I won this gem at a local (to my home) auction today via the Interwebs while away. Sight unseen. So I'm not quite sure what I've got myself into, but I do know this- there aren't many 230C models around these parts, even though nearly 19k were built 1977-1980. Maybe because they are dogs. Maybe because their mileage is about the same as the Euro 280CE, with 80ish fewer horses. Maybe because their carbs are a PITA. I don't know, but I'm probably going to end up finding out the hard way.
Let me know what you think from the pics. I won't be able to pick it up for a few days, so I'm curious. This is kinda fun, but only because I got it for a steal. And, thanks to the folks that donated it, Goodwill was at least one winner.
Below is all info I have on it from the auction. Yeah, they thought it was a 230SL. At least they didn't label it a "200 Series" (whatever that is).
Donated 1979 Mercedes-Benz 230SL. Fixer upper? Parts car?
Category:
Make: Mercedes-Benz
Model: 230SL
Color:
Year: 1979
VIN#: 12304310014871
License Plate: WA 569UDV
Title: WA Clean
Mileage: 161828
Condition: Runs With Problems & Non Runners.
I'm not seeing a sunroof switch, no passenger mirror with correct block off plate and manual windows so I'd lean to it having a manual sunroof but crank MIA.
Interesting car. I think that has the M123 engine which from my understanding is best used as a boat anchor. I second the M104 swap. The car itself looks pretty straight.
Maybe this isn't so bad. The rust is limited to the front fenders (easily replaced) and the left side in some tougher spots. It looks good under the hood, at the firewall, in the trunk (no holes, just on surface) and under the rest of the car. Of course, we all know how that goes... Doors and trunk are pretty good, really. There is some water inside, but no rust holes in the pans.
And, it has one Euro corner and one Euro tail already. Cool.
There's some generic NAPAish parts under the hood, like a fuel pump. And duct tape. And extra wires.
First things first: upload some "before" pics.
Also, I have left a message with the previous owner for whatever information he can share.
Next- will she start? Cranks ok.
And, why use a battery bracket when you can use styrofoam? Better put it in the trunk for safe keeping. Whoops.
Maybe, just maybe, this effort will end up yielding more than the worlds most expensive used three-piece Euro bumpers.
She wants to go. Kicks over with some starter fluid.
Now, to drain 1/3 tank of bad gas. The NAPA fuel pump should help with that. I'll add ethanol free so I shouldn't have to go through draining again.
Anybody out there have a wiring diagram for the automatic choke on this carb? From one wire harness, there are three wires to one pole on a plug on the choke, just above where the water lines are connected, the other pole is bare. Nice.
There's also a single wire from the same harness connected with a generic clip to some sort of temperature sensor on the top of the intake. Any ideas?
Try to always use ethanol free gas. It runs better, smoother, and gets better gas mileage. It might take a tank or two or three of ethanol free to notice the difference but you will.
Turns out the factory fuel pump, still bolted to the block, seems to work just as well as the installed after marker electric one. Which, by the way was powered from one of the resistors in the ignition system (!).
Drained fuel with electric pump and gravity from the return line, flushed with new ethanol free gas, added to the tank. Removed after market pump and connected to the factory pump. Also a new in line fuel filter and replaced all fuses after running a steel brush across the fusebox. They weren't pretty.
But now, after all that, it still won't start. Not even a kick with starter fluid. There is spark to the distributor. And fuel is flowing.
I'd start with the idle shut off or the idle shut off relay. If this is faulty, and in the closed position, it will not start. You can hit them sometimes and they'll work temporarily.
Are the marks on choke cover in line with each other? Does it have 200 stamped on it?
I've been studying it. I seem to have the CDTU version described later in the doc, with the shutoff valve mounted to the intake.
So far, I've found out:
virtually every vacuum line near my carb was connected wrong
the heated air hose from the exhaust to the intake is missing
some screws are missing from the choke cover
the ambient air adjusting screw is all the way out
someone made a gasket of paper board, like a cereal box (!), for use between the carb and intake
the idle shutoff valve was replaced with one from 1986, but not screwed in all the way, and had only been finger tightened, but they used plumbers' tape!
Some of these you can see in the "before" pic below.
I've fixed the lines and shutoff valve. It will kick over with starter fluid again, but barely.
So, I'm looking for a rebuild kit.
You can see from the pic how "lined up" the choke is. I can't find any marks, or numbers stamped in the choke cover...
Thanks for that, but I think I have a different choke. Mine is mounted with three screws (one missing), and can only be installed in three ways (assuming the screws are the same distances in between).
If I were to take mine off and turn it, the coolant lines would be sideways and/or the electrical plug would be different than all pics I have seen so far. It seems to be idiot proof.
In this post, you can see a choke like mine in the bottom close-in picture with the white car. The blue car is similar, but the plug is on top and straight up. The white car in the middle pic has the water lines from the side and looks more like the diagram in your manual.
I'm thinking about taking the choke cover off and having someone help me manually adjust it during starting.
The carb kit should be here tomorrow. It may take a day or two to get it together...
In other news, it rained about 2" in the last 24 hours here- some of it very hard. It seems none of it made it to the floors of the cab or trunk so far. Which is nice.
Think a Weber 32/36 would work on that? If the rebuild doesn't work out, you can have my Weber but it just needs a diaphragm because too much psi was run to it.
I'm starting to wonder about the M104 suggestion. Mmmm, torquey. Lots of work, but a nice mix of old and new. But I'm a long way from really getting into that...
FB
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