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Apr 27, 2015 13:58:03 GMT
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Ooooh a C6. That's definitely on the list. Had a couple of CX's and an XM - love the look of the C6. Will be interesting to see how you get on with the Avantime. The Avantime has a few age-related niggles, but on the whole I really enjoy it - and it got pressed into service showing gf and 8 year old daughter around the UK, particularly Scottish Borders/Edinburgh area. 1500 miles in a week, I got over 36mpg despite a split oil breather hose (now bodge-repaired until I can get an original Renault one with the correct bend in); the high rear seats worked perfectly for making a back seat passenger very happy with her view and her comfort. She also remarked on the car's handling on the A6089, asking if we could do the rollercoaster again. C6 wise, I came to hate mine with a passion, but I'm mellowing again and do miss the interior and serenity of it. Turns out the primary weak point of awful balljoints can be resolved with parts from the 3.0. I'd still be very wary of their oil consumption, blocked EGR, expensive cambelts as I wouldn't own one without the V6 diesel. Got it because I loved my CXs and XMs, but it's not the same and actually a Xantia has better ride. Looks aside, if I wanted the ultimate in Citroën ride and handling I would have an Activa, having driven Keith's one even when it was really badly set up it was insanely good.
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Apr 27, 2015 21:51:19 GMT
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So after cleaning the K40 just in case, and redoing a slightly suspicious but really not solder joint regardless, I put it back and then thought I'd pop the MAF off.
Oil.
Not a HUGE amount, but a good misting of oil on the intercooler pipe and wet oil on the MAF itself and the grille.
As I've just bought a genuine Bosch one, I figured there's no harm giving it another blast of carb cleaner - much as I did when I cleaned the oil separator and replaced the split/aged breather hoses. Reassembled it all and the car just got fully up to temperature, idled for ages just fine, accepted being revved, no spluttering and returned to a stable idle. Only glitch I can see is the courtesy light flickering - voltage at the battery is a solid 13.4 so a little low, doesn't rise like mad when the car is revved so I think the battery might have had enough - it was old enough when I got the car and it's done another three years of very low usage.
Oil in the pipes is pretty much guaranteed to be down to the other side of the breather system - the valves at the inlet manifold. That job is unfortunately a manifold-off task, but what the hell. If I sort it and keep on top of my oil changes it'll probably be good for another 90,000 miles.If I do that then the intercooler will come off and get washed out properly too. It is quite a big job in terms of "many vacuum hoses and things", but I figure if done right this SLK will be one of the ones making it to 50 years old!
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Apr 28, 2015 11:59:51 GMT
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Undertray refitted and a quick set of pre-MOT checks, revealing the troublesome high-level brake light is being troublesome again. Quick bit of soldering and it's bright and not flickering/going to half-brightness or off with movement of the wire.
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Apr 29, 2015 18:50:22 GMT
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MGF now reassembled. The driveway looks like this now the inmates have been assembled and washed.. Now, what interests me is maybe, MAYBE I was a little overexcited about the MGF bodge. The car is running brilliantly with the new alternator, I've sussed out the not-easily-folding roof, it still feels nervous and twitchy at the pointy end making me suspect upper arms might be worn, but this is the bit I was so upset about, except not IN YOUR FACE AS YOU WORK ON THE ENGINE. I bet half the skilled people on RetroRides would have that sorted - and metal - in a weekend without even worrying. I should learn to weld. Bonus Mercedes content. That there's a C124 for sale on here for £3,500 is making me really want to get into fixing mine. I am sure it's not as bad as I think it is.
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SLK failed the MOT. "Oh Bother".
(Broken front coil spring - I hadn't noticed, just the very end fractured off - ride height is the same on both sides it's that small a part).
Ha. Sachs £67. Mercedes? £59. Pair of genuine front springs going on ASAFP, maybe I can justify a new pair of shocks too (but they're still £120ish each). Gives me an excuse to order the 'pennies' number plate rivnuts and screws for the back to replace the one that snapped off, though I'm fitting one of those German plate holders anyway.
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Last Edit: May 1, 2015 11:23:26 GMT by Deleted
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For some reason, Benzes love to eat front springs for breakfast...
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194? Willys Jeep MB 1965 Volvo 544 Special 1968 Opel Rekord 1975 Opel Kadett Estate 1985 Mercedes-Benz 230E 1985 Datsun 720 King Cab 4x4 diesel 1997 Volvo S70 2.5SE (ex. "Volvo544special65" - changed to more reader friendly username. )
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I think the reason is "curse word suppliers and materials" - though I'm not used to it on SLK, more W210 and W168
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Speaking of Benzes that like to eat front springs... I've joined the ranks of Mercedes owners who have given up on finding really good W124 estates for low budgets, let alone W123, and moved onto the next generation. This 2002 W210 cost less than I was looking at paying for a solid, but god-awful colour W124 230TE with indeterminate mileage and many small issues, not least of which was just 'no evidence of caring ownership', from just a single key to no book pack and bodged repairs of bits I know are easy to do right. I was looking for petrol and C-classes, with the budget pretty much stretching to C180s with - for the M111 - very high mileages. W210s were all super-leggy ex-taxi saloons. Except for this one - local, I went to see it, it had 112,000 on the clock (ticked over actually, it was under when I got it), nice folder of history, both keys, just a few parking bumps and the usual minor bubbling on arches and tailgate. It's a 7 seater, too, and has a Golde sunroof; maybe 210s don't have sunroofs like W124s do but I am glad to have found one with. It's also a six-cylinder. However, deviating from my initial goals, it's an OM613 320 CDI. Avantgarde trim with COMAND (looking for a 6310i phone for it), almost 12 months MOT, decent enough tyres, recent service. I must admit aside from the 210's awful proportions in silver/light colours, I don't understand why I dug my heels in on getting one of these for so long. I really love it. Seats might be the only gripe, I can't find a lumbar support - if they'll take the ortho seats as plug & play I might seek out a set. The SLK is waiting for new coils - bought, tool organised - then it hits the road. And the 300C is probably off to a new home, making my car ownership 100% Mercedes.
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Last Edit: May 11, 2015 1:13:39 GMT by Deleted
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Jul 27, 2015 11:36:29 GMT
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Took a lot longer for the tool to be sorted - and had a trip to the states in between - but, finally, the front springs are replaced. First side, first time using that tool, took too long - I forgot to jack both sides up, so the ARB was affecting how much the suspension dropped, and fitting the new spring took several attempts to find the optimum position for the clamps - too close to the rings and the top one gets caught on the upper spring cup, the bottom one can get sandwiched between spring and arm.
Once it was done, big relief and went to do the other side. Much faster - came out without bother, went back in without drama.
The new springs obviously lift the front a fair bit, so I'm now thinking I should replace the rears too, but first - MOT, then brake rebuild. Then I get the SLK back on the road!
Meanwhile the MG F, having had the alternator replaced and new splash shields fitted, decided to celebrate the test drive by losing clutch movement. Quick diagnosis suggested the master cylinder was the culprit - so ordered a new seal kit. Then ignored the car for almost two months.
New seals in, tested, etc. - reassembled, bled - awesome! Went to move the car, and *bang* - the clutch pedal flew up and hit the dashboard.
The circlip, despite being tested, had sprung out. Do it all again - and clean up spilled brake fluid. Now the MG F works!
Just in time for me to find the E320's gearbox ECU is full of ATF.
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MOT passed! Finally, it can go back on the road!
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So now it's road legal, the business of chasing down the odd misfire/stalling issue that contributed to taking it off the road. Despite many times going over the pipework, the vaccum hose from supercharger to oil separator/breather had scorched through where it rested against the cylinder head. This will not have helped the oil breathing system one bit, as it's a key part of how the centrifugal separator on top of the rocker cover works.
For speed, ordered some 3mm red silicone hose off eBay, and added the correct hose to the latest order from Inchcape. Silicon hose arrived, cut to length to allow it to go over the intake pipe and thus, be routed away from the head anyway. Took the car out for a 30-mile run, and under heavy load/boost, it is running MUCH better, with only the occasional fart to suggest the MAF isn't happy being a Mass Air Oil Sensor. Idle is, however, still patchy - it'll be fine, then drop. Excess fouling of the MAF due to more oil escaping through the PCV system sounds like the issue, and the cause is almost certainly the low-pressure PCV setup on the inlet manifold. This has a PCV valve from the crankcase, mounted on a plastic bracket, feeing into two brass nozzles in the head just ahead of the inlet valves. The brass nozzles are extremely small bore, and get coked up easily - probably very easily on a car which isn't handling the high-pressure PCV right either and is breathing oily supercharged air.
Getting to this is probably one of the most annoyingly fiddly 'minor' jobs on an M111 engine. The fuel rail and inlet manifold have to come off, officially - I am wondering if using a remote camera and some very flexible arm contortions, I can remove the PCV valve, rubber hose to brass nozzle, clean the nozzle with a suitable drill bit turned by hand (thus drawing the curse word down and out of the bore) and clear it that way. But, as Mercedes parts are generally pretty cheap, I've ordered every hose and gasket that applies to the system, as well as the PCV valve and clip.
Using the borescope, I also got a change to look at the throttle butterfly. This is, as suspected, in need of a good clean as it's not closing fully and clearly has deposits around the edge. Gasket ordered and that'll get scrubbed up and sorted.
Aside from the engine misbehaving, the car is driving brilliantly at the moment. New springs have had a much greater effect on the handling and tracking than I thought possible and the car's smooth, straight and really predictable.
The E320 has presents from Mercedes on the way too - windscreen bottom rubber/ventilation grilles. A shocking £11 each for a fairly complex part. A couple of other jobs are planned but need more spend - subframe bushes and engine/gearbox mounts. They can wait until I'm certain the gearbox is behaving.
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As the guy who found the technique to change Avantime rev counter bulbs without taking half the dashboard apart, I thought "never mind all this manifold off malarky, I bet I can fit my hand in there and get the PCV/pipework out".
On the one hand, yes. I can. Both 5mm once-rubber pipes broke off at the brass nozzles, as described, the PCV valve clip snapped off, as described, and I extracted those bits.
Could I then get to the nozzles to clean them, or the lower pipe to detach it? Could I hell.
Waiting for my order of bits with new inlet manifold gaskets, then.
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Aug 16, 2015 22:58:43 GMT
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Still waiting for bits. The MGF is now the only road-legal, functional car I have - which is frankly terrifying.
So of course, I've bought another broken car. British. I am clearly insane.
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Aug 20, 2015 11:00:59 GMT
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It's fixed!
Removing the inlet manifold was necessary - though not as complex as people make out, as you don't need to remove the fuel rail from the manifold.
If you were really determined you could possibly do it without disconnecting the fuel lines, but I used a hose clamp on the feed, tolerated a small spill and kept them well out of the way.
So as a quick write up:
Remove the pipework between intercooler and throttle body, including the MAF, keep the MAF wire out of the way. Remove the throttle body, the little mesh thing which is also the gasket for throttle body to metal insert on manifold and the metal insert - all hex bolts. Three on the inlet elbow which you'll probably do when you do the pipework, one underneath it which is shorter, then three good chunky ones, all allen key heads (6mm, I think. Maybe 5mm). The brake booster pipe is attached to the throttle body mount, that's 19mm, there's also a vacuum pipe on the throttle body to the evap solenoid (I think. Pretty sure that's what it is).
Take plug cover off and disconnect the LT wires to the coils.
Release fuel system pressure - take fuel cap off too - then clamp the fuel hose in the engine bay and disconnect from injector rail. You will need to disconnect the fuel return line as well, as it blocks one of the bolts.
Undo the two E12 or E10 (sorry, wasn't making notes) long bolts which hold the fuel rail.
Disconnect the Cam sensor wiring and unplug the vacuum hose from the injector rail.
Release the clips and move the wiring loom guide back slightly - you may need to disconnect the cam adjuster magnet connector, but I had enough slack.
Undo the 13mm bolts holding the manifold, get a bungee cord to support it.
There's a section of loom going to a sensor in the crankcase and the crank position sensor. I undid the wire going to the crankcase so it wasn't under tension.
Now you have access to the PCV plumbing.
PCV valve on the clutched supercharger setup - probably the same on the post-2001 layout too - has one large formed pipe that runs to a point near the A/C compressor and has a thin wire cable tied to it, and two small hoses that go into brass nozzles in the cylinder head. The nozzles and chambers they terminated in were absolutely pitch-black and gummed up. They're a press fit in the head, and they're also brass nozzles, not something that degrades so although I bought two spares I had no intention of fitting them unless I had to. Some gunk and a toothbrush cleaned up the area, then I poked through the jets with a straightened paperclip - it's a 1mm bore restriction so you could use a drill bit but it may snap.
The clip broke when removing the old valve - order a clip. It's the sort where you push a pin through to lock it into place.
Once reinstalled it all looks neat and tidy. You can re-cabletie the wire that runs down alongside the PCV.
Change the inlet manifold gaskets, clean the mating face, the usual things.
Reconnect the wires you disconnected that are under the manifold.
Reinstall manifold, tighten the bolts to 15lb/ft (20Nm) - mine had thread lock on and I was out of thread lock, so I'm hoping the old material and correct torque will be enough. Start in the centre and work out to ends. Watch the centre bolt doesn't trap the rigid vacuum line to the fuel rail.
Replace long bolts for fuel rail. Replace throttle body mounting - don't forget the brake booster rigid pipe and the bracket to support the wire channel. I think the bolt for this was longer than the other two, but can't remember.
Reconnect fuel lines and fuel rail vacuum line.
PUT THE MESH THING BACK IN. Guess who forgot the first time. I'd get a new one, I hadn't realised it was in there - the rubber seal didn't feel like it was compressing much and caked oil was on the edges.
Put the wiring guides back into place, including the coil leads, make sure the guide for the front coil is in the correct, low position rather than interfering with the plug cover.
Reinstall throttle body - I put the short bolt in, then loosely put the other three in whilst tightening the short one, then attach the elbow with new gasket.
Check the two vacuum pipes on the right under the manifold, and double check you reconnected the other end of the black one to fuel rail. I think you could do this without disconnecting if the centre bolt were not obscured by it!
Clean the MAF. To sort this properly you should remove the bumper and clean the intercooler, which will be contaminated with oil, but I wanted to get the car back on the road so am leaving that for another day. I think having sorted the source of the oil, what's in the intake will eventually get drawn through the system, but I'm not counting on it and will clean the inlet manifold when I change oil and filters, and at that point - when I'm satisfied the car's PCV system is working 100% - I'll fit the Bosch MAF I bought.
Replace intake pipework, look all over the engine bay for any tools you might have missed, spend 20 minutes getting really worried that the little screwdriver has vanished, then when you're SURE it's not in the engine bay, take a test drive.
Useful part numbers and prices:
Mesh screen between throttle body and metal flange - AKA "Damper", but effectively the gasket between the two parts: A0001402787 - under £4 Hose from PCV to sump/oil pipework - A1110181582, about £6 PCV Valve itself - A111010009 - £12 The brass nozzles. There's little point ordering these as you're really unlikely to remove them from the head, and they will clean up - but, on the offchance you somehow break one they're dead cheap to shove on the order - part A1110170012 and about £1.50 each. PCV Valve bracket - A1265010020 - under £2 Narrow hose from PCV to brass nozzles - you only need one, it is over twice the length of one bit of hose. A0020940182 - under £4 Inlet Manifold gaskets. These are pre-shaped bright green rubber bits and they make a really good seal, there's no sense trying to reuse old, compressed and oil-damaged ones. 2 of A1111411280, about a tenner for the pair. Gasket between throttle body and air intake elbow - A1111411080, under £2
Extras - if you check the narrow pipe from oil separator breather to supercharger, it rests near the exhaust and perishes. I got some silicone hose, but the genuine Mercedes hose is A1179970982 for a bit over a fiver, it's another cut to length thing so you can loop over the air intake hose and not have it exposed to excess heat.
Finally the dealer thought I might need a small metal pipe - A1110140477 - for once, I am stumped as I didn't find it anywhere I was working on. It was £12 and has joined the little bag of new spares.
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Last Edit: Aug 20, 2015 19:08:39 GMT by Deleted
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Aug 27, 2015 23:43:36 GMT
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The SLK is now complete, with new air filter, cleaned pipes, de-gunked-foam air filter box and a new throttle screen. This means it can spend some time out of the garage, whilst my new car takes residence for a head gasket change.
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Aug 28, 2015 15:54:29 GMT
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Just took the SLK out for a run. Bloody hell, it's like a different car now. So much smoother and, well, more powerful. Pulls in all gears and is really quite impressive, wish I'd done all this stuff when I first got it now!
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Congratulations on finally getting it back to how it should be. Jag looks good in the pictures, world of pain?
John
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Aug 31, 2015 21:31:04 GMT
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The XJS is a V12, and it has a blown head gasket and some, though not as many as it could have, rust issues. I think one inner wing at the front will need repair near the scuttle, the bootlid needs work (don't they all) and the floor/inner sill has some surface rust under the carpet around the seatbelt mount area (it's got some MOT-standard welding there, I'd prefer it to be strong but also original appearance).
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Sept 11, 2015 20:29:39 GMT
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I wonder if Paul ( tailslide2) thought that 3 1/2 years later the SLK would still be with the new owner, and would still look like this! Downside of reviewing products, you end up forgetting to buy more of the ones you really liked. Ran out after one coat - I gave the Avantime three in the course of testing! Now the Bosch MAF is installed the car runs about as close to 'as new' as I think it could get. Some new front tyres and dampers will perfect it - new genuine rear coils will be going on sometime this month as typically, Mercedes prices are so cheap it seems daft not to - £55 each; when checking part numbers I found a breaker asking £90 each for rusty used ones! And in place of the nice, but dated Sony MP3/CD/USB/iPod head unit I think I'd liberated from my SAAB 900S cabriolet, there is a Clarion DAB unit with Bluetooth that has a very fast iPod interface (copes with the 160GB Classic well, that usually chokes up head units) and seems to have EQ that really suits the stock speakers. To think I almost considered swapping it for a Ssangyong. Very pleased I only got a couple of low offers when I advertised it.
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eternaloptimist
Posted a lot
Too many projects, not enough time or space...
Posts: 2,578
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Sept 12, 2015 8:23:11 GMT
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Glad you decided to keep this. I kept getting very tempted to come and have a look at it. How's the Avantime?
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XC70, VW split screen crew cab, Standard Ten
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