[cliffyk]

Removed the front locking cylinders yesterday and sent them off to Top Hydraulics, and also removed and cleaned the headlight housings in preparation for today's UPS delivery of new headlight "covers" from AutohausAZ.

The headlights and side/signal light housings had an accumulated film on the reflectors and inner lens. Cleaned them up by swishing around a mix of hot tap water and dishwashing liquid, a couple washes and quick rinses each and then a thorough rinse--this made them a lot better, not 100% but a lot better.

UPS came through around 3:30, here are before and after shots of the right side:

You can see that the dull film on the reflector and inside the lens has been cleaned up a lot, after the first cleaning the water was filthy. The inside of the side/signal housing cleaned up nicely too. The lower photo is with the new "cover".

Also replaced a hardened crankcase vent hose and the two front jacking pads that were missing...

---------------------------------------------------------
Oh. got rid of the silly headlight wipers too, easy to do. Just disconnect and remove the motors and washer lines, and unplug the washer pump and cap its outlet while you've got the coolant tank lifted to access the headlamp. For now I covered the holes in the lower fascia with chrome "I"s, stick-on lettering from the local FLAPS. My father (who made me into the "car nut" that I am) told me years ago that "If you can't hide a blemish/defect then make it look like something that it is supposed to be there." If someone asks what they are I will say "eyes"...

 

[cliffyk]

To the Newbies an Oldiies.... when was the last time you tightened your steering box attachment bolts? Mine was done today.

The Flexible Service System - FSS calls out for tightening 3 steering bolts to 70 Nm = 50 lbs/ft every 80K Kilometers = 50K miles or every 4 years.

Please see the attached PDF's from the MB Service DVD.

Did they need it?

 

[cliffyk]

I installed a "new" left side front RST latch, and rebuilt cylinders (by TopHydraulics) so that I could once again drive if rain threatened. Had to diddle a bit with the micro switch to make the RST controller happy--but no big deal.

Klaus, at TopHydraulics was 110% as helpful as everyone has said, I know a few (probably all eventually) more cylinders will be headed his way--I would trust them going nowhere else...

 

[cliffyk]

^+100 or so, that "kit" on eBay is just a set of 25¢ to 30¢ nitrile O-rings selected to be more or less the right size, including "fat" ones to be installed in place of a proper piston rod seal. If that is what you bought then as Pete said do yourself a favour and send the leaking cylinders off the Top Hydraulics to be rebuilt correctly--better than new...

 

[cliffyk]

Looks "cloudy"--or--OMG awesome!!!

 

[cliffyk]

I like it! My '98 came to me a month ago with a new black top, should I ever have to have it replaced, or find myself with a pile of play money it is a color I would seriously consider...

 

[cliffyk]

I moved the r129 out of the garage and the SE went in for some maintenance ,replaced front flex disc laying on my back! ouchy! disc was bad,had lots of slop in it. super hot today,didn't help. now my arms don't work any more.

Curious as to how many miles on your SL?

 

[cliffyk]

SL? 34k SE? 161k, mechanically the SL is golden!

I meant to ask about the SE--161k for the flex disc is the sort of number I like to hear!

 

[cliffyk]

I got a 90 day/3000 mile "warranty" on my new-to-me '98 SL 500 (53k miles, 2nd owner), and have been over, under, and inside it for the last 6 weeks. So far nothing major, and the discs are solid--just curious as to when to look again.

Made the dealer put it up on a lift so I could check it out prior to my signing; they bitched and moaned about "insurance" and "liability"--I asked them if the car was "really for sale", and "Do you want to sell it for cash today?"

 

[cliffyk]

Whats the mileage on the car??? if its high mileage ,check flex disc's ,with the power we have in these cars,be safe! a flex disc that lets go can ruin the trans and other stuff!

53k as stated above. I have checked them out and all is well for now..

 

[cliffyk]

What does it cover? All things? If so, let us help you with a punch list.

Powertrain...

Any tips would be appreciated, however after wrenching motorized things for nearly 60 years I have a pretty well developed sixth sense as to when machines are not behaving as they should.

The engine and drive line are very solid, I had to rebuild the front latching cylinders (Top Hydraulics is a great vendor), and I replace the shaft seal in the p/s pump.

Other than that the issues are mainly cracked interior trim pieces; I am not impressed with the material chosen or design (very thin sections) of many of the snap-in escutcheons...

 

[cliffyk]

Thank you for the list!

Browse the above last forum Blue Sticky and Search the forum for

1) Aluminum Camshaft Oil Feed Connectors (16 each) DIY p/n 1191800266 ticking noise

I plan on pulling the cam covers and checking those.

2) Crankshaft Position Sensor DIY p/n 0281002123 at >75K miles the engine just stops w/o CEL

I will never drive this car to 75k miles. I am retired and only drove my 2003 Mustang GT 5 times/870 miles last year (use my Burgman to go everywhere). The SL500 has 54k now so adding another 21 will likely take 15+ years--I.e. longer than I am likely to last.

3) Distributor Rotor Brackets (2 each NEW Heavy Duty) DIY p/n 1191580640

COPs, no distributor on the '98.

4) Engine Insulation Hood Pad DIY p/n 1296802025
5) Center Console Storage Box Lid Spring DIY p/n SG403030
6) Renew Soft Top Hydraulic Fluid DIY (2 Liters) p/n 000989910310

done, done and done...

and read thru the Blue Sticky thread at MY 90-98 SL with M119 maintenance.

I had that practically memorised by midnight of the day before I I went to buy the car

 

[cliffyk]

Wow...me too.
Nice to know that the accumulated information was used and helpful in your case.

It is a treasure trove of accumulated knowledge, as is the RST "ultimate thread" list...

 

[cliffyk]

I got rid of the crumbling trim pieces at the visor pivot. Not being inclined to spend $100 for OEM replacement parts (my mother was British, her father was a Scot), I had been pondering alternatives for some time when a simple solution--often the best--popped into my mind. I just used a piece of higher quality PVC leatherette cut to the dimensions of the stock piece plus a bit; and stuck it on with 3M trim tape.

Here is the finished product:

One could argue it looks better than the OEM piece; and could be replaced as needed for another 35¢ of materials and 10 minutes time. Use a black marker on the cut edges to "dye" the backing fabric.

I use a beveled faucet washer as a washer on the retaining screw...

Without the annotation:

 

[cliffyk]

Looks great! Congratulations on thinking out of the box. Your solution to this long time $46.00 each Sun Visor Trim Cap problem may be one of the best fixes for the price thus far.

1) Would you please post a picture of the pattern that you finalized for the Trim Cap?
2) Example of the 3M trim tape product and where it can be purchased?
3) Example of the name of the black high quality PVC leatherette product and where it can be purchased?

Thanks on behalf of the 129 forum members......

Here are some photos and added information. Please excuse the less than precise nature of my tracing and cutting, between diabetes and arthritis my nearly 70-year old eyes and hands do not perform as they once did.

[edit 9/1/2013]

I made a pair of these for a fellow forum member and in doing so used a hole punch to more precisely cut the "slots"; they came out so much nicer looking that I re-did mine.

In mounting them it occurred to me that the PVC leatherette would be flexible enough that the visor bracket might fit through the slot and eliminate the need to slit the new trim piece--sure enough it does, just remove the two screws holding the visor bracket and fit it through the slot in the new trim, no slit needed:

[/edit]



The broken trim piece:

Fabric backed PVC "leatherette":

This material is available at most fabric shops, even WalMart has it here in Saint Augustine. It comes in many grades however you do not want to "go cheap" when buying it, the material shown is left over from my reupholstering the interior of a 1990 Miata--over 10 years ago. It is a supple and sturdy as it was then.

The broken trim piece, to be used as a template:

I used a rolled up bit of non-skid matting as a form to make it easier to trace the 3D face of the trim piece on to the fabric; you need to roll the trim piece as you trace, the form makes this easier:

Sandwich two pieces of the leatherette face-to-face and cut about 1/10" outward of the OEM piece's outline; this provides a wider "flange" for taping the PVC trim piece to the windscreen trim. Now you have both left and right:

Cut out the hole for the visor rod, and use a black marker to colour the cut edges, masking the white fabric backing; I also blackened out an area of the backing that is visible through the cutout when mounted in place:

This shows the 3M trim tape placed at the edges of the new trim piece, I used 1/2" wide tape cut to 1/4" for three sides, and a full 1/2" wide piece for the third which has more of a curve. Just stick the pieces on and then use scissors to trim the excess:

3M trim tape is available at any FLAPS (Favourite Local Auto Parts Store), in a variety of widths (differing thicknesses are also available, but not commonly). It is very tenacious stuff and will adhere to any clean and relatively non-porous surface. In the application its adherence to the fabric backing will be sufficient to ensure a good fastening.

all done ready to be mounted, this is for the right side:

To mount the new piece first degrease the area around the visor pivot, isopropyl alcohol works well for this, just make sure you allow the area to dry well before sticking the trim on. Next just remove the backing from the tape, line it up and press lightly at first--just sort of "tack" it in place and check the alignment, once you like its position press firmly.

Use some Armor-All or the like on a rag to freshen it up and you're done.

left side installed:

 

[cliffyk]

Today I replaced the front, horribly filthy, sintered iron semi-metallic brake pads with a set of Akebono Ultra ceramic pads-- $54 at Advance Auto, including new wear sensors. A very easy job, took more time to clean everything than to actually swap out the pads.

Having only had the car for 9 weeks I do not know when the absolute POS iron pads were installed (I would guess 15k to 20k miles ago based on wear), or what brand they were, but damn they were filthy things--just 20 miles of suburban/rural driving would leave the front wheels black.

Back gets done next weekend...

 

[cliffyk]

Keep us posted on how your AKEBONO ProACT Ceramic Pads work out for you. Most of us have installed AKEBONO Euro Ceramic Pads.

Your gonna love the clean wheels. No more ugly black brake dust between car washes.

I could not live with it "between car washes" and found myself cleaning the wheels after each drive or before taking it out again. I ran Akebono's on my '03 Mustang GT for 7 years and found them to stop well and be clean as disc brakes could be. Pep Boys has a house brand ceramic pad that is very good.

I learned many years ago that if a magnet sticks to the pad (not the backing, the pad) walk away...

 

[cliffyk]

I never see ceramic pads advertised for the earlier models like my 92. Anyone know if they are available?

Up front they are the same as on my '98, Akebono EUR561. In back they are different, EUR495 (the '98 uses Akebono EUR603 in the back)...

 

[cliffyk]

Replaced the antenna mast, piece of cake--5 minutes start to finish. Used an OEM replacement from ebay vendor Raderra, $18.95 w/free shipping, ordered it late Friday and got it a couple hours ago!

A new top cap/bushing was included...

 

[cliffyk]

Changed the spark plugs this morning--I am thinking they may have been the OEM plugs, never before changed in 54k miles. The gaps are all worn to 0.045 to 0.050" (1.14 to 1.27 mm) and the body seals had been blowing by on all eight.

The business end looks great on all--here's a photo of them; cylinders 1-8:

None of them seemed as though they were particularly tight, with the #2 plug being noticeably "not tight"; they were not loose, just not tight either, not really needing to be initially "broken loose".

Here is the #2 plug (in the foreground), it is obvious that there was some blow-by around the gasket--the good news is that the threads in the head are A-OK, and that the electrodes are a nice light tan like they should be:

The engine idles perceptibly smoother not that it was rough to begin with; haven't been out on the road yet, getting ready to do that...