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What did you do to your W123 in 2016?

25K views 227 replies 45 participants last post by  unimogken 
#1 · (Edited)
Welcome to the New Year!

Today I had diarrhea. That was rather sh!tty.

But I persevered in my quest!

I removed and swapped the strainers. Those were so tight, I hurt my hands quite bad to get them out. Fortunately, both were clean.

Remind me why we don't want the fine mesh strainer on diesel cars? All the other filters are finer than gasser equivalents...

I installed the exhaust. It felt heavier than I remember... but then it is made of 0.063" (1.6mm) stainless steel. I have ordered the MB exhaust hangers with the chains(?) inside, but I couldn't get the rear ones on. So I temporarily installed simple round ones. I'll heat and bend the arms tomorrow.

I installed the air filter after installing the exhaust, because there is much more space without the air cleaner installed.

I filled up the tank with diesel, the transmission with oil (after identifying two leaks cause by two slightly loose bolts), primed the fuel system, and attempted once again to bleed the brakes with my pressure bleeder. Seriously, I watched several Facetube videos on the subject, and I just couldn't replicate the ease with which they do it. But the brakes seem to be bled and working. My father has offered to help me check and bleed them tomorrow, if need be, in exchange for me helping him connect his new spot lights to his pickup.

The battery is quite flat, so I'm charging it overnight. All the switches, cables etc are connected, but I'll give everything a once-over tomorrow, before cranking.

A day late, and more than one dollar short. But it's time:D

Did I mention that I installed the 300D badge? It seemed appropriate, since the engine is now in.
 
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#3 ·
Drove it to the store. Runs great. Heat was a little too warm so I turned the thumb wheel a bit and it was just right. Listened to NPR via Sirius XM. I love this car. Hate nothing about it. Timeless classic that still runs well in spite of what the younger generation may say about its eccentric engineering i.e.: vacuum systems and a lack of an ECU which could be flashed to cure all that ails that them. I was a young poor Sergeant living in Germany during the early 80's and these cars were coveted by many of us, although we could never afford them. Fast forward to 2006. After having gone through many expensive new cars, I had an epiphany. My search for a satisfying experience behind the wheel came on the day when I seen this car in an online ad. It brought me straight back to 1983 when I was too poor to own one. Never owned another car since then. It's my daily driver, everything on it is operational, and I'll maintain it this way because I choose to and can afford it. I've spent about 9K on this car but that's ok over the course of 9 years. When something breaks, I fix it. If I think somethings going to break, I fix it. Sometimes, when I don't think somethings going to break, I fix it anyway. Happy New Year to my fellow W123 enthusiasts. May these cars bring you many enjoyable miles on the open roads.
 
#5 ·
#6 ·
When I had my 280TE in 1986 I did nothing at all to it, had it for 4 years and one of the best cars I have ever had, and that was car number about 476.
 
#7 · (Edited)
IT"S ALIVE!!! It's alive, it's ALIVE!

I fired her up today, after checking a few things.

She glows and starts well. And I can tell the difference in engine noise the Bosch 261 nozzles make - much, much quieter.

Mechanically, everything is mostly good. But I heard an unpleasant noise, which I discovered was due to the custom exhaust hitting the transmission bracket. Donkey was still a 4-spd 300D when the exhaust was made, and it doesn't follow the intended path, but goes from vertically out of the engine to the center line diagonally as soon as possible. It was fine for the 4-spd; the longer 5-spd, not so much... Still, this is a minor niggle.

I'm happy to report that my brake bleeding was successful. The speedo cable works well, but Donkey's speedo is somewhat tardy to respond. The odo seems fine, though.

There is a small seepage of oil from under the valve cover, despite a new gasket and properly torquing the nuts. I'll give it time. The first injector is wet, but it appears to be due to the low-pressure return hose; the hard lines are clean, as are the pre-chamber collars.

What really bothers me is the vacuum. I can feel the brakes respond to the vacuum, but the lights don't dip. I'll swap the tubes and try again, but I don't expect much to change. The central locking works fine while the engine is running, but the engine shuts down s-l-o-w-l-y under vacuum. Either the two reservoirs are going to take some time to charge up, or there is a massive leak right now.

Then there's the electricks...

The glow light doesn't light up. I didn't change the glow plugs since they all test well, the engine starts well, but perhaps I should.

The wipers work correctly with the column stalk. The headlights work correctly with the column stalk when the engine is off. But with the key in the "ON" position, turning on the headlights activates the low constant speed on the wipers...:confused:

I'm going to ask my father to help check the tail lights to identify all the problems, then I'm going to start digging. So much for putting the dash in today.

The tachometer seems to be working - as the engine slowly dies, the tachometer shoots up to ±1000 rpm, twice that of the engine speed at that point. The clock is dead, but that seems a minor fix. I also have to tweak the LED center console lights. But those are component problems, not a system problem.

The day is done, but the night is young.

EDIT:

It looks like I may some serious issues:

The engine's vacuum seems to operate in reverse. She shuts down very slowly, but once shut down, the only way to start her is by pulling the vacuum off the shut-off valve. Maybe I should reverse the shut-off hoses on the ignition. Or maybe I should look at how the system is connected, with the two reservoirs.

On the electrical side:

The RHS headlight is bright and fully operational. But the left side is a disaster.

Neither the LHS main beam nor the dipped beam are as bright as the RHS ones. When I turn on the fog lights, the LHS indicator lights up without flashing, and the LHS fog lights up dimly while killing the LHS main or dipped beam, whichever was on. When I turn on the rear fog light, the rear RHS indicator lights up as well without flashing.

I have also seen that the oil hoses from the oil filter housing to the oil radiator are leaky. These are crimped hoses. I believe they can only be connected one way around, so I couldn't have connected them wrong. But the labels fell off during the removal, so I can't be sure which is which if it should matter. These hoses can be repaired by a hydraulic shop, although it means draining the engine oil.

I have given up hope for installing the dash today or tomorrow. I simply MUST sort out the electricks while everything is accessible. Everything worked in Donkey, yet after a straight transfer... But I am not too disappointed: these are all solvable birth niggles.
 
#8 ·
Yesterday, got up early and took a 75 mile drive with a few hundred friends, including a group of MB enthusiasts. Beautiful day! It is all about the cars!

https://www.facebook.com/Tour-d-Orange-163004403803373/

"2016 Tour d' Orange, Friday Morning Details
Please tell a friend or post it on your favorite media site
All cars welcome, Lets roll out the new year with friends and family.

Starting point for 2016 Tour d' Orange, this Friday

26701 Aliso Creek Rd, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656

7:00 am, Staging cars

7:30 am, Bagel's and Brew opens its doors

8:30 am Maps to be passed out.

9:00 am The 2016 Tour d' Orange Starts

Please no early birds.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL AGAIN.
DRIVE SAFE AND HAVE FUN

MARC AND CREW"
 

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#9 · (Edited)
Cleaned up the trunk area today, flipped the wheel over and added a custom road side tool kit using a tire retainer from a 560 SEL. Still need to add fuel line clamps, small ratcheting screw driver, spare belts, fuel filters, fuses, wheel lug tool, gloves and a spare towel. Trying to figure out how to neatly organize the remaining tools to be added and in the process of painting (flat black) the thin wood platform that closes out the spare tire.
 

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#13 ·
Let there be gremlins!

Today I sorted the electrical issue on my car. Cause: the ground behind the steering wheel.

Then I swapped the engine shut-off vacuum lines. And lost all vacuum.

The brake cylinder hose has vacuum, so the pump produces vacuum. If I suck on the central locking, it works both ways. If I suck on the shutdown valve, the engine shuts down without trouble. But if I connect them all to the brake servo hose, I get nothing.

And then the water pipe jumped off.

Never have I gotten out of my car so fast to shut the engine down. I can now confirm that the stop lever also works.

I can feel the hose from the top of the radiator is hot, and the hose from the (brand new) thermostat is cold, as is the water in the radiator. A brand new thermostat seized shut. Thanks, MB. Of course I made the purchase over a year ago, and probably would take another week to find the invoice.

Fortunately, the engine was filled with clean water; no coolant, no solvent or detergent or whatever, so there'll be no stains.

So, I have to test the thermostat, and the old unit in the old housing as well. Then I have to measure the vacuum produced by the vacuum pump to determine if it is a leaking rubber connector or a vacuum pump issue.

And I have to get back to work tomorrow, so the W123 will be relegated to weekends. Damn.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Finished cleaning up the trunk. Removed the liners and spare tire for thorough cleaning. Touch up painted all wheel well scratches, etc. and thoroughly cleaned out trunk drains. The blemishes in the paint (paint and welding) apparently came from the manufacturer like that. Trunk is now as clean as I can possibly get it and looks rather pristine (to me). The only thing left is to clean up and treat the rubber seals with 303 aerospace and steam clean the flimsy carpet cover. Work begins tomorrow so further cleaning will now have to wait for weekends, but she is starting to look really good. Pictures usually look better than the real deal, but not in this case. The actual black liners shine and looks beautiful.
 

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#17 ·
Ha I've got you beat buddy!

I thought about my W123 sitting under tarpaulins in a caravan storage place yesterday and thought "oh I'd better pay the storage fee for this year hadn't I?"

I'm going to have to start a rival thread called "what didn't you do again to your W123 in 2016?"
 
#18 ·
Just bought mine this week! So far I've started inspecting the negatives I didn't see during my initial night time inspection, and replaced the battery as the one provided was too small. My to do for the weekend is;

* Detail

* new tires

* repair charging system

* get a key made for the trunk and open the time capsule

* change trans/diff/motor oil and filters

* Create framework for easily documenting what I've done, what I'm doing, and when I'm doing it using Evernote (I'm really good at Evernote, can't recommend it enough for organizing information). These will be used to provide write ups for benzworld members, document costs and project future costs, records exactly how long certain tasks take, where certain parts should be ordered, and alarms for scheduled maintenance. I plan on keeping this car for the remainder of my life so this sort of documentation will pay for itself with time, and will pay dividends with more time, and will serve as service records since I will (hopefully and very optimistically) be doing all the work myself.
 
#19 ·
Lets see, I finally replaced one leaking heater hose on the 78...Just to find 3 more that are leaking...Every winter, they start seeping when the temp drops...All the original hoses, and they just don't seal well...

Worked on the darn evil servo again, to attempt to get heat. I bypassed the vacuum water valve on the bottom of the servo, popped the amp back in and pulled the 12v constant line...

Had to find out why the reserve light didn't come on for the fuel gauge, partner ran out of fuel even though tank still read under a quarter....Found out the light bulb fell out of the cluster...Explains the reserve light....hint the reserve light on first gens doesn't illuminate when the key is turned on, as it does in second gens....Also opted to clean out the sender again...what the hell...

Filled up the tires, darn front tires are getting bald...

I wish so many times, that I just had a pile of money to chuck at the cars but not being able to work...makes money hard to find...now with moving...there goes any extra...anything...
 
#22 ·
After clearing drains and chasing my passenger side floor leak, I found that the water was coming in from the grommet under the battery tray on the firewall. Upon prepping the grommet area to seal with flex sealant, I found this hose cut in half and I have no idea what it may have went to in the past. Could it have been the conduit for the vacuum system to my Euro headlights I wonder.. It was merely cut off with no cap or sealant. I now believe this is the culprit to my passenger's floor leak... outside of this, I began cleaning the hood in preparation for a hood pad installation.
 

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#24 ·
Got a German license plate and frame for Christmas; today I put them on. I think it looks much better on the euro bumper than the little American plates.
Nice.. I've have a GB Euro plate on my Classic Mini and I'm just waiting for Texas patrol to pull me over for it as they are illegal even though the numbers are the same as my TX tag. I agree, they do look better
 
#25 ·
I have decided to give up this POS car, and get myself something a little easier to work on!





Seriously, though.

I have great difficulty finding a manufacturer of new, original specification, exhaust silencers for my car. This makes no sense, as I know they are/were made here - the W123 was assembled here by MB, for crying out loud! I also had some trouble finding ID4mm braided hoses to perform the vacuum test this weekend. My cousin cam to visit from the UK, so there was a family gathering on Sunday (family gathering = no work done). I may have found some 11/23 size brake hose, used on the booster servo; here's holding both thumbs...

I'm still waiting on MBSA to quote me for the vacuum connector hose, diesel return hose and the vacuum pump repair kit (diaphragm and valves). I might not need to purchase everything, but at least I can budget should the need arise.
 
#30 ·
I have great difficulty finding a manufacturer of new, original specification, exhaust silencers for my car. This makes no sense, as I know they are/were made here - the W123 was assembled here by MB, for crying out loud! I also had some trouble finding ID4mm braided hoses to perform the vacuum test this weekend. My cousin cam to visit from the UK, so there was a family gathering on Sunday (family gathering = no work done). I may have found some 11/23 size brake hose, used on the booster servo; here's holding both thumbs...

I'm still waiting on MBSA to quote me for the vacuum connector hose, diesel return hose and the vacuum pump repair kit (diaphragm and valves). I might not need to purchase everything, but at least I can budget should the need arise.
I was able to source an ANSA muffler from AutohauzAZ, I think, but that was years ago.

4mm = .15748... inch, good luck, what are you trying to test?

The rest of the items you list I have purchased from the aforementioned seller, again, years ago.

Good luck.
 
#31 ·
Unless the reservoir is leaking, I see no need to replace it.

The light is on to indicate a low fluid level, if the parking brake indicator is operating properly.

Maybe new buttons on the reservoir.
 
#33 ·
New drive axles

Today we replaced the drive axles. It was a big job and took most of the day, but the car drives great now, better than ever since I've had it. Thankfully, my adopted grandfather knew what to do. We were going to replace the u-joint too but ran out of time. :smile
 
#35 ·
Replaced the Vacuum Modulator on the 722.4 transmission successfully, still doing final testing. Harbor Freight Tools oil pressure gauge kit worked great! This was a pretty big job considering I'm working with all hand tools on the floor, also replaced the front flex disc, shifts soooo smooth now.

Also found the source of my CCU Clicking, was driving me insane. Broken Coolant Temp Sensor by the EGR, causing relays to freak out.

Nice to solve some mysteries that were bothering me!
 
#43 ·
Added a new stereo. It was only $20 but it has bluetooth, FM and good sound (already had decent speakers), but had trouble with the wiring. Only getting sound from the back speakers. May have to do some rewiring eventually. It was nice to drive today with some music playing for a change.
 
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