Mercedes-Benz Forum banner

There's a new one coming

106K views 1K replies 52 participants last post by  roncallo 
#1 ·
Just cleaned up a truck load full of parts that I got for my latest project.

The man cave is now up and running and its time to finish Samson and get started on a new project.

The plan is to build components that will refine Samson to a factory like build while making completely new revised 3D models for future fabrication. Alot needs to be done and in the process I believe Samson will be repainted.

First on the list is to address the limited slip differential. Then
Speedometer
AC
Windshield washers
Cold air intakes

All parts will be fabricated in two's. One set for Samson One for a future project.

stay tuned.
 

Attachments

See less See more
3
#2 ·
It'll certainly be interesting to see where this goes. Refining and finishing Samson seems ambitious enough, but one can't help but be curious about this second set of fabricated parts for a "future project".

Is that future project the one referred to in the title as the "new one coming"? Keeping secrets?? :smile
 
#3 ·
Well I haven't been sitting on my ass with this but this took a long time. First time I did 3D modeling with surfaces. This was a real PIA. Trying to get the model to develop a formed plate that would unfold flat was just something I haven't done before.

Well after about 3 weekend here is the top plate required to install onto the 107 subframe.

Also shown is a picture of the one from Samson.
 

Attachments

#4 ·
I wish I had your fabrication skills, determination, and facilities. Curious, what are you up to ???
 
#5 ·
This weeks work involved getting the drive shaft ready to ship. Front drive shaft needs to be shortened ~ 3/4" to allow room for the 722.6 5 speed transmission. So one drive shaft has been fully disassembled ready to ship. You can see my related post on Diveshaft Overhaul.

While that's going on I will be preparing a differential to be installed with the required 2.65 gears and limited slip. That will require some time as I will need to make tools to do the job.
 

Attachments

#6 ·
John, who is on your operating table? Delilah? Or a new patient?
 
#7 ·
My guess...
Since it's no fun looking at a carcass, an he's learned last time around that the fabrication is the majority of the work, not the installation, he will find the recipient vehicle later. I think he is prepping all the critical parts first I think.


This weeks work involved getting the drive shaft ready to ship. Front drive shaft needs to be shortened ~ 3/4" to allow room for the 722.6 5 speed transmission. So one drive shaft has been fully disassembled ready to ship. You can see my related post on Diveshaft Overhaul.

While that's going on I will be preparing a differential to be installed with the required 2.65 gears and limited slip. That will require some time as I will need to make tools to do the job.
What vehicles can provide a 2.65 limited slip differential? I think maybe a 1980 450sl has a 2.65, but I don't know how to find one with a limited slip.

Or are you making a 2.65 into a limited slip somehow? Is that where the mention of making tools comes from?



Speaking of differentials... Are you building this one with the earlier subframe? Or a Gen2? I've been looking at the possibility of putting a gen2 LSD (with whole gen2 subframe) into one of my Gen1 cars, and it looks like only the diff mount could be an issue. Maybe there's more that I'm unaware of.
 
#11 ·
I just crawled under my 1985 280sl and it does not seem to have the extra set of bolt holes. It looks like the center holes for a gen2 rail, like you show there are used in either case. That's helpful information which is very nice to know without crawling under a rusty parts car in a filthy warehouse floor (where I have access to two 560sl cars). Thank you! ;)

The nice thing to know here is... in case you decide to use a gen1 donor, you'd probably only need to drill two holes and cut a center hole for the recess. No precise measurements are required since it looks like the center holes are used in either case.

I think instead of weld nuts, there is a bar of tapped metal stock that the diff mount bolts screw into. So hopefully it wouldn't be too hard to side one of these bars over into position.

That's all moot if you go with a Gen2 chassis.

OT: I think the same may apply to w126 gen1 and gen2 cars.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#16 ·
This weekends work was designing a pinion depth measuring tool. There are tools already available off the shelf for about $500 that I believe will do the job for the MB with little or no modification. But I'm expecting I will get this tool fabricated and delivered for under $300 and I know it will work. So this tool is out for quotes as we speak and I wont see it for at least 1 month. The attached video show's a universal tool and describe the pinion depth setup procedure. Any machinist out there that want to quote on making this tool are welcome to do so if you feel you can hold the tolerances.



I haven't heard from my drive shaft guy so that is still waiting to be shipped. In any case I will be working on subframe tooling next. The subframe tooling will be a fixture to hold the subframe precisely in place on the milling machine for precise machining and measuring.
 

Attachments

#21 ·
I was reading throughout this some of your earlier posts. I remember that m113 in your garage. Are you planning on putting an m113 together with a manual transmission this time around? Or will only time tell?



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I have a 113 bell housing I bought just for that purpose. But that will not be involved in the first go around.
 
#18 ·
I owned a precision sheet metal fabrication facility including modest machine shop capabilities and I fear that under $300 bucks to fabricate 1 of anything is probably not realistic. Setup costs alone would exceed $300 and I assume heat treating would be involved after machining, else the resultant parts would not hold tolerance very long (easily marred if dropped or bumped) . If you can get those parts fabricated to the specified tolerances (which I assume to be tenths if you wish to measure accurately to .010") and heat treated for under $300 you will be getting a fantastic deal. I hope it works out for you. :smile
 
#19 ·
Well that is all true especially on Long Island. I'm expecting the best quotes to come from China. The attached picture are timing wheels I had made in China for $230 delivered. Which also included a $50 bank wire transfer fee and shipping. Best quote I got on these wheels from the states was $750.

A few months ago I had parts from an antique fire gong made. They included 6 details and a total of about 85 parts $331 delivered. This time the guy accepted PayPal so no bank fees.

Heat treating is not required for these parts. If it were I would be very hesitant about sending to China.
 

Attachments

#22 · (Edited)
Well first day of quotes puts USA back in the game. Maybe the trade deficit with China really is being addressed. That's good news and bad news but unfortunately bad for me at the moment.

I may have another buyer so 2 sets would almost cut that in half.
 

Attachments

#26 ·
Todays Work

Got to play with some new toys.

I purchased a differential holder for a Ford and made an adapter plate for the Mercedes 560SL diff.

Got to really use my plasma cutter for the first time. That's pretty neat and fast.

Looks like I got a guy also wants to purchase the diff pinion depth setting tool so I will probably take a chance on the quote 2 for $248. Its kind of risky because the guy has no history with the web sight. But so far Iv been pretty lucky.
 

Attachments

#28 ·
Well the contract has been awarded to the same guy that made the clock gears I posted earlier. Not the cheapest bid but a guy I did business with before.

$270.00 for two sets delivered from China.

Goal was to get a bid for one set for under $300. Ended up with 4 bids under $300 for 2 sets.
 

Attachments

#30 ·
Not so fast. In dealing with China, They need to be watched like a hawk. I just got back an invoice with $80 shipping on it. My RFQ specified shipping was to be included in the quote. His quote stated shipping included. Considering he wasn't the cheapest guy on the block and 7 guys quoted a cheaper price with shipping I had to challenge that. So another few days.
 
#31 ·
Got some material in today. That big plate and the large tubes in the photo will be used to make a machining fixture for the 560SL subframes.

Essentially this plate will be used to hold subframes firmly to a milling machine table. It will also double as an inspection tool for the 107/115 subframes similar to MB special tool # 115 589 04 23 00. That inspection tool and its use can be found in chapter 33-600 of the 107 service CD.

Also the supplier from China agreed to pay shipping on the differential pinion setting tool, so that is now on order.
 

Attachments

#34 ·
Essentially this plate will be used to hold subframes firmly to a milling machine table. It will also double as an inspection tool for the 107/115 subframes similar to MB special tool # 115 589 04 23 00. That inspection tool and its use can be found in chapter 33-600 of the 107 service CD.
YGBSM - sometimes I like to go into my garage and set up stuff on my banged up wooden workbench and just crimp wires together hoping it will have a purpose.
 
#35 ·
Not a whole hell of a lot done today because I was scared. Scared of F$%ing up a $400 plate of Aluminum.

And its a good thing because I set it up last night. Realizing I was tired I said I better wait until I'm fresh in the AM. I found I had the setup about ready to cause a problem and was able to address it without issue.

So the plate you see in the milling machine is having 9 holes drilled into it for alignment pins. Only 6 holes are drilled at the moment because I need to finish ream the holes and put the pins in so I can turn it around to get the last three. I am waiting for a 0.624" gauge pin to come in before I can finish ream those holes so the milling machine is tied up for the moment.

I also cut the four standoff tubes shown on top of the plate. Those are the tubes the subframe rests on. They will be notched out like in the cad file when I get the milling machine back.

The cad file is what it will look like when done, however other attachments are still required.
 

Attachments

#36 ·
Having fun with a plasma circle cutter.

first outer hole came out pretty bad due to pivot point slipping. Then I had to make a stand to do the inner circle. That came out much better despite that with small holes or holes near the edge you cant use a guide wheel.

I need to make two of these for a differential wrench that will hold the three or 4 lobed flange when tightening the pinion nut. So Im saving the next one for when Stef arrives. He doesn't know I will be putting him to work.
 

Attachments

Top