Hey guys! So after posting a few times for various problems I've encountered with my car, I figure I would try and gauge whether Im a fool for buying this car or I'm close to making it a daily driver.
I would pass the '81 300D everyday on my way to work, and was in the market for a car so I figured I'd look into it and see what I could do. The car was recently re-painted ($3000 paint job) and had about 6k worth of service done to in in the past 4 years. The problem was the engine threw a rod and blew a giant hole through the bottom. After sitting in that state for a year it still turned over and ran with 4 cylinders. :grin The price was 1800 firm, and I was in love, so i pulled the trigger.
Not having any mechanical experience in the past, my manager agreed to help me swap the engine out with one that was in working condition and teach me the ropes. We got the car towed over to his place and proceeded to pull the engine.
When I decided I wanted to take the chance with this car, I figured it would be a more reliable investment. While changing out the engine I would replace as much as possible and address all problem areas while I was at it. Heres a short list of things Ive replaced off the top of my head;
Glow Plugs
Fuses
Motor mounts
Injectors
All rubber hoses attached to or around the engine
Water Pump
Thermostat
Trans cooler hoses
Belts
Transmission filter and Pan gasket
Intake/exhaust gasket
I did a valve adjustment on the engine before I even put it in the car
All filters obviously
Exhaust hangers
Various bolts
Battery
Positive/negative cables
Rebuilt Starter
I also took this opportunity to clean the engine bay and just various things around the car so as to make future work a bit easier in terms of cleanliness.
The moment of truth arrived after two months of tinkering and learning yesterday, we got the car to fire up and let me tell you, it purrs. After a few short trips around the block I made a short list of things that will need to be done soon:
Brake fluid flush
flex disc replacement
Tie rods
One of my rear axles is missing an entire boot, so that will need to be replaced
After getting a little over zealous and excited that I finally had a car and that I did the work myself, I drove it about 40 miles. It was very reserved driving, but the car accelerated without hesitation and idles just fine. Heres where I'm at now though; It has leaked about 2 quarts of oil slowly over a two day period. They are coming from around the alternator and the bottom of the engine. Monday I'm changing the oil pan gasket to see if that may be a possible source of the leak. I know there are two other leaks but I haven't been able to pinpoint them. I should have replaced the front main seal while the engine was out but decided to take the risk, hopefully it isn't leaking.
Secondly, I was trying to get home and the temp went up to about 100 degrees, and if I came to a stop would inch up a tiny bit until I got up to speed again. Opened the hood and there is a steady drizzle of coolant coming from where the thermostat mates to the block. Ill take it off and see why this could be, as of now the car has leaked all of its coolant while sitting in the driveway.
Thirdly, the transmission is insanely erratic. Sometimes it will shift early and soft, other times the engine will rev up and stay there until it finally "catches" and shifts into 3rd gear. It slipped once or twice. Im thinking the last engine threw the rod because somebody might have gunned it and the tranny didn't catch and it over revved itself. I can't afford for this new engine to blow because of something like that. I intend to investigate a bit more and replace the red vacuum modulator and have it adjusted. Living in Central Texas I can't seem to find a single mechanic around me that will work on my car, much less one I'd feel confident leaving it with. I don't have the know how or patience to deal with the transmission, so I'm desperately searching for someone who can get it sorted. The P/O had it rebuilt about 10k miles ago, I'm unsure if the people who rebuilt it didn't do a great job, or if its just a vacuum issue.
So after all this, the car is parked out front. Im so excited to finally have a vehicle again, and I've spent a ton of money and time trying to get it in daily driving shape. I realize I could have purchased a running w123 for a fraction of the price and repaired as things went wrong, but I went with the blitzkrieg approach.
Anything I should do next? How hard can you push a newly installed engine?
I would pass the '81 300D everyday on my way to work, and was in the market for a car so I figured I'd look into it and see what I could do. The car was recently re-painted ($3000 paint job) and had about 6k worth of service done to in in the past 4 years. The problem was the engine threw a rod and blew a giant hole through the bottom. After sitting in that state for a year it still turned over and ran with 4 cylinders. :grin The price was 1800 firm, and I was in love, so i pulled the trigger.
Not having any mechanical experience in the past, my manager agreed to help me swap the engine out with one that was in working condition and teach me the ropes. We got the car towed over to his place and proceeded to pull the engine.
When I decided I wanted to take the chance with this car, I figured it would be a more reliable investment. While changing out the engine I would replace as much as possible and address all problem areas while I was at it. Heres a short list of things Ive replaced off the top of my head;
Glow Plugs
Fuses
Motor mounts
Injectors
All rubber hoses attached to or around the engine
Water Pump
Thermostat
Trans cooler hoses
Belts
Transmission filter and Pan gasket
Intake/exhaust gasket
I did a valve adjustment on the engine before I even put it in the car
All filters obviously
Exhaust hangers
Various bolts
Battery
Positive/negative cables
Rebuilt Starter
I also took this opportunity to clean the engine bay and just various things around the car so as to make future work a bit easier in terms of cleanliness.
The moment of truth arrived after two months of tinkering and learning yesterday, we got the car to fire up and let me tell you, it purrs. After a few short trips around the block I made a short list of things that will need to be done soon:
Brake fluid flush
flex disc replacement
Tie rods
One of my rear axles is missing an entire boot, so that will need to be replaced
After getting a little over zealous and excited that I finally had a car and that I did the work myself, I drove it about 40 miles. It was very reserved driving, but the car accelerated without hesitation and idles just fine. Heres where I'm at now though; It has leaked about 2 quarts of oil slowly over a two day period. They are coming from around the alternator and the bottom of the engine. Monday I'm changing the oil pan gasket to see if that may be a possible source of the leak. I know there are two other leaks but I haven't been able to pinpoint them. I should have replaced the front main seal while the engine was out but decided to take the risk, hopefully it isn't leaking.
Secondly, I was trying to get home and the temp went up to about 100 degrees, and if I came to a stop would inch up a tiny bit until I got up to speed again. Opened the hood and there is a steady drizzle of coolant coming from where the thermostat mates to the block. Ill take it off and see why this could be, as of now the car has leaked all of its coolant while sitting in the driveway.
Thirdly, the transmission is insanely erratic. Sometimes it will shift early and soft, other times the engine will rev up and stay there until it finally "catches" and shifts into 3rd gear. It slipped once or twice. Im thinking the last engine threw the rod because somebody might have gunned it and the tranny didn't catch and it over revved itself. I can't afford for this new engine to blow because of something like that. I intend to investigate a bit more and replace the red vacuum modulator and have it adjusted. Living in Central Texas I can't seem to find a single mechanic around me that will work on my car, much less one I'd feel confident leaving it with. I don't have the know how or patience to deal with the transmission, so I'm desperately searching for someone who can get it sorted. The P/O had it rebuilt about 10k miles ago, I'm unsure if the people who rebuilt it didn't do a great job, or if its just a vacuum issue.
So after all this, the car is parked out front. Im so excited to finally have a vehicle again, and I've spent a ton of money and time trying to get it in daily driving shape. I realize I could have purchased a running w123 for a fraction of the price and repaired as things went wrong, but I went with the blitzkrieg approach.
Anything I should do next? How hard can you push a newly installed engine?