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Classic Cars Mercedes 300D Suggestions
2231 messages, Last post on Nov 11, 2009 at 9:21 AM
You are in the Classic Cars Forum. Your Host is mr_shiftright
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| I have found a replacement L5 for my MBZ what do I need to check for. I believe it came out of a 300CD, he put a Chevy 350 in it, (A common swap I do not understand) but I will take it off of his hands for 400 dollars. And does anybody have an idea how much it will cost to have this engine installed. And does anybody know of any good online or paper catologues for MBZ and Volvo. i.e. IPDUSA, JCWhitney, etc... | |
Went to a Starfest a few years ago and attended a seminar hosted by Bob Beckman, of Beckman Technologies, Inc. Very knowlegable on MB control modules. They rebuild the tac senders on an exchange basis , the one I got from them was still working 7 yrs later when I sold my 300DT. The last # I had was !-800-742-1021, they were located in Durham,NC 27704, Knob Hill Road. The speedo problem could be the cable, Call Palo-Alto Speedometer 415-323-0234, if you think it is the speedo head, they have been in business a long time.
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anibalb---I think the speedo cable needs greasing is all. The valves are easy to adjust but you need a special "crow foot" wrench to loosen the adjuster nut on the valve. A normal wrench can't get it. Mercedes will sell you this tool or maybe you can borrow it. The manual should give the tool #. Most people are confused about diesel maintenance. The general rule is: Diesel maintenance is less costly per service, but you need to service them more often. So it's really a wash in terms of expense. Also a diesel engine will generally cost more to rebuild than an equivalent gas engine, as it is built to a higher standard. |
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Paul, What is the Spedo head? Also, can you tell me precisely where I would find this Tac sending unit? Everyone mentions these rebuilt parts. If I went to the dealer is there any chance that they have a new part? Sometimes the new part is not much more than rebuilt. Also, where is the Speedo cable located? And how do you grease the cable? Isn't it self contained? How do I get the grease inside the cable? I presume when you say grease you mean general lithium grease. I imagine that will do. I bought a Hayes manual just so I can look at some of the basic stuff. I hope that I will get a chance to learn this stuff before it breaks down.. Thanks for all the help and tips.
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| The speedo head is your speedometer guage.The tac sending unit is the round black unit about 2 inches in dia in front left corner of the engine bay, made by VDO I believe, lift hood about a foot back of the drivers side headlight. Looks like the end of a flashlight, just unscrew then lift to disconnect the plug. there is a tether strap which can be removed by removing a base screw or two. The base socket that is now revealed is where the dealer can plug their diagnostic or tac meter for under hood service, it uses the same pickup source from the front damper. The rebuilds are about half price compared to oem , and in my case are fixed permanantly.I'm sure MB has sold thousands of these, and if the original design has not changed ,they are destined to fail. The speedo cable is attached to the back of the speedo guage and the casing unscrews from back of the guage revealing the drive cable inside, just your typical speedo cable. You want to use a lube which will not stiffen in the cold. Most shops use a graphite type speedo lube , available at most auto stores. You may find the guage cluster a bit difficult to get out , not familiar with the particular haynes manual you have, but if you need help post and I can tell you how, good luck. | |
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Mr. Shiftright, You mention the importance of changing oil and filter every 3000 mi. for diesels. I assume you mean traditional oil. What about synthetics like Amsoil, Redline and Mobil 1? Both Amsoil and Redline claim extended intervals between drains but what affect do these longer intervals have on the oil filter? Any suggestions? Thanks. |
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You know, I just don't mess with extended drains on diesels as I feel they overstress the filters. I suppose if you pulled the filter at 3,000 and left the synthetic in to 6,000 that might be okay, but you know how dirty diesel engine oil gets and how much stress is on those engines. Given the cost of a Mercedes diesel engine replacement, I don't see the wisdom in saving a bit of time and money using extended oil drains. I realize that the Big Rigs probably don't change their oils every 3,000, but these engines are monsters and also have masive filtration systems. You really can't compare them to dinky auto diesel engines. |
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Paul, Thanks so very much for all the tips. They come in handy. I will look at those 2 items soon. The Tac works sometimes. I think more often than not it is not working. I will look into the sending unit. I replaced the tires on my car today. They needed it so bad. I kept one wheel as the spare and put a new tire on the spare since it was flat! So instead of unmounting a tire from one wheel and remounting it on the spare they just swapped wheels.... I guess this is not a problem since it is a full spare. In doing so I noticed that the rear driver's side brakes are not wearing out evenly. I presume a failing caliper. Should I just replace the caliper? Also I have to press hard on the brakes. Most likely a bad booster. I should be able to do these repairs. Paul do you know any good place to get parts? Also, how do I remove the Speddo component? I don't think that will be covered in Hayes manual. Again, thanks for the tips. Oh! What oil do you use? |
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Hello, I realized that there is a rebuild kit for Calipers that costs 1/10 of a rebuilt caliper. Should I just do that. I think all you do is remove the pistons and seals clean it all out and put in new seals. How hard can that be? How can I know for sure if I need a new brake booster. I tested it as follows. Pressed the brakes several times with the car off and then turned the car on. Sure enough the brakes went down closer to the floor. But it was very slow. I guess in my newer car as soon as I turn the car on they drop right away and faster. How hard is it to replace the oil cooler hoses? The last service invoice said that it needed them and the cost was 275. Seems a lot to me to replace some hoses. Glow plugs. It seems more expensive to have them tested than to just replace them. Should I replace them as preventive maintenance? And how often should I replace them going forward? Mr. Shiftright/Paul??? I would appreciate tips. Also, it seems that there is an excellent Mechanic in Walnut Creek. So may use him for major stuff! |
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| The 123 series rear brake always wear unevenly , comparing inside to outside pads, this is normal for the rear brakes. A zone rep suggested years ago at the half way point in service to simply exchange outside to inside to even the wear and get the most economical service from the pads. they will seat in quickly and only contribute a fraction of the brake force compared to the front. To check the calipers , remove the pads and use a piece of wood to pry/ push the pistons in , any stuck pistons will soon be apparent (wood wil not mark the rotors). You can rebuild the calipers as you suggest but my experence is that the rebuilds are more cost effective and easier. Have you ever taken a stuck piston out? What about removing the sheared bleed screw? Now that you have gotten this far on a Saturday, and find the pitted piston has also got to be replaced, that piston/s alone will cost almost as much as a rebuilt caliper and if your paying some else for labour ?? Check your local parts stores , the prices are all over the map, but should be able to find for under a hundred. Your call ! MB uses two types of brakes on your car Teves or Bendix , Replace what you have with the same brand. I have found the OEM pads offer better braking but are softer than aftermarket and produce more brake dust. Two good low dust brands are Mintex and Axxis(repco) The instrument cluster fits in the dash much like a large plug ,no screws or clips are used , you basically pull it out To remove the instrument cluster , fashion a small hook from a piece of clothes hanger wire by flattening the end to about halt thickness, bend this end over to form a hook. on the other end place a piece of wood for a handle or use something similar. push the top of the vinyl surrounding the ins cluster up and insert the tool , hook towards cluster and pull out , now go to thr right side at 3 o' clock position on clock and insert again and pull . cluster should now be free , reach behind and unscrew knurled nut on speedo cable ,disconnect electrical plugs and cluster is in your hands.You can also remove the under dash panel and push unit out by hand. Performance products.com (impco) have a great catalog with parts break down, also www.alleuro.com . As to moter oil I always used Quaker State 10w40 in my MB .not saying it is better than anything else, only it is on MB's approved list of lubes and is available anywhere in Canada and US that I travel. Also use this brand in all my vehicles, different weights for different applications of course. No need to replace glow plugs unless bad , there is a failure warning if one goes but is not that accurate. PS the oil cooler hoses are $44 and $39 plus shipping (2000/01 catalog) respectively at Performance Products 1-800-243-1220 ch. Good luck | |
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