From: owner-diesel-benz-digest-at-digest.net (diesel-benz-digest) To: diesel-benz-digest-at-krusty-motorsports.com Subject: diesel-benz-digest V1 #305 Reply-To: diesel-benz-at-digest.net Sender: owner-diesel-benz-digest-at-digest.net Errors-To: owner-diesel-benz-digest-at-digest.net Precedence: bulk diesel-benz-digest Thursday, April 13 2000 Volume 01 : Number 305 Forum for Discussion of Diesel Mercedes Benz Automobiles John Meister Digest Coordinator Contents: Re: '87 300 TD on ebay 123 lower ball joint replacement 85 300D for sale! Re: 85 300D for sale! Re: Best years for a MB diesel? Looking at a '76 300D Re: Looking at a '76 300D leaving on a jet airplane... Re: Looking at a '76 300D RE: transmission question Diesel Benz Digest Home Page: http://www.digest.net/diesel-benz/ Send submissions to diesel-benz-digest-at-digest.net Send administrative requests to diesel-benz-digest-request-at-digest.net To unsubscribe, include the word unsubscribe by itself in the body of the message, unless you are sending the request from a different address than the one that appears on the list. Include the word help in a message to stag-digest-request to get a list of other majordomo commands. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 07:53:34 -0800 From: "Chris Clauson " Subject: Re: '87 300 TD on ebay The car is NOT a 4MATIC. With regard to the engine, it is solid! It is a 3.0 L inline six and was/is not plagued with the problems of the later 350. There were some cases of head problems on these engines, 603.96x, but they were very rare and far between. MB redesigned the heads in the late '80's as a result. At this mileage, 190,000+, any head issues would have cropped up and been dealt with. As is always the case: records, records, records! - ----------- Chris '87 300 SDL - Smokey (66K) '85 190E 2.3 - Goldie (126K) - --== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==-- Share what you know. Learn what you don't. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 14:18:08 -0400 From: "Jeff Domogala" Subject: 123 lower ball joint replacement Folks, I successfully replaced both of the lower ball joints on my '82 240D. It wasn't as bad as I thought it could be. The only caveat was that I had to pay the dealer to press the new ball joints into the spindle housings. A special tool (priced at about $800) is required since an arbor press alone cannot get a straight shot at the ball joints themselves. So I ended up paying 1 hour labor for that part of the deal, and it was well worth it. I got the ball joints themselves for $21 each at a foreign supply house. They carried OEM replacement parts (Mekley (sp?)). They are German OEM replacements. The simplified process to remove a ball joint: 1 - Remove the brake caliper (hang it up on the stabilizer bar) 2 - Remove the hub (yes, you will have to repack the bearings) 3 - Remove the plate from the spindle that covers the back of the brake rotor 4 - Remove the 2 bolts that hold the steering knuckle to the spindle housing 5 - Remove the upper ball joint nut and knock out the upper ball joint from the spindle housing 6 - Remove the nut from the lower ball joint and knock out the lower ball joint (a couple of good whacks with a 15 lb. sledge on top of the ball joint did the trick ;^) ) 7 - Knock the old ball joint out of the spindle housing with pounding tool of choice (I used a large ball-pean hammer). Just don't miss with the hammer and screw up the bore itself. 8 - Bring spindle housings and ball joints to MB dealer to have the ball joints pressed into the housings. You do not need to remove the shock, spring or upper control arm. The shock holds everything together while the spindle is removed. Jeff - -------------------------------- Jeff/Laura/Ashley Domogala Windham, NH http://www.bit-net.com/~domogala ------------------------------ Date: 12 Apr 2000 12:53:11 -0700 From: "Mark Fountain" Subject: 85 300D for sale! Saw this advertised in AutoTrader.com. Thot it would be worth it for someone in the area to check in to if they wanted it. Note that no odometer reading was stated! 1985 MERCEDES BENZ 300D TURBO, 4-door., new turbo, new battery, excellent condition in/out, 30-mpg, beautiful CAR, no disappointments, asking $5995, sacrifice $4295 or best offer, 425-741-3899 10:30 - 18:30, LYNNWOOD, WA, (14) $4295 Mark Fountain '82 300D 230,000 MI NOT for sale ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 19:17:29 -0700 From: john Subject: Re: 85 300D for sale! I'm gonna stop and take a look at it on the way home from work tomorrow. The guy runs a pawn shop over in the Mill Creek area, only about 10 miles out of my way. It's burgundy, 170k. Will let you know. He also has a couple other Mercedes for sale too. I think he said he had a 78... my cell phone was breaking up (I'm at home), but to call basically a few blocks away is a long distance call!!! john At 12:53 PM 4/12/00 -0700, Mark Fountain wrote: >Saw this advertised in AutoTrader.com. Thot it would be worth it for >someone in the area to check in to if they wanted it. Note that no >odometer reading was stated! > > >1985 MERCEDES BENZ 300D TURBO, 4-door., new turbo, new battery, >excellent condition in/out, 30-mpg, beautiful CAR, no disappointments, >asking $5995, sacrifice $4295 or best offer, 425-741-3899 10:30 - 18:30, >LYNNWOOD, WA, (14) $4295 > >Mark Fountain >'82 300D 230,000 MI NOT for sale > > - ----------------------------------------------------- john-at-wagoneers.com http://www.wagoneers.com ...don't leave life without Jesus, please! Snohomish, WA - where Jeeps don't rust, they mold... - ----------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 21:00:42 -0700 From: john Subject: Re: Best years for a MB diesel? At 07:25 PM 4/12/00 -0700, RON wrote: >Hello Friends! > >I have an '81 300D with 200k on it. She is rusted >badly so I want to sell her and get another one in >better shape. > >My question is what is the absolute best year for a >300D? I have been looking at several and I've heard >that some are much better than others. I heard that >the '82-83 transmissions are a problem. > >Thanks in advance! > >Ron I've heard that the mid 80's 123 Series is the best. I'm going to look at one tomorrow night... not sure why, I don't have the money on hand and just sold my very nice 81 300D. :) There is a nice looking 87 300TD (124 Chassis) up on Ebay for sale, opens at almost $8k. john ------------------------------------------------- http://www.wagoneers.com/DieselBenz/ Snohomish, WA - where Jeeps and Diesel Benz' don't rust, they mold... ------------------------------------------------- http://www.digest.net/diesel-benz/ (81 300D) ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 21:57:24 -0700 From: Robert Crawford Subject: Looking at a '76 300D Is there anything that I should look at or be aware of in a '76 300D? I am thinking of looking at one this weekend. What kind of condition should I be expecting for $2k USD. On the phone the person reported the following problems. Belt off the AC compressor, he claimed that the idler pulley was making noise so the belt was removed. apx. 4" (10cm) tear on the side of the drivers seat. both rear doors dented, he claimed parking lot dings. It's yellow What other things should I look at? I know to sheck for oil in the radiator and to have someone with me to look for excessive smoke, but is ther anything else to check? - -- Robert Crawford robertc-at-snowcrest.net www.snowcrest.net/robertc Linux and vi, the choice powertools of the next century. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 22:12:04 -0700 From: john Subject: Re: Looking at a '76 300D spin the a/c compressor to make sure it's not seized up... this of course only if you plan on using it... ;) john At 09:57 PM 4/12/00 -0700, Robert Crawford wrote: >Is there anything that I should look at or be aware of in a '76 300D? I >am thinking of looking at one this weekend. What kind of condition >should I be expecting for $2k USD. > >On the phone the person reported the following problems. > Belt off the AC compressor, he claimed that the idler pulley was making >noise so the belt was removed. > apx. 4" (10cm) tear on the side of the drivers seat. > both rear doors dented, he claimed parking lot dings. > It's yellow > >What other things should I look at? I know to sheck for oil in the >radiator and to have someone with me to look for excessive smoke, but is >ther anything else to check? > >-- >Robert Crawford >robertc-at-snowcrest.net >www.snowcrest.net/robertc >Linux and vi, the choice powertools of the next century. > - ----------------------------------------------------- john-at-wagoneers.com http://www.wagoneers.com ...don't leave life without Jesus, please! Snohomish, WA - where Jeeps don't rust, they mold... - ----------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 22:21:39 -0700 From: john Subject: leaving on a jet airplane... I'll be in Orlando this Saturday... through next Saturday, for a Linux class offered by HP. flying by way of Denver. (I'll be in Denver from 1127A till 1224P... not much time... and I know it's over an hour drive from Denver to the airport... :( On the 22nd I'll be coming back through Denver, arrive 5:03p, leave 8PM. flying United. Enough time for dinner, if you can stomach airport food. I'll have my laptop, it's like I won't even be gone... ;) Gonna meet up with a few folks in Orlando... Drop me an email if you're near Orlando. I'll have Thursday and Friday free, planning on heading over to the coast by Melbourne to visit my sister... john - ----------------------------------------------------- john-at-wagoneers.com http://www.wagoneers.com ...don't leave life without Jesus, please! Snohomish, WA - where Jeeps don't rust, they mold... - ----------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 08:54:22 -0500 (EST) From: John Fieber Subject: Re: Looking at a '76 300D On Wed, 12 Apr 2000, Robert Crawford wrote: > Is there anything that I should look at or be aware of in a '76 300D? > Belt off the AC compressor, he claimed that the idler pulley was making > noise so the belt was removed. More likely the AC system is broken. This can be a very costly repair if AC is important to you. > What other things should I look at? Since a transmision failure could quickly double the price, you want to make sure there isn't anything suspicious there. Assuming an auto, make sure it behaves well under a variety of load situations. You want to learn if notable transmission work has been done in the past, when the last fluid and filter change was (every 25,000 by the MB maintenance schedule) You can also ask some questions to probe how attentive the owner was to regular maintenance...like when the valves were last adjusted (Every 12,500 by the MB maintenance schedule). - -john ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 09:59:04 -0700 From: john Subject: RE: transmission question At 09:00 AM 4/13/00 -0500, Darnell, Brian wrote: >John: > >The gear change from 1st - 2nd is very abrupt on my '84 300SD (249K miles); >subsequent shifts are very smooth. The previous owner said that it did this >, too. He was my neighbor and got relocated (practically gave me the car, so >it wasn't a big worry then). I have had the car for one year. > >Any thoughts?!? > >Brian in Nashville > Typically abrupt shifts in automatics are not a bad thing, less slippage equals less heat equals less wear... etc. However, if it's too abrupt it can damage internal gears and clutches and stress crack things... It's possible the vacuum system/modulator are not quite right... I'd probe other benz owners (I'm cc'ing this to the diesel-benz list) to see what they say. My experience has mainly been with american slushboxes... john - ----------------------------------------------------------- http://www.WAGONEERS.com/JEEPS/jeep-family-March-2000-1.jpg SuperDawg, SuperPup (the little wagoneer), and Mark's J3000 http://wagoneers.com/AMSOIL/FSJ_filters.html Snohomish, WA, where Jeeps don't rust, they mold... - ----------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ End of diesel-benz-digest V1 #305 *********************************