it was going to be a long shot.  I tried the twin connectors from the brake fluid reservoir, but it had slightly different spacing.  There is a strange round black item with a red electrical shock hazard sticker in the top left of my engine bay, it seems to have a connector the right shape, I will try this next time I'm down with the car.  Perhaps I can get one of those.

On another front, how is the 6.9 going.  Have they yet started to spray the car?  I think I can speak for all of us UK guys, that we can't wait for the next instalment of photos.

And Joe

Thanks for the part number.  I am not sure what to do about this filter.  Shall I run the car till it's nearly dry, and get the fuel tank "washed", then renew the the fuel filter and  any perished hoses etc.  Then get the car up and running, (do I also need the injectors "serviced") and finally replace the filter in the fuel distributor?  I would appreciate your views on this.

Thanks

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: jbrasile on 08 May 2011, 03:47 PM
Gavin,

If the car sat for a very long time, say more than 2-3 years it is possible the gas tank is rusted, then you would need to  have it professionally cleaned. Or at least if it did stay parked for over 1 year  you should  have  drained the old gas before putting new one in.

Without doing anything more drastic, try just cleaning or better yet, replacing the fuel distributor filter to see if things go back to normal, it is a very inexpensive part and it wont hurt anything. The issue may disappear permanently and then you don't have to worry about removing the tank, etc...

One way to check the condition of your tank is to either have it inspected with a boroscope, or just drain some fuel from the fuel line before the filter to see if any sediment comes out, both tasks I would leave to a professional.

Since the car ran fine before I doubt you have any injector problems. If you do need to service them, just replace all 8 with their seals, K-jet injectors are not expensive and realistically they were not meant to be cleaned.



Tks,

Joe
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: calvin streeting on 08 May 2011, 04:10 PM
I had a rusty tank, 1-2 inches deep in rust. i removed the tank and drained it and then used por15 tank paint/prep, seach the forum. But be aware it took over 9 days to complete.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 11 May 2011, 02:06 AM
Ah, Adam

I was looking through some technical diagrams, and run across the connector in two other locations.  It uses the same connector at the windscreen washer pump, and also under the driver's side kick panel/knee roll on the brake light switch.  

Perhaps you can have a look in the parts car.  Can you also tell me how to remove the knee rolls (on a RHD car) on both the driver's and passenger's sides?  I think I need to look at my indicator relay, indicators work fine, but I have no noise signal (tick, tock, tick...) when they are engaged.  I presume the noise is generated by the relay? I also want to pull my cruise control amplifier and try my luck at re-soldering it and changing any suspect caps. (Adam you can message me for contact details.)

Joe

Thanks for the advice, I shall order the FD filter today in preparation for next week.  Does the filter need anything special applying to its threads before screwing it back into the FD?  Also, is it just tightened hand tight, or is there a specific torque setting? Could you post a slight more clear detailed drawing of the exploded view on the computer screen?  Your technical expertise is always reassuring.

And lastly Calvin

Good shout.  If I am still having fuel trouble, i.e. check the quality of the fuel in the tank, I'll heed your advice and get someone professional to wash the tank.  

I am also ordering my new Hankook tyres today, by the end of next week, I hope to be a little further down the line. I owe, I owe, it's off to work I go, I owe, I owe...

Regards

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: jbrasile on 11 May 2011, 07:27 AM
Hi Gavin,

See if this is better, I have zoomed into the image a little more, the items you need are:

50 - 000 074 60 86 - filter
53 - 007603 012110 - copper ring - get it just to be safe

(http://i1003.photobucket.com/albums/af159/MBClassic/FDFilter.jpg)

You don't need to cover the threads with sealing or locking compound, just make sure the part goes in square and start with your hands. You my also have to remove a couple of the top FD tubes to have better access with the spanners, they are 12mm. Spray some WD 40 when re-installing those, it helps making them go back easier, again start with your fingers and then tighten with the 12mm spanner.

No exact torque as far as I know, just get it tight and reconnect to fuel tube. The correct way to do this is once the new filter is installed, you hold it with a 17mm spanner and tighten the fuel tube with another, this is to avoid over tightening and striping any threads.

Remember to use lots of rags to collect spilled fuel and work in a well ventilated environment.

The car will take a little while to start afterwards due to lack of fuel pressure but once you get it going all should be back to normal.

Have fun!

Tks,

Joe
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 12 May 2011, 01:25 AM
Joe

Thanks for the advice and parts numbers.  My FD filter is on order from Germany, as is the plug for the back of the rev-counter.  All in very cheap, less than £10.  I then thought that I may start getting some of the fuel injectors so long in preparation for a change over once the fuel in the tank has been inspected for debris. So I got half the fuel injectors and the other half are on order.  They gave me part number MA116 078 08 73 Guide, and MA000 078 56 23 Injector nozzle. Those I can tell you they are not cheap, just shy of £50 per unit all in, and with a multiplication factor of 8... I'm glad then that I don't have the expensive D-Jets!

I would also like to replace the fuel pump, and the hoses especially those that connect the tank to the fuel filter, and the fuel filter to the ... and so on.  What other rubber hose componentry is in the fuel system right up to the injectors?   Perhaps you can advise some more part numbers.

I will also find out next week a bit more about having my radiator rodded.  In preparation for this task, I would like to pick your brain again, part numbers for the replacement of all the rubber hoses (radiator and expansion tank), a clip that is broken that holds the expansion hose onto the front bulkhead (black plastic) and also the correct temperature thermostat and seal.

Once that task is done, then I will have to look into two new seat belts for the front, which must be done by November to get my roadworthy test passed.  I will start a new threat when I am ready, Rome as they say, "wasn't built in a day".

I was lucky enough yesterday to encounter a Parts Man that knew 116's, but sadly this isn't always the case, and your infinite knowledge of parts numbers does help speed things along.

Thanks

Gavin

P.S. Also ordered a TPMS (tyresure) to put in the Bundts when I get the new tyres next Friday.  My first piece of new tech in the Benz (new tech, because it was ladened with tech in 1972 compared with other makes of cars.)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: jbrasile on 12 May 2011, 08:26 AM
Hi Gavin,

Always a pleasure to help!

Let's see:

Injectors and seals -

Too bad you got half the injectors already.... we could supply Bosch at US$29.70ea or in the MB box for US$50.40ea + shipping, I think they would turn out to be a lot less than GB50.00ea. The seals are $1.60 ea made by Bruss (OEM) or $2.43 from MB, anyway if you have already ordered and paid that's ok.

Fuel pump/hoses

002 091 97 01 - fuel pump - $158.95 made by Bosch (OEM) or $221.40 from MB
123 470 20 75 - hose fuel filter to feed line - $18.90 original MB
123 470 22 75 - hose accumulator to damper cage and valve - will advise price
123 476 30 26 - hose damper to pump - $41.40 original MB
123 470 08 75 - hose tank to damper - $13.05 original MB

These fuel hose installations are always a little tricky because of all the differences according to VIN so I am not 100% if this is correct but  your car should be setup as per the image below

(http://i1003.photobucket.com/albums/af159/MBClassic/116fuelhoses-late.jpg)

Let me know if you wish to order anything. MB original parts drop ship from the MB Classic Center in Irvine California directly to you via Fedex, OEM items we send from our Torrance CA warehouse also by Fedex.

My direct e-mails are: info@mbclassic.net or joe@mbklassik.net

Tks,

Joe



Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 19 May 2011, 01:32 AM
Hello to all

This weekend past we went to Germany on a road trip in the SL.  It was a really nice drive, taking in the UK, the Euro Tunnel, France, Belgium, The Netherlands and finally Germany.  Sadly we didn't encounter any of the Autobahn's unlimited speed sections, it was mostly 130kph.

What we did see were a few W123's and also one W116.  Naturally we just had to take some photos, I think it was a 280, but cannot be sure.

Black 116, front view
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28664-2/black+merc+Germany+front+view.jpg)

Black 116, rear view
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28669-2/black+merc+Germany+rear+view.jpg)

Black 116, side view with our SL in the background
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28674-2/black+merc+Germany+side+view+with+our+SL+in+the+background.jpg)

I will be seeing Mrs White tomorrow, and will do a separate post about the new tyres.  Will be nice to finally have the fuse box service completed now that I have the "red" ceramic fuses, and also to re-install the refurbished ashtray.

I also plan to install the new FD filter thanks to Joe's technical help.

Regards

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 20 May 2011, 08:13 PM
Hi all,

Today felt like a day of just about no forward motion.  I went down to see Mrs White with the aim of achieving several goals.  I thought that I would first and foremost check the oil, as I drove the car down from Leeds, and have done a few local small trips, and haven't checked the oil.  I was reminded by this fact by Arman when I read his post about his weekend trip.  I totally forgot how older cars can drink oil, I have been fortunate enough since my student days to only drive new or almost new cars.  Oh the memories: striped spider gears, snapped cam belts, continually adjusting the timing....  Well, I was in for a shocker.  Whoever serviced the car last appeared to overfill the sump, as it registers about 5mm above the high mark!  (I checked it three times just to be sure.)  I suppose, what is done is done.

Whilst under the bonnet (or for those across the pond - hood) I cut off my temporary fixed temperature sender wire and plug.  I bought the new metal part that is in the centre of the plug.  I was right to pursue this matter as the the wire was literally held in place by one strand.  I managed to get the plug open, as it is a three component item (two plastic pieces and a metal lug), and took a closer look at the metal lug.  

View under the bonnet, also showing the new battery, and the very clean dishwashed windscreen washer bottle
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28699-2/The+engine+bay+with+new+battery.jpg)

More disappointment.  Here I was thinking that I would use my crimping tool, only to discover that the wire is soldered in place.  As the fellow at the storage facility doesn't want people working on their cars on his premises, I had to think on my feet.  I stripped the insulation a fair deal off the pigtail, slipped over a piece of heatshrink, wrapped the wire around the sender unit, slipped the heatshrink over that, and heated it. The temperature clung on the halfway mark like never before.  It will be interesting to see what it does in traffic.

I thought that I would then go and get my new tyres done.  As I wanted to plug in the TomTom's power adaptor, I realised that I had to replace the ashtray.  I slipped this into its cradle, and now my dash is transformed to it's former glory!

The ashtray finally in place, the dash looking handsome
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28684-2/Re-glued+ashtray+.jpg)

I plugged in the TomTom, dialed in the post code (really fantastic post codes in the UK, the code itself locates you to within four or five houses on a specific street) got the map up.  Ah, music missing, reached for the radio knob, only to find the radio as dead as a dodo.  Expletive!, you know the one I mean.  Nevertheless, I headed off to get my new tyres fitted.

The garage was a really well run family business, I was quite surprised by the young proprietor who gave his dad instruction to fit they tyres to my car.  Dad was obviously around when Mick Jagger was all the rage - and I suspect 450's were too!, sporting shoulder length hair and a rather aloof attitude.  The 450 sure made him smile when he cranked the engine.

This joy was short lived, as I discovered my tyres that were bought on-line were actually two and a half years old!  I was not happy with this situation, but was forced to accept them, as time was of the essence, and I would only be returning to see Mrs White in four to six weeks time.  (The seller is online, the garage is just the installer).

Tyre dates way out of new range (that looks remarkably like old tyre valves....  Lets hope they have replaced the rubber components inside.)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28714-2/Tyre+date+stamp.jpg)

Further disappointment was to follow with the tyre pressure monitoring system.  When the first tyre came off, the installer found that the Bundt's have an odd inner profile near the valve seat, and they were not happy to fit the new valves as they deemed it likely that they would indeed leak, leaving me with four flats!  Very sadly I had to put the new tech under my arm, walk away and accept the situation. :'( The tyre installers were very impressed with my Bundts, as they hardly needed any balancing whatsoever.  The steering was perfect on the way home, however I wasn't able to take the car up to cruising speed.  The Hancooks have made a nice difference to the car's handling, and the new wheel bolts look a treat.

Unable to fit the TPMS
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28719-2/Tyresure.jpg)

On the bright side, although my car didn't come with a wheel spanner (you will remember that I acquired one when I tried to buy the wheel bolts at the MB dealer close to the car storage facility) it did come with this paper.  Treasure found not only in the glove box, but the spare wheel well too.  [I can just see the mad dash now as the all the forum members hit the garage to look in the boot.]

The warning notice
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28724-2/Wheel+bolt+warning.jpg)

Even though I wasn't able to change the FD filter, today the 450 purred like a pussy cat, none of the miss-firing/fuel starvation issues.  I will still replace this filter, but I suspect that my fuel pump is overheating on longer journeys causing my problems.... Joe....

I also managed to replace the last of the red fuses (16Amp).  This time I used an artery forceps from work.  It worked really well to release and install the fuses.  However I did manage to drop one of the old fuses into the bottom of the fuse box.  I then proceeded to push it into never-never-land.  After racking my brains, I used a cable tie to scoop it from the slightly down hill profile in the box, and managed to grip it with the artery forceps.  At the same time I checked for any blown fuses, but they were all intact.

I removed the radio, but didn't see any in-line fuses there.  As I had to do this in a hurry when I returned from my tyre episode to the storage facility, and I was scared of scratching my zebrano with the sharp edges of the radio, I merely replaced it into the radio slot.  I will put a multimeter on the hot wire when I get the car home next visit.  Hopefully I can restore sound to the car.

Lastly, I placed some rubber bungs in the three holes behind the rear bumper.

Rubber bungs
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28689-2/Rubber+bung.jpg)


As I have been unable to do any further real work on the car, I plan to spring Mrs White one Thursday evening, and return her on a Sunday afternoon.  I want to do the following: clean the engine bay, finally sort the temperature sender wire, replace the wipers on the headlights (I'll need to get a tip from someone, as I can see that they are going to be very tricky and fiddly to replace especially with the bumpers in position).  I also want to swap over the metric temperature and oil pressure gauges, and get the rev counter wired up.  At the same time I will replace all the bulbs in the instrument binnacle.  I want to retrieve the cruise control amplifier and see if I can repair it.


Help will be needed with the rev counter installation.  I need to know where I take the pick-up from.  Also were is the best portal in a RHD car to feed the wire into the cabin.  Has anyone done a picture guide on how to remove the driver's and passenger's knee rolls?  I recently saw a picture on the forum of a knee roll, but I am still a little in the dark, as it only showed the upper leading edge.

Do I use the positive or the negative terminal on the coil (pictured here with the suppression cap/guard removed)?
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28694-2/The+coil.jpg)

Or do I get the pick-up from the left or right terminal here?
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/28704-2/The+thingymajig.jpg)


Till later,

Gavin

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: jbrasile on 21 May 2011, 06:53 PM
Gavin,

Wow, nice engine compartment!

Fuel pumps as far as I know do not overheat or cause an engine miss from overhating, they either work or they don't. An old coil however may heat up after a while and cause problems, if my thinking is wrong, pls someone correct me, I had that happen to my old 280S and a new coil solved everything. Change the FD filter anyway and see if all stays well permanently.

As for the radio, the fuse is the  inline one in the fuse box, the wire is red/green if I am not mistaken.

Connect the + for the tach to the - terminal of the coil or to the screw on the fender connector that has one of the wires from the - side of the coil connected to it. The other wire you should connect to the fuse in the fuse box that powers the tach, check your fuse chart and you'll find the correct one, you should be able to actually screw it at the base of the fuse. I did a tach upgrade on my old 74 280S and ran the wires thru the grommet used for the vacuum tubes, I just made a small hole and pushed the harness inside the car.

To remove the knee carpet pieces (knee rolls), unscrew the 4 phillips screws and simply pull the panels carefully, they are held in place by two pressure buttons besides the screws. Also be careful when you pull so you don't damage the door ducts since  the edge of the knee panels go behind the rubber edges on the duct.

Tks,

Joe





Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 22 May 2011, 04:09 AM
Joe to the rescue again.

I get so restless thinking of all these jobs that await me!  I would really like to be able to be out there attending to them.  Such a pity the Victorians never had motorcars and hence the need to design houses with garages.  Well in response to your help I have some pictures to show you what I have done in preparation for the rev counter, and also the temperature sender wiring and plug.

I applied a little heatshrink to a piggyback terminal to prevent any electrical shorting for my +ve supply to the rev counter.  I will a run wire as described in Oscar's? post to get the + from the clock to the rev counter.  Am I correct so far?

I applied a little heatshrink to a piggyback terminal to prevent any electrical shorting for my +ve supply to the rev counter
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/29316-2/Heatshrink+insulated+piggyback+terminal.jpg)

Some of the rest of the wiring for the rev counter.  I chose a blue/orange cable for this purpose.  Once I pull the cable through, I will sheath it in a insulation sheath, and I will again heatshrink and crimp a terminal with an eye to  attach the pick-up for the rev counter.  Now, if I have paid attention I am supposed to take my pick up from, "the - terminal of the coil or to the screw on the fender connector that has one of the wires from the - side of the coil connected to it".  This will ultimately terminate in the plug, and will be the wire on the top of the rev counter marked "D".  The bottom pin is marked "+" which has the piggybacked orange wire.  Is this right?  What is the implication of having a constant +ve to the rev counter, or should I stop being lazy and run the positive from the fuse box as you suggest so that it is switched (i.e. terminal number 4)?

This is my wiring harness so far.  I am still waiting on the other plastic tab for the two pin housing (comming from MB Germany)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/29326-2/New+_22wiring+loom_22+for+rev+counter.jpg)

And the mock up so far of the donor rev counter with the wiring in place, but sans the plastic plug
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/29347-2/Piggyback+terminal+with+hot+wire+supply.jpg)

The next picture is that of the long suffering temperature sender wiring loom, newly refurbed: cleaned, new terminal, solder and heatshrink, with the protection sleeve in the background too.
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/29331-2/Newly+refurbed+temperature+sensor+plug+and+insulation+sheath.jpg)

Going back to the radio, I am not sure where this in-line fuse is, unless it is tucked away beneath the actual fuses.  I have since finished the fusebox service, all the fuses are now replaced, and gone is the residue from the spare fuse holder too, I just neglected to take an after picture.  So, Joe I will pass any wiring in through the vacuum grommet to the rear of the fuse box (i.e. the pick up from the coil and if I am not too lazy the pick up of the +ve from fuse number 4).

It makes sense to replace the coil.  I know I need to buy a Bosch Blue, is there a specific code number for this coil.  Next month, I make take you up on your offer and get the rest of the parts for my fuel system (the hoses and a new fuel pump).

Thanks again for the omnipresent help, so wish you were UK based though...

Regards

Gavin

A look at my almost finished fuse box service.  
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/29359-2/Fusebox+after+some+cleaning.jpg)

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 22 May 2011, 04:32 AM
Whoops! Sorry Joe, I didn't thank you for the compliment on the engine bay.  Although I have only just scraped the surface here if you'll excuse the pun.  I intend to do a "deep clean" when I bring the car home for the weekend.  I have however found that some of the areas where I did clean are oily again.  Could this be some excess oil being expelled through a breather pipe?  As mentioned the car seemed to be slightly over filled on the oil front.  Any tips for removing burned on waxoil?

I have tidied a few bits and pieces here and there as I have been going along.  You will notice if you flip back and forward on the engine bay pictures, that I installed a closed cell foam pad around the "blue pipe" (is this to do with air conditioning?) to stop it rubbing against the brake booster replacing the rather ineffectual insulation tape there previously.  I am also replacing as much insulation tape as possible, and installing release type cable ties to keep things in place.

A picture of the engine bay at the very beginning
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/29353-2/Engine+before+any+cleaning.jpg)

Regards

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: jbrasile on 22 May 2011, 11:30 AM
Hi Gavin,

Tks again for your kind words, it would be nice to spend some time in the UK, hehehe....

I did't think of using the + from the clock to power the tach when I did the mod on the  280S years ago, however since the tach should function only when the engine is running I am not sure what the implications would be, I am just afraid you may end up with an unnecessary current draw that will kill your battery, but again I am just not sure about that. Check the fuse for the tach in the fuse box and see if it's the same as the clock, if so then it should be no problem  connecting it the way you were planning, otherwise use the correct fuse.

Yes, you hook up the D from the tach to the - side of the coil. On the factory installation you run the wire from the fender connector.

I think I can see your radio fuse holder under the relays inside your fuse box, take a look,it should be there, it uses an 8amp glass fuse if I am not mistaken.

Great job on the aux fan sender wiring, it will look factory original once you are done, with the correct sleeving, wire color, etc...

That blue hose you mentioned I believe to be the high pressure for the a/c, I did not know RHD cars had their expansion valves on the right, I thought the heating/ac box was the same for all markets. Originally that hose would have a rubber ring that does the job of preventing it from rubbing against the brake booster, your solution makes sense.

With regards to the coil, the original blue unit from Bosch is NLA but sometimes you can find them new on e-bay, in fact I have purchased a couple 2 months ago, one is already installed in the 78 450SEL and the other I am just keeping as a spare for a future project, maybe when I buy back my beloved 81 500SLC... The replacement unit is Bosch number 00027, it is sliver not blue but the specs are the same. Even if you order one from your local MB dealer you will still get this Made in Brazil coil, I can supply them for $75.00

The original release type cable ties you are using make all the the difference when you look at the details in the engine compartment.

Keep up the great work!!!

Take care,

Joe






Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 09 June 2011, 03:37 PM
Well, well, well, I managed to get from the country to London almost unscathed.  I set off from the car storage facility, and the car was good.  The new tyres are fantastic, the road holding is much improved, just a pity that they are two years old.  With the radio not working, I cranked open the sunroof, and listed to the throaty V8.  My temperature gauge sticks just a little above the 175 mark, and never moved higher the entire trip.

The temperature gauge just a little above the 175oF mark, and it stayed there despite some traffic.
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/29993-2/temperature+gauge.JPG)

I stopped off at a roadside stall/parking area, to duck my head under the bonnet(hood) and check the fuses.  As I withdrew the key from the ignition, there was an almighty electrical arcing noise, which made me quick juggle the key back to the number 1 position.  The noise stopped.  I tried to withdraw the key, and same problem.  I put the key back to position 1, and then noticed that the headlights were still on.  Hey presto, nothing wrong with the ignition, but that headlight on buzzer sure doesn't sound like those in modern cars.  Still can't find this elusive radio fuse.

It surprises me just how feisty the car is, despite her age.  On the motorway, cruising at 70mph, one merely applies some pressure to the right foot, okay heavy pressure, and whoosh, 90, just like that.  Still a bit scared to push it harder.

Built for cruising on the motorway, keeping up with the traffic
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/29998-2/speedometer.JPG)

However, just as I was on the busiest part of the elevated section of the M4 motorway (no emergency lane in this section), the fuel starvation issue returned.  Shifted her into N, revved her up a little, but on response, in fact, I think she almost stalled.  I slid her back into D, with no effect.  Done this several times, slowed right down to 10mph, and limped on to the slipway, where I slid her into N, turned off the ignition, as she had definitely stalled (the battery light came on).  I restarted, gave a good pump on the accelerator, and all was back to normal again.  I really wish I could get to the bottom of this problem.  Any suggestion and ideas welcome.  It was with great relief that I arrived home.  

I cannot wait for tomorrow when I want to do a few odd jobs on the car, hope it doesn't rain too much while I'm working on the car.  I will post later as I do the jobs.  I was also greeted with Joe's package, a whole bunch of unidentifiable fuel hoses that I will investigate.  Just waiting on the fuel pump and coil now.  Thanks again for all the help Joe.  When I am ready to do the fuel system, I shall pour over some diagrams to get an idea of what goes where.

Till tomorrow,

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: koan on 09 June 2011, 06:09 PM
The headlight warning buzzer is not exactly pure in tone!

When I got my "new" car the engine would occasionally stop, could be idling in traffic or speeding along. Turning the ignition off and back on always fixed it. I suspected the fuel pump was the cause but can't recall why. After a new fuel pump (and associated parts at the rear) it never happened again.

koan

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: jbrasile on 10 June 2011, 01:50 AM
Gavin,

Glad to hear you made it home ok from the storage facility. Too bad the trip wasn't 100% smooth...

You must have  an intermittent fuel pump problem, let's hope the new one fixes it.

One suggestion, when the car starts to loose power again on the move or on the highway, NEVER put it  in N and then back to D while you are at speed, the sudden pressure increase may destroy your transmission.

Let me know if you need any schematics to help with the fuel hose replacement. Hope you can get the EPC working  as well.

Tks,

Joe
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Neko on 10 June 2011, 06:48 AM
Very nice car, looks like it is in excellent condition. White Merc's definitely stand out. Congrats on the purchase. :)

EDIT: On the subject of fuel pumps, I'm assuming my mum's car has a major problem there. It'll constantly stall at low revs, and the gas almost has to be constantly held down a little to prevent it. Since I'll be using her car until I get my new engine put in, it's definitely something I'll need to look into.

But anyway, back on topic. :3
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 10 June 2011, 01:04 PM
What have I done today?

I managed to swap over my donor rev counter, I didn't swap the other instruments, as the multi plug was slightly different, and there was a relay on the back of my temp/oil/fuel gauge.  I cleaned the entire assembly at the same time, new paint brush, and an E-cloth and the appropriate glass cleaner.  I also replaced every single bulb, including the two tiny ones.

My instrument cluster, has an extra pin in the multi-pin socket, and a relay behind the oil/fuel/temp gauge
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30024-2/My+instrument+cluster.jpg)

Cleaning the instrument cluster (you'll need a size 6 and 7mm socket)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30019-2/Cleaning+the+instrument+cluster.jpg)

New Bulbs
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30043-2/New+bulbs.jpg)


I plumbed in the tacho lead (actually could have given myself more lead in the cabin, nevertheless) as well as the leads for the coolant level and the washer fluid level.  Both these jobs were rather time consuming and laborious.  I connected the three power feeds to fuse number four (both level indicators and the tacho), and then tidied up a little.

I looked at the radio again, but there was no fuse in the fuse box, in the radio, or on the wiring harness.  As I was busy in the fuse box, I installed my newly arrived upgrade fuses.  The eight and sixteen amp are identical, except for the metal material, the one  being copper, the other brass.

Fuse upgrade using non aluminium fuses (copper and brass)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30053-2/Upgraded+fuses.jpg)

I removed the washer fluid tank, drilled a hole onto the top to accommodate the new sensor.  I connected that one, and it works perfect.  I just don't get the check light, but Bolbol has offered help in this respect.

The warning light, the low washer fluid light reveals itself
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30058-2/Warning+Lights.jpg)

However, disappointingly my tach doesn't work correctly, it is very bouncy, and shows a much higher value than the engine is turning.  I connected the tach feed to the -ve of the coil.  Do I need to take my pickup from somewhere else?

I also changed all my window washer hose, the new MB hose is black, it looks pretty neat.  I will need to order more hose to do the headlights, a real PITA, as I have realised that the bumpers will have to come off if I want to replace them!

I also managed to break the wingnut on the centre of the air cleaner, it literally fell apart in my hand.  This kind of put me into standoffish mode, and I still haven't done the FD filer job.  Will attempt that tomorrow, and must also tackle the cooling system.  In the meanwhile, I screwed off the ballast resistors and the cruise control actuator to deal with rust.  I must also take off Mrs White brain, and get the rust sorted there too!

Nearly forgot to mention, that the long suffering temperature sender lead is in-situ.

Hopefully I can do more work tomorrow, and a less rain.

Just finishing off the day with a rewarding beer.

Cheers,

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: koan on 10 June 2011, 03:56 PM
The relay on the back of the cluster is the headlight warning buzzer.

Did the tack come from an 8 or a 6? if from a 6 it will read 1.33 times actual RPM on an 8.

koan
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: jbrasile on 10 June 2011, 05:30 PM
Nice work Gavin!

So you connected the feed from the tach to the - of the coil, that is indeed correct and the tach should work. I know what you mean about a bouncy needle. I will chek the service manual library, I remember it shows how to hook it up to the connector on the fender.

That's cool you got all the warning lights to function!

As for the radio fuse, it's odd... I can't quite see it in your picture but did you check underneath the 2 relays? There should be an in line fuse right there.

Don't worry about the center wing nut on the air cleaner, you can replace it later, the latches around the pan hold the lid in place.

Pls let me know if you received the box with the Fuel pump, etc... I checked again and they show an attempted delivery at 4:26AM which can't be right....

Tks

Joe
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: 1980sdga on 11 June 2011, 01:05 AM
The cluster looks good! I'm sure you'll get the tach worked out. Troublesome things, but soooo cool...

I like the washer fluid indicator!  Our diesels have brake warning lights and the glow plug light in those spots.  Can anyone explain the styrofoam in the center?
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 11 June 2011, 03:42 AM
Hi all

Koan, so strange that you should mention the fuel pump as y problem source, as it has always been high on my list of suspects.  The first time the car behaved in kangaroo mode, I left the engine coughing and spluttering, and when I got out the car I heard a wine from the rear.  Looking into some of the paperwork that came with the car, it has had the fuel pump replaced before.  Anyway, I'm building up my collection of fuel components: injectors, hoses, fuel pump etc.

As for the tach, it is certainly from a 450 because it has the red line in the correct place, and the speedometer only shows two gear change points.  The donor car was an SL though, as it has a 107 preface.  I would have assumed they are the same?  

Yep, Jo, all the connections for the tach as we previously described.  I had to remove the relays and the relay housing in order to take the fuse rails out to connect the feeds for the sensors and the tach.  There was certainly no inline fuse in my fuse box.  

Just waiting for the last box now.

Went out last night to fiends for a rather alcoholic party.  Not faring so good this morning, will try attend to the radiator this afternoon.

Regards

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: carl888 on 11 June 2011, 05:14 AM
What a nice job, well done!

Can someone please explain the washer and coolant sensors.  I wasn't aware these warnings were available on a W116.  Does the washer lamp come only with the models that have the headlight wash system as well?  And was the coolant level sensor only on the later cars?
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: carl888 on 11 June 2011, 05:18 AM
Quote from: 1980sdga on 11 June 2011, 01:05 AM
  Can anyone explain the styrofoam in the center?

I think the styrofoam insert covers up what would normally be the gear indicator for those cars with a column shift automatic.  On W126s, they have the same thing, but it's for the outside temperature gauge.

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: koan on 11 June 2011, 06:37 AM
The washer and coolant sensors are Gavin's additions, my 6.9 expansion tank has provision for a level sensor, just a matter of fitting the 126 parts and connecting it up to a lamp. There aren't any spare spots in my cluster or I would do it.

koan   
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: carl888 on 11 June 2011, 11:12 PM
Aha, thanks Koan.

CJ
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: 1980sdga on 11 June 2011, 11:18 PM
Quote from: carl888 on 11 June 2011, 05:18 AM
Quote from: 1980sdga on 11 June 2011, 01:05 AM
  Can anyone explain the styrofoam in the center?

I think the styrofoam insert covers up what would normally be the gear indicator for those cars with a column shift automatic.  On W126s, they have the same thing, but it's for the outside temperature gauge.



That makes sense!  Why didn't I think of that. I've seen the temp indicator in 126 pictures.

On my 300SD I have brake, seatbelt and glow plug lights. I like the look of the green though!

Again, Good job!
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 12 June 2011, 11:49 AM
Of sensors and warning windows

Weekend's almost over, and here's a list of what I've achieved (on the roadside as I don't have access to a garage):

1)  Replaced my clock with a rev counter and all associated wiring.  However the rev counter is very bouncy, and reads high at
    low RPM (2500 RPM at idle, later about 800-900 RPM) until the unit has been working for a period of time.  It reads a whole
    lot better at speeds over 50 mph.  Anybody have some ideas?  Joe what about that pick-up point?

Speed vs RPM (both my hands are on the wheel ;D, the passenger is taking the photos, hence the slightly skew angle)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30344-2/Speed+VS+RPM.jpg)


2)  Added a washer fluid level sensor and all associated wiring.  All working correctly, but sadly no check light with ignition in
    position II.  Bolbol, still waiting for the wiring diagram, photos and instruction.  It will be greatly appreciated.  No particular
    urgency, as I will only be springing Mrs White for the weekend in about six weeks time.  I changed all the washer lines for the
    windscreen with the new MB black tubing, it looks very neat (picture to follow).

Washer fluid warning system
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30192-2/Washer+fluid+level_001.jpg)

3)  Added a coolant level sensor and all associated wiring.  Ditto the rest as in number 2.  Eagle eyed members will note an issue
    between the battery and the coolant level sensor.  It's a very tight fit, and therefore I could only utilise the top two retaining
    screws.  I haven't done anything with the single lower screw, as I don't particularly want to drill into the bodywork.

Coolant level sensor (sans the circlip in the top two photos)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30144-2/Coolant+level+sensor.jpg)

4)  Changed all my coolant hoses, thermostat and replaced the coolant.  The new MB coolant is a turquoise colour.  My system
    used almost 10 Lt.  I though it was supposed to be about 17 Lt?  I did as Joe suggested, drained the system, ran it
    with plain water till operating temperature, drained it again, and filled it up with a 50/50 mix.  I didn't use any radiator flush
    as there was no signs of nasty pieces in the old radiator fluid, or the thermostat housing.  An airlock revealed the coolant
    warning light does in fact work!  The temperature now sits around the 175 oF irrespective of traffic conditions.

Bits and bobs for the coolant system (I didn't replace the small fat hose, but will when the water pump needs replacing, and the picture doesn't show the lower expansion tank hose or the MB coolant and de-ionised water)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30067-2/Radiator+hoses.jpg)

5)  Swapped over the ballast resistors.  One of the screws was so rusted that I had to break the ceramic insulation off the
    resistor, and use a hacksaw to cut off the offending screw.  I cut some 4 mm stainless steel pan head screws to size to
    complete the job.  Also took care of a little rust beneath the old resistors.

The new ballast resistors (note the new securing s/s screws - must do the same for the 0.4 Amp resistor as it has the original corroded screws, also note the grey primer beneath)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30186-2/Ballast+resistors_001.jpg)

6)  Touched up some paint chips.

7)  Replaced the graunched screw in the sunroof rail.  Todays persistent light rain proved too much for my sun roof, leaking on
    the front of the driver's side.  I suppose I will have to have it pulled and re-furbised, at the same time the hood lining can be
    renewed.

8.)  Replaced the broken plastic hinge in the boot on the spare wheel cover.

9)  Broke off some screws, yes that's right, several...  So, not a case of once bitten twice shy, but rather plod on at all costs to
    my peril.  Admittedly, they were for the cruise control actuator, and the car's ignition brain, both the items are screwed into
    the body work of the wheel well, which is rubberised.  I therefore couldn't spray them with penetrating fluid.  I will drill the
    screws on the cc bracket and replace them with stainless steel ones instead.  Will have to drill out Mrs White's brain in-situ.  I
    can then deal with the surface rust.  

    Anyhow, the news was good, the rust under the cc actuator is only surface rust, and it doesn't look like there is any
    penetration into the cabin.  (This would be the very same LHD fusebox weak spot that I am talking about, except on a RHD
    car this position is occupied by the cc actuator.)

10)  Still have the dead radio issue.  There is one brown wire going into the back of the radio, which has an earth label.  It looks
      as if it comes from the ashtray/cigarette lighter.  (There is 12 V on the contact points of the cigarette lighter.)  There is a
      blue wire that is connected to the +ve, via a random green wire that seems to come from the drivers side.  When I
      measured the voltage on that wire it's hot, and has 12 V.  The strange thing is there is only 2 volts when I measure at the
      the spade terminate of the blue piggyback wire?   And there is yet another blue wire connected to this spade terminal that
      disappears somewhere (I presume power for the antenna, which is oddly located more toward the rear on the RHS rear
      fender - usually located to the front of the LHS rear fender).

      Joe, where did you say is the best place to start from scratch when plumbing in new red and yellow wires for a modern
      radio, and also what point would make the best earth?  And what gauge wire should I use, 1 mm, 1.5 mm or 2 mm.  I am
      thinking of placing a fold out sat nav type receiver at some stage (Pioneer AVIC 6300BT).

Now, back to sensors and windows.  1980sdga, that little window as everyone has told you is actually for the column shift indicator.   However, when the R107 was showing its age, MB done some updating, some of these included the instrument cluster.  The changes are very subtle indeed.  The clock/rev counter was replaced with just a rev counter, the middle air vent becoming a clock.  The speedometer became semi-electronic, and there was an addition of an economy gauge to the temp/fuel/oil pressure cluster.  At the same time the row of warning lights were reduced in width, now accommodating 5 warning lights per bank rather than the four we are familiar with.  And the piece-de-resistance is a centre warning cluster for low oil level, low coolant level, low washer fluid level and finally a bulb-out check light.

I acquired one of these from MBUK at great expense to see if I could install it with my little upgrade.  I had to order it in at a little over £100, as it was not in stock.  And there is a no returns policy on electrical parts.  Despite studying some R107(revised) wiring diagrams, I cannot make head nor tail.  In the photo below you can see how perfectly it fits into my donor instrument cluster.  Any offers for the warning light cluster?

Piece-de-resistance
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30168-2/Warning+module.jpg)

And the wiring diagram
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30180-2/Warning+Cluster+Wiring+Diagram.jpg)

The trip back to storage went very smooth indeed, stopped to fill up , as the tank showed just under a quarter, and I am not sure if the reserve light is working.  Mrs White's a heavy ol' girl to be pushing to a petrol/gas station.  She took 67.92 Lt costing £91.62.  She performed very well in the rain, surefooted, so much so that I didn't have to think twice about keeping up with the more modern cars (see speed vs RPM).  No fuel starvation issues this time, as my partner says, "Just like a horse, unhappy and  fighting when leaving the stable, but oh so happy to return"!

Mrs White and Delores (the SL) in London
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30149-2/Delores+and+Mrs+White+at+home.jpg)

Leaving ol' London Town (Hammersmith bridge - designed by Sir Jospeh Bazalgette, opened by the Prince of Wales on 11 June 1887)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30156-2/leaving+London+Town.jpg)

Regards

Gavin
P.S.  For the purists, I still have the original wipers in the boot, the new Bosch ones work so much better in rainy England.  I shan't be getting rid of either.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: 1980sdga on 12 June 2011, 12:14 PM
Wow, I love the center cluster! That'll be a really nice touch when you get it operational!

The Hammersmith Bridge looks like a huge bicycle chain.  Thanks for the picture!
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: jbrasile on 12 June 2011, 09:23 PM
Hi Gavin,

Great pictures! Tough to work outside in these conditions.... ooouch....

To connect a modern radio I normally use the car's red/green wire  which is 12V powered when the key is in position I for the modern radio's red wire. If your car is still original that should be a female round connector, ideally you would install a male in the new radio's harness and just plug it in. The yellow wire which would be needed for the memory, settings, etc... I connect to the wire that goes to the internal light switch on upper part of  the console. You just remove the switch carefully, find the red/black (I think) wire and using a splice connector crimp the yellow wire in. Doing it this way you preserve the car's original wiring.

I am looking into the tach pick-up point schematic and will post it shortly.

Tks,

Joe

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: pompy on 14 June 2011, 02:03 AM
Well done Gavin!

You really are getting stuck into that white 450 - I like the subtle upgrades.

Keep up posting yr progress.

Groete,

Le Fre
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Squiggle Dog on 18 June 2011, 01:15 PM
Thanks for sharing the modifications! I have the same style wiper blades on my W116.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 18 June 2011, 07:17 PM
Hi there Scott

I really wish I could see more of Mrs White, and also to do more mechanical stuff.  I'm gathering a lot of the fuel components at the moment, but doubt I'll be able to install them on the roadside.  Having said that, I am always inspired how well you do on your drive, and the extent of the work you undertake!  I really enjoy your write-ups and the photos.  Your car must surely be almost 100% mechanically sound at this stage.  I can't wait till you get round to doing your paint job.  (I noticed that you have two rear interior light switches in your centre console, what does the second switch operate?)

When I next spring Mrs White I want to clean the engine bay, replace my coil, and see if I can start preliminary radio installation preparations.  I may want to remove the console to do this job, which I imagine will be a labour of love, and probably quite a steep learning curve.  I need to run new power feeds for the radio, and I will also need to run speaker wires to the rear as there are currently no rear speakers.

Regards

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Squiggle Dog on 18 June 2011, 07:34 PM
Gavin,

My car is getting near 100%. I still have to replace the mismatched calipers (have an ATE on one side and a Bendix on the other--previous owner thing), replace the axle boots... not too much else, I guess, though I'm sure I'm missing something.

None of the switches above the heater faceplate are functional at the moment, but that's the way they came with the faceplate I bought (for $5, haha). I'll retain the dome light and defroster switches, but I will no longer need the power antenna switch since I am installing a manual antenna, and I won't need the sunroof switch as my sunroof is halfway through being converted to manual. I was thinking of putting the A/C on/off switch up there, but I don't know if I could make it work correctly.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: jjb-w116-hu on 19 June 2011, 11:09 PM
hi there - where did you get the parts tfor the washer fluid level warning system and Joe, would you know if i have a low OEL light? my oil pressure dropped suddenly (or least i noticed it after a long drive in the countryside) and panicked. how much oil should i be able to get in the old girl, i got close to 4 litres so it must have been pretty empty (according to dipstick!)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 20 June 2011, 04:16 AM
JJB here goes,

How to: Fit a window washer fluid warning system

1)  Time and patience:
This job is a little fiddly, pulling the wires into the cabin, and pulling the wires through the sleeves, especially if you want to make the harnesses look 'factory'.  And then routing the harness together with existing harnesses, luckily the MB cable ties are of the release type, which facilitates the routing.

2)  Tools for the manufacture of the wiring harness:
Soldering iron and solder
Wire strippers
Terminal crimpers
Cigarette lighter (to heat the heat-shrink)

3)  Tools to adapt the washer bottle:
Drilling machine
28mm hole cutter

4)  Tools for the job:
13mm Spanner (to disconnect the battery terminals)
8mm Spanner (to disconnect the bolt in the fuse fuse box to access the fuse rail)
Flat tip screwdriver (to connect the terminal to the fuse block)
Electrical fish-tape

5)  Parts List:
MA003 545 26 26 (x2)  Round pin bushing
MA011 545 71 28  Pin bushing housing
MA210 540 00 45  Washer sender unit (from a W124, can also use one from a W126)
MA000 545 19 19 Socket (bulb holders)
MN072601 012240  Light bulb
Automotive electrical wire (I used 1mm diameter, and I used two different colours)
Heat shrink (various sizes)
Cable sleeving (you could substitute electrical tape)
Cable ties
Spade terminal
Ring terminal
(All items with a part number were sourced from my local MB agent at very reasonable prices.)

6)  Method:
To begin, I soldered the wires to the round pin bushing and connected them to the housing.  I crimped and heat-shrinked a round terminal to go to the fuse box.  With the battery disconnected, I then fed the wire to the light bulb, using the rubber portal carrying the vacuum hoses to the cabin using an electrical fish-tape.  I then crimped a spade terminal onto that wire and insulated it with a sleeve, and placed the bulb and bulb holder into the number "3" position on the warning light row (i.e. a green light as this warning is informative, as opposed to a red light which is "STOP, act now!")

I used a dymo-labeler to print the icon, but you can also get warning symbols from a place like (Vehicle Wiring Products), see one of the pictures below where I was playing around just for fun.  (Any guess what I'm thinking about?  Auto lights and wipers could be in the offing...)  I stuck the label onto the coloured screen so that it wouldn't peel and collect dust from the outside.  My tip is that no matter what you use, the icon/lettering needs to go higher than you think.

Once the instrument binnacle was back in place, I disconnected the fuse rail (in RHD cars, there is one bolt, and one screw.  The relays have to be removed, as does the relay socket), and attached my ring terminal feed to the number 4 fuse position.  Everything was replaced, and the battery reconnected.  I cut a hole in the windscreen washer bottle using a hole cutter, and placed the sensor into the container and connected up the sensor plug.  Switched on the ignition, and you should get a green warning light.  Filled the washer bottle, and the light goes out.

I am still waiting on Bolbol to supply the details of the check light modification, which will give you the warning light with the ignition in position II, and then extinguish when you start the car, only coming on again if the washer fluid is low.

Just some photos showing the various tools needed for the job
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30266-2/Washer+Fluid+Level+part1_001.jpg)

Wire strippers, electrical fish-tape etc
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30271-2/Washer+Fluid+Level+part2_001.jpg)

Bulb holder, use position 3 for washer fluid, position 2 for coolant bulbs, icons on the various screens
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30276-2/Washer+Fluid+Level+part3.jpg)

Round terminal about to be connected, where I ran the cabling through the rubber grommet (a tight fit)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30281-2/Washer+Fluid+Level+part4.jpg)

Electrical diagram
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30318-2/Windscreen+Washer+Fluid+Level+Electrical+Diagram.jpg)
Good luck with the upgrade, and have fun!

Gavin

P.S. for those of you who want to do the coolant level sensor too, remember that it is a tight squeeze.  Here is the parts list in addition to the parts list for the washer fluid:
MA003 545 26 26 (x2)  Round pin bushing
MA011 545 71 28  Pin bushing housing
MA124 540 02 44  Switch (the actual sensor)
MA012 997 03 48  Seal ring air filter (to seal between the sensor and expansion tank)
MA126 500 15 49  Expansion tank
MN000471 030002  Snap ring (circ-clip to secure the sensor)
MA123 501 02 15 Radiator cap (optional, I just renewed it at the same time, you may need a different rating depending on your engine size)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: jbrasile on 20 June 2011, 09:24 PM
Gavin,

Congratulations again on a superb post!

Here are the pictures of the pick up point for the tach.

You should hook up the wire to the left screw on the fender connector and then run it through the fuse box grommet into the car.

The wire runs at the bottom of the fuse box and goes under the fuses.

Here is the connection at the fender block

(http://i1003.photobucket.com/albums/af159/MBClassic/06-20-2011001.jpg)

Routing of the wire

(http://i1003.photobucket.com/albums/af159/MBClassic/06-20-2011003.jpg)

(http://i1003.photobucket.com/albums/af159/MBClassic/06-20-2011004.jpg)

(http://i1003.photobucket.com/albums/af159/MBClassic/06-20-2011005.jpg)

Of course since you car is RHD, the routing of the cables will be a little bit different.

Hope this info helps and let me know if you need any more pictures.

Tks,

Joe
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 21 June 2011, 07:15 AM
Dear Joe

Thanks for the info.  I used that exact outlet on the fuse box to run my supply wires for the tach and both sensor wires.  I look forward to moving the tach pick-up point next time I see Mrs White.  Hopefully no more bouncing needle.  I still need to look at my calendar and fix a date for my next visit/outing with Mrs White. 

Went to look at the radio, and have taken down a few measurements, so I can plan the radio exchange more carefully.  Did you have access to the actual depth of both front and rear speaker troughs?  The shallow fit speakers are about £69 - 90 a pair (fronts are coax, rear are x-overs), or if your music and car are your life, then there are uber shallow fits that cost a whopping £300 per pair.  The actual radio space also looks a bit limited to the rear of the radio.  Am I right to be worried about ventilation?

I will email you with some seatbelt part numbers I looked up on the EPC, (but I will need you to confirm I have the correct type for my car) and perhaps you can supply a quote?

Thanks for your unerring support,

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: denis23 on 22 June 2011, 04:47 AM
Quote from: gavin116 on 10 April 2011, 01:54 PM
Dear All,

I thought I might introduce myself now that I am the official owner of my childhood dream car, a W116.  Back in 1974 when I was going on five, my interest in motor cars was sky rocketed by this marvellous car.  Our next door neighbour (an orthopaedic surgeon) decided to spoil his wife: a 350SE in Sahara Yellow with Bamboo leather upholstery.  However not to be out done, the civil engineer living across the road from us, done very similar, and soon his wife too was driving a 350SE in Signal Red with Parchment leather.

Hmm...brand new S-class, does it usual for the wifes of surgeons and engineers in S.Africa for 70-ties? What car drove engineer and surgeons by itself?
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 22 June 2011, 07:59 AM
Nostalgia time

Hi Denis, and welcome to the forum.

The surgeon was an eccentric Frenchman, and he drove a Citroen Pallas DS.  However, they always used the S-Class when going on holiday.  I suspect not only did it have more road presence, but more power and space as well.  They moved from Johannesburg to an industrial town called Vereeniging, and our families eventually lost contact.  His wife continued to drive the car for at least two decades, apparently it got the full house including a re-spray at the beginning of the 90's.  

The engineer (an ex Rhodie [Rhodesian]) on the other hand never seemed to be short on anything.  (Their house was one of the few in our street with a swimming pool, important when you're six years old, and you live in a hot climate.)  He drove a W108 280SE, it was a type of dull grey with a darker grey/chocolaty coloured roof.  His daily drive, and also the car they used most for towing a caravan and a boat was a Ford Ranchero pick-up (or as we used to call them in SA, a 'bakkie' - literally a 'tub' referring to the hold area).  Both their cars were replaced with 5 series BMW's in the late eighties/early ninety's when the E34 came to market.  They were much lesser cars than the Merc, could have been 525i 's.

Both of these neighbours were professional people who certainly had the means (you will recall in the early 70's R1 [one Rand] bought you £1 or US$2! the gold price was high, economy was booming, the rich got richer...).  It would be fair to say that it was unusual that there were 2 S-Classes within a stones throw of one another.  There was another darker red 350 that lived a few streets away, they were German expats, and I went to school with their older daughter.  And that was it for 116's.

As for the rest of us, we got by on much more modest means, my father worked for General Motors, so at the time, he drove a Chevrolet Constantia 5.0 V8 (about 1974), dark metallic turquoise in colour (what they now call 'petrol') with a brown vinyl roof.  My mum drove his old car, (which he took delivery of the day my sister was born) a 1966 Holden 186 Special, in light metallic turquoise with a white roof.  Sadly when the petrol crisis loomed, the Chevy was the first to go (my parents shortest-lived car), replaced with a second hand Mazda 616, and finally the Holden went, replaced by a VW Passat for my mum.

Found some of these photos, my mum's mini Mk3, she got the Holden when my dad upgraded it for the Constantia
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30357-2/Mini+Mk3.jpg)

The Holden 186 Special, what we called "Vanessa's car", as it also arrived on her birthday: 9th of November 1966
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30362-2/Holden.jpg)

The Chevy looked similar to this one in this picture from an advertising brochure, I'll try to find an original photo
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30391-1/Chevrolet+Constantia_001.jpg)



... Found some more photos.  The Holden was sold as parts were becoming a problem to acquire.  You will note that my mum had a little altercation and broken the rear tail light lens, and the front park light lens broke due to a flying stone.  The car would not be able to get its roadworthy certificate, and there were few Holden's of this era in the junkyards by the time my parents sold it (their longest surviving, and most loved car).  Despite this and the decorating my sister done to the bakelite dash pad using the cigar lighter, the car was accident and damage free for its entire life.  My dad always commented how this car with its 3 speed manual transition could eat any hill for breakfast.  Although it never had the cachet of a Merc, I thought you guy's down under could have a fond reminisce....

The front view of the Holden (notice the broken park lamp)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30373-2/Holden+front.jpg)

The rear view of the Holden (and the broken stop lamp, that sparked the sale of this car)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30378-2/Holden+rear.jpg)

The only picture I have of the Constantia, unfortunately it has really faded
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30383-2/Constantia+side.jpg)



And this...

My first car!
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30394-1/My+first+car_.jpg)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 08 July 2011, 06:13 PM
This 'nd that

Hello again from a rather drizzly London.  

Yes, that's right, for two turns in a row, no sun, just rain.  What could I do but detailing.  So for starters, I thought that I might get my tacho hooked up to the new pick-up point.  When I went to fetch Mrs White last night, it was idling really roughly whilst I-pitched-my-tent and waited for the traffic on the A3 slip road onto the M25: it was true to form, Europe's biggest car park.  I instinctively wanted to rev the car to get it to calm down.  When I got home - without a hitch this time, I immediately rushed indoors to get a number 8mm spanner and a phillips screwdriver.  I swapped the pick-up point from the +ve side of the coil to the 'bipolar connector': not to the left, but to the right pole with the two green wires (as my connector is the exact reverse of Joe's).  And hey presto, the tacho was perfectly still and reading accurately.  Joe thanks again for the advice and pictures you posted for me.  What can we say, the last 10% of the job takes 90% of the time!

The new pick-up point for the tacho (you will note that I still need to deal with the rust beneath the ignition module)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30571-2/Ignition+module.jpg)


So, jumped out of bed first thing this morning.  Ablutions done, two cups of coffee ingested and I was wired to go!  First off, I removed my old coil, cleaned up all the wiring and wire harnesses in that area, and reconnected my new coil (compliments of Joe).  I thought I would just try the engine to see if the new coil was up to the job, and it started first time.  The tacho read about 1100 - 1200 rpm, dropping down as the engine warmed up till it read less than 500 rpm (very lumpy then and the car shakes like a bronco).

The new coil in place, not blue though.  The area cleaned up nicely.
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30576-2/New+coil.jpg)


I then got Mrs White's newly refurbished headlight wipers out, and affixed them to the spindles.  I used a long reach socket and extension bar to do this, and the job was fairly easy.  None of the worrying problems that were mentioned by Joe about the headlight glass.  The tipping back of the arm gave plenty clearance, thanks for the heads-up on that tip Joe.

Headlight wipers reinstalled.  They were tested with the headlights on, and all functions perfectly - so 1970's!
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30566-2/Headlight+Wipers.jpg)

Some of the tools for the FD filter and headlight wiper job. (Note the long reach socket.)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30609-2/Tools+for+the+job.jpg)


Next I removed my air cleaner, and then took out my fuel distributor filter.  My goodness, I think the Big Friendly Giant at MB must have tightened this component.  I nearly ruptured my abdominals loosening the filter.  Nevertheless, it came free nicely, and I replaced it with the new part,using one 17mm spanner to hold the filter in place whilst I tightened the fuel supply line to it.  The car turned over almost immediately.  (My accumulator seems to be fine then?)  I got the air filter back on, as it was still pi55ing it down with rain.

As the rain would not let up, I decided, "if you can't beat them join them", so what else to do other than break open a can of degreaser and get myself dirty!  I rigged up the hosepipe even though I didn't need to.  I washed most of the engine bay and then used a Brillo pad (steel-wool impregnated with 'pink' soap) on a few of the zinc plated fittings.  It all came up wonderfully well.  I plan to put some car polish on these fitting tomorrow to prevent them form 'oxidising' again.

I also went to town on Mrs White's wheels.  I cleaned them as thoroughly as possible without removing them from the car.  I thought that I might at some stage take the car to one of those places that will remove the tyres, acid bath the rims, prime them and paint them including an oven bake while you wait places.  Hence the easy option, although the wheels do look fine for the moment.

Not yet having my full, I yet again turned my attentions to the engine bay, and washed away like crazy.  I didn't tackle the engine block or the cam covers today, but I do plan on doing this in the future some time.  I was a little reluctant with the amount of water I sprayed to get rid of the soap suds and dirt, but in hind sight, I needn't have been fussed, as the car started first time following the 'wash'.  I also scrubbed the oily soaked bonnet lining, and this came up a treat.

An even cleaner firewall, showing the new windscreen washer tubing in black.  I think it's pretty neat.
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30581-2/New+windscreen+washer+lines.jpg)

The cruise control actuator that I need to re-mount
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30561-2/Cruise+Control+Actuator.jpg)

Another picture of the new coolant and windscreen washer tanks
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30596-2/Washer+and+coolant+tanks.jpg)


I wanted to know if anyone has an idea what this 'blue' relay is for.  It is not original to the car.  It has space for a blade fuse, although there is no fuse present.  It connects to the alternator.

What is this 'blue' relay for?
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30601-2/What+is+this+relay_.jpg)


Once I tired of cleaning in the engine bay, it was time to move my attentions to the radio.  I uninstalled the unit.  It has a built in fuse that showed continuity with the multimeter, but still it does not work.  The radio pick-up also showed 12 volts.  Something else must be wrong within the radio... I decided then to look at the mess of wires.  I found that the harness to the ashtray had been cut into to gain an earth, and at some stage judging from the teeth marks on the black wire, a quick connect for the +ve supply.  Lo and behold if the red and green feed wire still with it's factory bullet connector was not taped onto this harness.

Pray tell, why the heck cut into a harness when the wiring is right there?  I think I found the answer: the red and green wire is cold all the time (with the ignition off, in position II or with the engine running, in the latter two, there is a small amount of current, but no where near 12 volts).  Any ideas why this should be?  I am not sure where to begin looking, any suggestions would be helpful at this point.  I also discovered the original aerial wire going to the left side of the car.  Under the driver's side knee roll, yet another harness was cut into by a radio installer to supply power to the radio.  This time a red and white wire.  

Get this, the piggy back wire was too short to reach the console, so another piggy back wire is tapped onto the first wire about six inches from where it was tapped into the main harness.  What I found really gob-smacking was the fact the the end of the first piggyback wire was bare, live and left to dangle at its own free will... I agree with other members who have posted that radio installers should be shot, BUT not before they have their toenails pulled first!  I need to look for the electric aerial harness at some stage too.  I have just shelved the radio project for the time being.  I can play audio over the TomTom at the moment, not great, useful in stand still traffic, or I roll the windows down, and listen to the harmonic of Mrs White's V8.  

The original factory wires for the radio, but the red/green wire is cold all the time (about 1.2 volts, so not '0', but also not '12'???)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30591-2/Radio+factory+power+supply.jpg)

Having fiddled with things electric, I decided to remove the driver's side knee-rolls, and I pulled the cruise control amplifier.  I think I will send it off as I was quoted over £700 for a new one from MB.  At the same time, I ordered a few bits and bobs, and also got a quote for a new cold start valve and HT leads.  Joe, here's where you come in again, could you please give me a quote to supply the above?

Looking at Raptelan's  post, despite my car living indoors for most of its life, I too need new door seals, and window seals on the bottom parts of the windows.  Where does it all end...  I only just noticed that I am due a MOT and tax disc at the end of this month.  I think a visit to the SEC shop in Kent will be coming up soon.  Might ask them at the same time about re-commisioning the aircon.

Till later

Gavin

P.S.  Lastly, but not least, I adjusted the idle speed when warm and the gear selector in 'D' to about 700 rpm.  The car is so much smoother now at idle. :)

P.P.S.  Waiting for a sunny day to put the new fuel pump, accumulator and hoses onto the car.



Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: jbrasile on 08 July 2011, 06:58 PM
Gavin,

Nice to see you are making progress!!!

Cool that the tach is now working perfectly.

Blue coils unfortunately are NLA so we have to live with these silver ones... I got lucky a few months ago and picked-up a brand new blue one from e-bay, not a bad idea to check from time to time if you are aiming for that factory look.

Good you got your h/l wipers working again, mine are still out of commission, I must have missed something when I put the car back together after the paint restoration because they were working before...

That blue relay does not belong there.... since it does not seem to do anything and all you have is a wire going into the alternator, I'd just remove it.

You are on the right track trying to locate the radio issue, you found the green/red wire and it should show 12V with the ignition in its first (accessory) position. Since you say it is always dead something is amiss somewhere. I am still dumbfounded that there is no inline fuse for the radio in the fuse box. Question, does your cigar lighter work?

Here are some prices for you:

09028 - Set of Bosch ignition wires - $121.45 - I sold Calvin a set for $83.55 but that stock is gone and the new ones have a much higher cost

005 545 12 32 - cruise control amp - $300.00 remanufactured
119 070 02 46 - cold start valve - $309.60 - original MB (344.00 list)

And here are the window seal prices, same as we supplied to Raptelan

116 720 03 78 - door seal LF - 171.00
116 720 04 78 - door seal RF - 168.30
116 730 01 78 - door seal LR - 165.60
116 730 02 78 - door seal RR - 165.60
116 725 00 65 - window wipes - 29.25 x 8

All original MB with a 10% discount from list

Tks

Joe








Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 10 July 2011, 12:51 PM
Saturday morning tidy-up

Woke up on Saturday early-ish to get a head start before taking the car back to storage.  I was determined to get to the bottom of the radio feed.  I decided to pull the fuse board once again.  When I did this, I saw a similar picture emerge as on the cigarette lighter harness.   One loop of red and green wire was left exposed whilst the rest was taped up with insulation tape.  (So, Joe you were right when you said that you think you could see the inline fuse in my fuse box, problem was although it was the right wire, because it was wrapped in insulation tape without a fuse holder, I missed it in my naivety!)   Upon its removal, I discovered that the wire was indeed live when the car was started!  It has the male and female connectors, but no inline fuse.  I shall see if I can source a more modern blade type inline fuse, and get that sorted.

Mystery of the radio feed uncovered! (The other wires are for my sensor upgrade and the tacho +ve feed)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30683-2/Radio+line+without+inline+fuse.jpg)

In this older photo, you can just make out the red and green wire, but it is folded back on itself and taped to the harness.  It lies just to the top at the same level as the left relay
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/29359-2/Fusebox+after+some+cleaning.jpg)


I then had to drill the anchor points on the cruise control actuator.  Took a little doing.  Then I mounted it using stainless steel screws and nuts, and finally slipped the cruise control actuator into its bracket.  I was however a little peeved when I noticed that the degreaser must have dripped off the bonnet liner causing the red warning sticker to disintegrate on the cruise control actuator.  Are replacement stickers still available?  (Worst still, the liner is still oil soaked...)  I was no nearer trying to pry the ignition module off the side wall, and will give that a go again at the next visit.  I also replaced the four bumpers on the leading edge of the bonnet that I got from MB the previous day.

The cruise control re-mounted.
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30663-2/Cruise+Control+Actuator+re-mounted.jpg)

I followed up putting the Auto Glym liquid polish onto the zinc plated fittings to try and keep subsequent oxidising to a minimum.  At the same time, I removed the superfluous relay, and that didn't seem to do any harm.  I noted that this wire was tapped into the blue wire of the alternator (? the check light wire) so I have left it alone for the time being.  I might like to experiment with it later.

Back to my order.  Joe, I think for now, I will leave the cold start valve and amplifier, but I do want to forge ahead on the seal side.  I neglected to say that I would like a boot seal, and both L & R tail light seals.  I will take all the other seals you mention, as well as the HT leads.  Just to ensure we are on the same hymn sheet, I have posted pictures of what I think are the 'window wipes', please confirm, and also a picture of the plug shields and my dizzy so that we get the correct HT lead set.  I think you still have my vin somewhere, let me know if you need it again.  I would also like to add both front seat safety belts to this order please.

Perished window seals (window wipes).
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30678-2/Perished+window+seal.jpg)


The spark plug end of the HT leads (I replaced the clip mechanism on the high pressure line from the A/C [blue line])
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30673-2/My+HT+lead+spark+plug+insulators.jpg)


The dizzy end of the HT leads (and in the foreground the long suffering refurbished auxiliary fan sensor)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/30668-2/My+dizzy.jpg)

Bye for now, looks like I will be busy when Mrs White returns.  Will post some more then.

Gavin

P.S. On the way back to the storage facility, I came across a burgundy W108 just a short while after crossing the Hammersmith Bridge!
P.P.S. The trip to the SEC shop will be on hold, just found my M.O.T. which is valid till the end of October.  Looks like I only need a Tax disc for now.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: jbrasile on 10 July 2011, 08:45 PM
Gavin,

That's too bad about the cruise control servo sticker.... unfortunately it is not sold separately from what I can see in the epc.

Did you try to connect the two wires you found in the fuse box to see if you get 12V at the radio power wire inside the car? The male and female look like maybe they were crimped to eliminate the inline fuse, you could either just plug them together and add the fuse inside the car or to keep it original just add it inside the fuse box, you should have this problem resolved now!

Thanks for the order! I will add:

1) boot/trunk seal
2) tail light seals
3) HT/spark plug wires - by the way yours are Bosch p/n 09028 quoted
4) front seat belts - I will confirm price as soon as the CC replies to my e-mail

Yes, the window wipes are indeed the seals you show on your picture, 4 inner and 4 outer. For the front doors they come with the right length, the rears you will have to cut to fit. You will need a very powerful pair of pliers to do this since the wipes have a steel blade inside.

I have your VIN in my system so no problem getting the correct items.

We will ship all the rubber parts from the Classic Center on Fedex and the HT leads from my warehouse also Fedex so there are no delays as the previous order.

Tks,

Joe


Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 11 July 2011, 12:53 AM
Hi Joe,

I think the car will benefit from these new parts tremendously.  Might I cut the rear seals with a mini-hacksaw rather than a pliers?  (Figured that one out, they probably only do one size to suit the SEL's hence cutting them down to fit the SE.)  As the door panels need to come off, do you supply the rubber seals for the central locking vacuum components?  If not, where do I order them from?

And yes, I think the radio supply issues are now finally sorted!  Just a little detective work and perseverance.

Regards

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: jbrasile on 11 July 2011, 11:36 PM
Hi Gavin,

I am sending you a confirmation quote via e-mail shortly confirming prices on everything including the hood pad (bonnet liner) and the door lock diaphragms.

We are having some problems with the seat belts, some of the p/n's are NLA and I am working with the Classic Center to see what's still available that will fit your car.

It is better to cut the rear window wipes in one straight shot, a hack saw may leave an irregular finish.

The wipes are pre-cut for the front doors, even the rear doors on a long wheelbase car require them to be trimmed.

Tks,

Joe
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: littlefin on 27 July 2011, 02:48 PM
Hi Gavin

This is my first post as a newbie on W116.org, so hello everyone, and apologies for lack of etiquette (if appropriate)! I have owned my Mercs for years, but confess to being a relative newcomer to the W116. I am however very impressed with the quality of posts and information on this site. Congratulations to all concerned!!!

A little background to begin with. I too live in South West London (Wandsworth) and I am about to take delivery of my first W116 - coincidentally also sourced from Yorkshire. So I will soon be taking the long drive south on rather ancient tyres  ::) I've bought a 280SE rather than a V8, so am hoping for better fuel consumption LOL

I don't want to go on too long, but if you are still looking for garage recommendations, I can wholeheartedly recommend John Haynes Auto Technics at Goring-by-Sea www.johnhaynesmercedes.co.uk

No connection, other than they have been servicing my cars (1967 W110 & 1972 W108) for a number of years. They aren't cheap, but they are very, very thorough. They will give you a full appraisal of your car during servicing, and will do as little (or as much) as you can afford. I take my cars down there from London; from Guildford you would be halfway there (kindda) and would have an excuse for a drive in the country. The train journey back to London is very straightforward - and you can fit in a visit to the seaside too, if you like.

Regarding Stainless Steel exhausts: I had one fitted to my 3.5 a number of years ago, and it has served me well. The car does tend to stand rather a lot (shame) so stainless makes sense. Do bear in mind a stainless exhaust will be much louder than a mild steel one, a factor that I hadn't properly considered before buying mine. The mild steel exhaust I have on my fintail is much quieter (smaller engine helps too  ;D) but will need replacing a lot more often inevitably.

Regards, Phil

PS I think the burgundy W108 you spotted on your way to your storage facility may have been me  ;)

PPS any hints on how to upload photos to strings anyone? May share some pics in due course
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 28 July 2011, 12:58 AM
Hi Phil

Welcome to the forum, and congratulations with the purchase of the 280.  Is it the one I saw on the internet that came with a wonderful history, low mileage, good bodywork and engine, but at a price?  Red I think?  Anyhow, doesn't matter, as the 116 will soon become your favourite Merc! :)

I am sure we will get together at some stage including Calvin and Adamb when his 6.9 is out of the paint shop.

In the near future I plan to do some seal replacement and other door related issues, so keep an eye out for some more posts.  Joe is in the process of sending me a couple of "boxes".  Also thanks for the recommendations for servicing the car/exhaust, I'll look them up on the web.

Regards

Gavin

P.S. If there was a bicycle hanging out the boot of your 108, then yes it must have been you!  Small world...
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: calvin streeting on 28 July 2011, 05:31 AM
Hi... yes we should meet up at some point....

Calvin.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: littlefin on 28 July 2011, 10:11 AM
In that case, it wasn't me after all, although I was in the area... I don't generally drive around with things hanging out of my boot  ;D
I'm surprised there was another W108 around though, as you very rarely see them outside shows/Club Meets these days.

Yes, chances are the 280SE is the one you saw advertised on the internet recently. I had been planning to buy a W126, but the W116 looked too good to miss, it's also is a better 'fit' with my other cars IMHO. It is 'Mittel Rot' a colour which really shows off the chrome to great effect, I think. I will post some pics when I get the opportunity unfortunately I'm going to have to put the car straight into storage, as I'm going to Cornwall with the family next week.

Regards, Phil
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: adamb on 29 July 2011, 07:05 PM
Looks like we've got a little community starting to form around here. I can't wait to get my car back on the road. The paint is on now and it's being machine polished so not long to go!
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 05 August 2011, 02:06 PM
Never send a boy to do a man's job

Hi all,

So the saying goes: "Never send a boy to do a man's job!"  I got up relatively early today in preparation for the mammoth day that was awaiting me.  So much to do, so little time.

Out of the starting blocks, I put the new vertical trim piece and three new trim clips on the front grille.  The nose is transformed, Mrs White no longer looks like a heavy-weight boxer with a broken nose!  Next, I took off the air cleaner, covered the air flow meter, and proceeded to wash the living daylights off the top of the engine.  Job done, and what a feeling of satisfaction!

Left hand bank before cleaning (1)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31266-2/Before+left+hand+bank.jpg)

Left hand bank before cleaning (2)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31274-2/Before+left+hand+bank+2.jpg)

Right hand bank before cleaning (1)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31279-2/Before+right+hand+bank.jpg)

Right hand bank before cleaning (2)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31286-2/Before+right+hand+bank+2.jpg)

The airflow meter covered to allow cleaning of the top part of the engine, although not apparent in this picture, I also blocked off the oil breather pipe
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31327-2/Covered+airflow+meter.jpg)

Left hand bank after cleaning (1)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31303-2/Cleaned+left+hand+bank.jpg)

Left hand bank after cleaning (2)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31310-2/Cleaned+left+hand+bank+2.jpg)

Right hand bank after cleaning (1)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31315-2/Cleaned+right+hand+bank.jpg)

Right hand bank after cleaning (2)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31322-2/Cleaned+right+hand+bank+2.jpg)

I grabbed the new HT leads, dizzy and rotor, and installed those.  I found that the spark plug on the number 8 cylinder was loose.  I thought the worst, stripped thread, but luckily I used the MB tool in the boot, and it tightened.  I hand tightened it, then put a screwdriver into the bar, and gave it a little tweak.  I think that should be the required 15nm?  It looks neat, and tidy, wish I could say the same about my idling, which is now a little rougher than before, and occasionally I get some pre-ignition when switching the car off.

Time to tackle the sunroof, I removed the left hand side felt by opening the sun roof to its fullest, and undoing the three grub screws.  I trimmed and inserted the new felt, but it was a nightmare, it kept on binding.  After much ado, I finally got it to work.  The right hand side was far easier for some unknown reason.  Then I moved on to the front seal.  The old seal had some adhesive keeping it in place, so it was a bit of a struggle to get it out.  I then placed the new seal, but this too is not entirely satisfactory.  I finally got the roof to close, and have left is so, hoping that this will mould the new rubber into shape.  I have an idea that this seal needs the sun-roof tray to be dropped in order to get a perfect fit.  For that reason, I did not even think of touching the rear seal.

Note that the rubber now binds with the wind deflector.  This will need to be redone...
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31291-2/Binding+with+wind+deflector.jpg)

The seal looks good when the roof is closed
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31357-2/New+front+and+side+sunroof+seals.jpg)

Having done these jobs, it was off to MB to see if I could get my hose-clamps that I ordered on Wednesday, lo and behold all my goodies were there, including the parts from Germany.  I then made a dash for the hardware, ultimately ending up in a local craft shop to find spray on adhesive.

The new liner and spray adhesive
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31352-2/New+bonnet+liner+and+adhesive.jpg)

On my return, I covered the engine bay, and removed my old oil soaked engine liner.  I cleaned the under surface of the bonnet (hood) in preparation for the glueing, which was applied to both the bonnet and the liner.  It is a different construction to the old one, but as long as it does the job.  I also installed my new fuse box lid.

I had to steel myself to tackle the fuel pump assembly.  I got the car up on the jack, the first time that the jack has been used!  I placed my newly acquired trestle at a suitable point.  I got the housing off, only two screws, one is missing.  My hands and the ratchet were covered in road grime and WaxOil.  Still I willed myself on, got the fuel assay off, this time four bolts.  I discovered that the bracket is broken and held together with a cable tie.  I then removed the terminals from the fuel pump.

Remembering the warning that I read somewhere about the main fuel line that comes from the bottom of the fuel tank, "in all likelihood this line will be perished even if it looks perfect, and will need to be replace".  So, do I go, or do I stay?  Nonsense, come this far, removed the main pipe from the damper, petrol, petrol, petrol everywhere!  Un-perturbed, I produced the bung to push into the very hose.  I tightened the hose-clamp, and two problems became immediately apparent: a) the hose was indeed fragile, and falling to bits, and b) the petrol being a solvent melted my plastic bung.  So much for I'll only loose a little of the half tank of (£1.50/lt) petrol.

Well, the petrol kept flowing.  I managed to grab a toothbrush I was using for the detailing which had a thick handgrip, and rammed that in there, and tightened it with the hose-clamp.   Deep breaths, WTF, my skin is stinging like crazy now, the petrol has dissolved some of the WaxOil, and the tar!  Looking more like a true African rather than the African that I am, I decided immediate action was necessary: a shower.  Up the stairs into the shower, relief to some extent.  Damage: undies and T-shirt totally F§@%ed, put in a plastic bag and thrown away.  Rescued from luckily dark coloured shorts, wallet, keys and 'special petrol igniter' - cellular phone.

The fuel assay, covered in WaxOil, overspray and rust!
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31339-2/Fuel+assembly.jpg)

The hose that caused all the issues
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31344-2/Leaky+hose.jpg)

I have only just opened Joe's email, it being seven o' clock in the evening.  His words of wisdom, "a little too late":
"Hehehe.... make sure your gas tank is as empty as possible and drain it before you remove the hose that goes into the damper cage. Good idea to have your cell phone far away from the area and if posssible have a small fire extinguisher available... I am being paranoid here because nothing is going to happen,  but better safe than sorry...."  Bloody famous last words :-[!

More panic, has the parking warden visited Mrs White whilst I've been in the shower?  Mercifully: no.  This good news galvinised me in to action.  I got the wretched fuel assembly back on the car. Then I proceeded to cut off a small length of that disastrous hose.  Pushed it back onto the damper, and job done.  I replaced the plastic cover.

When someone walked by, bearing in mind that it smells like a refinery, the pavement is full of size 10 tar footprints, I thought they gave me an odd look?  By this time, I was donned only in a pair of shorts, and with what I thought was milky white skin to rival even a Scotsman's complexion, they must be thinking he'll get a sunburn.  But no, the skin on my back and arms was still burning, so I went back indoors to look in a mirror.  What a shock, I thought I will never come clean again.  BLACK, BLACK, BLACK.  I remembered that I bought a solvent type degreaser to clean up the bicycle.  So I got that out, and proceed to wash myself with degreaser and a paintbrush, and bathe in a bucket of water, similar to how I saw locals doing it on a trip to India!  This all in the front yard, much to the amusement of passersby.  Don't knock it, it works...

I proceeded to do the same with all my tools which were also covered with WaxOil and tar.  Next, I tackled the 'footprints', but the concrete pavers are excellent absorbers of tar!  I decided to replace the rear wheel instead, which I did.  Feeling somewhat relieved that there were no more leaks, I thought I'd go and have another try at washing my claws.

Spoor?
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31334-2/Footprints+after+some+cleaning.jpg)

Bloody hell, the shock of it!  Not only were my foot prints on the concrete paving, but all over the hallway carpet!  I thought: here comes trouble!!!  I ducked into the under-stairs-cupboard and luckily found some Vanish carpet cleaner.  Thank goodness it does what it says on the tin, or my life would not be worth living...

Feeling a little blue that the sun-roof did not go quite as well as I would have liked, that the car's idling in worse now with the new HT leads, and my Titanic fuel pump assy debacle, I thought I have to end the day on a high.  As the female pin bushings had arrived for my warning alarm, I decided to get that finished.  I done my soldering etc, and then re-installed the instrument binnacle, only to find a wretched white speck in the warning alarm window.

That would drive me absolutely crazy, so it was off with all the behind the dash gubbings and clean out the central window.  Re-installed for the second time, now looking perfect.  I have had to settle for no check-light function, as I cannot figure which wire does this job.  And, I have no low oil warning light connected.

It may be possible to retro fit an oil level switch from a W107 300SL, 380SL or 420SL in the oil pan, but I don't know.  I may speak to the man at the SEC shop and see what he thinks.  I removed the exclamation mark from the light bulb, placed a green screen behind that light, rigged it up to the instrument lighting, and it now functions as a headlights on information light rather than a bulb-out warning light.

The warning light for headlights on, and the washer level to give you an idea what it looks like at night time
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31369-2/Warning+lights+at+night+time.jpg)

The warning cluster in the light-of-day
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31374-2/Warning+lights+in+day+time.jpg)

Now, here I sit, drinking ice cold Hoegaarden, pondering if I should try at least one of the new door seals tomorrow...

I hope you are laughing with me, and having as much fun as I am!

Regards

Gavin

P.S.   Have some photos, but can't find the card reader.  Will post them soon.
P.P.S.  I am not beaten by this fuel assay.  I shall buy the the remainer of the parts new, and assemble the wretched assembly, and then I will give it to the mechanic to install it.  I no longer want to run on high octane.  The question is: will I ever stop smelling of petrol?

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Casey on 05 August 2011, 03:06 PM
Quote from: gavin116 on 05 August 2011, 02:06 PM
I trimmed and inserted the new felt, but it was a nightmare, it kept on binding.  After much ado, I finally got it to work.

Yeah, these were a bear for me too.  I used a claw hammer (carefully!) to get the job done.  I have the parts but haven't replaced the front or rear yet myself...

Your horror stories of being covered in petrol make me getting doused in (smaller amounts of) diesel seem rather relaxing and nice.

This was a rather entertaining read - thanks for sharing!
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Type17 on 05 August 2011, 03:21 PM
Having been almost up to my armpit in petrol when replacing an in-tank fuel pump on an Audi 80, I can sympathise with your currently stinky skin - it has soaked into your skin, so washing the surface has little effect until it comes back out on its own, but it does disappear in about 24-36 hours.

PS: Mobile phones don't cause fuel explosions, it's static that is the problem: Petroleum Equipment Institute's Stop Static Campaign (http://www.pei.org/PublicationsResources/SafetyResources/StopStaticCampaign.aspx)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: adamb on 05 August 2011, 05:57 PM
Wow, Gavin. That's one challenging day though working with old cars I find most jobs challenging. Over time I have gotten pretty good at removing rusty screws and the like. Removing fuel lines is never fun but it's quite rewarding replacing age old fuel lines with new rubber that doesn't leak expensive fuel that should be used for hammering down the road :)

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 06 August 2011, 04:50 AM
Inserted the relevant pictures into my last post.  Decided to take the day off, finally cleaned the last of the tar off the bathroom basin with Braso, cleaned the shower tray and washed the bath.
;)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Casey on 06 August 2011, 07:22 AM
Those lights in the middle - you added them?  Where did you find them?  I want to do the same!!
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 06 August 2011, 05:10 PM
The result of my mechanical abilities

Well, I no sooner started the car to go back to the storage facility, than it stopped dead!  I had to push the heavy beast to the side of the road.  Checked that there was still petrol in the car, there was still spark.  I tried cranking the engine in case it had flooded.  No good.  I was a little taken aback as I had started the car and moved it around after the fuel hose problem, and it ran well.  Nevertheless, there was no delivery of fuel.  So, I must have unsettled the fuel pump.

I got the breakdown out, and the young man seemed to know less about cars and engines than me!  He proceeded to drain my battery and try his level best to kill my starter.  In the end he loosened one of the fuel injector couplings and it became obvious it was as dry as a desert. 

A while later the recovery van arrived, and we made our way to the storage facility.

So, the culmination of my weekend
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31382-2/Culmination+of+the+weekend.jpg)

I guess it's off to the real mechanics next week.

Regards

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: adamb on 06 August 2011, 05:23 PM
Well, at least you know where problem lies. Don't know if you know this but if you put your autobox on R you can turn on ignition to start the engine, this will activate the fuel pump without activating the starter motor. This way you can test the pump without ignition. If the fuel pump is not audible, try an alternative fuse before proceeding to check the pump electric connections, etc.

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: koan on 06 August 2011, 08:59 PM
That's disappointing to hear after your successes with car, hope you get back to it soon.

koan
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: jbrasile on 07 August 2011, 06:48 PM
Wow Gavin!!! What a weekend!!!

Let's see:

1) Worse idle with new HT leads, cap and rotor - check your ignition timing as well as the CO adjustment to make sure it is all within spec. since all of the ignition parts are new and we don't know if the car was previously tuned with the old parts, everything needs to be re-checked.

2) Fuel system overhaul - not an easy job... I see that your damper looks pretty tired, you might want to replace it as well. Wise decision letting a pro do it

3) Sunroof seals - to get the front seal to fit correctly you shouldn't have to remove the deflector, however if you do decide to take it out it is held in place by 3 "shoes" left, center and right. You just need to be super careful not to scratch to top of the car and I'd remove the new seal and watch the side ones so they don't get damaged in the removal process. Also remember to take out the front stainless steel bar held by the little philipps screws.

Tks,

Joe
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 18 September 2011, 02:23 AM
It's been a long time

Just went to pick up Mrs White from the SEC-man yesterday.  She's had some work done (almost entirely mechanical), including touching up the sills in the correct black colour.  She looks much more athletic now that this is done, rather than so tall when she was painted all white.  She ran very well indeed, surprising what a proper tune-up can do.  Her steering is also so much better now that she has had the fluid and the original three part power steering filter replaced.  I very quickly done my temporary install of the new Becker Grand Prix 1319, and it's going to look fab when done for real.  I will have to do the speakers as I think that is letting the side down.  My new windscreen mount Becker sat nav is a real treat compared to my original Tom Tom potato.

Only managed to get the car to storage, lots to do yesterday, now off to Italy this morning.  Will go down to fetch the old girl when I'm back, take some photos and have a good chat.

Regards

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 16 October 2011, 02:27 PM
A lazy weekends work

Well, it's about time I got pen to paper and let you know what has been happening with Mrs White.  Those of you who have been following my post/blog will know that Mrs White suddenly died the last time I had her home - terminal fuel pump.  Having had the car recovered to the storage facility, I then went and ordered an entire fuel pump holder and all the rest of the parts for the fuel pump assembly from MB.  (I had ordered a fuel pump and accumulator from Joe.)  The SEC man was kind enough to install this for me, and he also did a full service.  There were a lot of other small things too that he attended to for example a lost air mixture screw cover, all new belts etc.

Series of photos the old fuel assay, new parts and installed, wax oiled and ready to go!
Click on picture to enlarge
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31871-1/Fuel+Pump_001.jpg)

Mrs White also received a little new paint, satin black to the bottom of her flanks.  She really does look so much better, the car has shrunk a little, looking more sleek rather than tall and ungainly.  The SEC man's forte is certainly not painting, as sadly there is a little over-spay under the bonnet where he touched up after attending to one or two minor rust spots.  I shall take the car to a more specialist place for this in the near future.  I will leave him to attend to solely mechanical stuff in the future.

Spot the difference:  Mrs White and Susan (Mrs White's painted sills, hedge cut, neighbours to-let sign down).
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31726-1/Mrs+White+and+Susan.jpg)

So, one of the main reasons to get the car home was to have a new rear silencer box fitted for the impending M.O.T..  Well, blow me out of the water, but Quickfit have managed yet again to come up nil points despite ordering the part and paying a deposit a week ago!  So, I will have to let the SEC man deal with that this coming week.  He will also attend to the M.O.T. and he will send my steering wheel to be leather covered.  Can't wait to grip that baby when she's back.

I also kept myself occupied in the meanwhile doing several little jobs:  I changed the right side rear door rubbing strip with a new one.  Put a blind spot mirror on the driver's mirror.  Then I got going on some slightly more serious jobs.  I removed and re-installed my radio.  I took Joe's advice and followed his instructions to the Tee.  You will note my lovely new Becker radio installed almost like factory!  And attached to the windscreen my marvellous new Becker SatNav.   Now although I was really disappointed that the unit doesn't support full UK post codes, I found that it was very easy to use, and just super.  I would highly recommend this unit to anyone!

New Becker radio (Grand Prix 2000 - 1319) and SatNav (Professional 43 Control)
Click on picture to enlarge
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31841-1/Audio+and+Nav.jpg)


The dash as it now stands
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31834-1/New+radio+in+place.jpg)

I would like people's opinion about the fuse situation with regard to the radio.  The Becker unit has a fuse in the rear.  As my radio wire in the fuse box has no fuse connector (and as you will see, it looks pretty factory to me), do you think I need to install one?  I have just pushed the two ends together.

The radio wire in the fuse box
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31741-1/Fuse+Box.jpg)

I do still need to sort the aerial however.  I can see the factory aerial wire, but will need to locate the real factory blue wire, I think I see it in the radio  aperture, but I will need to do a continuity test with a long wire.  Strange thing, is that the current set up for the trigger wire measures 12Volts!  I will be doing away with this home electric flex, as well as the current electric aerial.  I need to have the fender welded and painted.  Then I will have the left fender drilled, and a new Hirschman electric aerial installed in the correct place, tapped into the proper factory harness.

I also re-installed my rebuilt cruise control amplifier, but I must still take the car out on the open road and give it a try.  Many thanks to Tony Leach of the MB club UK for re-soldering and changing the old caps.  Tony can be reached via the club (or on 07771 966977) if anyone local needs an economic repair of their CC amplifier.  Installing the under dash panels and knee rolls is a real labour of love.

That was about all I had time for yesterday before heading off to Ascot to go and watch some horse racing.

This morning I got started on the long overdue rubber tasks.  I changed the rear boot seal with ease.  I haven't glued it down, and it seems to be okay, so I shall leave it as it stands.  I then tackled the left front passenger door.  I removed the door panel, the wing mirror and the door check strap.  Everything is in remarkably good condition, and fairly well lubricated.  There was no plastic cover between the door card and the inside of the door however.  I did put a little more grease on the power window regulator and the teethed cogs.  The window is much quieter now.  The window wipes were the most tricky of the lot to install.  In reality, I think it only necessary to replace the outside seals, but as I had ordered eight, I then felt duty bound to replace both.

I did have to have two goes at re-fitting the door card, but I think from now on it will be easier to do this job.  I do still need to re-visit this door again, as I want to replace my wing mirror with a power one from a R107.  Does anyone know if this is possible?  I can then install a sheet of plastic.  I will also need to replace the padding on the driver's door when I do that one, as the upholstery is bulging on that door card.

A series of pictures showing the old seals on the driver's side, the new seals on the front passenger's side.  Also note the difference between the old and new window wipes.
Click on picture to enlarge
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31856-1/Door+Seals_001.jpg)


I had bought some new rubbers for the front bumper as it was obviously in an altercation in a previous life.  The thick rubber had a crack, and it was for this reason that I wanted to change it.  I was really quite shocked when I took the rubber off, as the bumper is fairly rusted.  I took a wire brush to it followed by a brass brush etc, and finally I covered it in a rust converter.  I suppose I will need to keep my eyes out for a new bumper.  Perhaps I should get one of those stainless steel knockoff jobs?  Nevertheless the upper overrider was in much better condition.  I suspect that the broken rubber on the upper caused water to leak and pool on the 'rubber rail'. 

Lucky I remembered reading a post on the org about replacing these rubbers.  The trick it to apply dish wash liquid to the ends.  This facilitated sliding them into the eyes, then you bend the rubber back on itself and it easily attaches to the 'rails'.

Bumper: before and after (note unfortunately that the bumper is rusting...)
Click on picture to enlarge
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31846-1/Bumper_001.jpg)


Other than that, I replaced my fuse legend with a new one, they're still available!  I had replaced the actual fuse box lid when I stuck the new hood lining on last visit.

New Fuse Legend
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31731-1/New+Fuse+Legend.jpg)

A new genuine MB cup holder.  It is kept in place by wedging a piece of black rubber between it and the console, as I didn't want to drill a hole in the base of the console.

Cup holder
Click on picture to enlarge
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31851-1/Cup+Holder_001.jpg)

And last but not least, a view of the engine bay.

Work in progress
Click on picture to enlarge
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/31861-1/Engine+Bay_001.jpg)


I will let you know how the cruise control works out, and also about the M.O.T., and will post a picture of the recovered leather steering wheel.

Keep on 116ing

Gavin

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Casey on 16 October 2011, 02:34 PM
Nice to know that the fuse box keys are still available - I think I'd probably get the new one laminated to preserve it's life.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: jbrasile on 16 October 2011, 03:11 PM
Nice to hear from you Gavin!

Looks like you made some pretty good progress with Mrs, White.

I wouldn't worry about the radio fuse since the new Becker already has one. As for the antenna wire, in the original installation it is covered by black insulation, I don't remember if the actual wire is blue, but it has a female spade connector so it should be easy to spot.

I know you have decided to leather cover your steering wheel, but may I suggest  that you leave it original? IMHO I just think the original look just suits the character of the 116 and your interior is so nice and factory fresh that covering the wheel may spoil its visual appeal.

These Beckers look so sharp!

For the internal door liner I used some painter's drop cloth cut using the door card as a pattern. Glue it with 3M 75 adhesive which allows for repositioning if you need to remove it later on.

Keep us posted regarding the cruise control. Mine works but I still have a slight drop in speed while going uphill and I am suspecting e leaky servo even though it checks out ok when I test it with a hand vacuum pump, will probably have to somehow leave it "armed" for a few minutes with the pump connected to see if it looses  pressure.

Tks,

Joe

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: 300SDude on 18 October 2011, 07:16 PM
The left side upper bumper thing (between the headlights and the bumper) on my 300SD is actually broken and the black rubber part sticks out. I was wondering how hard it is to replace it, and where I could possibly find a new one?

Your car looks FANTASTIC! You have done so much work to it, and it shows. LOL, I wish my engine looked that clean!

Best of luck!

300SDude
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Casey on 19 October 2011, 07:54 AM
Quote from: 300SDude on 18 October 2011, 07:16 PM
The left side upper bumper thing (between the headlights and the bumper) on my 300SD is actually broken and the black rubber part sticks out. I was wondering how hard it is to replace it, and where I could possibly find a new one?

It's called an overrider, and it's quite easy to replace, though if you want to do it without removing the headlights you'll want a 1/4" ratchet with an extension to get in there from the top.  Two bolts to remove in this manner (while holding the bottom nut with another wrench), and then the side mount bolts through the fender - you can get at the inside by reaching up inside the wheelwell.  I've got a nicely-mangled one you can have if you want it, will require beating to fit to unbent chassis. ;)  I found a replacement at a junk yard - there's a right one remaining there I think but no left.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: 300SDude on 21 October 2011, 12:10 PM
Quote from: Raptelan on 19 October 2011, 07:54 AM
Quote from: 300SDude on 18 October 2011, 07:16 PM
The left side upper bumper thing (between the headlights and the bumper) on my 300SD is actually broken and the black rubber part sticks out. I was wondering how hard it is to replace it, and where I could possibly find a new one?

It's called an overrider, and it's quite easy to replace, though if you want to do it without removing the headlights you'll want a 1/4" ratchet with an extension to get in there from the top.  Two bolts to remove in this manner (while holding the bottom nut with another wrench), and then the side mount bolts through the fender - you can get at the inside by reaching up inside the wheelwell.  I've got a nicely-mangled one you can have if you want it, will require beating to fit to unbent chassis. ;)  I found a replacement at a junk yard - there's a right one remaining there I think but no left.

Thanks for the info. Don't think I am into pounding a bent one, lol.

Actually, I am probably the only one that really notices it because I am the one who washes it all the time. It's just one little weird thing that I will fix eventually. The little button-tab thing that is in the top of the overrider (thanks, I had heard that, but forgot it) is also missing off the left side. I don't really understand what their purpose is in the first place.

My headlights come-out fairly easy though, I have had them out already when trying to determine why the rt. side low beam wasn't working.

I need to put the sail panel back on the passenger side as well. (The painted panel between the front doors and the windshield). The very top plastic piece that holds it on needs to have the screw tapped out of it. I have a replacement plastic clip for it in the glove box. Just kind of chicken to tap it out myself, lol. (I am always afraid I will screw something up worse than it is already, lol).
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g400/300SDude/sail1.jpg)(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g400/300SDude/DSC00901.jpg)(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g400/300SDude/sail2.jpg)

300SDude
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 22 October 2011, 02:07 AM
There must be an easier way...

Hi

Just a progress report and to answer some questions.  I took Mrs White back to the SEC-man on Monday, only to find the exhaust-shop had phoned to say that the wretched exhaust had now arrived!  So, on Wednesday I went over to see them.  I offered to take the exhaust for less money and deliver it to the SEC-man if he had not already organised an exhaust.  It just so happened that he had not, and in the end the exhaust-shop knocked off some cash.  Everyone was happy in the end, although, I will personally not be giving them my custom ever again (had similar problems with tyres not arriving for both my Audi's).  The car sounds really good now without the blowing.  She apparently 'sailed' through her M.O.T.

The cruise control.  Well what can I say, it works after a fashion.  The unit is slow to engage, I cannot just blip the stalk like I do on the Audi.  I also have to 'dial in' a good 5mph over the speed I want selected.  It seems to hold it there for a while, but if I need to apply throttle, then it invariably settles down to a lesser speed.  All the other functions work fine, the 'decelerate' is super sensitive, but the 'resume' needs to be held in place for a while.  'Accelerate' needs me to hold the stalk up to gain speed, again having to factor in the +5mph.  I am not sure if this is acceptable performance for a unit designed in 1972 (but built in 1979), I may yet contact Tony and get his opinion.

As I rescued Mrs White from the SEC-man yesterday morning, I had a rather pleasant drive home to Hammersmith.  Tried out the cruise control several times en-route.  The new Becker radio is working well, I still want to replace the speakers though, the current set is very 'tinny'.  I bought two rectangular blind-spot mirrors at a Halfords store on the way and stuck them on my wing mirrors, hooray, no more blind-spots!

When I got home, it was rubber time again.  I really am looking forward to seeing the last of all this rubber!  I changed the door seals on the left passenger door, and also the driver's door.  Now all I have left is the rear passenger door.  I also changed the external window wipe on the left passenger door, now to do both on the right side.  I think I will leave the internal wipes as they are because (when I done the front passenger door) they are in a good condition.  And, it's a fiddly job, and the fiddlier the job, the more 'ham-fisted' I tend to become... :-[

Speaking of which, this thread's title - how do you change the rear light seals?  I managed to do the left light, but it was so traumatic, that I am very reluctant to do the right!  So, I removed the tail light, then thought that I would pull the old seal off.  Oh no, you cannot do it that way, you need to separate the lens from the aluminium backing.  Done that, but then new seal doesn't tend to stay in place.  It just falls off all the wretched time.  I eventual got it sort of in place, and tightened down the screws a little.  Then careful using a large flat blade screwdriver, I gently tucked the seal in all the way round, tightening the screws as I went.

This took at least an hour, and I feel there must be an easier way?  Can anyone give me some tips?

And finally, I am also going to tackle the rest of the bumper strips if there is time on Sunday before I take the car back.  I have enough to finish the driver's side front bumper, and then I can also do the rear bumper, but I will need to buy two more pieces of rubber to do the rear over-riders.  Speaking of which, 300SDude, I didn't need to take the over-riders off, so couldn't help with that one, but I see Casey had already rescued you on that front.  Looking at your latest pictures of your A-pillar escutcheons, I have a little damage to both sides of mine, almost as if someone drove into a washing line.  I will see if they are still available at MB and at what cost...

Off to Birmingham by train now, so not pottering with Mrs White today, but I hope to be doing that rear light seal with consummate ease following someone's instructions that include that little tip that makes difficult jobs easy.

Bye for now.

Gavin



Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: koan on 22 October 2011, 02:33 AM
Cruise control operation sounds about right, just like mine used to behave before it developed a very annoying over and undershoot, constantly swinging about +/- 8kmh around the set speed.

koan

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Gerard on 22 October 2011, 09:26 AM
Quote from: koan on 22 October 2011, 02:33 AM
Cruise control operation sounds about right, just like mine used to behave before it developed a very annoying over and undershoot, constantly swinging about +/- 8kmh around the set speed.

koan

gavin116
My 450 SEL Cruise Ctrl used to work very similar to what you have described.   It never swung +/- like Koans though.  But compared to my sisters W210, the system was not nice to use.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: jbrasile on 22 October 2011, 05:56 PM
Hi Gavin,

The cruise control behavior you describe is not normal. My white 450 in LA has had its module rebuilt many years ago and I can set  the cruise from just a little flick of the lever and it stays steady no matter what, I have zero  vacuum leaks on that car.  I suspect your problem is the same as the one in my 78 450SEL. I  have a speed drop going up a hill and when it looses momentum  by 10kph the system disengages automatically. On flat even roads it reacts quickly to the switch and stays stable for a few seconds but then it starts back an forth on a 5kph hunt for a constant speed, I am almost 100% sure my servo has a vacuum leak and yours may have the same issue. I need to connect the vacuum pump to the servo, arm it and watch for a while to see if pressure is lost. If all is well then the only possibility would be that the control unit is faulty and needs replacing. When you hit accel you hold the lever until the desired speed is reached than let go, the system should instantly set the new speed and keep it stable, same on decel, push it down,let go and again instant new cruise speed. When working correctly the cruise control system on these cars is just as precise and smooth as modern vehicles.

With regards to the rear tail light seals, I don't remember having a problem when I replaced mine, if I remember correctly you lay the lens with the inside facing up, install the new seal all the way around making sure it is evenly seated, then put the reflector assembly over the seal and tighten the screws. I think maybe you are tucking in a lip that actually stays on the outer portion of the tail lights, am I correct.

Tks,

Joe



Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: 1980sdga on 22 October 2011, 08:00 PM
I really like the satnav install.

That's really a fantastic car  8)

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 24 October 2011, 01:12 AM
Hi Joe

I think my car has a similar problem to your's in respect of the cruise control.  I know that Tony has a rather elaborate bench testing unit that he uses when refurbing the units.  Let me know how your vacuum issues go.  If that fixes the problem then I shall do the same.  Perhaps you can document it for org with a couple of pictures, a shopping list and a few words of advice.  It would be really great to have the unit working at full efficiency.  I really use the cruise control a lot on the Audi, and I miss not having a properly functioning unit on the Benz.

I tried all ways of replacing the tail light seal.  The method you described seemed perfect, and I tried that, but as you manoeuvre the reflector section onto the plastic lenses, it flops about and and gets totally unseated.  And then you still really need to tuck the lip in along the edge of the cast aluminium and also hook the rubber over the fastening down screws that secure the unit to the car body.

Perhaps Euro tail lights are different to USA specked ones, but it became evident to me that the seal needed to be place on the reflector, than married to the lens.  When you do this, the rubber flops around the reflector i.e. will not stay in place, and the lens further displaces the rubber.  What am I doing wrong?

The car is back in storage now, and probably will be for the next few months whilst the gritting (salt) season comes into force.  I can't wait till March when I can use her again.  The cars are constantly started and moved around the storage facility so that they don't get 'fatigued'.

Regards

Gavin

P.S. Jon, I can highly recommend the Becker sat nav unit.  It is a little more untidy when you put the charger cord in to the back of the unit, with the other end into the lighter socket.  And thanks for the compliment about the car, I think 116's make every owner happy! ;)

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Casey on 24 October 2011, 03:54 AM
Quote from: gavin116 on 22 October 2011, 02:07 AM
There must be an easier way...

Speaking of which, this thread's title - how do you change the rear light seals?  I managed to do the left light, but it was so traumatic, that I am very reluctant to do the right!  So, I removed the tail light, then thought that I would pull the old seal off.  Oh no, you cannot do it that way, you need to separate the lens from the aluminium backing.  Done that, but then new seal doesn't tend to stay in place.  It just falls off all the wretched time.  I eventual got it sort of in place, and tightened down the screws a little.  Then careful using a large flat blade screwdriver, I gently tucked the seal in all the way round, tightening the screws as I went.

This took at least an hour, and I feel there must be an easier way?  Can anyone give me some tips?

I remember feeling this same frustration and time waste, then stumbled upon the much much easier way and felt like an idiot.  Only now, I can't remember what it was.  If you want to hang tight for a bit, I'll find out, as I've got new (used) undamaged US assemblies to put on the 300SD.  I believe it had to do with NOT installing the lens until AFTER reattaching the metal frame with the new seal.

Take care not to overtighten the bolts when reattaching the frame.  If you're not careful, you'll pull them and bend the aluminum and then have new leaks.  Don't ask me how I know this... ;)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 04 November 2011, 07:45 PM
Will Mrs White fit?

Just back from our Spanish house last week where I thought a video of my parking dilemma would provide for some amusement.  This is me parking our Passat, (who is four years old with only 9000km, most of it done on our runs from the beach where we live to the ski resort in Sierra Nevada near Granada City which is a 200km round trip, and then some local commuting), that is of similar size to Mrs White.  She is 2062mm wide from wing mirror to wing mirror (Mrs White is 1870mm not sure where the measurement is taken from), and 4874mm long (Mrs White is 4960mm bumper to bumper).  So, the Passat is wider but slightly shorter, the Merc slightly slimmer but longer.  Will she cope with the gradient and the curvature of the drive?  Now it becomes obvious why I wanted an SE wheelbase rather than a SEL. We may yet have to excavate another subterranean garage where the cactus bed is...

Otherwise plans for my first Mrs White Spanish trip are being finalised.  Suppose I will find out next year in September if she fits in the garage for real.:o

Gavin


http://www.youtube.com/v/HsbLN5PxE64?version=3&hl=en_US"%20type="application/x-shockwave-flash"

Edit:  Thanks Oscar, what a neat trick!
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 25 November 2011, 07:31 PM
Palindrome

Sprung Mrs White today to replace my front speakers.  At the same time time I rewired the fronts and the entirely new rears (it felt almost sacrificial popping out the masonite cutouts, and then cutting the carpet covering), removed the aerial wire and power supply to the second aerial, as I will use the factory wiring and aerial.  The 4" in-Phase in the front worked really well, but I suspect that I will acquire new Becker 5" units for the rear, as the in-Phase 5.25" are just a tad too big. >:(

Self manufactures speaker harnesses
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/32955-3/Manufactures+speaker+harness.jpg) (http://gallery.w116.org/dl/32952-1/Manufactures+speaker+harness.jpg)

I removed the rubbing strips on the RHS front bumper.  Rust, but less than that on the LHS.  The bumper tends to be the worst, the overriders seem largely spared.  I have once again replaced the rubbers, so the front of the car is looking good.

Palindrome
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/32949-3/Mileage.jpg) (http://gallery.w116.org/dl/32946-1/Mileage.jpg)

As I arrived home, this is what the mileometer read.  I have covered just short of 1000miles since I bought the car at the end March, and it still gives me pleasure every time I see her.  Indeed, one often gets looks from passers-by, and whenever my neighbours see the car is at home, they will come up to me and chat about the car, and  so the admiration continues.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 13 June 2012, 02:12 PM
Expensive Surprise

Hi all

It been a long time since my last posting, although I did a write up on our very successful W116 day at Brooklands [http://forum.w116.org/the-org/british-near-london-meet/msg97613/#msg97613].  It seems that it hasn't stopped raining since.  I have been reluctant to get the car out of storage as the sunroof is still an issue.  Nevertheless, I have been stockpiling a whole bunch of things, and today's the day I managed to get some of the tasks done. 

First off, I have had a noisy interference problem with the radio that was getting to be beyond a joke.  So, I decided it was time to install my second set on new speakers, near original Becker type made by Könings that are a precise fit.  At the same time I replaced the speaker grills for original Becker units.  I found some speaker covers for a G-wagon on the EPC, and took a chance as I was told that MB no longer had stock.  Well, my gamble paid off!  Mounting was not as straight forward as it would appear.  Some time later and a few blisters, they are now perfect.  An added bonus is the sound is now actually better with the lower grade (but not cheaper) speakers, and the interference problems have completely resolved - Result!

New Becker speaker covers
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/38729-1/Becker+Speaker+Covers.jpeg)

New Königs speakers
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/38741-1/K__nigs+Speakers.JPG)

View of the speakers through the rear window, note the more practical, less fussy rear window de-mister
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/38731-1/Becker+speaker+grills+from+outside.JPG)

At the same time, I also got a set of matching (Becker Grand Prix 2000 series) radio code stickers
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/38736-1/Radio+code+sticker.JPG)

Next off, was tackling the rear seat belts.  This job went relatively smooth, as the vendor had included all hardware.  It was packaged in Teutonic fashion, for which I was very grateful.  I had to do the cut- job on the rear C-pillars etc.  At the same time I was able to inspect the rear seat and the bench area, all rust free and in tip top condition.  Still a few flakes of confetti lurking, so she's been a wedding car at least once in her lifetime...  I must still do the front seat belts, but the thought of removing the front seats is somewhat daunting. :o

Seat belt mounting points covered with rubber screw-in type grommets
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/38750-1/Seat+belt+mounting+points.JPG)

The now completed rear seat belt project
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/38760-1/Seat+belts+and+rear+bench+in+place.JPG)

And finally, I decided to replace some more of my bumper rubbing strips.  I started with the right rear overrider, and was pleasantly surprised to find it rust free.  Next I tacked the rear bumper itself, which had some rust, but not as bad as the front bumper.  I rubbed the rust down with my stainless steel, brass and nylon brushes, and painted it with a rust fixative.  I finally got round to the remaining left rear overrider, and was unpleasantly surprised when the corner of the overrider came away.  I didn't know you could fill a bumper and apply a chrome finish.  I am not sure what happened there, but the rest of the overrider is in pristine condition?  A trip to the local MB agent had me remortgaging the house to acquire one of the last 8 left rear overriders available from the Classic Centre - Germany.  I, owe, I owe, it's off to work I go!

Right rear bumper overrider
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/38768-1/Bumper+overider+right+rear.JPG)

The expensive surprise, body filler on the left rear bumper overrider
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/38773-1/Bumper+overider+left+rear.JPG)

Well, I hope Mrs White is on her best behaviour, as we will be going down to Dover tomorrow evening.  Then Friday morning we'll put her on the Eurostar Car Train destined for Calais.  Thereafter we will wend our way to Ghent in Belgium for the weekend, and hopefully back again without any incident.  I have already bought a second warning triangle, bulb replacement kit, 2 hi visibility jackets, headlight stickers etc, so we should be street legal.  I wonder if this is her first visit abroad?

Will follow-up about my Tintin adventure.

Gavin

(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/38780-1/Bon+Voyage.jpeg)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: WGB on 13 June 2012, 10:09 PM
Thankyou for going to the trouble to post your pics - sorry about the bumper "surprise"

Bill
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Tony66_au on 14 June 2012, 03:25 AM
Nice old girl, she looks like my 280S inside except your car is cleaner!
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: KenM on 14 June 2012, 07:36 AM
Nice work Gavin, what's with the radio stickers, I think I've seen these but have no idea what they are for?
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 14 June 2012, 12:50 PM
Hi Ken

The stickers were supposed to be an anti theft deterrent.  The radios were supplied with two credit card type cards with the code imprinted, which you were required to keep in a safe place.  The first time you switched on the radio, or if you disconnect the radio from the battery supply, then it asks for a code before you can turn the radio on again, without this code, the radio is rendered useless.  Becker made the stickers for their various models, so the sticker looks similar to the radio.  A gimmick really, but for originality sake...

Regards

Gavin

P.S.  I've just realised I put them on upside down! Plonker, they should be stuck to the inside of the window, not the outside.  I'll see if I can peel them off and re-apply them.  Sometimes you gotta look at things from a different point of view, like upside down.  :o

Becker Grand Prix 2000 - 1319
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/38784-1/Becker+Grand+Prix+1319_001.jpg)

Radio code sticker, it matches the look of the radio
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/38736-1/Radio+code+sticker.JPG)

The right way up!
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/38790-1/The+right+way+up_.JPG)


Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: koan on 14 June 2012, 03:38 PM
How could you stick the stickers on upside down, "CODE" would be upside down if you did I thought.

Then after looking at the corrected sticker for longer than I care to admit it dawned on me - doh!

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 15 June 2012, 10:12 AM
Ambigram indeed Koan. The car run perfectly to Ghent. Passed a fleet of 4 UK registered Triumph Stags. They weren't doing the 130kph speed limit, probably scared they would overheat in the cool rainy weather. Left them standing.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Kjhall65 on 17 June 2012, 03:10 AM
Hi Gavin

I have been following your story from the start with great fascination and admiration for what you have achieved with Mrs White.

I too have a white 450SE (1976) which unfortunately was converted by the previous owner from K-Jet to LPG.  I have been on the lookout for a donor car from which to lift the entire fuel system and bring my car back to original.

I found a donor car and thanks to your posts (and experiences) regarding your fuel pump issues and replacement of other fuel components in Mrs White, today we lifted the entire fuel system from the donor without getting totally saturated in premium unleaded.  For that I thank you with deep gratitude :)

Ken
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 17 June 2012, 01:45 PM
Trip to the Continent

Hi All

Well, we arrived back safely in London!  The trip to Ghent was a huge success.  The car performed flawlessly, and might I add, that she merely sipped Champagne I mean premium-un-leaded!  The car was fantastically smooth and comfortable, just wish the air was working.  We attracted much admiration wherever we went, and the car was the talk of the hotel in Ghent.

Mrs White leaving the EuroStar Car Train
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/38923-1/Mrs+White+leaving+the+Eurostar.JPG)

Ghent don't seem to do mussels as much as Brussels, but there was still opportunity to imbibe in the local brew.

Be careful, this'll knock you for a 6, strong 8.5% alcohol!
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/38933-1/Belgium+beer+is+strong.JPG)

It was the first time that I had visited Ghent, and I was not disappointed.  We had fantastic food at a little place called C-Jean, there was lots to see, we did a river boat trip, the canal not unlike Venice.  The Belgium people in general are a very friendly bunch, and that made the trip even more delightful.

Canal in Ghent
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/38928-1/Ghent.JPG)

Our return journey featured a re-direction by the Becker sat-nav as junctions 9-11 were closed on the M25 (Europe's biggest car park).  This meant making our way through south-east London.  The car was so smooth on the open road, and indeed she was a pleasure in the London traffic too.  The heat gauge was still rock solid, just a whisker over the 175˚F.

I have also worked out the fuel consumption, and was pleasantly surprised.  I filled her up twice on the continent:
242.2 miles (389.9 km) and 65.33 Lt = 16.84 MPG (imp) or 14.02 MPG (US) or 5.97 km/Lt or 16.76 Lt/100km
118.2 miles (190.2 km) and 29.20 Lt = 18.40 MPG (imp) or 15.32 MPG (US) or 6.51 km/Lt or 15.35 Lt/100km

On average since November last year
661.4 miles (1064.42 km) and 197.41 Lt (43.42 gal[imp]) equates to an average of 15.23 MPG (imp) or 12.68 MPG (US) or 5.4 km/Lt or 18.55 Lt/100km.

No bad I think for a heavy V8!

And finally, Ken (aka Kjhall), glad you have enjoyed my journey from purchase till now as much as I have.  It gives me great pleasure to drive Mrs White and share my experiences, and if it helps someone along the way, all the better!  Good luck with your transplant project, looking forward to reading your write-up.

Keep 116ing!

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Tony66_au on 17 June 2012, 07:02 PM
Love your work Gavin, Thanks for sharing!

Tony
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 21 July 2012, 10:24 AM
Just fetched the Benz back from having some repair works doing

Just fetched the Benz back from having some repair works doing. 

So, the job at hand was to drop the sunroof tray and do some rust repairs. I was becoming more and more aware that there was something untoward, as I was getting a wet bum every time I drove the car when it was stood in the rain.  Indeed I could see water tracking along the hood lining, dripping onto the driver's seat.

In late April, a phone call to John Haynes ascertained what the job entailed and the likely parts needed.  The car was booked in for the end of June, and soon it became time to drop her off.

I bought a new front sunroof seal, I still had the new rear from a while back.  Added to this I bought new front and rear screen rubbers as the front screen had to be removed to remove the sunroof tray with ease and to reduce the possibility of damage to the interior parts of the vehicle.

When I dropped the car off, we took a walk round, in addition to moving the electric aerial from the right side rear flank to the left rear flank that we had agreed on doing earlier, there were a few other items they picked up on.  This included sticking down the boot (trunk) seal, and also looking at the steering box, as I have always had to continually correct the steering due to play in the system.

Some other issues were discussed including the rough idle, the fact that someone had a go at the warm-up regulator already, driving the unit down with a punch to try improve the running.  I opted to leave this for the time being, my most urgent issue was to get the car watertight again.

I will take up the issue or rebuilding or replacing both the auxiliary air value and the warm-up regulator at the same time to see if I can get the car to idle smoothly and not to run at such high RPM when stationary.  If I lower the idle speed with the nylon screw to 650, then she shakes violently, so I have to have the idle speed about 850/900 RPM, which equates to about 1200 when cold: dangerous when trying to maneuver the car out of a parking space.  These RPM'S even higher when she is in 'P' or 'N'!

Back to the topic...

Out with the front windscreen to make matters easier for the removal of the sunroof.  The body-shop cut the window gasket informing me they usually do it this way as a matter of course to prevent placing undue strain on the screen. 

This suited me fine as not only did I have a small chip on my windscreen, but I had already decided to change the 33 year old seal as a matter of course.  And well it worked too!  The screen remained intact, the chrome surround was inserted prior to placement, and everything married well upon installation.

The front screen out
(http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p550/gavinW116/How%20to%20post%20photos%20201/Sunroof%20repair/garagecamupto27-06-12265.jpg)

The sunroof tray removed
(http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p550/gavinW116/How%20to%20post%20photos%20201/Sunroof%20repair/garagecamupto27-06-12264.jpg)

Upon removal rust was found to be present on both the front drainage channels.  In addition, the sunroof drain on the front right side had perished and split.

Rust on the RHS sunroof drainage channel
(http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p550/gavinW116/How%20to%20post%20photos%20201/Sunroof%20repair/garagecamupto27-06-12255.jpg)

Rust on the LHS sunroof drainage channel
(http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p550/gavinW116/How%20to%20post%20photos%20201/Sunroof%20repair/garagecamupto27-06-12259.jpg)

The rust was removed and newly fabricated repair pieces welded in place.  These were then smoothed and painted.

Sunroof tray repairs
(http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p550/gavinW116/How%20to%20post%20photos%20201/Sunroof%20repair/garagecamupto27-06-12270.jpg)(http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p550/gavinW116/How%20to%20post%20photos%20201/Sunroof%20repair/garagecamupto27-06-12274.jpg)(http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p550/gavinW116/How%20to%20post%20photos%20201/Sunroof%20repair/garagecamupto27-06-12285.jpg)

The sunroof was then repatriated with the car, including replacing the sunroof drains that cost me an arm and a leg...  A new head lining was installed at the same time.  All-in-all a pleasing result.  The wind deflector now pops up as it should.  The sunroof has also been adjusted to sit nice and level.

New head lining
(http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p550/gavinW116/How%20to%20post%20photos%20201/Sunroof%20repair/photo.jpg)

And then there was the nasty: Ye old leak test.  On with the hosepipe, and the sunroof (prior to installing the new head lining) was dry as a bone, the front window gasket good too, but sadly water ingress into the cabin on the left.  This came as both a surprise and a shock.

Nevertheless, the extent of the rust was not too large, but it had caused water to pool in the left front passenger foot well.  I am not sure how they removed the foam pad, as you can see it is very neatly done (and neatly replaced too! after drying out).  The footwell thankfully has no major rust, there was a little surface rust, but the majority of the rust seen in the picture is from removal of the rust in the upper bulkhead section dropping into the car.

The rust and water issues on the internal left front bulkhead
(http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p550/gavinW116/How%20to%20post%20photos%20201/Sunroof%20repair/034.jpg) (http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p550/gavinW116/How%20to%20post%20photos%20201/Sunroof%20repair/035.jpg)

The area was cut out and cleaned.  A new piece of sheet metal fabricated and welded into place.  Some sealer applied, it was etched and primed, whereafter it was painted.

Finished repair on the inside left bulkhead
(http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p550/gavinW116/How%20to%20post%20photos%20201/Sunroof%20repair/002.jpg)

(http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p550/gavinW116/How%20to%20post%20photos%20201/Sunroof%20repair/007.jpg)

The upper bulkhead section in the wheel well also received a new under seal although not shown here, it has been painted in body colour too.

The upper bulkhead section in the wheel well
(http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p550/gavinW116/How%20to%20post%20photos%20201/Sunroof%20repair/001.jpg)
(http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p550/gavinW116/How%20to%20post%20photos%20201/Sunroof%20repair/005.jpg)

Alas, the aerial relocation was also not to go smooth.  The old hole was sealed etc. and painted, a new hole was drilled in the opposite left rear flank.  The aerial was mounted and connected up using the correct 4 pin Mercedes Benz plug, and it functioned well.  Then, Ye old leak test...

Again water ingress was found in the boot, but lucky this time it was from the left tail light cluster.  This was removed, and it was reseated using a sealing compound, and reinstalled.  No more leaks!  I will have them replace the right side, as I found it nearly impossible to marry the frame to the seal to the lens.  That is why I didn't even try do the replacement seal on the right.

The trip back up to storage went smoothly, the steering is wonderful now, I don't have to constantly correct the direction.  Nice to have the use of the sunroof, now if only the air-con...

So, what next? 

I shall see, but I think I will probably try pulling the left front door card, dismantle it, and replace the sponge wadding to make the material less saggy.  I also want to do an internal door service, but I need some guidance.  I want to clean and lubricate things like the window channels, window winder regulator, the door-check straps, and what ever else you feel needs doing at this time.  I will also cut a thick gauge plastic sheet to seal the door cavity before I replace the door card as I know this is missing.  As I have new door lock vacuum diaphragms, I will replace these at the same time.

I have to repeat the process another three times I guess, including replacing the internal window wipes that I have not got round to doing on the other doors.

Oh, and perhaps a visit to Amsterdam in Mrs White before the close of summer.

Keep 116ing ;)

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: pompy on 23 July 2012, 02:47 AM
Great stuff, Gavin!!! ;)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: oversize on 23 July 2012, 05:15 AM
Well done!!  That rust is a bugger and whenever I do panel repairs in the future I will try to treat the rear of the repair as well as the outside.  It may mean drilling an access hole, but if it keeps a lid on the rust and stops it coming back and spreading, it'd be worth it!  I'd then put a rubber plug in the access hole and the job's done...
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Tony66_au on 23 July 2012, 06:23 AM
Yup, Always do both sides and add a grommet or body plug n shutz over top.

Im not a fan of fish oil because it stinks for months but there are plenty of options for this stuff and if serious find a Wurth Rep and hassle him for an account or check out the POR 15 products.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Squiggle Dog on 23 July 2012, 01:42 PM
The shop did a good job of repairing the sunroof tray and blending the repaired bulkhead. My sunroof tray was starting to get rusty, but finding a rust-free one shouldn't be difficult in the dry southwest.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: littlefin on 23 July 2012, 06:31 PM
Hi Gavin

Good to see Mrs White getting the treatment she deserves - I'm looking forward to seeing those repairs up close!
Also glad to hear you had a good experience with the Haynes': I told you they know their stuff!

Had any more thoughts about the next UK get together by the way?

Phil
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Mforcer on 23 July 2012, 11:50 PM
That is great. Thanks for sharing.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 29 August 2012, 01:49 PM
Trip to Amsterdam

Hi All

It was time again to un-coup the ol' girl and head off into the sunset.  So that's what we did this last Friday, we had an early morning drive down to Folkstone, got on board the EuroTunnel, and soon we were in France.  Time for an Italian tune-up, and doing the minimum speed of 130km/h ;), the car settled into a nice rhythm.  All too abruptly, we found ourselves in Belgium, and the pace slowed to 120 and less at times.  We stopped off in Gent for lunch, mussels and fries of course!  Then it was time to tackle the Antwerp ring road... car park. 

That out of the way, and we were now in The Netherlands, slowing to a crawl: 100km/h, perhaps something to do with fuel conservation seeing as though premium unleaded cost a whopping €1,91!  At last we found ourselves in the city centre, but closed roads and poor diversion markings made me grateful that I had the trusty Becker SatNav on hand.  We reached our Art Deco hotel (a former shipping headquarters) that would be home for a few days.

Amsterdam calling
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/40447-1/Amsterdam+calling.jpg)

Our Art Deco sitting room
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/40474-1/Our+sitting+room.JPG)

View from our hotel rooftop
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/40451-1/Amsterdam+from+the+hotel+rooftop.jpg)

Amsterdam was great, there was a fair amount to see: the Rijksmuseum with it's Rembrandts, Anne Frank's House, a cheese (and wine) tasting, fine dining and of course the Red Light District, and a whole lot besides.

We spotted a few rusty 126's on our various city walks (bad, bad wheel arches and front wings near the indicators), including a few 123's but no 116's or it's ubiquitous sister the R107.  There was however a very interesting yellow 123-300D that had a 'Te Koop' (for sale) sign on the back window.  As we approached the car to take a look and some photos, two young dollies hopped in, and then drove away.  I was sorry that I couldn't have a more detailed look as I noticed it had a column shift when the lady driver was maneuvering the car out of the parking bay.  I thought the 116's were the last to feature this anomaly, but apparently not!

Yet another milestone
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/40455-1/045540.jpg)

Mrs. White seemed to enjoy the journey, we passed yet another mileage landmark (see above), in total we done roughly 800 miles, the more miles we done, the better the car performed.  It also gave really good MPG's:
207.5 miles to 62.45 litres = 5.35 km/l or 15.1 mpg or 12.57 mpg US,
273.9 miles to 61.94 litres = 7.17 km/l or 20.1 mpg or 16.73 mpg US
302.2 miles to 64.73 litres = 7.51 km/l or 21.2 mpg or 17.67 mpg US
[Tank filled to automatic stop at each re-fuel.  I didn't want to chance running out of petrol, and my reserve light doesn't work either.]

My cruise control is really playing up now, it will not hold any speed, and engaging either resume or accelerate just engages the throttle non-stop, the car accelerating out of control with no seeming end - DANGEROUS.  This needs to get attention soon.  Does anyone know if there is a 'plug-and-play' modern electronic amplifier available?

The sunroof was as dry as a bone, but I have to admit I did not check the firewall repair for leakage, although the carpets were perfectly dry.  I shall do a water leak test next time I use the car.  I still need to put my new bumper over-rider on the left rear.  At the same time I have bought a W123 (right hand drive) left hand side electric mirror.  I will at some stage pull the mirror apart and see if I can swap the electrics over into my left hand side mirror.  It would be really nice to adjust this easily when driving by oneself.  I will have a custom fascia made to fit in the oddments tray that will be veneered with Zebrano and can house the mirror switch.  I may include a cup holder and additional cigarette lighter/power point in the design too.  Time will tell: I wanted to change so many things, but as time goes by, I am loving the car's originality more and more, wanting to change less and less!

Speaking of change, I still have my lumpy idle issues, also what feels like a high idle speed, despite the rev counter indicating 750 rpm in 'D' or 1100 rpm in 'P' or 'N' when warm.  Is this right?  I was thinking I need to change the WUR (warm-up regulator p/n: 438 140 036) (its been mauled, as along the line someone had "hammer the pin down") and the AAV (auxiliary air valve ) to get it smoother, and/or is this caused by something else?

Once the idle issues are sorted, the next major works are the air conditioner and the (dangerous) cruise control and lastly bodywork and paint.  In the meanwhile I need to service my doors, hopefully I'll still be able to do at least the left hand side front passenger door in the next few weeks.  It'll then be time to over-winter, and next spring I'll be able to finish the other 3 doors, as well as send her for a full service, hopefully with a new WUR and AAV and much smoother idling.

Oh boy, what a surprise when I returned Mrs. White to storage: now I know she's keeping good company!  Looks like it could also be 737 Classic White, but it had a blue Pullman velours interior.  Don't they look the pair?

Mrs W and the 600
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/40459-1/Mrs+White+and+the+600+front.JPG)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/40464-1/Mrs+White+and+the+600+rear.JPG)
Keep 116ing

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: adamb on 30 August 2012, 08:26 AM
Nice write-up, Gavin. I really like Holland. Good place to have a family or an occasional party.

That 600 looks like the Beatles' 600 though it clearly isn't being LHD.

My cruise never worked so can't help with that. Should you wish to do some FI diagnosis you can borrow my test kit. It's  a complete multi system kit which also covers K-jet. I used it to fix the hot starting issue some time in the past. Your engine should be idling ~800rpm in P/N once warmed up.

What are your plans for the aircon. Mine is still R12 and continues to work great. I've not touched it in 11 years of ownership and I doubt it was worked on in the previous 10 years. What build quality!

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 31 August 2012, 03:08 AM
Hi Adam

Yea, it was great going to Amsterdam, and that's another of the reasons for buying the car.  I hope to use her for many short trips to the Continent.  I think it'll be Riems or Dusseldorf next. 

I know I will have to get a new WUR before I start anything on the idle speed, as I have been informed the current WUR is damaged beyond repair due to the previous manhandling.  I need to establish that 0438 140 036 is indeed the correct part for my car.  I think the AAV can be re-built.  Then using your pressure tester, a jug, a stopwatch, the workshop manual and perhaps a little advice from S-Class I can do some fault finding.  Althernatively I could just let John Haynes take care of it.

I did speak to Mr Haynes when I took the car in for its sunroof repair about the air-con.  When the SECman had it re-gassed, it worked well for a few days, then all went belly up.  I should imagine that I need the system re-gassed with a marker that can be used to detect where the leak is coming from, engine bay area if the gods are smiling on me, in the centre console if I'm unlucky!  I know I will need at least one new dryer and possibly a new expansion valve.  It would appear that R12 or a substitute is still available, so I shall keep my system as close to the original as possible.

I don't however feel the same about the cruise control.  It would be nice if we could buy a new amplifier that fit in our old boxes which could attend to all the parameters needed using modern and reliable electronics.  I cannot spend any more on my current amplifier, indeed I do not think Tony Leach would advise it either.  I will drop him an email and see what he says, another reconditioned amp or perhaps an old amp box with new electronic innards?  The other route is of course new old stock from MB, but will they still have a unit, and will the varnish not have cracked by now?

It was the first time that I have seen a 600 in the flesh, whenever I go to the storage facility, I always see its silhouette under the car cover.  I was always intrigued to see if she was pristine or if she had been let to go to seed.  And boy is she pristine.  The interior looked brand new, the seats, wood, carpets etcetera.  She must wear 'proper' chrome, as it had a depth to it that simply outshone our 116's.  I think this must have been a short wheel base car, as it is was only a little longer than Mrs W, though I couldn't say for sure.  The 600 is in large font too, no mistaking this beauty.

Speaking of which there are at least 2 other 116's in storage too, both for sale if the correct offer come round.  One is a 280S auto in I think Topaz Brown and parchment with under 100K, but I did see it had a cracked brown dash.  The other is a 450SEL 6.9, again I think Milan Brown Metallic with parchment velours (driver's seat in poor condition) with walnut wood, and also less than 100K, some visible rust.  If there is any interest, I could always ask at the facility to do a 'photo shoot' of the cars and copy some of their paperwork/history and the type of offer the owners are expecting.

They did have this stunning 126 come up for sale the beginning of this year, and I was sorely tempted (delivery miles only!), but the povo spec got me doubting, and I had serious reservation about the sewing machine engine in such a big heavy car.  Now if only it were larger engined or a 116 ;D

(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/40495-3/126-260SE-1.JPG) (http://gallery.w116.org/v/show_room/Blue+126/126-260SE-1.JPG/)(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/40508-3/126-260SE-7.JPG) (http://gallery.w116.org/v/show_room/Blue+126/126-260SE-7.JPG/)(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/40498-3/126-260SE-2.JPG) (http://gallery.w116.org/v/show_room/Blue+126/126-260SE-2.JPG/)(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/40502-3/126-260SE-4.JPG) (http://gallery.w116.org/v/show_room/Blue+126/126-260SE-4.JPG/)(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/40500-3/126-260SE-3.JPG) (http://gallery.w116.org/v/show_room/Blue+126/126-260SE-3.JPG/)(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/40504-3/126-260SE-5.JPG) (http://gallery.w116.org/v/show_room/Blue+126/126-260SE-5.JPG/)(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/40506-3/126-260SE-6.JPG) (http://gallery.w116.org/v/show_room/Blue+126/126-260SE-6.JPG/) [Click to enlarge]
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: adamb on 31 August 2012, 08:58 AM
Hi Gavin,

I believe that application of R12 is against the law in the UK. People in classic car restoration business are likely to know for sure. A while ago I investigated the options and it seems that an R12 substitute (CFC free) exists and is meant to be a like-for-like replacement. R134 is not the way without a complete reseal.

I really like the swb 600 and would love to own one but need to get rich enough to afford a driver first ;) My dream remains to own the 300SL gullwing or roadster. Financially it is currently a choice between house or car. I know some people would say car but doubt that Trouble will agree with that notion...

FYI my 450SEL parts car has donated its FI parts to my reserve collection. So I may be able to find out what the part number on the WUR was on that model. Likely to be the same as yours. Allegedly the car ran absolutely fine. Isn't that typically the case with these old Benzs?

The 280SE looks delicious but it's almost too perfect and would be a true shame to use on anything but the finest days of the year. There's a charm to poverty spec cars of the era though I'd never choose an S over an SE.

Regards,
Adam
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: mirafioriman on 31 August 2012, 03:33 PM
My father had a W126 500 SE with R12 air con. The local Mercedes dealer said it would cost 000's to covnvert to R134a (I just don't think they knew how to or wanted to do the job)

We ended up getting it done in the Mercedes dealer in Lindau in southern Germany. It cost about £300 at the time and the air con worked perfectly for the further two or three years he had the car until he sold it.

I'm sure there are some detail differences between the W116 and W126 air con systems but as they originally used the same gas (R12) they must be pretty similar.

As for seals we did have a leak on the pump outlet on the W126 when we bought it. A local air con man lent us a box of seals of various sizes and we did that job ourselves. The seals were just a box of round o ring seals and didn't seem air con specific parts.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: pompy on 01 September 2012, 07:53 AM
Nice! Epic trip, Gavin - I'm sure you enjoyed it. And what a treat it must've been in the 450. 8)
As for your idling/running issues, I'm sure you're on the right track - get in touch with s class.
He got my 450 to run as smooth as my 500 SE - it IS possible, and needless to say, very satisfying.
You may be surprised by the increase in performance once all is sorted.

I love that W126.

Can you gather some more info on the 6.9, please? That's my kinda car and colour-combo!
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: jbrasile on 03 September 2012, 01:41 PM
Hi Gavin,

What a nice trip! And your fuel mileage was pretty good too...

1) Cruise control

With a good working amp, no vacuum leaks and a properly adjusted cable, these old systems are as good as any modern set up, I know that because my 1980 450SEL's works absolutely perfect. My suggestion is to buy a rebuild amp from a reputable supplier, make sure your actuator does not leak and that your cable is positioned correctly. The only other component that may give trouble is the speedometer transducer but I have never seen one go bad. If you are really unlucky the cc lever itself might act up but that is extremely rare

2) A/c

If you can still get R-12 in the UK do not convert. Your leak is most likely at the compressor from lack of use. It is more economical to just buy a new one. Alma Products is the current licensed manufacturer of Frigidaire's A6, they sell the unit under the name APCOIR. I can supply you a brand new one for US$750.00 + shipping. Once you are sure all hoses are leak free, the only other component that would need to be replaced is the receiver drier. If you must convert to R-134, the procedure is basically the same. Some people suggest changing all the hoses but my tech here in Brazil who has done dozens of conversions only replaces the rec/drier and he either rebuilds or replaces the compressor. Most of the cars we have done have the original expansion valves but it is probably a good idea to replace it with one calibrated for R134.

3) WUR and AAV

Unless someone destroyed your WUR (which is pretty hard to do...)  it can most likely be rebuild, I have done a couple of them myself and given your mechanical abilities I am sure you can handle the project without any problems! Same goes for the AAV, here the only part that is too pleasant is that you have to drill a hole on top of the AAV to pull the inner liner out of the housing, I am about to do my second one and will try to take some step by step pictures of the process, all you do is basically clean it and re-assemble.

Just to confirm: idle should be 750rpm +- 50 in P or N with the engine warm.

The correct WUR for your car should be an 056 according to Bosch.

Tks,

Joe
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: thysonsacclaim on 06 October 2012, 08:07 PM
Gavin!

I must say, I had not looked at the thread for a while, but I remember reading it last year. What progress! Looking great!  8)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 25 October 2012, 02:06 AM
Last of the summer wine

Hi again

I managed to get a few more things done yesterday, little bits that I've been wanting to do for ages.  I fetched the car on Tuesday evening, and she was running very well as expected, save the high idle.  (I am debating opening my AAV or perhaps buying a new one - ouch! :-[)

Wednesday morning it was, and I was up early.  Pulled my LHS door mirror, and got playing with my W123 electric mirror.  I soon realised that I would have to irreversibly destroy my own mirror to install the electric device.  I decided against this, and will get a second hand LHS (right hand drive) mirror, and do the thing on that.  I am yet to source the wiring harness and switch, but now that I know it's workable...

Next was to remove the aluminium door trim on the left rear door, and re-install.  The bit above the quarter light kept popping off still from my replacement of the window-wipes way back when.  Got that nicely sorted.

I had also acquired a NOS cruise control amp, and I proceeded to replace it.  I had consulted with Joe on this, as the old one was part number 001 545 20 32, and the new one 001 545 21 32.  Joe confirmed that he used this part in his 450 without issue.  I was not relishing this job, but having done it once before, it was earier than expected and went like clockwork.  Within an hour, I had the new unit in, including pulling the instrument cluster to check the position of the transducer.  I thought perhaps when I last worked on the rev-counter that I may have place this upside-down, but I found it was in the right orientation.  The clip doesn't have a fool-proof pin, and can go on two ways, the important thing is the green wire must be to the top (necesitates carefully opening the clip).  I soon had the battery re-connected, and job done!

New cruise amp (black face) side by side with old (white face)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/40998-1/CC+amps.jpg)

The cruise control hooked up
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/41013-1/New+CC+amp+plugged+in.jpg)

Next, and it was on to the left rear over-rider.  What a joy to unwrap the new part.  It was so shiny, and the inside was so beautifully finished too!  I had already bought a new rubber for the over-rider, and when I was buying the part, the parts-man suggested that I buy the rear bumper affixing kit too.  I was glad that I done this, and now with the new part installed, it looks good once again.  I will use the rest of the bolts at a later stage when I refurbish the rest of the rear bumper (surface rust remove and re-chroming... a pipe dream...).  All this also led me to discover yet more rust, this time from an old repair, I suspect when the car was recommissioned.  There was also some nasty spraying on both rear fenders, but I am not too worried about that, as the plan will be to have a thorough going over and a new paint-job sometime in the future.  However, I will have the rust attended to this spring when she goes in for fluid changes and a service.  I was surprised that the rust wasn't picked up on when the aerial was relocated recently.

The new over-rider
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/41029-1/New+left+over-rider.jpg)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/41003-1/Inside+view.jpg)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/41044-1/Rear+bumper+attachement+kit.jpg)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/41039-1/Over-rider+in+place.jpg)

And finally, installing the rubbing strip (bend it back on itself to apply)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/40993-1/Applying+the+rubbing+strip.jpg)

Job done, pleasing to the eye
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/41065-1/Finished+bumper.jpg)
(Edit:  Sorry placed the wrong photo here before.)

Yet more rust
orange arrows show old repair, green arrows show tin-worm, in places it is completely eaten through  :'(
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/41049-1/rust+in+boot+wheel+well+area.jpg)

From way back when I last cleaned the engine bay, which I need to do again, I noticed that the gasket on the air cleaner was slightly deformed.  Having seen this, I ordered a new one, which has been sitting around for quite some time now.  So, finally got down to changing that too.

Old deformed gasket
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/41034-1/Old+deformed+gasket.jpg)

New gasket
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/41008-1/New+aircleaner+gasket.jpg)
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/41018-1/new+gasket+in+place.jpg)

I also bough a another tool kit on eBay, and have amalgamated them.  I would be interested to know which parts are actually included in an original W116 tool wrap as I would prefer it to be as original as possible.

Tool kit
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/41054-1/Tool+kit.jpg)

I took the car back at lunch time, and on the way tried the cruise.  It keeps the speed well, and the resume disengage functions work well.  Only problems are with the initial store, I have to store the speed 4 miles over, as it drops slightly.  I have some rubber bits to replace on the cruise control actuator's vacuum line.  Perhaps that will help?

I may yet see if the storage guy's are amenable to me coming in and removing my door panels.  I can then take them home and replace the wadding behind the upholstery, ready for the spring.

Till then, keep 116ing

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: oversize on 25 October 2012, 03:11 AM
Your car looks great Gavin!  Isn't it nice being able to STILL BUY NEW MB PARTS FOR A 32+ YO CAR!!!!  Doesn't the rust just suck!!  But you'll get there eventually; it's just a matter of not giving up...
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: oversize on 25 October 2012, 03:14 AM
I just realized that the raised area inside the aircleaner assembly (over the fuel divider) must restrict airflow considerably....
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Tony66_au on 25 October 2012, 04:25 AM
Wow those new rubbers look great, it will probably be the last thing I do to mine but it HAS to be done to complete the finish.

the old girl is looking fabulous Gavin, Thanks for the update mate.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Squiggle Dog on 25 October 2012, 11:32 AM
Mrs. White is looking great!
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: jbrasile on 25 October 2012, 01:59 PM
Hi Gavin,

Nice work!

Your drop in speed could be due to a cable out of adjustment or a vacuum leak, check if the cable sits against the throttle lever without pulling but with no slack.

Tks,

Joe
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 31 May 2013, 05:42 PM
A busy day

Well, its been an absolute age since I've seen Mrs. W or driven her.  The appointment book at work was looking a little patchy on Thursday, and the 5-day weather forecast didn't seem too bleak, so I organized to fetch Mrs. White yesterday afternoon.  It really lifted my day seeing her there, ready to go.  Unfortunately the storage facility told me that the exhaust had 'blown'.  Indeed it has, and I though my ears would begin bleeding by the time I got home.  The middle box has a rather large hole in it.

So, I began this morning off to Kwikfit, they couldn't help me for a reasonable price, so I headed to MB in Brentford.  I ordered and paid for the middle section, some £100 cheaper than the local exhaust shop.  I stopped in at B&Q and bought a bottle of methylated  spirits and a rather large water-pump pliers.  I bought some Gum-Gum putty and tape from Halfods to effect a temporary repair to the middle box of the exhaust, and then it was off to home to get started.

Out the sprint blocks, I opened the first aid box compartment (I have this option, despite it not being on my data card), removed the four screws, and prized the liner out.  I was really happy, as the thought of removing the rear seats, the speakers and the rear parcel shelf were daunting indeed. 

The first aid kit hatch
(http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/5269/p1000052.jpg) (http://img199.imageshack.us/i/p1000052.jpg/)

I pulled my plug from the fuel sender unit, bridged the "W" and "T" terminals, and lo-and-behold, with my ignition in the II position, a bright red triangle appeared on the fuel gauge.  I then knew that I had to clean the sender unit.  So I tried with the water-pump pliers, but the unit would not budge.  I then sprayed around the unit with WD40, and let it soak in a little.

I thought I'd go on to do the next of many jobs, so I pulled the LHS door card.  Once off, I cut a new sheet of plastic to replace the missing one.  Then I carefully removed the clips on the rear, and done away with the rather sticky and foul padding.  I replaced that with some batting material, and was reasonably pleased with the results.

Material for door card refurbishment: plastic sheet and batting
(http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/4097/p1000503fq.jpg) (http://img593.imageshack.us/i/p1000503fq.jpg/)

During the refurbishment
(http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/2307/p1000511o.jpg) (http://img593.imageshack.us/i/p1000511o.jpg/)
(http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/8060/p1000514v.jpg) (http://img825.imageshack.us/i/p1000514v.jpg/)

A while back, I had toyed with the idea of an electric passenger side mirror.  So, about six months ago, I acquired a W123 LHS electric door mirror, and started the process to transform my manual mirror.  It became obvious, that the mirror was not going to fit, and would need to be canabalised, the original mirror too would have to be altered in such a way that it may not have been possible to return it to it's original state.

So I acquired yet another W116 LHS mirror, and proceeded to do the modification.  I bought a W126 wiring harness and a w126 mirror switch for a fair few pounds.  These turned out to be a poor acquisition, and will not work with the early W123 mirrors (they have three leads, white, black and grey).  I eventually bought a new wiring harness from MB, specific for the early W123, and also the correct mirror adjuster switch.

New electric mirror wiring harness from an early W123
(http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/6572/p1000519c.jpg) (http://img706.imageshack.us/i/p1000519c.jpg/)

I removed the LHS knee roll and kick panels.  I ran the new lead in through the conduit that carries the vacuum lines for the central locking.  Whilst I was in there, I cleaned the aluminium rail and the gears on the electric motor, and then sprayed them with some lithium grease.  I swapped over the mirrors, keeping my original for safe keeping, sprayed the door with a little more contact adhesive spray, marrying up my new plastic liner and replaced the door card.  I am very pleased with the result.

Before hanging the door card, showing the mirror and new plastic lining
(http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/3612/p1000523f.jpg) (http://img203.imageshack.us/i/p1000523f.jpg/)

I tried the fuel sender again, but it didn't want to budge, so I applied more WD40, and let it penetrate.  That left me with the job I had been avoiding for a very long time – replacing the front seat-belts.  I thought I'd tackle the LHS as that belt wasn't working very well at all, and I also wanted to route my mirror wiring.

So, I loosened the two rear bolts, slid the chair back, un-did the front two bolts and the chair just sat there.  I then reassessed the situation, and found another bolt linking the rear mount point and chair to the 'up part' of the floor plan near the B-pillar.  And then there was also the 'rail' for the seat belt latch.

Once free, I was able to remove the seat from the car (very carefully) to replace the latching mechanism.  I pulled the B-pillar trim, and swapped out the inertia reel.  I tidied the wiring harness for the mirror, and left it to dangle next to the centre console.  I replaced the seat.  Now I only have the driver's to do, and all the belts will be original MB units... happy days.

One final crack, and the fuel sender loosened.  I let it drain a bit first before taking it out of the car.  I then spent a little time trying to remove the nut on the end, and finally realized that there was no other way but to roger a flat blade screwdriver.  After some time (hardened steel tip) I had a workable solution, and it was off with the nut.  I pulled the sender with it's thin wires, with no damage at all.

A peek inside the fuel tank, not too scabby
(http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7682/p1000531p.jpg) (http://img28.imageshack.us/i/p1000531p.jpg/)

The fuel sender unit before cleaning
(http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/7292/p1000535w.jpg) (http://img689.imageshack.us/i/p1000535w.jpg/)

After a thorough clean with methyated spirits, especially the metal disc on the float that had an almost varnish like coating on it, I re-assembled everything, and was ready to replace it in the car.  I put the ignition in position II, dipped the sender in the tank, connected the plug, and hey presto, a red triangular light on the fuel gauge.  Once the fuel entered the unit, the light extinguished.

It was then time to pack up, and head off to the West End for dinner and a show.  Tomorrow I will sort the driver's side seat belt, put my new brake pedal rubber on, seal the exhaust, hook up the new electric mirror, put on my new LHS front indicator lens, and if I have the will and inclination, I may then instal my new WUR, and see if the car runs somewhat smoother.  I bought all new rubber tubing and clamps that connect to all it's orifices to ensure that there are absolutely no air leaks.  We shall see.

Till later,

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: oversize on 31 May 2013, 06:02 PM
What a great thread!  Your parcel shelf carpet looks nice.  You've done a great job and I particularly like the mirror conversion; do you have any more pix of what you did to the W116 mirror?  BTW your last 2 pix aren't working....
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Squiggle Dog on 31 May 2013, 08:42 PM
Wow, I didn't even notice the moisture barrier was in place because it is so clear... and why not be able to see what's behind it? It will be nice to see how your front door panels look when restuffed.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 01 June 2013, 12:27 PM
Two steps forward, one step backward...

Well, its day two, and I feel that I have achieved a fair amount.  I began by jacking the car up by the left rear, placed a trestle for good measure, and proceeded to lather the hole in the muffler/silencer with Gum-Gum puty, and stick some Gum-Gum tape over it, to good effect.

Thereafter, it was on to removing the driver's side door card, to redo the padding.  Similar to the other side, there was no plastic lining, so I cut a piece for that door too.  Ham-fisty must have been there before me, as two of the four hangers were broken. (There's the kettle calling the pot black!)

This time you will see that I followed the outline of the old material more closely.  I think the finished result is good, and as such, I was happy to re-hang the door card.  Eagle eyed LHD owners will notice that we have slightly different door handles on the driver's side, it doesn't reach all the way up to the door opener.  I also greased the teeth on the regulator with the lithium grease.

I then replaced the driver's side safety-belts, it was so much quicker now that I had done the other side.  The removal of the driver's seat was textbook, and I only tumbled it forward to remove the safety-belt catch, I didn't actually remove it from the car.  I'm all there now with door cards and safety-belts!

Driver's door card before re-stuffing
(http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/2001/p1000536o.jpg)

(http://img713.imageshack.us/i/p1000536o.jpg/)
Driver's door card after re-stuffing
(http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/6892/p1000543l.jpg) (http://img153.imageshack.us/i/p1000543l.jpg/)

So, it was time to look at the cruise control, and as Joe had suggested, the cable had stretched.  It protruded about 7mm , and although I adjusted the white plastic nut, this was not satisfactory.  So some lateral thinking, and I decided that a spacer would do the job.  Two cable ties, and some adjustment, and I think this will be workable.  Lets hope it doesn't jamb, although I do know I can always slip her into 'N' if that does happen when I engage the cruise control.

Slack in cruise control cable
(http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/4803/cruiseadjutment.jpg) (http://img834.imageshack.us/i/cruiseadjutment.jpg/)

Cruise control cable adjusted, uh hum, Heath Robinson style...
(http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/6995/p1000549r.jpg) (http://img716.imageshack.us/i/p1000549r.jpg/)

I washed the engine down a little with almost neat dish-wash, its quite surprising how oily she gets.  Its a little like painting the Forth-Road-Bridge, I suppose I shall always be at it.

Finally, I connected the electric mirror up, and voila, it works!  Sadly, the same cannot be said of the fuel gauge, which is now very bouncy.  (It ain't DIY if I don't go one step back >:( .) I suspect that there must be an earth problem, not sure what to do next... 

A fuel related question:  should I leave the car almost empty when storing her, or is it better to leave it full to the brim.  In the summer (if you can call it that in the UK) I tend to use the car on several occasions, but it is parked up for winter (which here lasts about several months, although it feels more like years).  And should I use standard octane, or the high octane when I fill her up?

Passenger door card, safety-belt and door mirror
(http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/3903/p1000562tf.jpg) (http://img18.imageshack.us/i/p1000562tf.jpg/)

What to do, I like the position of the switch as it is, I don't really want to hack away at my original interior.  Any suggestions?  And no comments about the 1970's Swedish pop group, they're iconic like the car ::)
(http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/7687/p1000559s.jpg) (http://img600.imageshack.us/i/p1000559s.jpg/)


I do hope all my pictures are working, if they aren't, please send me a pm, and I'll address the issues.  And Oversize, on a final note, you will see that you have to remove the manual mechanism from the mirror, and then you swap the motor from the lecky mirror.  The frame for the lecky one has some studs to 'engage' the lecky motor that are not present on the W116 frame.  I just positioned it roughly, and it seems to stay put, so all well there.  I was going to install a blanking plate where the old mirror handle was, but I have decide to pass the electrical harness through that area, as it would otherwise have been quite a tight fit to squeeze all that wiring under the blanking plate and route it to the inside of the door.

The W123 mirror
(http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/8784/p1000014q.jpg) (http://img849.imageshack.us/i/p1000014q.jpg/)

The W123 lecky mirror vs the W116 manual mirror
(http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/8722/p1000025e.jpg) (http://img16.imageshack.us/i/p1000025e.jpg/)


Hack, hack, hack, this is what is removed to make space for the lecky mirror
(http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/936/mirrh.jpg) (http://img607.imageshack.us/i/mirrh.jpg/)

I have decided that I may well let John Haynes install the new AAV (auxiliary air valve) I think I said WUR (warm-up regulator) in my previous post, but it was merely a momentary lapse in concentration.  He can also do the exhaust, and several other bits that need doing.

So, till then, keep 116ing  ;D

Gavin

And finally Mrs White meets the new SL - Gladys.  Spot the difference?  Our rose has come out, it must be summer?!
(http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/7730/p1000500zl.jpg) (http://img163.imageshack.us/i/p1000500zl.jpg/)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Squiggle Dog on 01 June 2013, 04:57 PM
Mama mia, there you go again, my, my! :D Those door panels look mmm... soft. I need to restuff my fronts as well. That's really cool that you got the remote power mirror to work. I would say to mount the switch on a Vekerskurier piece in front of the console wood (you know, the Becker traffic radio knob), but those are super rare.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7SHVi7PsJ5Q/UaptUyd1BHI/AAAAAAAAF-0/BMYJ6i9Khj8/s800/w116kurier.jpg)

It would fit nicely right above the hazard light switch, though it would be a shame to cut a hole in such nice wood (I should talk... mine was new old stock without any holes cut in it, even for window switches, but I had holes for seat heater switches cut in mine.)

Yeah, and what is up with right-hand-drive cars having short armrests? Does the steering wheel have an angle to it to where the handle would get in the way? I have heard that the footrests are also wooden blocks, instead of plastic like ours. I have been thinking wood might be a better idea, because the plastic ones always break.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: jbrasile on 01 June 2013, 09:02 PM
Hi Gavin,

Great to hear from you and Mrs. White!

As usual your work is both flawless and inspiring. A couple of things:

1) Cruise Control Cable - I don't remember if you've replaced yours but I would do it for good measure. If your throttle jams DO NOT put the tranny into N as your engine will probably race past its red line and you risk major damage! Push hard on the brakes and the car will stop, the brake system has enough power reserve to do the job in such an emergency,   pull to the side of the road and turn  the engine off with the lever in D.

2) Power mirror switch - I would try to buy an extra console wood piece to cut the button hole, that way you have an original looking installation while preserving the factory part.

3) Fuel float - you may have a bad ground, however it is possible the float is just tired and needs to be replaced.

Tks

Joe

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: oversize on 01 June 2013, 09:51 PM
I actually thought the cruise cables were NLA???  One of my old friends jammed a throttle cable in a different car whilst overtaking and melted her plastic hubcaps trying to stop!  I'd suggest switching it off FIRST and then coasting to a halt.

If you don't use your cigarette lighter much, I'd remove it for safekeeping and build a new panel in there....

Those door panels now look brilliant!  Good idea with the clear plastic film so you can see the mechanisms without removing it first.

BTW the older I get the more I appreciate how ground breaking ABBA truly was at the time.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Squiggle Dog on 01 June 2013, 09:59 PM
Good ideas for the mirror switch. Like Joe suggested, you could use an aged center console wood piece, cut out a hole to fit the switch, and then have the wood refinished.

Or, like oversize suggested, you could actually replace the cigarette lighter inside the ash tray with the switch, keeping your ash tray, and also being able to hide the switch out of view unless you need to adjust the mirror; then it's just a matter of flipping open the ash tray, pressing on the switch, and closing the tray.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 02 June 2013, 01:56 PM
A result

Thanks for all your input, some good ideas for the mirror switch, I especially like the 'Vekerskurier' option.  I do actually have a piece of zebrano veneer that I bought in anticipation.  I was toying with the idea of having something laser cut and then finished in the veneer.  It would include a space for the mirror switch, and one or two USB powered outlets.

So, not to be beat, I got up early this morning and removed the fuel sender unit yet again.  I now realise that I was fighting a triple whammy.  It became obvious when I re-opened the unit that the 'angel wire' had unhitched itself from the two fingers on the float on one side.  I fed the wire back into the slot and reassembled it.  I then also put the (new) rubber O-ring onto the unit itself, rather than leave it in place on the opening of the fuel tank, and finally I tightened it up, hand tight like before.  What really amazed me, was that I was able to tighten the sender almost another 360 degrees using the water-pump pliers.  The result, the reserve light works, and the needle is now rock solid.  Unfortunately, it still seems to drop at the same rate as before...:(, but boy is it fun! ::)

The cleaned sender unit
(http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/1134/p1000567t.jpg) (http://img62.imageshack.us/i/p1000567t.jpg/)

The functional reserve light
(http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/8869/p1000572a.jpg) (http://img838.imageshack.us/i/p1000572a.jpg/)

The tools I used, showing my butchered screwdriver (I'll buy a couple of fine files and tidy it up some time)
(http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/7966/p1000566j.jpg) (http://img195.imageshack.us/i/p1000566j.jpg/)


As I headed back to the storage facility, I was able to use the cruise control.  It performed flawlessly, and kept the speed rock steady with marginal to no drift.  It was almost akin to the one in my Audi, no longer all over the place.  Joe could you check on the cruise control cable part number and availability (I don't know if there is a difference between RHD and LHD units).  I will bear in mind all the advice about emergency stopping should the unit jamb.

I am toying with the idea of fitting my new air valve after all, perhaps in a few weeks time.  I take it, putting the new part on will be straight forward. I wonder what torque specs I need to use?  I suppose I cannot really make it run any worse that it current operates.

Wishing my 116 was at home already.

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Squiggle Dog on 02 June 2013, 09:13 PM
Haha, I made one of those screwdrivers myself!
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: jbrasile on 02 June 2013, 10:07 PM
Hi Gavin,

P/n for the cc cable is 116 300 22 30, this p/n is for a RHD car. I will check availability with the Classic Center.

Tks

Joe
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: jbrasile on 03 June 2013, 12:48 PM
Hello again Gavin,

Classic Center has confirmed that the cc cable is NLA, sorry....

Tks

Joe
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: littlefin on 03 June 2013, 05:23 PM
Hi Gavin

Good to see you've been attending to some of those little jobs. Isn't it about time you started using that car a bit more  ;)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: navigator on 10 June 2013, 03:31 PM
What a brilliant thread.

Gavin, what was "TU" in our distance past - Krugersdorp/Randburg/Randfontein?
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 11 June 2013, 12:51 AM
Hi Joe

Thanks for looking into a replacement cable.  It's a pity its NLA, I wonder if one could be made up?  It is working well at the moment with the spacer, the uptake is strong, and there is no drifting down once I let go the stalk from the accelerate position.  I am thinking of installing all the new air hoses and the new AAV, however I am worried about how much to torque the bolts (bought new ones too) that hold it in place.  Do I need to put any oil on the new gasket when I am pacing the new AAV in position?

You're nearly spot on there Navigator, we were in Roodepoort which was designated TU (Krugersdorp was TK, Randburg was TRB and Randfontein was TAY).  We lived in a hilly little suburb first known as Horizon Ridge, but was later renamed Horizon Extension.  It was very much surrounded by a nature reserve, and one of my lasting memories as a child, were the continual ingress of Rinkhalses (or ringed neck spitting Cobras) that always used to make their way into the house, and the ensuing pandemonium....

Regards,

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Casey on 11 June 2013, 08:55 AM
Quote from: Squiggle Dog on 01 June 2013, 04:57 PM
Mama mia, there you go again, my, my! :D Those door panels look mmm... soft. I need to restuff my fronts as well. That's really cool that you got the remote power mirror to work. I would say to mount the switch on a Vekerskurier piece in front of the console wood (you know, the Becker traffic radio knob), but those are super rare.

I've got one, though I'm not sure what the light installed in it is and if it's been damaged by the screws, and also it's burl rather than zebrano.  I don't care for it myself and would be happy to find a new home for it:

(http://i1338.photobucket.com/albums/o694/cshobe/Cars/1978%20Euro%206_9/0a5b76f17914be4d87453837da0948f8_zps05926997.jpg)

I also seem to have received a new sealed CC cable with the euro 6.9 I bought, though I'm sure it's for a LHD car and I want to keep it.

I've planned on doing a power mirror conversion at some point and would probably put the switch right above the hazard switch as it is in W123's.  I haven't checked to see if there's adequate space given the larger size of the W116's hazard switch though...
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: navigator on 11 June 2013, 10:53 AM
before I try and hijack this thread let me ask a legit question:

The speed control unit, can it not be re-soldered as I have read elsewhere on this forum?

Can you still remember my hometown if my dad's cars had a registration of TOY ?
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 12 June 2013, 03:44 AM
Hi Orkney-Snorkney (aka Navigator)

The answer is yes and no.  I have heard of some other members who have had success with re-soldering their cruise control amplifiers and changing the capacitors at the same time.  (There are useful threads with diagrams of what capacitors to replace etc. on this forum, but you'll need to search for them or ask others for help.)  I had no luck, I sent mine off to the well respected MercDoctor to have it refurbished.  It still didn't work, and in the end I bought a new old stock unit, but it was for a 280SE.  I consulted with Joe on this subject, and he assured me it would work, as he has a similar unit in his Californian car (or is it the Sao Paulo car?), but he did mention it may be a little aggressive.  It works fine, though it is a little 'eager' when accelerating shall we say, I suspect the 450 specific unit would probably be more languid.

If you're good with a soldering iron, I say go for it, you have nothing to loose. 

Keep 116ing,

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: navigator on 12 June 2013, 03:46 PM
Thanks!

I'lll try Sclass on whom to get to have a look as I am off the scale on tech issues (the wrong end that is)

TAW?
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: oversize on 13 June 2013, 07:28 PM
Yes I've heard the CC units can be repaired but I'd shop around for someone who's done it before and is supremely confident.

There's lots of places that can repair cables; look for someone that does custom accelerator cables
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: ptashek on 14 June 2013, 03:45 PM
Quote from: navigator on 11 June 2013, 10:53 AM
before I try and hijack this thread let me ask a legit question:
The speed control unit, can it not be re-soldered as I have read elsewhere on this forum?

Yes, they can be rebuilt, but with varying success. I have personally rebuilt two, replacing every single part on each unit, except for the two relays.
One of the units came back alive and is working fine(ish), however the other unit is a complete dud - very likely due to defect relays. I bet the relays can be replaced with modern parts, however I wasn't able to figure out what the suitable replacements are.

It can be done for <50EUR per unit. The most expensive parts are the TAA765A op-amp, the BSV81 IG-MOSFET and the large 10uF 63V capacitor. The rest can be classed as "dirt cheap", but the problem is with retail availability. I ended up buying some caps in bulk, getting 50 where I needed just 3  :( It cost me about 70EUR for the two units.

You can find my CC DIY thread below, including all parts required for the job:
http://forum.w116.org/mechanicals/cruise-control-not-keeping-set-speed/15/

Also, the cables shouldn't be very hard to reproduce. The only problem is with the inner lining of the cable housing. Once that is gone, the cable will tend to stick and that's life threatening.

p.s.: I said fine(ish) above, since my actuator cable is stretched so much I have ran out of thread on the adjustment screw. So the whole setup still floats a bit, and the amp is still loosing some speed over time but only beyond 80km/h. I'm not bothered enough to pursue this further :)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Martin 280s on 22 June 2013, 04:38 PM
Congratulations! I hope you enjoy your 'new' car to it's full.   :)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 19 July 2013, 03:19 PM
The sound of music

  Well folks, I thought that I needed to tidy up the audio and mirror systems in my car.  I have been dreading running out of battery on a road trip, because the status-quo was either my iPhone connected to the lighter socket or the satnav connected.  The Becker is usually always connected, the iPhone playing music through the inferior cassette adaptor almost always with a near empty battery.  Also, the electric mirror control was just left between the passenger seat and the console.

  I must admit to having trawled the internet for absolute ages to get a useful alternative to getting music in the car without having a dual radio system, or the inferior tape method.  Finally I ran across iSimple, and as it was less than a hundred quid, I thought what the heck, and took the plunge.  I chose a system that could do iPod playback, as well as charge my phone.

https://www.isimplesolutions.com/universal-solutions-TranzIt-IS77.aspx (https://www.isimplesolutions.com/universal-solutions-TranzIt-IS77.aspx)

The iSimple77 aka TranzIt
(http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/3249/q67g.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/545/q67g.jpg/)


  So, I went to Maplin and spent a small fortune on lots of little things including some ABS plastic boxes, various connectors etc.  Then it was on the front doorstep with all my motorcar accoutrement, and the rest of the very hot bright and sunny day was spent on tidying the interior and wiring in the console.

Plastic box (cut lines marked in pencil)
(http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/4717/b3rl.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/829/b3rl.jpg/)

  I measured the abs box somewhat oversized so that I could cut and file it down to size.  I chose the centre dimple point to mount the on/off switch for the iSimple, which then got me thinking that the mirror switch would look awkward on its own to the side.  As I still had a cigar lighter socket lying about from way back when, I decided that I would install this as well.  I measured out the mirror switch and the cigar socket, then proceeded to cut out the holes using a drill bit, a jig saw and some fine files.  After much ado, I had something that I was happy with.  I trimmed the back portion lower than the front portion to match the profile of console.  I welded the lid to the box section using a hot soldering iron.

The work in progress
(http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/9254/2zw9.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/829/2zw9.jpg/)
(http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/1852/sn88.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/689/sn88.jpg/)

  This is the part that I did not like, as I had to cut a small square hole into my virgin console to accommodate the wiring for the various bits and bobs.  The mirror harness was a real challenge, I wish it was just 10 cm longer....  Once I had most things in place, I then had to do a shed-load of soldering.  I ran some piggyback power plugs for the radio, the iSimple and the electric mirror.  I doubled up the wiring from the cigar lighter for the additional lighter socket (I noted that the MB lighter will not fit in the new socket, it's too fat!).

  I reconnected the battery, and tested that everything was working correctly, and I can confirm that it was.  The iSimple is absolutely wonderful, I cannot rate it highly enough.  All you guys who want to keep your classic radios, but still want to enjoy MP3 music, this is the way to go.

It been a long ol' day, but I'm reasonably happy, the box needs to be aligned and stuck down with double-sided tape
(http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/5291/5fjp.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/534/5fjp.jpg/)

  Tomorrow I shall do a little cleaning inside, some more photography, and then on to the engine bay.  I want to do some more cleaning, and I also want to install my new auxiliary air valve.  I am also interested in getting a WUR rebuild kit from this very useful website:

http://www.ferrari400parts.com/boschshop.php?view=productPage&product=12&category=12 (http://www.ferrari400parts.com/boschshop.php?view=productPage&product=12&category=12)

Keep 116ing ;),
Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Squiggle Dog on 19 July 2013, 11:49 PM
Oh, clever! That setup seems to work well.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 13 April 2014, 02:55 PM
     
Making a console extension 101

Materials:
ABS plastic box
Dremmel tool
Wood veneer (in this instance Zebra wood or Zebrano)
Masking tape
Cold press veneer glue
Vacuum machine
Sandpaper
Wood stain (in this case Walnut)
Polyurethane aerosol

Measuring and cutting:
Begin by using an old traffic radio switch housing (Kurier) to trace the shape of the unit to the abs plastic box. Or you could cut out a template from stiff cardboard.



ABS plastic box
(http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/4810/jzk6.jpg) (http://img824.imageshack.us/i/jzk6.jpg/)


Once marked, the box was carefully cut to size using a Dremmel tool, and the final finessing done using coarse sandpaper (about 80 grit).  At this stage I traced the outlines for the switchgear I wanted to house in my new console extension.  I made holes for a wing mirror controller, a switch for my iSimple (mp3 player radio interface) and a USB power port.The lid of the box was cut slightly smaller than the U-section, and I cut out a hole in the center for easy manipulation of wiring that would need to be routed later.

Any slight problems were simply filled in with a hot soldering iron and some of the left over plastic.  The entire box was then sanded to get a nice keyed surface ready for gluing.  The switchgear was trial fitted one last time to ensure all was good.To form the rhomboid shape, I placed the U-section in boiling water, and gently persuaded the sides.  I had to do this several times before the ABS plastic yielded.  The U-section was appraised against the old traffic radio switch.




Outline of template traced, box cut accordingly, and profile adjusted(http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/3171/c753l.jpg) (http://img850.imageshack.us/i/c753l.jpg/)



Trial fit of the switchgear: electric mirror switch, switch of the iSimple and a USB power charger(http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/4753/9shy.jpg) (http://img703.imageshack.us/i/9shy.jpg/)

Veneer preparation:
Once the box was complete, it was now time to begin preparation of the veneer.   As the sheet was too small to use in one section, I very carefully halved the sheet across the grain using a guillotine.   The resultant two sheets were then book leafed together, and the pieces secured with masking tape (green in this case). The outline of the U-section was roughly traced onto the veneer.

Veneer taped together (these pieces removed before gluing, piece on reverse stays in position), soaked, dried and outline form drawn(http://img802.imageshack.us/img802/7819/2kzd.jpg) (http://img802.imageshack.us/i/2kzd.jpg/)

Thereafter, the veneer was soaked in water for two reasons.  The water makes it more supple and less prone to cracking, which facilitated rough trimming with a heavy scissors.  Furthermore, you will note that the veneer will tend to curl, and particular attention should be payed to the direction of this curl.  The curl should follow any bends closely.

Application of the veneer:
When one is sure that everything is ready, the veneer is once again soaked in water.  The U-section of the box is wiped clean using isopropyl alcohol.  The cold press glue is then applied to the box using a roller to attain a good adhesion and an even thinness.  Pay particular attention to the edges and where there are any cutouts.The veneer is removed from the water, and dried with kitchen towel.  Whilst still damp, but not wet, more cold press veneer glue is applied to the back of the veneer.  The two pieces are then married: the veneer and the U-section.  There isn't instant adhesion, but do not worry, as the glue dries, this will become a hermetic join.

Box section showing glue applied with roller (and also to back of dried-off veneer)(http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/2153/m7z6.jpg) (http://img834.imageshack.us/i/m7z6.jpg/)

Cold veneer wood glue(http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/1599/lx7m.jpg) (http://img856.imageshack.us/i/lx7m.jpg/)

Carefully introduce the U-section into a vacuum bag, ensure that everything is sitting roughly correctly, apply the vacuum, constantly checking that the pieces are in the correct place.  (I had to cut my bag open and reposition a piece of veneer despite it being held together by masking tape, the section to the right shifted slightly.)

Wetglued veneered section placed under pressure (using a Sous vide vacuum machine)

(http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/3479/w0u4.jpg) (http://img607.imageshack.us/i/w0u4.jpg/)

Leave the sealed U-section under vacuum for two hours.  I left mine for about four hours to be on the safe side as I wasn't entirely sure about the adhesion of the cold press glue to the ABS plastic.  I cut the bag open, and removed the section.  At this stage, because the veneer was wetted, the U-section has to be left to dry out.

The section removed from the vacuum bag, I still need to trim the openings and sand the veneer around the periphery (http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/7983/f98o.jpg) (http://img812.imageshack.us/i/f98o.jpg/)

Finishing:
Once dry, then the veneered U-section needs to be sanded.  Do not be scared to use sandpaper, as these shop bought veneers are quite thick.  (Under no circumstances use sandpaper on original MB veneers, as these are paper-thin and disaster will ensue!)  Begin sanding the edges with a coarse sand paper to get them level with the U-section.  Once level then sand the flat sections to get rid of any saw marks left from the manufacturing process.  Be careful were the veneer goes over an edge that you do not rub the veneer away.  At this point I used 160 grit. 

Once all the saw marks were removed, I then proceeded on to 600, 800 and finally 1200 grit. At this stage I trimmed out the cutouts for my switches using a Dremmel tool and a drill, followed by a rotary sanding drum.  I neatened any edges using sandpaper wrapped around a table knife.  (I did get a little tear-out here and there, or rather lifting of the veneer.  This was remedied using some more cold veneer glue and a toothpick.  Glue was applied, the U-section again placed under vacuum for 45 minutes.  A light sand and the piece was now perfect.)

I applied more glue using a toothpick to the lifted sections, and then re-vacuumed the piece

(http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/2908/df9f.jpg) (http://img607.imageshack.us/i/df9f.jpg/)

Staining:
Now that the piece is smooth and dust free, it is time to begin the staining process.  I used some kitchen paper towel, which I folded on itself several times.  I dipped this into the stain, and wiped in the direction of the grain till a thin even coat of uniform colour appeared on the wood.  Four hours later, and another thin even coat was applied and left overnight to cure.  A very gentle rub using a sanding block and 1200 grit sandpaper, and a quick wipe with a cloth dipped in isopropyl alcohol,  and it's on to the next step.

Wood-stain and Poly
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/812/1yjr.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/mk1yjrj)

Lacquering:
I chose to use an aerosol preparation as I didn't want to contend with brush strokes or stray brush hairs, and the inevitable dust that settles due to the slow drying time of conventional polyurethanes.  Just follow the manufacturer's details to the T.  When spraying, work systematically from the left to the right, and then visa versa.  Overlap each spray stroke by 50% to keep a wet edge.  The surface mustn't be too wet or runs will occur.  Leave to dry for the correct amount of time, then apply the next coat.

Dull looking Poly coating (12 coats to give the finished article a depth)(http://img802.imageshack.us/img802/6843/y0oo.jpg) (http://img802.imageshack.us/i/y0oo.jpg/)

Do not let the project "over dry" as the subsequent layers will not merge and chemically bond as needed.  Build up a number of coats till the veneer has a nice glossy depth to it when wet (although this gets dull when dry).  The last layer can be a little thicker than the rest i.e. move the spray can in closer to the work.

Polishing:
Let the final topcoat dry for at least 24 hours.  Then rub it down with 1200 grit sandpaper.  I then coated the project with three coats of Danish Oil, do follow the instructions on the tin, especially the part about spontaneous combustion of the rags used!  If you have some rubbing compound to hand, this can be applied to a cloth, and used to buff the veneer a few days after the Danish Oil has cured. 

Then use some furniture polish and a soft cloth, combined with a lot of elbow grease.  Once a nice depth of shine is attained, sit back and admire!  (I am still waiting for my Danish Oil to harden before I use the rubbing compound and polish, but by and large please with the results.)

Danish Oil being applied (don't let your rags catch on fire!)(http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/9528/zyyi.jpg) (http://img845.imageshack.us/i/zyyi.jpg/)

Final assembly:
The underside of the box can now be welded in place using a soldering iron, thereby ensuring good structural rigidity.  Install the box section on the console using good quality double-sided tape.  Ensure that a feed is placed prior to sticking down the box section.  Make any electrical connections, and marry the switchgear to the console extension.  Should look like your new edition was made by MB itself.

I couldn't wait so I did a trial fit, but I must still wait for the Danish Oil to harden, then I can rub it down with compound and polish it up to an even more lustrous shine!(http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/7855/ua43.jpg) (http://img838.imageshack.us/i/ua43.jpg/)

Keep 116ing ;) 

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Squiggle Dog on 14 April 2014, 12:27 AM
Oh, that is clever! It will also look original.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 18 April 2014, 05:49 AM
Cleaning aluminium parts
So I finally won an eBay auction bidding on a Bosch WUR – 056.  I was so intent on getting the correct part, that I did away with looking at the pictures in detail, and instead concentrated on the "056" part.


After exchanging moneys via bank transfer (a pain in itself, like the convenience of PayPal myself) and then waiting on a slow courier named after a Greek god, my parcel finally arrived.

Upon opening my parcel, I immediately noticed my mistake...  The in between section and base plate are not the same as on my car.  There is an extra connection, and the vacuum connector is on the opposite side.

What to do?  As my WUR is a non-starter, and the WUR refurb kit is for the other WUR with the thinner middle section and only the single vacuum port on the same side as the electrical connector, I thought I might see if I could at least clean the outside.  I will then list it on eBay and see if it can find a new home, or if anyone on the org needs this version, I'm sure we can do a deal.


So, the results of the various cleaning methods, and some pictures.

Dishwash liquid:
Absolutely no effect


Carby cleaner:
Did remove a little surface grease and oil, but did nothing for the black staining.  Did this without gloves – a big mistake.  Take care, as the carby cleaner is very strong, burns the skin, not to mention the liquid lava effect when entering a microscopic abrasion or cut.  Melted my toothbrush too, as well as the cling-film bungs I made to block the open ports.  Made the kitchen stink like a refinery.

The WUR before (not much difference to this finish after applying the above two methods)
(http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/8897/qm62.jpg) (http://img835.imageshack.us/i/qm62.jpg/)(http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/5788/5iv0k.jpg) (http://img834.imageshack.us/i/5iv0k.jpg/)
(http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/6554/yjg8.jpg) (http://img835.imageshack.us/i/yjg8.jpg/)


Micro sandblaster (top part of the WUR):
I took the WUR to work and tried my micro sandblaster.  I blocked off all ports with a silicone type material.  Bicarbonate-of-soda had not effect whatsoever.  I changed to glass beads: Aluminium oxide, and this worked a treat.  It consumed vast amounts of the powder, and my nurse wasn't happy with the dusty mess that it and I left.

This was by far the most successful attempt at refinishing the aluminium casting.  The problem is that the particle size was too small, and the sandblast effect was not even enough.  I might see if there is a local small business with an industrial sand blaster, and have the outside of the WUR cleaned in this way.


Sandblasted with fine beads
(http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/8744/6lo5.jpg) (http://img834.imageshack.us/i/6lo5.jpg/)(http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/5999/m61s.jpg) (http://img841.imageshack.us/i/m61s.jpg/)
(http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/9461/qd4h.jpg) (http://img845.imageshack.us/i/qd4h.jpg/)


Dremmel tool and an abrasive sanding pad (engine mounting portion of the WUR):
Removed a little of the surface pitting, as well as the black stains, but left the surface shiny, and not matt.  Perhaps I should have used this process first followed by sandblasting?


Finish achieved by the Dremmel
(http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/7969/9vj3.jpg) (http://img841.imageshack.us/i/9vj3.jpg/)
(http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/8919/gbsvf.jpg) (http://img843.imageshack.us/i/gbsvf.jpg/)


Wet and dry sandpaper with detergent (area next to the engine mount):
Hardly done much, but the final outcome will be similar to above using more elbow grease i.e. too shiny.


Wire wool and WD40 (the fastening screw head bottom right):
I heard of this method used by folk who prepare engine bays for concourse.  Again it leaves wire splinters in your fingers, and wire debris that have to washed well away or they will rust and leave marks.  The finish is also too shiny.


To the left of the mounting: cleaned with wet and dry, bottom right screw: cleaned with wire-wool and WD40
(http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/3553/dl6p.jpg) (http://img843.imageshack.us/i/dl6p.jpg/)


So, I'll see what can be done at local engineering shop or similar.  I need to wait for another "056" WUR with the slim middle section to turn up on eBay again, then I can start my WUR rebuild in earnest.


Rebuild kit No 3
(http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/5425/k0gh.jpg) (http://img835.imageshack.us/i/k0gh.jpg/)


Keep 116ing ;) ,

Gavin


P.S.  I think if you click on the pictures, ImageShack makes a full size available at much higher resolution?
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: oversize on 21 April 2014, 06:31 AM
WOW great work with the timber!  I'd probably get the WUR bead blasted and painted
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: KenM on 24 April 2014, 04:18 AM
Spectacular woodworking Gavin, what's the deal with Danish oil self combusting? Haven't heard this one before, sounds like an excellent party trick.

I recommend getting your WUR soda blasted, I bought myself a small setup some time ago, have only had a chance to clean up one bundt so far but it does a truly awesome job, gets off everything up to and

including paint in one pass and no damage to the surface, took me about 2 hours to go from a grotty faded rim to one looking brand new ready for painting. No sanding, grunting, chemicals etc, would do the

job beautifully on your WUR.

Cheers,
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: littlefin on 24 April 2014, 07:56 AM
Hi Gavin

I have recently had the WUR on my W126 professionally reconditioned. It now looks like this:

(http://i1144.photobucket.com/albums/o494/230phil/500%20SEL/WUR_zps28213b46.jpg) (http://s1144.photobucket.com/user/230phil/media/500%20SEL/WUR_zps28213b46.jpg.html)

No rough running issues now  ;D
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 25 April 2014, 03:32 AM
Hi Mark


Yeah, I'm pleased with the way the wood turned out, especially as it was my first ever attempt.  The internet is a wonderful thing, and I gained a lot of info form R107 and Jaguar forums.  Good youtube wood veneering videos too.  In hindsight, I would stain the wood, and then just apply a few layers of Danish oil and it will give that lovely lustre without the need to build up coats of polyurethane to get the 'depth'.


Ken I've never experienced the spontaneous combustion, and hope I never do.  I will have the WUR professionally blasted, but I like that finish, would be a pity to apply paint to it.  I've heard of something called warm wax which is what I might try.  Keeps the finish as is, but prevents stains.  No experience of it, so I will need to do more research.


(http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/6458/43nj.jpg) (http://img843.imageshack.us/i/43nj.jpg/)


Hey Phil, that WUR looks great, who did it, and how long did it take to do?  How is the 500, has it become your daily ride?  It would be nice to get my idle smoothed out, its been a long process with little improvement, but I'm hopeful to get the issues sorted...


Chat soon,


Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: littlefin on 25 April 2014, 04:13 AM
Hi Gavin

I am using the 500 SEL at the moment to make sure everything is working properly, because I'm taking the car to Germany at the end of May.  I had John Haynes remove the WUR and send it off to be refurbished. They refitted it & tested the pressures for me to make sure all in order.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 20 June 2014, 06:16 PM
 Vacuum job

I went to fetch the Benz last night (Thursday), and was really happy to see the old girl again. Not sure why, but I always seem to view the car as female, despite her V8 muscle! Perhaps I should have called her 'Thunder Thighs'.  The car is now so much quieter with the new exhaust center section. At the same time, I am much happier with the new flex discs installed. Chaz did adjust the CO and idle speed whilst he was installing the latter bits and pieces as well as replacing the discs and soft brake lines front and rear, and the calipers up front with reconned Bendix types.

The trip home was uneventful, apart from refueling , ½ tank of 95 £75.00, and the cruise control slowly drops speed. I suspect this must be a vacuum issue, as I have recently replaced the amplifier. Speaking of which, the Audi's cruise control has died...

So today it was an early start as I pulled my parts box out of the loft containing an Aladdin's Cave of parts I have been steadily buying over the past few months. I have been so looking forward to working on the car, that I cannot believe that is has been 10 months since I last used the car. Actually this week has been the first week of really good consistent weather, about time as last week we were still in fleeces, and it's the summer solstice this weekend.

Where to begin? Well, vacuum of course. I replaced 1 three-way and 2 4-way vacuum pieces, 2 check valves, 1 curved piece on the distributor advance mechanism (or is it the retard), a specially ordered piece for the WUR, and then numerous straight pieces for the cruise control actuator, the cross over valve, then I ran into a problem. When I pulled the red vacuum line off of the distributor vacuum advance/retard mechanism, the other end pulled out with the perished rubber end attached. Problem was where did it attach?

Well after a little detective work I realised that it attached to the inlet manifold. Problem was it was too difficult to re-attach! Some lateral thinking, and I used a longer piece of straight tube, and routed it up and over instead of under. Another new blanking piece on the airflow meter, and it was job done.

I replaced a further air hose on the right hand cylinder bank. I bought a new rubber tube to attach to a return valve from the WUR to the fuel distributor. I will need to replace this at some stage, but it looks like it will entail a little bit of deconstruction. I still have the air hose that needs to be connected under the fuel distributor, and then that should be new rubber all round.

I attended to the spark plug leads next. Tried to clean them a little, they have never been the same since Chaz the SEC man worked on them with greasy hands... (My dad started off life as a mechanic and worked his way up to dealer principal, and let me say this, no mechanic worked on a car under my father's watchful eye with greasy hands...) Nevertheless, onwards and upwards, I managed to place almost all of my markers on the HT leads, a-la R107. Alas, the number 6 marker snapped, so a replacement needs to be ordered.

There was no way in h3ll that the HT leads were going to fit through the MB sleeve supplied, so more lateral thinking. Slit the sleeve along its length, and wound it around the HT leads, securing it with cable ties. I will source some black ties that look a little less obvious. Overall, I think it has neatened the engine bay considerably.

Surprisingly, the engine bay is very messy again, the engine looks as if it has sweated oil and grime all over the place. Made me think I needed to pull finger and do some more cleaning. I painted the left exhaust manifold with rust remover, and applied some Calyx. Must say I'm please with the look. I shall do the right hand side one at some stage too.

Tidied HT leads
(http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/897/4epqx.jpg) (http://img834.imageshack.us/i/4epqx.jpg/)
Undressed manifold
(http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/6087/t6i5d.jpg) (http://img822.imageshack.us/i/t6i5d.jpg/)
Dressed manifold
(http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/3149/4q64.jpg) (http://img819.imageshack.us/i/4q64.jpg/)
Calyx
(http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/464/07jn.jpg) (http://img829.imageshack.us/i/07jn.jpg/)

Time to wash hands thoroughly and divert attention to the interior of the car. I did a little more soldering, and here we have it, my new console extension sporting switches for the lecky mirror, my iSimple and USB charger. All in I'm happy with the results, although my handiwork leaves a little to be desired when compared with that of MB.

New zebrano console extention
(http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/3350/kyga.jpg) (http://img849.imageshack.us/i/kyga.jpg/)

I also changed the icons in the gear position window, they now read iPod (iSimple), low coolant, low washer fluid and headlights. I placed a green mask behind the iPod (iSimple) and headlights icons, instead of the orange warning lights. I also replaced my accelerator pedal. I went to replace my fuel level sender unit, but I notice that the top part is slightly different from the one I currently have. Not sure if they are interchangeable? So I thought it best to leave it be.

Now, it was on to that left hand tail lamp. I had battled terribly before to do the left hand side lamp, only to have John Haynes have to re-seat that side to get it waterproof. Fear not, I watched an episode of good 'ol Ken, where he explains to reinstall just the new seal and ally frame into the car. You must apply a little dielectric grease to the seal to allow it to manoeuvre.

Then you tighten the six retaining screws that are on the rear aspect till they are seated. Once done, you tighten the two on the corner aspect. The plastic taillight gets married to the frame in the same manner as the frame itself. I must still do a leak test to see if I have prospered...

At the same time, I imparted a new MB screwdriver set in my tool roll. I would like to know what exactly was standard equipment in so far as this is concerned. I have on the rare occasion seen a 420SL tool kit in its original plastic bag come up on eBay for sale.

Speaking of which, I have bought an original W116 V8 (350/450/6.9) sales brochure that related to the later half of 1978 as well as a paint catalogue. Unfortunately the cover of the former has some age related damage but I shall continue to trawl the internet to get a more pristine copy. Would be nice to find a price list too.

I returned to MB Brentford to pick up some more bits and pieces, a new grille, a very expensive front-end-securing-bits-and-pieces kit, and lights bulbs for all the headlights and tail lights. I will install these together with my new front indicator units (now just 'made in Germany and Poland', as opposed to be being 'Bosch' made) sometime in the near future. Won't be long now before MB parts will be outsourced to ROC.

Anyhow, Russell and the youngster came out to take a look at Mrs White, and they seemed generally enthused. I opened the hood and started her up for them, and she purred away melodically. I must say the drive is so much better just changing those few rubber parts that connect the vacuum tubes. I almost think I can leave the WUR, as she is really running well.

I returned home to do a little more under hood scrubbing. I washed some of the engine bay and the part of the engine too. I must get some proper detailing brushes and de-greaser. I noticed that there seems to be a rather large bolt missing in the center of the left hand engine mount/damper. The right hand side seems to have a bolt, so not sure, but I cannot see the engine jumping out of the engine bay.

I had to wash my window wash bottle out with stones, as it was full of crud. Not sure, but I think it may have been topped up with ordinary water. I'll buy some window wash on my travels tomorrow.

I must say, I was a little disappointed to find rust in all the wheel arches. I was going to let John Haynes do some rust repair work next month. I have the car booked in for a service and to get the aircon up and running. I wanted them to do the rust in the left wheel tub at the same time. Looks like I'm peeing in the wind. I need to bite the bullet soon and get the whole car re-sprayed.

Rust,rust, bl**dy rust
(http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/420/6r6xx.jpg) (http://img841.imageshack.us/i/6r6xx.jpg/)
(http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/1957/hhzk.jpg) (http://img823.imageshack.us/i/hhzk.jpg/)
(http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/7259/hicou.jpg) (http://img842.imageshack.us/i/hicou.jpg/)
(http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/4416/urn0p.jpg) (http://img823.imageshack.us/i/urn0p.jpg/)

I'm still so unsure on this matter, as I don't want to take it somewhere where they break and ruin the parts when they remove them. And I want to have a good job done, so that I can sit back, relax and enjoy the car for sometime to come without worrying about recurring rust issues due to poor workmanship. Anyone know of a good UK based bodyshop? And what would you expect to pay for a full bare metal re-spray? I must go a see Martin in Hampshire who was on our Brooklands day.

Speaking of which, I'm off tomorrow to see the Mercedes-Benz Club UK concourse show in Milton Keynes. I hope I will learn something useful at the meeting, as I have always nurtured the idea of entering a concourse competition. Time will tell. I hope to report back with some photos of the event.

Keep 116ing ;)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: KenM on 25 June 2014, 04:34 AM
More nice work Gavin, I was in my engine bay doing valve clearances last week and noticed the exhaust manifolds in the same condition as yours,

this Calyx stuff looks to have done a very nice job, it's not just a rust converter I take it, but removes it entirely. I will chase down something like

this, looks like the goods.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 25 June 2014, 07:21 AM
Hi Ken


No, the Calyx is only a dressing.  I cleaned off the manifold with rust remover gel and wire brushed them a little.  You then apply the Calyx with a cloth, a little goes a long way!


Kind regards,


Gavin


P.S.  Looks like I have been daft, and driving the SL too much (if that's possible), as the MB cruise control works slightly different to the Audi system.  In the Audi, one needs to push the set button first, which I forgot to do, so there's nothing wrong with the Audi's cruise control after all. ::)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 20 August 2014, 02:54 PM
The good, the bad, the ugly

To start however, we need to back track a few weeks to mid summer.  (I posted this originally the evening of the S-Class day - 20th of July, but after the posting got corrupted, I lost the will to live, in fact I wanted to man-handle the computer, and the person who invented the new wysiwyg format that we use that seems to get tself in a twist far too easily...)

The good:

I fetched the car from Goring-by-Sea after an 'oil service'.  The car is really going well at the moment.  Since I replaced all the vacuum check valves, and all the rubber connectors on the vacuum hard lines, my issues are now all sorted especially the surging.  The last bit of engine shake will need to be cured with some new engine mounts.

The bad:

I made a round trip taking in a fellow 116er's body shop to get a quote for rust removal and a bare metal re-spray.  It had to be the hottest day of the year, and I was quite incapacitated.  Unbeknown to me, the sun was wreaking havoc...  (I'll explain later.)  I met Martin's dad who has been in the trade for many years, and he basically confirmed what the other bodyshop had said.  Rust all over, but not too bad, underneath very solid.  Fenders are toast, could be repaired, rear wheel arches need replacing.

The ugly:

Roll on Saturday, and I was out with a bucket and water and vacuum, giving the car the once over, as Sunday was the S-Class day at Milton Keynes, UK's official M-B headquarters, and the first ever S-Class day.

Sunday arrived, and I quickly dried the early morning dew off the car, and a little bit of last minute bumper polishing.  The bumpers have a bite far worse than their bark, somehow I managed to gouge a chunk of skin out of my finger.  Good news is it didn't go all over my freshly pressed shirt.  Never mind, onward and upward.


So there I was on the A40, heading up to Milton Keynes via Oxford when I heard a really bad noise.  I thought, that can't be a tyre, the steering wheel is dead steady.  I thought it must be the radio.  As I turned the radio off, the sound disappeared.


I assumed all was well, but to be on the safe side, I left the radio off to listen to the car, and see if any noise returned.  And it did, this time I slowed down, and when I looked in my rearview mirror, the car behind me was flashing it's lights.  I slowed right down, and pulled over into the emergency lane.


I jumped out the car and made my way to the fellow driver, enquiringly.  He pointed to the front of my car, and then I saw it, I had a new aerial?  So, it transpires the very hot weather had made the ally trim piece rise out of the new rubber seal.  (The windscreen gasket was supplied by M-B Classic Centre Irvine.  I pointed out to my technician at John Haynes when I fetched the car that the trim was standing awkwardly.  He assured me that it was inserted into the seal before it was married to car when they did the sunroof.)


The First trim to leave was the right trim.  I couldn't see this happening, as the horizontal piece on the top popped out, allowing the vertical piece to slowly slide upward and outward, all out of my field of vision.  I think it may have hit the other driver's car, but as his car was an older model that looked somewhat unloved, he was more concerned about what M-B would charge me for a new surround if they had any.  And so, I pull the somewhat distorted left hand piece free, put it in the boot (trunk), and continued on my way.


The S-Class day had a very good turn-out, but not so many 116's.  We were four in total, Phil's 280SE, my 450, and two 6.9's.  There was a plethora of 126's, 140,  a few 108's and so on.  My highlight had to be a W100 SWB Großer that arrived like a floating carpet: a spectacular colour combination of white grey (158) with a lovely blue (like the Mediterranean sea) leather interior.


I set off back home, half licking my wounds, rusty and now trim-less.


Till next time,


Gavin                                 
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: John Hubertz on 21 August 2014, 10:04 AM
Gavin,

Losing that chrome windshield surround is a tough break.   Will you have to pull the windscreen to reinstall a new one?
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 21 August 2014, 10:43 AM
Brrr, it's cold!

Ever since I got Mrs W, one of the things on my to do list has always been to recommission the air-conditioner.  For a long time, I have been umming-and-ahhing, not really knowing what to do.  I had asked Joe Brasile for some advice, and he suggested that I look at keeping the system as original as possible, i.e. to stick with R12.  This would prove to be the most reliable and efficient solution.  He mentioned that I would need to change my expansion valve, the receiver dryer, and probably have the compressor re-built.

So now I had a starting point.  John Haynes confirmed that the system was kaput: "A/C receiver dryer unit full of moisture, suspect A/C expansion valve U/S (low side very low and no cooling)".  The desiccant in the dryer had made its way into the expansion valve...

After a lot of head scratching, I decided to go the replacement route.  After much Internet searching, I found a place in the States (discountacparts), that could supply me with a new compressor, and I mean new.


This is a modern re-design of the Delco (GM) A6 compressor. It has an aluminum body versus the original cast iron, which results in a 20lb weight savings (original design is 36 lbs, and this version is 16 lbs) although it still feels heavy!   This compressor uses modern internals, a modern spring-plate clutch, and is fully compatible with R12 or R134a refrigerant.


Next hurdles were the small peripherals, namely the receiver dryer, expansion valve, pressure and temperature switches.  My local M-B dealer was able to help with the pressure and temperature switches, but not the expansion valve.  This was sourced again from the States (I bought an extra one for keeps sake), although it was also widely available on eBay Germany.  I also bough a new replacement boot for the temperature switch as the old one was perished.


The receiver dryer was my bitter sweet, buy a unit for a LHD car, and it can be had for as little as £30, but the RHD version, only available from the agents, (and there went another lobe of my liver) at five times the price of LHD unit.  The LHD dryer cannot fit the smaller RHD V8's (350 or 450) since the openings and window are reversed, which means it would need to be installed upside-down and back-to-front. 


So, I now had all my parts, and was ready to proceed.  I took the car down to John Haynes and left it with them.  The Technician was quite impressed with the shiny new compressor, I would have preferred a matte finish myself.  He wasn't sure about the pre-loaded oil, as it was PAG-46, compatible with R134.  I contacted the compressor supplier, and they too confirmed to use mineral oil if using R12 (quite helpful guys).


And so, the system was cleaned and flushed, the new parts installed, and the system charged with R22 (R12's direct drop in replacement, soon itself to be replaced by R417a) and a leak detection dye.  It was then tested and all checked out okay: the condenser and evaporator, and all the lines are leak free.


On the way home from John Haynes, I had occasion to try the air-con several times.  It blows a lot cooler than that in my A6, even when on a low setting.  Hopefully, we'll have a very hot bank holiday weekend in the Moselle valley, and I can really get to enjoy the air-con.  I wonder what effect it will have on fuel consumption?  I should think it would have little influence, as the large engine is sure to cope easy with the extra drag, or I may be totally wrong here, and it has a very significant effect?  Time, I suppose will tell.


I did a few other bits and bobs too.  I managed to get my new number 6 on to the spark plug lead.  I re-routed the cruise control cable to pass over the air cleaner.  I need to get the clip that holds it on to the air cleaner intake snorkel, anyone know the part number?


After my windscreen surround issue, I found a new RHS piece on eBay Germany at a bargain price.  The same seller had a new combination switch, probably ordered in error, and I picked that up from him too and a very reasonable price. 


So, there I was, disassembled the knee rolls, the air duct, unscrewed the combo switch, tied a string on to the plug section, and began to remove it.  Well, this was a labour of love, it took some jiggrey-pokery to get it up through the steering column housing.  I had to go easy here, as I didn't want to break the old Bakelite plug, which was probably fragile.  If the wires all spilled out it would be difficult to reassemble them in the correct position, and if the new switch was wrong, then I would be unable to use the car.


My next issue was the new switch is slightly different than the old: some of the wires were a different colour, there are also extra icons on the lever, and the place where the hooter is connected is different.  After careful perusal I got everything reconnected, and then tested for good measure.  Now my indicators will self cancel every time.  All is well, beside my washers, I can hear the motor running, but no water.  There must be a blockage somewhere in the system as the reservoir is full...


I sprayed my rusty exhaust tail pipes with some high temperature black exhaust paint.  I also lightly sprayed over the inner edges of the wheel arches with an aerosol of classic white 737 that I had made up to hide the rust a little.  Don't want the Germans tutting when they look at Mrs W's flanks...


My last job was to replace my front number plate, which was delaminating.  I had one run up quickly at Halfords, ugly as it is, I have installed it on the car.  I cleaned and polished the mounting plate, swapped the pan-head screws for some counter-sunk ones that hold the mounting plate to the plastic lugs that fit into the bumpers.


I do have a new full set of plates for Mrs W, made up with the original supplying dealer's name and near enough the same font for the letters.  The plates are almost identical to those on the car, which are still the originals!  I'll put these new plates on when I get the bodywork done.


Off on my wine run, more from the Moselle to follow.


Keep 116ing,
Gavin


P.S, Yes John, it cannot be installed with the screen in place.  I knew we were going to have to cut the new seal in any case when we did the body repairs, but it was annoying to have lost the one trim, and have the other mangled to bits...
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: KenM on 23 August 2014, 05:51 PM
Hi Gavin,
Nice work as usual, I have to say though that I am astounded that anyone would put R22 into a vehicle a/c system. It's just not suitable for that purpose and the problems are several;

1. The operating pressures will be vastly higher than with R12 or 134a. This will cause problems with leakage eventually, from hoses, the compressor shaft seal also I imagine.

2. Depending on the type of hoses you have R22 could cause scouring of the inner lining and deterioration of the hoses.

3. I imagine you might have icing problems in the evaporator when running on low fan speed, causing flooding at the compressor and washing the oil out of it = big problems - $$

Take some advice from other local vehicle a/c specialists, but I would get the stuff out of there tout suite.

With the compressor oil, it is fine to run R12 on synthetic oil (not that you can get 12 now anyway), just can't use 134a with mineral.

Cheers,
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 25 August 2014, 04:46 PM
Hitch your skirt 'n run

We started latish on Thursday evening, refueling in Roehampton, and making our way down to Folkstone.  The trip went well, we arrived safely, had a late dinner, and off to bed.  The morning began at 6am, by 7:20 we were on the Eurostar making our way under the sea to France.

We travelled from Calais via Belgium and then on to Germany.  We stopped in Verviers for a spot of lunch, and a further stop just short of Luxembourg for a re-fueling.  I managed about 320 miles on 74 liters of fuel, I don't think too bad?  I also discovered that my washer tubing had got trapped, and this was the reason that my windscreen washers were not working.  A quick re-routing of the tubes, and the washers are working as intended.

We entered Germany in the mid afternoon, made our way to the Moselle Valley, and on to Bernkastel-Kues where we would be based for a couple of days.  We chose this village as it was the most 'happening' of the villages, including the €18 ticket to see the Riesling museum where you have the opportunity to taste well in excess of 100 Riesling wines.  We managed to get through about 70 of the more trocken or dry types, and avoided the semi-sweet and sweet.  Naturally, we weren't downing the wine, and used a spittoon to avoid getting absolutely legless and possibly hospitalised.  There was indeed a sweet Riesling, sporting the number 116!

I did come across a few nice classic cars on the road and in the parking lots in Bernkastel.  Mrs W went down very well with anyone who saw her: mainly older German folk on tour, and although I did spot a C107 (aka SLC), sadly no other 116's.  The closest we came was a W126 with a really cool number plate!

Monday morning was time to say goodbye to the land of Riesling, and just as well, I don't think I could drink any more white wine...  And so, an opportunity presented itself.  Whilst making our way back to Calais, I though I would hitch Mrs White's skirt, and see how she could run on the Autobahn.  Well, Mrs White got the better of me, and I chicken out when the speedo needle touched 200.  She still had some go, and although she felt rock steady and at ease, I just wasn't game enough.

The rest of the drive home turned out to be very slow cruising, as there was an absolute deluge from the Belgium border.  We encountered the usual trouble of slow moving traffic around the Brussels ring road, and again near the Tunnel in Calais.  I once again refueled, returning similar results as before.

Would like to spring Mrs White one last time this year if possible before she goes in for her bodywork.  Ken, I will certainly look into the R22 situation.  I shall quiz the garage, and ask how many vehicles they have charged with R22, and what problems they have encountered.  Not sure what other drop in gas could be used, other than R417a?  I will have the opportunity to change the gas when I have the bodywork done, as the radiator will have to be removed, ipso-facto the evaporator.

Keep 116'ing

Gavin

P.S.  I discovered, that you can click on the photo attachments to see a larger good quality version of the photo.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: KenM on 02 September 2014, 08:05 AM
Fabulous pics Gav, quite a few grapes on that thar hill...

With the 417a, this is another replacement for R22, mostly used for domestic and commercial a/c and for commercial refrigeration. Haven't seen it much here, I think it is fairly expensive. Being a blend would be a pain if you had a leak, you couldn't just top it up, come to think of it this doesn't apply to vehicle a/c so much though. I'll be very interested to hear what information you can find out about the R22 situation.
Cheers,
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: jbrasile on 05 September 2014, 09:12 PM
Hi Gavin,

Haven't posted in quite some time....

Reading through your progress reports on the 116  I second Ken's opinion with regards to R22 being used in your a/c system. Make sure the a/c shop  DID NOT use it or you run the  risk of ruining your brand new compressor if not worse. By the way I saw this new "version" of the A-6 from Retroair and really liked the concept, that's probably where you got yours  from right?, I may try it on the 450SEL soon.

Going back to the R-22, what Dupont reccomends as a direct R-12 replacement is the Isceon-39 which is R423A if I am not mistaken. I tried it a while back when I thought R-134A wasn't cutting it and to be honest, it didn't do much better. If nothing else I noticed my original A-6 was working harder and became noisier at certain rpm's

I have e-mailed Retro Air to see if they make a multi-flow condenser for our cars and will post the answer here. If we can get a more efficient condenser and compressor + a proper R134A expansion valve I am pretty sure we can overcome the lower performance of R134A in these older systems.

Tks

Joe

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 22 December 2014, 12:22 AM
Spotted in Auckland
On holiday visiting my brother and sister-in-law in Castor Bay, Auckland.  Whilst driving trough Takapuna, we spotted this 280SE.  Does it belong to a W116.org member?  (I couldn't find the 'spotted' post to upload the photo.)


Season's Greetings


(Forgot to add, its been a real 1970's Benz day, also saw a silver 450SLC coming out of Victoria Square car park in Auckland.)

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 01 May 2015, 02:27 PM
Spotted in Spain


Not really done much on the Benz lately, but working on a new air-box project, thinking about getting a FrankenCIS, and of course awaiting my slot at the body shop.  I did however come across these guys today.


Enjoy,


Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 17 May 2015, 11:17 AM
Air-box finished and first 116 spotted in UK

Finally finished my new air-box project today.  I cobbled together an air-box form a W126 500SE and a R107 500SL to make a new double snorkel air-box.  I chose to do it this way rather than use a double snorkel air-box off a W126 (gen II) 500/560, as my version now has equal sized snorkels.  I finished painting the air-box and lid with heatproof black paint, and re-riveting the snorkels just this morning.


I have also got some air intakes from a R129 500SL, and will need to figure out a way to mount these in the air dam-area.  I will need to cut the LHS snorkel at the time of fitting.  I need to get a new smaller battery to allow routing air intake ducting (will need to be deformable) to connect all the components together.  Still a long way to go, but getting there slowly but surely.  There is also a great weight saving using the ally air-box vs the metal one.


Whilst heading off to work late this morning to do a little gardening on our roof top terrace, I spotted my first ever 116 (a 6.9) on UK roads!  It was seen sailing serenely by just after the Harrods store on Brompton Road.


Keep 116ing  ;) ,
Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: littlefin on 17 May 2015, 03:20 PM
Quote from: gavin116 on 17 May 2015, 11:17 AM


Whilst heading off to work late this morning to do a little gardening on our roof top terrace, I spotted my first ever 116 (a 6.9) on UK roads!  It was seen sailing serenely by just after the Harrods store on Brompton Road.


Apparently driven by Kojak  8)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 05 June 2015, 03:56 PM
     The new cold air intake

For a long time now I have been pondering the idea of increasing the amount of air available for combustion, and at the same time to deliver cooler more dense air to the engine too.

The plan of action had to be a double snorkel set-up as per a W126·560 SE/L/C, and either relocating the battery to the boot, or to use a smaller battery to enable the ducting to pass forward to the lower grille area.

Where to start?  The Internet and eBay of course, where I discovered several options.  I finally decided on getting an air-box from an early W126·500SE/L/C, and another from a R107·380/420/500SL.  The advantage of using these air-boxes were twofold: the SL air box meant I would get a large intake on the left, and at the same time the lower part of the housing doesn't need plugging where the SE/L/C air-box has a pollution air injection filter thing.  The air-box and lid need capping off where the KE-jetronic air flow meter spike protrudes.

So, I removed the snorkel from the W126 air-box, traced the outline of the holes to be cut into the R107 air-box.  I used a Dremmel tool to do the cutting, and a pair of pliers to slowly tease the aluminium into shape.  Some cleaning up with a sanding disk and a file, and job done.

Next the air cleaner housing was painted with a few coats of matte black heatproof paint, followed by a few more coats of heatproof satin clear lacquer.

Some 80mm flexible ducting and a few air intake scoops from a R129·500/600SL, and I was ready to do business.   Still missing is some silicone ducting (83mm inner diameter) to connect the snorkels and air ducting together.  The LHS snorkel will need to be trimmed to remove the rim to facilitate the marriage of the two components.  I may yet go with the ducting from a W126, may be neater and more factory looking in the end, time will tell.

I visited the local M-B dealer in Brentford and acquired a new 74Ah batter, and the red cover for the positive terminal, and I was all set.  The changeover was relatively straight forward, but routing the hoses will be a challenge.  Mounting the intake scoops will also be difficult.

I think I will need to direct the intake ducting to the rear of the headlamps where they meet the radiator.  There is a small factory gap – an air dam, which will let in cooler air.  Perhaps when they are doing my new paintwork, I could get the paint-shop to enlarge these openings.  I will need to see if I can somehow mount the air intake scoops in this area, but it will not be plain sailing.  The earth cable to the battery sits in the way too.

Speaking of earth, I now have a bouncy fuel gauge.  It is annoying to say the least...  I have cleaned up the terminals under the first-aid kit to no avail.  So it has to be an earth, but that doesn't explain why the rest of the gauges are rock steady.  Anyone care to shed a little light on this?
Not long to go now, and she'll be wearing new paint.

Till then, keep 116'ing. ;)

Gavin
     

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: oversize on 05 June 2015, 04:33 PM
Nice work!  What about the REMOVABLE panel below the headlights?  I'm sure your panel shop could rig something up that is semi-hidden....

Yes you'll get cold air and improve flow but there's no avoiding the fact the K Jet air boxes have a design flaw.  The internal hump that fits over the fuel divider blocks at least 1/3 of the flow making parts of the airfilter almost useless!
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: oversize on 05 June 2015, 04:37 PM
Oh the 'spotted'  thread is actually listed as 'Sightings'.  How did you spot the 6.9 from so far away and have you camera at the ready?  I'd be struggling to get my phone out of my pocket, let alone have a camera handy so quickly!
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 05 June 2015, 04:42 PM
Good suggestion Richard, but I have headlamp wipers, and the motor sits behind those, so not feasible. :-[
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: oversize on 05 June 2015, 04:44 PM
Does the motor take up all the space?  Where'd you get Richard from?

Mark...
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: oversize on 05 June 2015, 04:47 PM
You could try a guard vent W124 diesel style?  Or bring a vent up from under the car (but the road surface will be hot on a hot day).  Or bite the bullet and go through the bonnet!
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 22 July 2015, 10:45 AM
Bare you say?

Today I went to see how things are progressing with my light bare metal windows out restoration.  Thankfully, the car has few hidden surprises, and is in remarkably good shape considering the nature of our weather.  The car is wearing original paint only, and I was shown the layers: original factory "e-coat", primer and paint.  The doors are all good, only minor surface rust in both rears where the ¼ window meets the bottom rear of the framework.  I am replacing the driver'd door with a new M-B part, as the window frame is kinked (I suspect from rolling it out of a garage and catching it on the opening).


The rear fenders are really great, but we have to part remove them as the inner fenders are rusted.  Such a pity to have to cut into a virgin panel, but what can we do?  I see the sills are as yet not stripped, but early indications are that they are good.  The left boot tub will need work, which I knew from before.  I'll know more at my next appraisal visit.


New pattern part fenders have been sourced, originals NLA from M-B.  I let them source the fenders, as there are pattern parts, and then there are pattern parts.  I have in addition bought quite a lot of new trim, for example side rubbing strips, main part of rear bumper, all new grill components etc.  At the same time, I have also sourced an entire new lock set, as ignition tubers are NLA - I don't know what M-B or Huff expect one to do when these pack up...


The ally boot (trunk) lid is unfortunately a no go.  It was a little accident damaged, but the main problem being it's shape and fit.  Panel gaps vary from 3.5 mm to 8 mm, and it is a little short where it meets the tail lights.  Having never worked with 116 ally parts, it is an unknown quantity for the body shop.  Stuart (my project manager) tells me on Pagodas for example, new ally bonnet and boot lids are oversized, and trimmed to fit the opening of each specific car.  Perhaps that's the way it was with 300SDs, who knows?


If the rear fenders were being replaced in their entirety, then it could have been made to fit more uniformly.  As I am going to all this expense, and given its accident free, I want the car to be as near perfect as possible, so, I am sticking with the original boot lid.  I will try sell the ally one on ebay.


The ally bonnet (hood) is yet to make it's way to Goring-by-sea, but should be less of a problem.  As we are fitting new front fenders, this will leave us with a little leeway to get panel gaps correct etc.  The front end however has rust in the LHS headlamp bowl, and behind this on the inner fender too.  I have taken the decision to remove the front end completely, and refit a brand new slam panel.


I have been given five shades of 737 to choose from.  The 'number 1' shade from the factory doesn't look as cold as what the car wears in the door shut areas (i.e. unexposed and nicely protected, near original), and is quite a warm colour.  It is the first of the three cards.  Had the car not been so original, it would be wearing 702 Smoked Silver.  As such, I am leaning to going with the stock shade, instead of the bluer or yellower shades.


Now if I could just try and keep to the budget...


Keep 116ing  ;) ,


Gavin
Title: Re: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 05 August 2015, 02:04 PM
Where's my smile?

I have had an update from the restoration shop.  All the body work that was previously stripped has now been epoxy primed.  The sills have been stripped back, investigated and repaired as needed.  The rear arches have been cut  :'(  to expose the inner arches.  Rust repairs will be carried as needed, and the stone-chip removed in its entirety, replaced with a more modern-day equivalent.


Work on the front end continues well.  The new fenders fit really well!  The new/old aluminium bonnet/hood is good to go.  The front end has been stripped out, making access to the inner front fenders and engine bay much easier.  We are doing a very limited amount of work in the engine bay, I just can't quite get there to do an engine/gearbox out restoration.  It's difficult as it is trying to keep on budget...


More pictures and updates to follow as I get them.  I'll be visiting the car in person when its primed and ready for colour in about two weeks time.  Quite excited to see how the ol' gal's getting on.


Keep on 116ing  ;)


Gavin
Title: Re: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: slfan on 05 August 2015, 09:12 PM
Thank you for the update. Extremely helpful post.

Please maintain us informed of the progress.  Despite eventual frustrations, your restoration must Be extremely satisfying..

Regards,
Slfan
Title: Re: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: floyd111 on 29 August 2015, 09:20 PM
I am always quietly observing your thread, and I am sure you'll end up cheering in the end. Impressive!
If you get stuck for certain parts, feel free to drop me a line. I do about 2 hours of global hunting every day of the year, in 6 languages.
I bump into stuff all the time, so you'll never know. It's no sweat.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 01 September 2015, 07:37 AM
That's better!

(from 20 August 2015)


I went down to see the car today. This will be the last that I see the car before the colour coat is applied as I have other commitments on the go. The car wears its second base coat as it stands. All the wheel tubs, sills and inner aspect of the front fenders have been stone guarded. At the moment they are still flattening the second base coat. Once this is done, then the door shuts will be painted, all the panels refitted and checked for final alignment.

It's then my understanding that 2 layers of base coat Classic White 737 shade 1 will be applied. The car then receives a further 4 layers of clear coat. This gets flattened and mopped, followed by clear waxoil in the wheel tubs, chassis legs etc where there is body colour finish, and the underside will get the traditional brown coloured wax oil.


We are in the process of fabricating a few more air dams in the front slam panel to allow more cold air to enter the engine bay. I would have done it before marrying the panel to the front end, but I think there was an issue regarding distortion if it were done the other way.
After seeing Squggle Dogs recent project, I will see if I can do the W126 auxiliary fan upgrade only. Speaking of upgrades, I got my steering wheel back from being leather covered, and I'm loving it. Pity it took the "S-Class coupe" shop two and a half years and double the original quote to get it done. I'll vote with my feet  >:( .


I am also in a dilemma about some new rims. I want to upgrade to R129 rims, which are 8" and offset 34 compared with my current Bunts that are 6 ½" offset 25. I know I will need to use at least a 3mm spacer in order that the inside of the rims clear the steering knuckles. The big question is do I go with 3, 5, 10, 12 or 15mm spacers. I'll have them tacked in 5 places to the rims using a TIG welder. And will this thicker rim still fit in my wheel well in the boot?


I already bought a rear centre section for my bumper, but today I learned I need to get a new stiffener, as the whole ensemble is rusted beyond what is feasible to repair. Lucky this time I dodged a bullet, as its quite an economic swap to get new parts from M-B rather than attempt repair.


More updates in a month's time, till then keep on 116ing ;) ,


Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Squiggle Dog on 02 September 2015, 08:30 AM
Mrs. White looked great before, but now she will be perfect. That's unfortunate that the alloy trunk lid didn't fit. I just got a replacement for my 300SD because the one on my car has lots of thick black paint running down the inside of it (and I shudder to think of the cost to have the old one stripped to bare metal and E-coated).

I will, however, have to have the radiator core support replaced as you did. I shudder to think of the cost! My car was hit hard on the right front corner and it buckled the core support to where it pushed both front fenders over a few millimeters.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: ptashek on 02 September 2015, 11:20 AM
She's looking great sir!
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: littlefin on 02 September 2015, 11:41 AM
Looking good Gavin. Keep on smiling  :)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 04 September 2015, 12:32 AM

A breath of fresh air

Thanks to all for the words of encouragement.  The car is coming along nicely, it should be in base coat about now, just awaiting an update from the body-shop.  In the meanwhile however, I just received pictures from the body shop showing the upgraded air dams in the front slam panel. This will greatly improve the cold air intake system I want to implement.

You will notice that the original air dams are enlarged downwards as much as possible. A rolled edge is applied to strengthen the ensemble. Similarly a second new air dam is created in the same way. In effect, I get 300% more air to enter each side.  When you look past the slam panel, it's possible to notice that the engine bay area is in the process of being tidied.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: s class on 07 September 2015, 02:59 AM
I used to use those early R129 rims on my 280SE, and they worked well.  To ensure correct handling and steering response, you want to stay close to an offset of 30 (which is what the original bundts were).  I would definately not go lower than 25.  I used 3mm spacers which gave an effective offset of 31.  3mm was the thickest I could go without running into problems with the hubcentricity mounting arrangement.  You are correct, 3mm is the bare minimum required to clear the front tie rods.  Additionally, you will not be able to use traditional knock-on balancing weights, you will have to use modern stick-ons. 
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: slfan on 07 September 2015, 12:08 PM

Thanks for the update.  Your posts are always educational for me.

Regards,

Slfan
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 09 September 2015, 10:53 PM
Hi S-Class


Greetings from Peru! Sadly only seen one W123, no W116's or Paddington Bear  :( . Nice to get the feedback about the rims.  I'll go with the 3 mm rim spacers.  I do however have three questions:
Many thanks,


Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: s class on 10 September 2015, 04:38 AM
- Not sure if longer bolts are really necessary.  I still used the standard ones.  You could put one of the bolts through the rim and measure how far it protrudes, (less of course 3mm), and compare this to how bundt bolts protrude through bundt rims, and then make a decision.

- I don't think you will have wheel bearing issues because you are keeping the offset very close to the original ET30.

- I never tried fitting the 8Jx16 wheel into the spare wheel well.  Diameter should be OK if you use 225/50R16, maybe a little tight with 225/55R16.  I would think that the width of the wheel will prevent the well lid closing properly though.  I always just carried a bundt with 205/70R14 as a spare. 
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 01 October 2015, 01:46 PM
The empress has new clothes
     I went down to the body shop today to see the car for the first time in five weeks.  It was a really awesome sight.  The paintwork is truly lustrous, a wonderful depth and shine.  It still has two weeks to go in the paint shop before it's ready to be sent back to the main workshop where reassembly can begin.

In the meanwhile, I dropped off my W126 fan for the fan upgrade, should go well on my re-cored radiator; looks the bee's knees.  I also dropped off my new R129 rims and 4 by 3 mm spacers, which will be tacked on when the wheels are chemically stripped and refinished.

I also dropped off my leather-covered steering wheel so it can be fitted.

Hopefully there is very little left to replace and do for the time being, but I'm not holding my breath – I'm already 100% over budget.

My steering box has sprung a leak, but luckily it only needs a new gasket.  (Confirmed last service when the box was adjusted, that it is still well within specs).

Once its all back together, she's booked in for a service, and this time round, replacement of the steering damper and engine mounts.  Next year it's suspension time...

More later, keep 116ing, ;)

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: s class on 01 October 2015, 04:14 PM
Very VERY nice indeed. 
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: ptashek on 01 October 2015, 04:49 PM
Nearly there! How long has it been since you last drove the car?
You scare me with the "already 100% over budget" thing... I still have a long way to go before Goldie's done.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 02 October 2015, 01:24 AM
Hi S-Class,
Thanks for the comment.  It really does look good, I can see where my money has gone.  The car did have 'good bones' to start with, rust in the inner wheel arches all round, LHS boot tub, and around the front slam panel.  Surface rust in the engine compartment and leading edge of the bonnet.  All the panels are original and not only rust free, but accident free too!  I did change the driver's door, as there was a kink in the window frame (I'm a bit OCD...) which would have always showed.  I changed the bonnet to the 300SD aluminium type to help improve weight, sadly the boot lid was not in spec for this car.  There was only one repair to a jacking point previous, so the sills are original too (checked with a borescope and confirmed rust free)!  I'm very happy so far with the results.


Lucas, yep, it's very difficult sticking to my planned restoration.  I think your way was the easier path to follow.  Total rebuild, no compromise, so you  probably had a good idea of your spend from the beginning.  For me, as I am doing a light restoration, I have had to make several compromises, but where needed I have bought new parts, for example, rear mid bumper section, or A-pilar aluminium garnishes.  In both cases, I would have like to replace all these trims in their entirety.  I have taken the restorer's advice, and where that have for instance said, you need new parts here, I have relented: like door rubbing strips, the new black and chrome should 'pop-out-' against the new Classic White. 


Even so it's just so difficult sticking to the budget, and one has to draw the line somewhere.  Like you, I do it because I love the car!  Don't obsess too much about the budget, our cars are like kids: somehow you afford them, but if you tried to 'save-up' till you could afford them, then humanity would have died out long ago.


Enjoy 116ing
;D
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: floyd111 on 02 October 2015, 06:48 AM
I second that.
Title: Re: GRAND PRIX RADIO install in W116?
Post by: Hotbasco on 03 November 2015, 12:07 PM
Did you have to modify the dash any to accept the Becker newer GRAND PRIX unit? My GP radio has slides on the side to slide into the SL dash...

Our W116 has an aftermarket BLAUPUNKT from Germany. I own a GRAND PRIX head unit from a late 80's SL. Was the sound quality and operation worth the effort to replace your older radio?

Thanks in advance for the advice.

For review of our car:
http://s902.photobucket.com/user/mariottimichael/library/450SEL%20Euro%20Driver
or
<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://s902.photobucket.com/user/mariottimichael/embed/slideshow/450SEL%20Euro%20Driver"></iframe> (//http://://s902.photobucket.com/user/mariottimichael/embed/slideshow/450SEL%20Euro%20Driver"></iframe>)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 03 November 2015, 02:45 PM
Hi Hotbasco


The Becker Grand Prix 2000 model 1319 was a direct fit.  This radio looked very beautiful with my black and white interior, despite it being a little modern for the vehicle.  It dates from the early 80's.  Sound quality was reasonable. 


In reality, we should be using the radio that the Germans refer to as the washing machine knob radio (the knobs match the air-conditioner and fan switchgear reasonably closely)  That will be a Becker 300/400/500.  The sound quality is poorer still despite the inclusion of an amplifier on the top level 'Mexico'.  The earlier W116's were fitted with pinstripe Beckers, but I feel they belong in W108/9 and W113's where the switchgear matches the radio knobs exactly.


I have quite sneakily under-the-radar swapped out the Grand Prix 2000 1319 for a Becker Audio 10 (again a direct fit).  It doesn't look out of place despite being from the late 90's.  It is quite discrete, still has the quintessential cassette tape slot which lends an authentic feel.  The sound quality is very good - running Konigs at the rear and Philips at the front.  This radio runs cooler than the 1319.  I'll lake a photo next time I see the car.


The wiring is all in-situ, the aerial and trigger wire are in the radio recess, as is a brown earth wire, and a red/green power supply radio.  You will need to run some additional wiring if you want the lights to come on for example when you turn on the headlamps etc.  You will need to run your own speaker cabling though.  I recently re-did all mine, complete with protective sheathing, heatshrink, and the correct terminals.


Hope this all helps.


Keep 116'ing
;)


Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 27 November 2015, 01:28 PM
How long is a piece of string...


Went down to see how the Benz was getting on.  Things are progressing nicely now, the glasswork is back in with all new seals, no windscreen popping (fingers crossed).  A lot of trim has been re-installed both inside and out.  The interior is almost entirely back in, including the B-pillars that were re-trimmed as the covering pulled away from the escutcheons.

The mag wheels have gone off to be refurbished (the ones in my picture are the garage stock wheels in the same vein as mine), but no one was prepared to tack the spacers on to the wheels.  So I guess they will have to sit in-between as designed, and not be integral as I wanted them.  I wonder if I need to put any anti-seize paste on the fitting surfaces?

Going to go with GoodYear tyres (efficient grip performance 225/50 R16 92W), a nice middle of the road option, I thought as I don't use the car daily, and I am weary of the tyres developing flat spots from storage (although the Hankooks on the original Bundts are perfect - a credit to the storage facility).

I really need to source some nice A-pillar aluminium trims, mine are damaged, and new ones are NLA.  PM me if you have a good scratch and milky free pair to sell.

All hollow cavities and the insides of the doors have been sprayed with M-B clear preservation wax.  We decided not to do the headlamp bowls, engine bay or the wheel arches, as the actual colour of the wax is beige (see some excess on the ramp in the 'side-on' photo).  Bumpers are also being cleaned on the inside, re-sprayed M-B beige-grey, and they'll also get the M-B preservation wax treatment.

All new side rubbing strips installed.  Fuel tank is being taken out to enable removal of the last old tow hitch bolt.  My new non-central locking lock-set has thrown up a problem:  The boot lock is of a different design, so I will need to see if we can change the physical tangs inside the lock itself.  The barrel cannot simply be swapped, as the rear is totally different.

Lots still to go, and then Mrs W still needs her service too.  Overall however, I'm a very happy chappy, pleased with the restoration so far.

I'm still awaiting the pain of the final instalment: how long is a piece of string...
:o

Keep 116'ing,
Gavin

Edit 28 Nov
P.S. you can click on the actual pictures for higher resolution images.  You can click on the little safety pins below the photos and a slightly higher res picture should pop up in a separate window.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: floyd111 on 28 November 2015, 06:45 PM
my my, that's pretty! Fantastic contrast between the glass, rubbers chrome and white paint.
Make sure you get that trim you talk of. It would be such a shame to have ugly spots in this ocean of beauty.
BTW..it is possible to have aluminum chromed. It's a different process from anodizing. I have had it done to Ohlins shocks for my Honda Aero. It's just not as hard as hard-anodizing. (Just in case you can't find your trim.)
You may also let me have the trim part numbers you need. I am dealing with 3 NOS suppliers at the moment, and I may have a few pieces too many on order. At this point, I just buy all the NOS trim I can get my hands on, in no way worried to get stuck with it later on.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 29 November 2015, 03:41 PM
Hi Floyd

I'm in love with Mrs W too!  The problem is now that everything is looking almost new again, there are a few items that let the car down.  I was speaking with my project manager about replacement parts and quote, un-quote " there's a person in Malaysia that's buying up all the 116 stock"  I'm sure meaning you and Taiwan.  ;)

Stuart (my project manager) did show me some re-chroming that they had done for a R107 hard-top.  The problem is the process is different to anodising, and the chroming process is actually nickel plating if I understand the process correctly.  This leaves the 'chromed' pieces a blueish grey colour as opposed to our original whitish silver finish.  For it to fit in, the rest of the roof and C-pillar trim would need to be redone too.

I have some part numbers: 116 698 05 89 and 116 698 06 89.  If you do have any to spare, I'd be delighted to reach an understanding with you. (Or anyone else on the forum.)

I really cannot wait to get the car back.  Too bad its inaugural trip will be on the back of a covered flat bed to storage...  But hey, come summer, and we'll be off to the Continent, hopefully higher up the Mosel valley on another wine run, failing which, a trip to France.

I might chat with our local M-B dealership to see if they want to host my car for a few weeks in their showroom in the earlier part of the year, a side-by-side S-Class promotional thing.  We'll see.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: floyd111 on 29 November 2015, 04:06 PM
yeah, that would be me, I guess, haha. I got nothing else to do and nobody else to @#* with.
Still, any surplus stuff will find its way back to the org at bottom pricing. I am not starting a warehouse.

I am expecting most of the pallets with NOS stuff to arrive here within the next 8 weeks, depending on country of origin and transport MO. Right now I have lost track good'n proper about what I bought, with several new deals pending.
If you give it a bit of time, I will have inventoried the lot, and by then I will know.
I will already post other NOS lists very soon, be it that there will be few mouldings on there for now, but I would imagine you still need a lot of other stuff as well.
In the meantime I will see where I can get you better answers on those 2 part numbers. 
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: floyd111 on 29 November 2015, 04:11 PM
I see both of them still available from MB, 91 euros each ex VAT.
I bought a few NOS, but only 15% cheaper.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 18 December 2015, 10:43 AM
In the starting blocks

I went down to do a further inspection today.  We're getting there, almost all done now.  The engine bay is all back together, the new W126 fan looks like it lived in there all its life.  The new aluminium bonnet (hood) is so different to the old sheet metal one, I'll have to tell the guys in storage not to push on the panel itself, but rather on the grille shell to close it.  I will fashion some proper cold air intake ducting over the summer.

The front windows are a pain in the (I).  New plastic sliders have been ordered, but the felt covered window channel rubbers have cracked.  I'm guessing they're probably NLA.  This is causing the windows to twist as they close.  Also see the picture of the inside door cavity, complete with new sound deadening pad and wax (this was the only door I replaced).

Quote from: Hotbasco on 03 November 2015, 12:07 PMDid you have to modify the dash any to accept the Becker newer GRAND PRIX unit? My GP radio has slides on the side to slide into the SL dash...

Our W116 has an aftermarket BLAUPUNKT from Germany. I own a GRAND PRIX head unit from a late 80's SL. Was the sound quality and operation worth the effort to replace your older radio?

Thanks in advance for the advice.

For review of our car:
http://s902.photobucket.com/user/mariottimichael/library/450SEL%20Euro%20Driver (http://s902.photobucket.com/user/mariottimichael/library/450SEL%20Euro%20Driver)
or
<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://s902.photobucket.com/user/mariottimichael/embed/slideshow/450SEL%20Euro%20Driver"></iframe> (http://<iframe%20width=)


I took a picture of the new stereo to show Hotbasco the current set up.  You can also see my refinished rear parcel shelf, the wood backing was replaced leaving a nice smooth even surface.

The new rims and tyres are on the car, I like the look, but not for the purists I suppose.  Also take a look at the spare rim I had done just in case.

Still need to do something with the locks, they're being sent off to Belgium.  The steering wheel is going in next week as well as one or two other bits 'n pieces.

Harv, I've included a picture of the new screen and seal (the 'lip' has been tucked under).  These guys have removed my windscreen twice, once to pull the sunroof, and now for the resto.  I have a small chip near the drivers side, and lucky no cracks, although I did loose both windscreen trims (left and right side/top pieces) after the sunroof, hopefully not this time though. ;D

Till next year, unless I spot another W116 in Auckland...

Gavin
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: daantjie on 18 December 2015, 10:45 AM
Nice 600 in the background there!
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 18 December 2015, 10:58 AM
Concentrate on the foreground ::) 

Quote from: daantjie on 18 December 2015, 10:45 AM
Nice 600 in the background there!


Edit: Here's two three more pictures that couldn't attach in the last post because of maximum size issues. (And another 600...)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: ptashek on 18 December 2015, 11:55 AM
The channels were available about 3-4 months ago. Things might have changed.
There's a company in the US, if memory serves, that makes custom ones and takes small quantity orders.
I'll post a link if I can find it.

Is there a reason why they haven't sprayed the door all-over? That light overspray, instead of a proper coat, looks like future rust trouble.

She's looking great. Especially all that chrome trim.

BTW: What are you using for cavity spraying? I've gone for the stuff made by Mike Sanders. It beat all the competition (bar one) hands down in a long-term 5-year test made by Autobild in Germany.

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 18 December 2015, 12:18 PM
Hi Lucasz

Great news about the window channels.  Hope they're still in stock.  It's quite amazing how all the rubber deteriorates.

In answer to the door, the new M-B supplied door comes with an e-coat already applied.  The outside skin, window frame and periphery are all treated to primer, undercoat etc.  That door is sprayed near enough like the original form the factory, including the other doors.  I should imagine not doing a full paint of the inner skin save heaps of paint in the long run (= more money saved for M-B).  I don't think it poses any future rust problems.  If you look at the sunroof refurb post, you'll note too how M-B did similar in the foot wells and the inner roof surface.

I have went with the generic M-B supplied cavity wax, available in clear (beige actually) or tinted (toffee coloured) finish.  Its been applied to all cavities, under the car, and behind all bumpers.

Perhaps this summer we'll need to get our act together and get the ol' girls to meet one another once they're all done.

Keep 116'ing
;)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: ptashek on 18 December 2015, 12:34 PM
Quote from: gavin116 on 18 December 2015, 12:18 PM
In answer to the door, the new M-B supplied door comes with an e-coat already applied.

The question was prompted by what I was told by some of the KTL (e-coat) vendors when researching this for my project. Apparently the coating has a tendency to oxidise quite rapidly (6+ months) if exposed. They have mostly talked about UV light, which is pretty obvious, but also mentioned humidity as a factor. The way to say if it's oxidising is to watch for milky discolouring that is easy to scrub off with your finger.

QuotePerhaps this summer we'll need to get our act together and get the ol' girls to meet one another once they're all done.

If mine's ready by then, and time permitting, sure thing. I think there's a big enough group here to call for a proper Org meeting.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Greazzer on 28 January 2016, 09:32 AM
Hey,

How did the aluminum hood and trunk lid work out finally?
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 28 January 2016, 04:10 PM
Hi Greazzer

Nice to see you back on the forum.  The hood went on well, the strengtheners were removed (metal not aluminium), the respective pieces taken down to bare metal, primed or what ever the paint-shop needed to do, painted and then re-assembled.  Its on the car now.  When I went to close the hood for the first time at the body-shop, I was quite taken by the difference!  There is such a weight saving that it will not drop down into the shut position from say 12 inches like a metal hood.  The hood needs to be lowered by hand and the first click engaged. Then one needs to push down on the grille shell to push it fully home to the second click.  I suspect pushing on the hood could deform the aluminium.

The trunk lid was problematic to a degree.  The shut lines weren't perfect, and varied between 3 and 8 mm.  Being the perfectionist, it would have driven me mad, but that being said, it had to be pointed out to me first.  Things could have been sured up, but I was trying to keep to my already over stretched budget, so I pulled the plug on it.  (The ally trunk lid is now sitting in my front room looking for a new owner.)

When all was said and done, I blew the budget by such a huge margin, that in hindsight I should just have let them do the magic, and get it to fit.  Too late now, as the car is finished.  If I had easy access to another, I may have supplied them with a second trunk lid at the time, but not being in North America, it was logistically impossible to source and get shipped on time.

So, I guess you win some, you loose some, but overall very happy!  I'm signing off on the car tomorrow, and following it on the trailer to the storage facility.  Can't wait till the summer comes, we have already booked the Eurostar and our hotel in Piseport (Germany) to do a wine-run in Mrs W.

Many thanks for you help to supply the said parts.

Gavin

The trunk lid trial fitted on the car: http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/msg121783/#msg121783 (http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/msg121783/#msg121783)
The hood during restoration: http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/msg121926/#msg121926 (http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/msg121926/#msg121926And)
And the hood on the car: http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/msg124688/#msg124688 (http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/msg124688/#msg124688)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 31 January 2016, 09:39 AM
Nice touches

For those of you who have been following my story so far, you will know that I have just finished my body refurbishment project.  I fetched the car this Friday from John Haynes (http://www.johnhaynesmercedes.co.uk) and she is now safely back in storage, some seven months later.

My brief before we began the restoration was to attend to rust on the front and rear wheel arches, and to tidy rust in the engine bay as far as possible.  I had agreed to a full windows out bare metal re-spray.  I had acquired a few bits along the way that would be replacing some of the old tired parts, mainly trim and rubber pieces.  As with all projects, I found it difficult to stick to my own brief, and soon Mrs. W was dictating...

So, in an effort to loose weight, I decided to replace the bonnet and boot lids with aluminium ones (from a 300SD), and to get more fresh air into the engine bay: I wanted to create some new air dams, then there were the less nice, but more practical alloy rims, and so it went.  Not to mention the fitting of a W126 auxiliary fan as an upgrade.

There were a few surprises along the way, notably from my part, although I had agreed not to do the underneath of the car at this stage, I had assumed my original quote included the lower sills and wheel tubs, apparently an assumption too far.  And so up and up the budget went, at least there were no time constraints, and the car could be done in between other jobs as it were, at a consistent but leisurely pace.

Whilst paint preservation was not really an option on the outside, we did try to preserve some of the car's history.  You can see the sympathetic touches, for instance on the inner section of the doors.  Whist the outside, periphery and window frames were stripped back to bare metal, the inside panel retains some of the original paint and factory markings.  Especially inside the vehicle, most of my fittings and fixtures are original, and still very factory fresh.

There were lots of other little touches, such as retaining the tyre-pressure sticker on the inner surface of the petrol flap, or ensuring that the stone chip extends onto the inner lip of the wheel arch as per factory specifications.  Where needed we have went for new (when available, and where the budget permitted), like the trim clips and shims for the outer door moldings.  To this end, most of the external fittings have been renewed, especially things like the bumper bracketry.  Nothing taken off the car went back on unless it was neat, cleaned, refurbished and serviceable.

Whilst this will never be a concours winner, we have tried to stick to the original as far as possible.   But, at the same time, some functional alterations for example: new drains in the rear of the engine bay near the fire wall, as well as some modern technology has also been embraced: you will see the use of high-tech epoxy primers, high filler primer, under-coat, stone-chip, water-based base-coat (2 layers) and clear-coat (4 layers).  All in all, I should imagine we used close enough to the original factory specification of 32 kilograms of paint and body preservation wax.  In practice, hopefully this will be more serviceable, and last longer than the original paint the car left the factory in.

As the front end of the car had to be removed, now seemed like the best time to attend to the coolant radiator, which was not so good as it turned out, and had to be re-cored.  The air conditioner condenser was tested, and it only had to be treated to some combing and a new layer of 'technical' paint.  Then there was the pool of power-steering liquid under the car one morning, and so the steering-box had to be removed, and a new seal fitted.

Whilst the final bill was a sobering reality check, it was only whilst trawling through the shop photos that you begin to realise where all the money went.  Nice touches: like the cavity preservation wax behind the headlamp bowls, and re-painted inner surfaces of the bumpers in the original factory 158 whitegrey.  Not only the replacement of the vacuum elements in the central locking pods, but the body-shop also renewing all rubber connectors along the 37 year-old vacuum lines.  Or re-gluing the vinyl wrapping on the B-pillars where the old glue let go.  Or re-glueing the peeling factory parts sticker back on to the air conditioner dryer.  And, and, and...

So when all was complete, I hear you say, "Are you pleased with the result?"

Yes I am, but I still have a long way to go, she's by no means finished yet.  Next on the menu: sub-frames and suspension components.

Keep 116ing, ;) 

Gavin

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 31 January 2016, 09:41 AM
And some more photos
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: rumb on 31 January 2016, 10:36 AM
Your car looks wonderful!  I'm sure you are proud. I appreciate the retention of labels.  It's the small things that make a difference.

Is it correct that the inside of the chrome bumpers are painted body color?  Also that the inside of the front fenders receive "shults"
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Type17 on 31 January 2016, 10:51 AM
The inside of the bumpers on 60's Mercedes should be painted Mercedes White Grey (code 158), and if it's not the same colour for 70's cars/W116's, it's very similar.


Brilliant job, Gavin  :D
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 31 January 2016, 10:53 AM
Hi Rumb

Thanks for the kind words. All those layers on the inner fenders I presume are correct, the body-shop like to do things as precise as possible and to M-B original standards where possible.  The inner surface of the bumpers is 158 white grey, see on an original rear over-rider that I bought to replace a dodgy one http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/msg105722/#msg105722 (http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/msg105722/#msg105722)  The inner surface of the bumpers are not body coloured, my body colour just happens to be 'white', is 737 classic white, where I think the confusion sneaked in.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: ptashek on 31 January 2016, 03:00 PM
Brilliant result!
I'm all envious, yours is already done and I still have to wait for mine to get there :D
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: revilla on 31 January 2016, 06:57 PM
Double thumbs up Gavin.  She looks gorgeous!!!!

Too bad she went straight to storage.  I'd be itching to drive it after such long wait...

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: w116john on 31 January 2016, 07:20 PM
wow car looks really fantastic, well done enjoy it

john
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: floyd111 on 01 February 2016, 03:14 AM
She's a looker! Congrats!
Just, don't forget to polish that star! Missed a spot.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: rumb on 02 February 2016, 08:57 AM
ran across tis on sl113.org

Additional colors used on W113 vehicles:

Kofferraum innen: Tiefdunkelgrau, DB 164   Trunk inside: 164 dark grey
Heckdeckel innen: Tiefdunkelgrau, DB 164   Trunk lid, inside: 164 dark grey
Radkasten: Wagenfarbe UT   Wheel wells: body color
Schweller: matt schwarz DB 169   Rocker panels/Sills: flat black 169
Bumper innen: weissgrau DB 158   Inside of bumpers: white grey 158. Apparently RUST-OLEUM Painters Touch Ultra Cover 2x Almond Gloss is a good match in color and affords more rust protection (see http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=10791.0)

(According to discussion on http://www.sl113.org, there are many cars out there where the rocker panels are in another contrast color, or in body color. Any color other than black is not original.)

(According to another discussion starting in January of 2011 titled Rocker Panel Color, the idea has been presented that the rockers were, in fact, a dark grey, and not black. Also, they seem to be more of a semi-gloss than a flat finish. Original cars, with an original owner in one case, give good evidence that the rockers are dark grey. Additionally, there is evidence that there was paint brushed on the light colored screw heads to camouflage them.)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: adamb on 02 February 2016, 03:42 PM
The car is looking great, Gavin. Sounds like you'll be ready for a reunion in the summer...
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 30 August 2017, 04:09 PM
Oh, it's French inside

I know it's been an age, so time to catch up a little. So much has happened in a year and a half. Last time I made an entry on my 'blog', I had just enjoyed the delights of getting Mrs White back from her bodywork restoration by John Haynes. That was not unlike the feeling of driving off the showroom floor in a new car (and it still feels that way).

Roll on June 2016, and I took the plunge to enter Mrs White in the UK Mercedes Benz Club annual concors d'elegance. A lot of preparation went in to getting ready for the show despite the recent works. She was in a class for sedan vehicles over 30 years old. My main competitors were the smaller W123s. At the prize giving, I was absolutely bowled over when they announced the winner of this section and suddenly it dawned on me that it was my name they were calling out. Way to go Mrs White!

Our next outing was August where we once again made our way to the Mosel Valley in Germany. We had a wonderful trip as per usual, loaded up with some Riesling (the trocken variety mind) and put another good few trouble free miles on Mrs White. It was however becoming more and more obvious that the car was getting wallowy. She went in for her service, and then into storage for her annual hibernation.

A very long winter and spring was spent agonising about suspension work. I sent the car in for its service, and to replace the brake discs on the front, the auto transmission flexible cooling lines and install new window channel rubbers. All works were eventually completed but it did mean I couldn't make the concors or the S-Class day. It also means am now left with 4 new front window run rubbers as John Haynes managed to source some NLA rears from a secret source. I must put those up for sale. It also became apparent at this time that the front passenger electric window winder regulator which was 'repaired' in the past was close to failing. A newer stronger brace was added.

And so it was off to Rheims in France for some Champagne tasting, and from there on to Luxembourg. I collected the car, and we made our way down to Folkstone to spend the night, taking on fuel along the way filling the tank to automatic stop. I had just bought a new fuel sender unit as my old unit made for a very bouncy needle. Having pulled off the yellow safety sticker and removed the transport pin, I dully installed the unit on Friday morning prior to boarding the EuroTunnel, and no more needle issues.

However a new problem would soon raise its ugly head. I put the window down to get some directions from the staff, and when it came time to putting the window back up again: big problem. Something must have been left unsecured whilst the window run felts were being renewed. The window only went up by a margin before twisting and coming to a dead stop. A combination of hand manoeuvering and working the switch got the window up, where it was left for the rest of the trip.

I have to say that the car is otherwise performing flawlessly, and is such a pleasure to drive. The more miles, especially motorway miles you do, the better it seems to go! The car was parked for the next two days whilst we explored and tasted the delights of the region.

It was then time to decamp and head off to Luxembourg, at which time I pulled the car closer to enable packing our luggage. It was at this stage with the car closed that our young French doorman proceed to put our luggage in the boot. He went over to the passenger side door, opened it up to place two bottles of water in the console for our onward journey. With a startled and delightful look on his face he cried out, "Oh, it's French inside!" I just love the way 116s always evoke such strong emotion.

And so we continued our journey along the motorway. Near the French boarder, we stopped at a rest area, where we encountered a German driver of a new A6 estate with his young son. He was just so taken with the car and was explaining to his rather bored son that his dad had this same model and colour car in the seventies. How we joked about the fuel consumption...

Then, just before the Luxembourg boarder at Thionville, (luckily only a few metres from an off-ramp on the motorway), the car gave just one jerk, and that was it. No more fuel, suffice to say no more bouncy fuel gauge also translates as no reserve light that I was faithfully counting on.

Somehow, we freewheeled off the motorway to a point of safety, used our mobile apps, and started to walk to the nearest fuel station. Big mistake, we should have rather followed the route for the biggest name as it was closed. Having finally bought a 10 litre jerry can and topped it up with Total, a few kilometres walking and two hours later, I turned the ignition on and off for four cycles, hit the starter and it sprung to life!

We took in lunch, and headed off for the Total once again. In all we managed to put in 97.69 litres (including the 10 litres from the jerry can) before the automatic stop kicked in. I can confirm on this amount travelling at 140km/hr (85 mph) with the air con going, you can get 384.5 miles in a 450SE before you run out of fuel!

Luxembourg was quite delightful, we soon experienced all of its tourist attractions. The last day of our holiday would be spent driving back to the UK, taking in Waterloo to see the monument there, and stopping over in Ghent for a late lunch. We set off at 08H00 in the morning, the only issue was dew on the rear window.

My rear window demister doesn't seem to work. I have the "cheaper" version; toughened safety glass with horizontal gold stripes, not the compound glass with the almost invisible fine lines. When I push the button the icon lights up, but as I release it, the light goes out. Is this supposed to remain lit whilst the demister does its job?

I have a new relay I shall install as I think this could be where the problem lies. I will need to pull the dash instruments to get access. At the same time my indicators are still flashing perfectly well, but are now totally silent, so I have a new relay for that too whilst I'm in there. Hopefully I'll have a fully functioning rear window demister and audible indicators. Has anyone else had success when changing these?

We had a great time exploring the Waterloo monument, and a little while later, had an equally interesting time exploring the road markings in the old town of Ghent! Not wanting to repeat our previous mistake of low or no fuel, we filled the tank to the top again in Ghent having used only just a whisker under an indicated half tank or 214.9 miles.

We had a great late lunch, and then a reasonably easy drive to the sous la Manche. That all ended at the boarder control where we had a very long hot wait in a queue that made banking and the post office look like an expedite service. Sadly Mrs White doesn't like queuing: her temperature rose alarming to almost the very top of the heat gauge. We resorted to all windows down (except mine :-[ ), the sunroof open, and turning the engine off between our glacial forward movements.

The rest of the journey was completed without any difficulties: all in all another 1000 or so miles racked up of pleasurable real motoring. It's always food for thought when we decamp in the Audi, just how much new cars drive themselves and how small the steering wheels are! ;D

And so in a few weeks, it's back to John Haynes to have the suspension works done, both front and rear. They did replace the rear shocks at the service as the old ones were leaking. Hopefully no nasty surprises and we'll stay on budget...

Keep 116ing
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: ptashek on 30 August 2017, 07:30 PM
Great write-up Gavin! Congrats on the concourse win. With the Club folks being quite competitive, it definitely is an achievement. But I need to ask - how did the judges miss those non-standard alloys? ;)

Looks like you've had your fair share of trouble too. You've really sucked that tank dry, including the all the vapours, given it's ~96 litres nominal capacity :) I got stuck in French traffic earlier this year, in near 40*C midday heat, and can totally relate to the W116 not liking hot weather at all. The engine coolant in Goldie didn't go up all the way, but she was struggling with keeping decent idle RPM, and the transmission was getting jerky. And I still have issues with hot-starting, despite everything having been replaced. With your engine temperature trouble, have you had issues with hot-starting after a brief pause?

It's great to see another restored W116 being used as intended :)

p.s.: The demister light should stay on for a few minutes, when it's switched off by a timed relay.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: floyd111 on 30 August 2017, 08:01 PM
I learned from my mom, -after a lifetime of owning hand-me-down cars-, that overheating engines can be cooled down by opening all windows, turning the fan and the heater up to a maximum. Horrible on a hot day, but preferable to having to send the  car in for new head gaskets. Anyone can confirm this to be true?
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Harv on 30 August 2017, 08:36 PM
Quote from: floyd111 on 30 August 2017, 08:01 PM
I learned from my mom, -after a lifetime of owning hand-me-down cars-, that overheating engines can be cooled down by opening all windows, turning the fan and the heater up to a maximum. Horrible on a hot day, but preferable to having to send the  car in for new head gaskets. Anyone can confirm this to be true?

Yes, ideally that will cool the car down to get the car to safety. But it's just a quick emergency thing until you can get it fixed.

Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: karmann_20v on 30 August 2017, 10:01 PM
Car looks amazing, Gavin! There must be a reason for the overheating issue, I'd get that checked very soon.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 31 August 2017, 02:23 AM
Hi all

What great comments and helpful leads. On the concours front, I did get a reasonably high score, but did indeed loose points for those wheels, as well as my adapted air cleaner with dual snorkels. Phil may be able to tell you score, as he is a captain leader and will have access to them. I may enter next year, in which case I will get the old Bundt wheels refurbished, and I can re-install my old air cleaner.

No hot starting issues with the car. She always starts on the button. This high temperature thing may be pointing to a failing viscous fan, I shall certainly be mentioning it when the car goes in for service. I can remember as a child my father employing the windows down and heater on trick. Given he was a mechanic by trade, I think this really does work, but only as a temporary measure. The radiator was recored when we did the major body works, and all the hoses are new. So no issue there.

Lucas, off the top of my head, I think it is the accumulator that can give hot starting issues, it may be worth it to substitute this part, as the new one may be a dud. You'll need to look in the manual, it will give you a check list of items that will relate to hot starting issues.

So, I should be able to report back on the relay subject at some stage, and we'll see if everything works as intended.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Type17 on 31 August 2017, 02:43 AM
Great write-up, and great to see Mrs White doing what she was made for  :)


+1 on the heater-saves-head-gasket thing - my first car was a Mk1 Golf and, when I first got it, the thermo-switch that cuts in the electric radiator fan was dead, meaning that the temp was fine on the open road, but climbed rapidly in traffic. I can still remember, in my first week of ownership, sitting in static traffic in central London, with outside temperatures of ~27 degC, with all the windows open and the heater on full heat - I could see the heat-haze of the hot air swirling out of the top of the windows  :P   A new thermo-switch sorted things instantly.


With that in mind, if Mrs White's temp is good on the open road, but bad in traffic, you might check the fan's "torque converter" mechanism - it should spin freely when the engine is cold, but be a lot stiffer when under-bonnet temps are high, but the fluid in the torque converter that thickens in heat loses that property over time - you may need a new unit.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 15 November 2017, 04:13 PM
The thighbone connected to the knee bone, knee bone connected to the....

So, the time had come to tackle the next big job on Mrs. White's wish list: her suspension. Some of you will recall that I had to have the shocks replaced at the last service before our France/Luxembourg trip as some had leaked and collapsed. And so the work began.

The work started at the beginning of September, stripping the suspension components both front and rear. Some of the parts were sent for media-blasting and powder-coating and some for re-passivation, while other bits were renewed with brand new items.

At the same time, some collateral work was being done to refurbish the rear brake calipers (the fronts were done some years earlier) and the flexible lines were replaced at the same time. The diff was drained of the 38 year old oil and new oil introduced.

Where some of the suspension components bolt up against the chassis, there was a little surface corrosion that was discovered. After contacting me, I gave the go-ahead to have the rust treated now, while there was a good window of opportunity.

Some totally unrelated problems were dealt with too, including the driver's side window, which had collapsed. (I still need to find out what had went wrong here.) The viscous fan coupling was replaced, and now the car runs cool once more.

Once all the new parts were acquired from M-B, and the parts that were sent off for re-finishing were completed, it was time to put it all back together again. The wheel bearings were replaced and packed with grease. I must say that I am mightily pleased with the result. My only wish is that I could see the underside of the car as much as the bodywork. It is truly a sight to behold!

Keep 116ing
;) 


Edit: powder coated front bits should read powder coated rear bits  ::)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: ptashek on 15 November 2017, 06:34 PM
It does look awesome, doesn't it? Nicely done!

I often get into the pit in my garage just to admire all those bits on Goldie still looking fresh.
But it doesn't last long, unless you get to detailing it in proper OCD style...
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: daantjie on 15 November 2017, 06:38 PM
Stellar work, sir, 10/10 ;D!
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: karmann_20v on 15 November 2017, 07:25 PM
So pretty! well done.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: rumb on 15 November 2017, 07:35 PM
I like the A arms silver, did you paint them or is that just the plain aluminum?

Isn't the stock color of them black? 
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 16 November 2017, 03:06 PM
Hiya Rumb


I cannot comment on the composition of the swing arms, but I will ask Simon at John Haynes. I am assuming that the colour is the original M-B spec, as the guys at John Haynes are sticklers for detail. You will recall for instance the use of 158 whitegrey painted on the inside of the bumpers. Type 17 may know the answer, as he is also involved in the restoration business.


Thanks for all the positive comments,


:)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Type17 on 17 November 2017, 03:46 AM
Quote from: gavin116 on 16 November 2017, 03:06 PM
...Type 17 may know the answer, as he is also involved in the restoration business.


Thanks for all the positive comments,


:)


Ironically, I haven't been under many W116's, as the business is mostly concerned with W100's (600 Grosser) and W113 (Pagoda SL), but in my own car (which is very original), the arms are painted black, BUT being a 350SE, it has steel box-section arms (280 & 350's don't have anti-squat rear suspension), so we need some 450 owners to confirm things. The arms do look gorgeous in silver, I must say. However, if you drive on salted roads, keep an eye out for aluminium oxide corrosion.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Guillaume C on 17 November 2017, 06:05 AM
The arms are also painted black in my two euro 450SE.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: rumb on 17 November 2017, 08:41 AM
regarding the inside of bumpers,  I just received a new front bumper center section and it is painted a pale green instead of the white grey.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: adamb on 17 November 2017, 12:39 PM
Great photos, Gavin. The car will definitely handle better. I will need to do some suspension bush replacement soon as they must have become so hard after 40 years.

On my 6.9 suspension arms are black.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: ptashek on 17 November 2017, 03:45 PM
Mine were always black. Whether that was a factory state, or the result of some years old underseal attempt I can't say. It looked stock though when off the car.

I personally prefer them black, but that raw look isn't bad either.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 03 September 2018, 04:42 PM
Liberté éclairant le monde

Seems strange that at one stage I used to do updates almost every other month, now it seems like it is annually.

Answering some questions posted last year about my sway arms: the aluminium colour was used as replacement arms come in that colour from M-B. The sway arms on our cars were overpainted in black on the production-line because from certain angles one can see them. I quite like the natural colour.

The replacement rear window demister relay and switch seems to have done the trick. I had occasion to use it when we made our early morning trip from Folkstone to the Channel Tunnel. You'll see from the pictures that I don't have compound rear glass it is merely a single pane with several horizontal gold coloured wires. The switch now lights up when depressed, and a quick flick to the left cancels operation if needed.

A new flasher relay was also installed primarily to increase the signal noise, but alas I still can't hear the indicators (like a fair amount of you on the forum, I'm middle aged and rapidly getting absent minded, can't read without my glasses, hearing is a little dodgy, etc). I'm not sure how to remedy this, but it's looking more and more like I need to bite the bullet and install a modern three pin (31, 49 and 49a) relay. I could use some piggy-back wires to attach the new relay with spade terminals to the original round terminals that are in the car.

Perhaps someone can shed some light, I know Koan did a new to old relay transplant, I wonder if the new relays with flat terminals have a louder chime when the indicators are engaged?

I entered Mrs W in the annual M-B concours competition in Milton Keynes. I had to enter her in the the Master Class as I had won first place two years ago in the concours d'Elegance Class (2016). This put me in a totally different league... I realise that I will never really achieve a place, as there are a lot of failures on my car, but despite this, I was surprised and very impressed with my score. It must be remembered that I actually do use the vehicle, whilst not in winter because of salt on the road, she does still come out rain or shine in the summer.

The lowest score of the day was 60/300 for a S600 coupé in the Enthusiast's Class, and the highest was 286/300 in the Master Class for a R107 420SL.
My results was 245/300, which left me in third place for sedan vehicles. Master class is divided into sedans (13a), cabriolets (13b) and coupés (13c) there being no age category per se, but the vehicle must be at least 2 years old and have over 10 000 miles. We were only 3 sedans in my subcategory: a pristine W202 which won first place with 281/300, and a W126 with 261/300.

I know I lost points because I couldn't operate my radio, I couldn't find the radio code and so couldn't demonstrate that the electric aerial worked (more about that later). And obvious no points went to my W129 rims. My engine bay is also very tatty by concours standards. It is also very difficult to get the inner fenders squeaky clean compared to the newer cars with plastic fender liners...

So, next year will be a gap year (off to Europe for the weekend) but I will compete in 2020. Not sure if I want to compete in the concours Master Class, as I know it will be very difficult to eke out the lost points, that said I am aiming to refurbish my bundts, and get Michelin gold plated, platinum belted, diamond encrusted rubber on them (XWX's), and I have now installed a period correct Becker 663 (washing machine knob) radio. I will have to apply more elbow grease to those wheel arches...

A part of me just wants to compete in the Exhibitors Class, as I know I can never get a place in the class I have to compete in. But then, I figure, what the heck, for the sake of showing other members of the M-B club UK and the public, that there is more to classic Mercedes-Benz vehicles than two door cabriolets. Mrs W did attract a fair amount of attention, being the only W116 entered in concours, although there were 3 6.9s on public display. So, I guess I will be there with my Meguiar's (http://www.meguiars.co.uk) and kitchen paper in 2020.

I finally bit the bullet, and decided to get a period correct radio for the car. As my vehicle is a 1979 model, the correct Becker isn't the older pin-stripe Becker, but rather the "washing-machine" knob Becker. Only problem: this radio certainly don't deliver today's hi-fidelity. To that end, I spent a not insubstantial amount to have the radio converted by Tadpole radios (https://www.tadpoleradios.co.uk/default.aspx). I'm in two minds about the conversion: I finally got the bluetooth to work, which is what I know we will usually use. In France I could get the FM frequency to work, but battled to get even white noise to ensue from the radio on the UK shores.

I need to contact Tadpole Radios to find out what I'm doing wrong or if there is a problem with my conversion. They do promise to keep your radio's original functionality, but to that end, no more cassette player as the new radio innards occupy too much space... Also, the little green U LED doesn't light up to say you're on the FM frequency, and the side yellow LEDs don't light to indicate you're on AM,LW or SW (of course, now just FM and AM).

Still, the radio looks absolutely wonderful in place, like it was designed by M-B to be at one with the car (a bit like a Becker pinstripe in a W108 where the radio knobs match the auxiliary knobs perfectly). Pity I forgot to take a photo of it in-situ, but do see the attached photo of the radio itself. I also found that the universal ISO radio power connector has a loose connection, occasionally power is interrupted, which never occurred with the previous Audio10. Perhaps Tadpole's connector is of inferior quality?

What can I say about the actual trip. Well, it was fabulous from start to finish! We picked up the car on Thursday evening, and winded our way from Guildford to Folkstone where we overnighted. On Friday morning early we made our way to the Eurostar, this time the electric windows behaving themselves. (Well, I did have a problem with the new driver's side regulator on way to concours earlier in the year. It failed in the open position, no sure why, but I removed the driver's door panel, (unfortunately breaking an older brittle clip up near the window opening  >:(  ), pushed on the glass, and it freed up nicely. Pity M-B did't include a micro switch to cut the power at the top and bottom of the run, I think this would save our poorly constructed window regulators from over closing, subsequently warping and ultimately self-destructing.)

During our crossing I removed the old Audio10 and my iTranzit, and replaced it with my Becker 663 which is bluetooth enabled. As stated before, annoyingly the ISO power connector block (the terracotta one) seems to have a dodgy connection, as the radio will sometimes power down. I might try to tape the connectors together with self fusing tape or perhaps loop a cable tine around them?

The car performed flawlessly, averaging 130 km/h with the aircon running at ¼, any more than that and it gets way to Arctic! We stopped timeously to get some more fuel, once bitten, twice shy, I did not want to rely on the reserve light which failed to deploy last year, leaving us stranded at the side of the road in Thionville.

After stopping for a wonderful simple French lunch we found our way to Alsace. Our destination was a small village just outside Colmar. To my surprise, we encountered a Statue-of-Liberty! One of several around the world, and what a sight. (This replica of the Statue of Liberty (https://www.tourisme-colmar.com/en/visit/presentation/architectural-heritage/F235008850_statue-of-liberty-colmar) is made from resin and stands 12 meters high. It was sculpted to commemorate the 100th death anniversary of the sculptor Auguste Batholdi, who was born in Colmar and created the "Liberty lightening the world" or "Liberté éclairant le monde".)

Saturday and Sunday we spent, well, imbibing. I still cannot say that I get Gewurtztraminer but was quite partial to Cremant d'Alsace, but I did enjoy the Alsatian hospitality, food and surrounds, a curious mix of French and German. We savoured the local dish: Choucroute Garnie à l'Alsacienne a casserole of pork and fermented cabbage (sauerkraut) and not forgetting Kougelhopf or bundt-cake, where the nickname for our alloys was derived from. It was a feast for the senses. Sadly, on Monday it was time to return back home in a light drizzle.

Mileage wise, I passed yet another palindrome. Temperature wise at lower speeds: 90 - 110 km/h or 55 - 70 mph, the heat gauge runs a whisker past the ½ way mark, 80 ºC or 175 ºF, but increase that speed to  130 km/h or 80 mph, and the heat gauge rises to just under ¾ about 100 ºC or 212.5 ºF!  I think however that the new viscous fan clutch is doing it's job well, as the temperature never climbed higher that ¾ either at high speed or bumper-to-bumper crawling traffic.

Fuel consumption figures revealed:
293 miles (471.5 km) - 72.12 lt = 15.3 l/100 km or 6.5 km/lt (18.5 mpg) mainly averaging 130km/h
250 miles (402 km) - 58.63 lt = 14.6 l/100 km or 6.9 km/l (19.4 mpg) mainly averaging 90 - 110 km/h
211 miles (340 km) - 43.92 lt = 12.9 l/100 km or 7.7 km/l  (21.8 mpg) mainly averaging 110 - 120 km/h

TOTAL
754 miles (1213.5 km) - 174.67 lt = 14.4 l/100 km or 7.0 km/l (19.6 mpg)

Keep 116ing
:D   
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: ptashek on 04 September 2018, 07:15 AM
Well done on the concourse Gavin. It ain't my cup of tea, but I certainly can appreciate the effort required to prep for an event like this. Definitely a good call on showing those R107 guys who's boss ;)
It's great you continue to use the car regardless :)

QuoteSeems strange that at one stage I used to do updates almost every other month, now it seems like it is annually.

I can totally relate to it, and I've called it the curse of a restored car. My Goldie hasn't required anything in the last two-and-a-bit years, other than scheduled maintenance. Jump in, turn the key, drive 5000km, rinse, repeat. It's fascinating to drive, and "modern car" reliable to the point of being almost boring.

I've mostly switched my attention to the S124 now, as it - sadly - turned out to be a problem child in disguise. Doing a 2500km round-trip to Charente-Maritime in France with a failed idle throttle body was neither fascinating, nor boring :D
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Squiggle Dog on 04 September 2018, 10:36 AM
When I see someone not post in a while, it makes me fear another W116 enthusiast has sold their car and moved on. I think I went through a period of a couple years where I was simply too busy to do any work on my own car, and fortunately it didn't need it mechanically. I have a long way to go before my car looks like yours.

It seems you got decent points for your car, and the changes you are planning to make will no doubt increase your score. It's really nice seeing someone put so much work into a W116 since most people only seem to bother with the coupes and cabriolets.

Great picture of the Universal. That's my dream car, and while I do own one, it's so rusty that I don't know if it will ever see the road.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Type17 on 04 September 2018, 02:07 PM
Quote from: Squiggle Dog on 04 September 2018, 10:36 AM
When I see someone not post in a while, it makes me fear another W116 enthusiast has sold their car and moved on.


I was just thinking about this the other day - for the record, I'm still here  :) , but my car is now stored about 35km/22 miles from my house (previously, it was 3km/2 miles), so I'm not driving it as much (only 2-3 times per year).
Ironically, that's keeping the mileage low, and the maintenance requirements low (although I'm aware that some maintenance is based on time, rather than mileage).
In a few years, we hope to be able to move to a house where I can keep the car at home, so it will see a bit more use then.


Thread hijack over...
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: Wessel Badenhorst on 05 September 2018, 04:58 AM
Congrats Gavin! Enjoy every moment
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 29 February 2020, 05:26 PM
Better late than never...
...a visit to the Loire Valley (13th - 17th of June 2019)


I realised when I posted a flex disc picture recently and people commented how clean the underside of my car was, that I had forgotten to write up last year's road trip. Well, the underside no longer looks quite so fresh as I do use the car in all weather and do at least one long journey each year but the suspension sure is tight! And so as they say, "better late than never!" (13th - 17th of June 2019)

Like all our Continental visits, they begin in a frenetic rush after work, crossing London in peak hour traffic en-route to Guilford. From there, we decamp, swapping cars, and wind our way through miles of country lanes to get on the M25, and then on the UK's biggest lorry park, the A2.

When we finally reached the Premier Inn in Folkestone to spend the night, we encountered a really good omen: our room number was 116! We had our dinner and wine and retired for the night. Early the next morning, we headed off to the Eurostar car train terminal. It was obvious something was up, and little did we know, it was the 24hr Le Mans which was being held very near to where we would be staying in Saumur! So the road trip was punctuated with all number of Baden-Württemberg supercars: Porches to you and me, and quite a lot of classics too.

We decided on lunch in Hornfleur as it was on the way to our destination of Saumur, and it neighbours Le Havre where an aunt lives. So we pre-arranged a luncheon date to catch-up, and take in some sights. The approach to Hornfleur is quite something, as one has to cross the Seine on a rather elaborate suspension bridge: The Pont de Normandy. It has a very steep entry and exit. "The Pont de Normandie is a cable-stayed road bridge that spans the river Seine linking Le Havre to Honfleur in Normandy, northern France. Its total length is 2,143.21 metres – 856 metres between the two piers." Click on this video link to see some amazing footage of this bridge that someone else posted on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J57Klshns5Q (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J57Klshns5Q)

"Honfleur is a city in the department of Calvados, in northern France's Normandy region. Ports don't come any prettier than Honfleur on the Seine's estuary."

Once we repatriated aunt Jill back in Le Harve, we made our way to Saumur in the heart of the Loire Valley. It was a nail biting experience as I wasn't paying due attention and suddenly looking at Mrs White's fuel gauge, I realised that we could well become stranded. You will remember that I have form for this... Progressing at a much slower speed; driving on petrol fumes, we managed to eventually find a fuel station that was too far away for comfort.

From then on things were a breeze, and we found our lovely hotel in the heart of Saumur: Chateau de Verrieres. This very beautiful former home of French aristocracy was built in 1896. It is set on a 2 hectare park, has the most wonderful original reception rooms, entrance halls and staircases and 10 bedrooms that are 'period correct'. Saumur itself has a beautiful medieval castle (Château de Saumur) situated on a hillock in the centre of town. It was originally constructed in the 10th century, as a fortified stronghold against Norman attacks. It was destroyed, later rebuilt by Henry II, and developed further since.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Château_de_Saumur (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_de_Saumur)

Whilst in Saumur, we did a little wine tasting to learn some more about the wines of the Loire. We were taken to a very interesting courtyard: Clos D'Entre les Murs, where the vines are grown on one side of the wall to keep the roots cool, and the vine itself is passed through a hole in the wall to spread and grown in the sunlight. Apparently this is the only vineyard of its type in the World.

Our host for the day Vanessa finished our wine visit by striking open a bottle of sparkling local wine (apparently the Champagne AOC no longer allow even the use of the words "méthode champenoise") using a sharp knife. This method is called sabrage. First, the cage is removed from the bottle neck, exposing the cork. The bottle is then held in the non-dominant hand with the seam of the bottle facing up. The knife in your dominant hand is then run with some speed from the body up the neck which strikes the ridged area near the top the bottle, sending the bottle lip and cork flying in the air.

Our next day began with a visit to the mushroom caves of Saumur, where they have a mushroom museum, and a growing area.  The Musée du Champignon has some 250 species of mushroom on display. It was certainly the oddest museum I think I have ever visited, but very interesting nonetheless.
https://www.musee-du-champignon.com/en/ (https://www.musee-du-champignon.com/en/)

We then made our way to the nearby town of Ambrose to visit Clos Lucé. This wonderful site was where Leonardo da Vinci spent the final years of his life. The grounds of the 'vineyard' are filled with many working models of his inventions as well as some of his more fanciful sketch ideas.

Despite being in the thick of the 24 hour Le Mans, we didn't actually attend the race  or any of the other fringe events. There was a very big Porsche Club presence, and a whole gambit of classic cars. It has made me think that this could be a possible future France trip. I understand that the event is very well attended, and one needs to have made some prior reservations.
https://www.lemans.org/en/24-hours-of-le-mans (https://www.lemans.org/en/24-hours-of-le-mans)

And sadly, it was over too soon, and we found ourselves on the motorway heading back to Calais with several hundreds of other Brits. It was so busy in fact that we could not stop at fuel stations as they were 'full'! And when we did finally pull in to a service area to stop for a toilet break, I got a huge shock. When we returned to the car, it was my turn to drive, and when I turned the key to start the car, it was dead! Several attempts at starting, and there was only the subtle whirring of the fuel pump.

It took a few moments for me to work out that my partner had removed the key from the ignition without putting the car in park. Slipping the gear lever from D to P, and she fired up on the button. On the bright side at least I know the starter inhibitor switch is working. Soon we were on route again, the rest of the journey uneventful. We seemed to use an average of almost a full tank of fuel per 320 miles. I think my reserve light doesn't work, so I tend to rely more on mileage... Could probably have pushed to 360 miles.

I must say that I am getting slightly more used to using the new radio, just the carcase is original, the insides are all new by a company called Tadpole. The functions are operated by turning the volume, balance and tuning knobs to the left or right in a quick motions either once, twice or three times. I still need to refer to the manual at times. Streaming music is simple, and the sound quality is outstanding.

My next big Mrs White job has to be changing the timing chain, guide rails, oiler tubes  and tensioner. I've been quoted half a liver and a kidney, so I might have to think about doing it myself. I suspect this cannot be done on the roadside which is my only option at this stage. It's a real worry for me. I may also enter concours this year, as I seem to do so every two years.

Keep 116ing,
:)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 29 February 2020, 05:27 PM
More photos
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: ptashek on 01 March 2020, 01:07 PM
Yours is a very weird instrument cluster Gavin. The center part, normally blanked off except on cars with steering column gear stick, specifically.

I can't say I have seen a W116 instrument cluster before with washer and coolant level indicators, or a failed bulb light. An iPod lamp?

There must be a story behind this :)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: UTn_boy on 05 March 2020, 03:52 AM
Quote from: ptashek on 01 March 2020, 01:07 PM
Yours is a very weird instrument cluster Gavin. The center part, normally blanked off except on cars with steering column gear stick, specifically.

I can't say I have seen a W116 instrument cluster before with washer and coolant level indicators, or a failed bulb light. An iPod lamp?

There must be a story behind this :)

If I am remembering correctly, I believe he robbed these warning lights out of a late R107 and adapted them to his W116.  This works beautifully since they're essentially the same housing. 
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: orientrot on 05 March 2020, 01:46 PM
Quote from: UTn_boy on 05 March 2020, 03:52 AM

If I am remembering correctly, I believe he robbed these warning lights out of a late R107 and adapted them to his W116.  This works beautifully since they're essentially the same housing.

Pretty sure you are correct here. The VDO parts numbers on the instrument cluster case between the 116 and 107 are identical. I've been looking at that over the past few days because I want to switch to an electronic speedometer to use with the transmission controller for my OM606/722.6 swap and the later 107s had electronic speedometers.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: UTn_boy on 05 March 2020, 07:33 PM
I'd want to get rid of one of the high beam indicators, as two are redundant.  But which one?  Maybe make the high beam indicator in the middle of the cluster come on with the front fog lamps or rear fog lamp, and make it a different color.....such as green.  Green is what Mercedes used for a rear fog lamp tell tale light on the early W116 cars.  Orange on later ones.  Then again, since that tell tale light is still present in the headlight switch knob for the rear fog lamp we're back at square one.  I guess a tell tale light for the front fog lamps would be ideal since there was never an tell tale light for the front ones. 
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: paraguaiano on 04 April 2020, 02:33 PM
hello and 'good evening everyone my name is peter and I am writing to you from Italy.
I wanted to ask you if you could help me on many things where I have many doubts about my maecedes w 116 280 if, one is! I would also like to add the tachometer to my car so I ask you for the cable that goes to the engine from the tachometer and does not have 2 connections? one seen in the photo on the mudguard, the other on the distributor, but where ?? thank you very much for your help good evening  ciao


Hallo und 'Guten Abend allerseits, mein Name ist Peter und ich schreibe Ihnen aus Italien.
Ich wollte dich fragen, ob du mir in vielen Dingen helfen könntest, in denen ich viele Zweifel an meinen Maecedes habe. Ich möchte auch den Drehzahlmesser zu meinem Auto hinzufügen, also frage ich Sie nach dem Kabel, das vom Drehzahlmesser zum Motor führt und keine 2 Anschlüsse hat? einer auf dem Foto auf dem Kotflügel zu sehen, der andere auf dem Verteiler, aber wo? Vielen Dank für Ihre Hilfe Guten Abend cioa
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 10 May 2020, 04:37 PM
Tacho 101 (revisited)

Hi Paraguaiano (Peter)

First and foremost, sorry for not replying to your request sooner, but I seem to visit the forum very seldom these days and with so little happening now with COVID on the scene... You can cut and paste and put this through Google Translator.

Please be aware that my vehicle is a 450SE with a V8 engine, quite a different beast to the 280S/SE/SEL with I6. So there may be a few differences.

Aquire a tachometer (rev-counter) that is specific to the I6 (in-line 6 cylinder) models; a rev-counter from a 350, 450 or 6.9 will not work properly. It can come from either a S-Class (type W116) or a SL-Class vehicle (type R107).

Get a 2 pole connector (comes in two parts) and 2 bushing connectors. These should be available from your local Mercedes parts department, I have put the part numbers after the descriptions. Round pin bushing for rev counter plug:  2x MA003 545 26 26, Cable connector for rev counter plug: MA008 545 37 28, Plug for rev counter plug: MA008 545 38 28.

You will need 2 lengths of wire; one sufficient to go to the fuse box, and one long enough to go to the LHS (left hand side) fender double-pole connector. These can be modern thin walled type rated to say 10 Amps (I mm diameter). ( Errata Re-reading the wiring diagram it says 0.75 mm diameter.)

Solder the positive wire to one bushing connector (goes to the fuse box), and a negative wire to another (goes to the fender double-pole connector). If you want to be absolutely correct, the positive wire should be coloured black with a red stripe, and the negative wire should be coloured grey green with a black stripe. (Errata Sorry checked my wiring diagram again and it said gn: green and not gr: grey. You will have to excuse my middle aged eyes! :o )

Place the 2 pole connector onto the back of the tachometer, it only goes in one way. The upper pole needs the negative wire, and the lower pole needs the positive wire. Leave a bit of wiggle room so that you can manoeuvre the tachometer wires to be able to connect and disconnect as needed when removing the instrument cluster in the future. Route the wires through the fire wall using the main grommet that takes most of the electrical to the engine compartment.

The wires can be placed in a plastic sleeve to to keep them together to a point near the fuse box. The positive wire needs a ring terminal soldered to its other end. (Do this after feeding the wires through the firewall as it may be difficult to pass the ring connector through the rubber grommet.) This is then connected to the number four terminal in the fuse box rated 8 amps.

A thinner plastic sleeve can be fed over the remaining grey green wire which should be routed to the double-pole terminal located on the left inner fender. A ring terminal is soldered on to this wire, and it is connected to the same terminal as the green wires.

Reconnect the instrument cluster and the battery, and you should be good to go.

Good luck.

P.S. when starting this job, disconnect the battery. When you pull the instrument cluster, make sure that you gently unscrew the oil pressure pipe. Under no circumstances start the car with this pipe disconnected as it will spray oil all over the interior of your car! Also that main electrical plug may be brittle after all these years and is easily broken if you man-handle it. When you re-install the instrument cluster, ensure that you do not cross thread the oil pressure pipe and do not over tighten it.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 10 May 2020, 05:13 PM
I have attached part of the wiring diagram too.

4 = instrument cluster, L = tachometer

26 = fuse box

sw = black
rt = red
gn = green
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: paraguaiano on 11 May 2020, 02:31 AM
thank you very much you are a great !!! I'm sorry, unfortunately I don't speak English, I'm doing a little bit, so if I understand correctly the tachometer of a 450, I have 350, it absolutely cannot go well with a 280, right? I asked you this because I found a tachometer of a 350 at a good price, I wanted to buy it, but if it doesn't go better, ok, thank you very much and if you need, I have others of anything in Italy, call me OK! thank you very much hug Pietro
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 11 May 2020, 02:55 AM
Hi Peter

That is correct! As fas as I know, the I6 needs a specific tachometer, but you can get it from either a S-Class or a SL-Class vehicle. Someone with further knowledge will have to chime in here, but I think you have to use specific tachos for the various V8 models also, as they have different red line limits. And if you connect the feed directly from the coil the tachometer needle bounces and reads inaccurate. That is why it needs to be connected to the double pole connector on the fender (I know this from experience. :-\ )

I'm sure you will get there.
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: paraguaiano on 11 May 2020, 03:56 AM
ok! thank you grazie millle ciao un abbraccio grandeeeee
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 07 July 2020, 05:18 AM
Coming of age

Another momentous day for Mrs White, as she has now officially become a historic vehicle. V5 registration document sent off to the DVLA, and the Post Office issued a Vehicle Tax receipt for 1 year at the cost of £0.00! I have and still will do a M.O.T. every year, as I figure that will be important to prove the vehicle is roadworthy should an insurance claim ever arise.

I just need to get the opportunity to use her now.
;)
Title: My first W116 here at last
Post by: ortolani on 24 February 2021, 01:43 PM
Goodnight! I have a 1976 Mercedes 280SE D-Jetronic and I have a question. Is this green cable connected below the control unit connected to the capacitor of the distributor?
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 24 February 2021, 05:30 PM
Hi there

I am unsure, but I do know that green wire does indeed go to the distributor from the ignition box. It looks as if you are replacing your ignition box with a Pertronix unit. Whatever you do, do not cannibalise that wire as a replacement will set you back in excess of £150!

In time, I'm sure others will chime in and tell you if that wire does indeed go to the 'capacitor' (I presume you meant say condenser)  in the distributor.

Hope your conversion goes well.
Translation by Google

(Olá

Não tenho certeza, mas sei que o fio verde vai de fato para o distribuidor vindo da caixa de ignição. Parece que você está substituindo sua caixa de ignição por uma unidade Pertronix. Faça o que fizer, não canibalize esse fio, pois uma substituição custará mais de £ 150!

Com o tempo, tenho certeza de que outros vão entrar na conversa e dizer se o fio realmente vai para o "capacitor" (presumo que você quis dizer condensador) no distribuidor.

Espero que sua conversão corra bem.
Tradução do Google)
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: gavin116 on 24 February 2021, 05:46 PM
As an aside, a D-Jetronic is somewhat more complicated than a K-Jeteronic distributor. In effect, the dizzy in a D-Jet is 2 units in one. It does the triggering for the fuel injectors, as well as the spark for the cylinders. Quite complex really. I think Pertronix is a better option in a simple dizzy as found in K-Jet. I wonder if someone else on the forum has experience with a similar conversion?

Como um aparte, um D-Jetronic é um pouco mais complicado do que um distribuidor K-Jeteronic. Com efeito, a tontura em um D-Jet é de 2 unidades em uma. Ele faz o acionamento para os injetores de combustível, bem como a centelha para os cilindros. Realmente bastante complexo. Acho que Pertronix é uma opção melhor em um simples tonto como encontrado no K-Jet. ¿Eu me pergunto se outra pessoa no fórum tem experiência com uma conversão semelhante?
Title: Re: My first W116 here at last
Post by: adamb on 25 February 2021, 04:45 PM
I used to own a 1973 280SE, a very early model. I replaced the points with Lumenition with great outcomes. That was a long time ago when this kit was much cheaper. There are few links for it. The price is certainly not what it was in year 2000 - https://www.demon-tweeks.com/uk/brand/lumenition/