[1cheesegrater]

I swapped Pearl's beep-beep horns for a pair from a Ford Explorer. Just wasn't happy when she had to speak and sounded like one of these.

 

[1cheesegrater]

I replaced the rear subframe bushings on Pearl. I used SLC bushings and had a machine shop cut them down to SL height. I don't know if if's right, but I'm happy with the result.

 

[1cheesegrater]

Why did you alter the SLC bushings?t? Why not just get the correct ones? How do the subframe bushings alter the height of the SL?

The SLC bushings are a lot cheaper and the main difference is that they are taller. The guy at the machine shop altered them for about $10 each. Maybe someday, when my ship comes in, I'll install the correct ones. I don't think the ride height in the rear has changed

 

[1cheesegrater]

Put Pearl on a diet and she's lost a few pounds/kilos. Her AC compressor and condenser are gone, along with the radiator fan (replaced with a 16 inch electric one) and the air pump .

 

[1cheesegrater]

Pearl took her top off and gave us a nice ride yesterday. We wanted to see how she rode on her new subframe bushings and give the electric fan conversion a test. Success! Although she is a hot little number, she kept her cool in highway and stop and go driving. It looks like the new bushings have stopped her rattling over tar strips and train tracks also.

 

[1cheesegrater]

😂. That was the before picture. All done in and running. Put in 4 gallons of gas and the low fuel light is lit. What is the level that it is activated?

Pearl's comes on between one and two gals. left.

 

[1cheesegrater]

Yeah, unfortunately the metal itself didn't polish out much for me. Main reason I removed emblem was to buff off the 45 years of built up wax caked around the emblem. It was worth the effort for this purpose. Before picture: View attachment 2706722

Was going to do that to Pearl, but when I tried loosening the first nut, the stud snapped off. Decided she would look better with a little wax shadow than three holes in the trunk lid. so I left it alone.

 

[1cheesegrater]

Removed left door panel looking for a rattle. It's such a crowded space in there I finally decided to just not lower the window all the way. Anyway,

while in there I found these two brass whatchamacallits and this plastic thing. Any one have an idea what they might be?

 

[1cheesegrater]

The brass thingys look like the rollers from a door check.

Thanks.

 

[1cheesegrater]

The rollers are broken off pieces of a door check (the spring loaded thing that makes your door open part way, then all the way). I think the plastic piece was attached to the bottom of the window regulator to draw rain water toward the water channel and drains in the bottom of the door.

Thanks.

 

[1cheesegrater]

When Pearl came to stay with us her odometer and clock were non functioning. Tried the loctite trick on the odometer and it's worked well since, but the clock was a problem I could not overcome. While the motor did run, the gear cluster connecting the setting knob to the main movement had broken off where the bearing pin goes through the frame. Like some others here I was taken aback by the less than robust material some of the parts on such an expensive car were made. I had a parts car, but its clock suffered from the same affliction. I tried taking the clock to a couple of "clockmaker/watch repair shops hoping their expertise with delicate mechanisms could effect a repair. Unfortunately, nowdays, it seems that these folks are mostly competent in battery replacement. To wrap this up, I eventually found an unbroken clock in a 450 at a local salvage yard and Pearl now has a fully functioning instrument cluster.

 

[1cheesegrater]

Not a big thing, but I wasn't liking the gap at the bottom of Pearl's doors not blending with the fenders, front and rear. I masked off a line equal in height of the gap and painted it black. For me, I think it's more visually pleasing

.

 

[1cheesegrater]

Very nice! Sorry....I'm not that guy to criticize nice work....but you are MISSING the protective cap for the ignition coil.

I got lucky and got one with my $50 parts car. Do you know what year MB started putting the cover for the distributor?

 

[1cheesegrater]

View attachment 2783105

Had the shop guy stick his finger in Pearl's rear end yesterday. He said all was OK and I think she was happier when I drove her home.

 

[1cheesegrater]

Was going for a drive, Battery dead, haven't taken Sunshine out for several weeks, cabin fever.
View attachment 2785199

View attachment 2785200

To save wear and tear on the battery box straps on our Pearl, I charge her battery using the lug under her hood on the right side fender.

 

[1cheesegrater]

I continue troubleshooting the distributor signal.
I run into yet another small issue with the aftermarket ignition signal cable that caused chaos afterwards.

I salute you on your ability to repair something so difficult.

 

[1cheesegrater]

Swapped out Pearl's leaking radiator with the one from the parts car. Also, moved her electric fan to her shroud from being attached directly to the radiator. It now draws air across the entire surface instead of a 16 inch circle.

 

[1cheesegrater]

At idle, pull wires (one at a time) to find which cylinder is not working. when you find the dead cylinder, swap plug wires (both ends, plug and dist.) with a working one. If the miss moves, it's a bad wire. If it doesn't, it's a bad plug or a bad injector. Pearl's had both situations.

 

[1cheesegrater]

This is probably OK for older cars without electronic ignition. But do not do this on the 560SL. You might get away with it with one cylinder disconnected at a time, but if you pull the distributer wire it will fry the EZL $$$ and NLA.

I meant the post for chiroracer and his ‘74. I still have problems with getting my posts to go where I want them to. Thanks for the info on newer ignition systems.

 

[1cheesegrater]

See attached. Andy

After you get the bolts loose, shove a pry bar in the gap between the pump and the engine, force the pump out to where you want it then tighten the bolt in the slotted ear to hold it.