Winter is here, what repairs would you make?

[n/a]

Now that winter is arriving across the country for pagoda owners,I was wondering what repairs/maintenance/improvements you would perform given our cars will spend more time in the garage this season than outside. What projects are often overlooked or not thought of? Has anyone created the definitive, "100 great things to do to the pagoda"? This could include mechanical, cosmetic, etc. improvements and maintenance items. I know there are some owners out there who have discovered some great tips, so come on, share these great ideas with the site.  Thank you!

[Jonny B]

Nothing terribly exciting, but I have some electrical grommets to replace. The one I am least looking forward to is the one for the right front headlamp. It appears that I need to undo the plug end in the headlight can, so I can snake the wire through the new grommet, and then I have to put the silly thing back into the holes in the sheet metal on each side.

I have a small leak in the power steering unit, but that will wait until spring.

There is another small grommet that fits over the left front brake hose where it goes through the inner fender, again, no easy way to get it in place short of taking out the brake line.

Jonny B
1967 250SL Auto

[George Davis]

As preventive maintenance (and because it's just plain fun), consider replacing the heater valve o-ring each winter.


George Davis
'69 280 SL Euro manual

[Douglas]

George,

Looks like I'm due for a new o-ring in my heater valve. Could you tell us how it's done? I understand using a spark plug to as a tool helps.

Thanks for any insight you can give.

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220

[Cees Klumper]

On my to-do list this winter are replacing the brake hoses and, in the process, replacing the brake fluid with the silicone-based stuff. Also a major tune-up; replacing the semi-synthetic engine oil with fully synthetic; checking and adjusting the automatic transmission pressure regulator / 3-position solenoid switch/linkage; probably replacing the fuel injection pump with a rebuilt one I have lying around just to see the effects this may have (also on the warm starting characteristics); new wiper blades; maybe finally installing those ineria-reel 3-point retractable seat belts.

I think I will stop there!


Cees Klumper in Amsterdam
'69 white 280 SL automatic

[J. Huber]

Well, where I am in the Sierra foothills, winter is not quite here yet -- still about a month of potentially sunny but "crisp" top-down days. Then the hard-top goes on and its official. My plans for the upcoming winter are:

A. To drive whenever its not rainy or snowy. I believe the worst thing for our cars is to have them sit for long. Plus, I "just gotta"...

B. To spruce things up here and there -- i.e. scrub the nooks and crannies in the engine bay, etc. Mine is a driver but enjoys the TLC.

C. I plan to change the oil & filter. I will also be plotting how to install new e-brake pulleys and cables. The parts are amassing as we speak.

That's about all I have on tap at the moment.

James
63 230SL

[gwuisman]

I have to replace the rubbers of the softtop, renew the little bulb in the left front headlamp, adjust the left door window and have the wheel caps repainted.

Gerard Wuisman
1970 280sl

[German Dude]

I have the Girling brakes and the rubber parts in the caliper seem to be vintage 1964... they need replacing - I hope this will finally take care of the squeal issue...
I will put in a new fuel sending unit - maybe the new one will show me full when full, empty when empty - unlike the new style sender I have in now which tells me empty when full and goes to half when empty...

The radiator mount rubber bushings will have to go too.

Plus a million other things that will come to mind once one is around the car...

Douglas mentioned heater valve O-ring exchange with the help of a spark plug - can somebody please elaborate?

Thanks,


Juergen
64 230SL #2933, 4sp, signal red, white hard top
93 Citroen XM station wagon

[hands_aus]

Hey Juergen,
1. the fuel sender on the 230sl is different to the newer (cannister style) fuel sender of the later 250 and 280sl. Also the fuel gauge in the dash is matched to that sender.
The later sender was matched to a later numbered fuel gauge.
So if you have an early gauge with a late sender you will never have the correct fuel level reading.
2. the little screw in the top of the water heater valve is the same size as the thread of a spark plug with the end screwed off.

BE AWARE that the spark plug thread can and will break off in the screw hole if there is a lot of resistance by the valve to being removed. Ask me how I know.

Buy a high tensile screw about 50 mm x 5mm and use that to lever the valve out.

The same screw can be used elsewhere for testing purposes eg the end of the Inj Pump rack.

Bob (Brisbane,Australia)
RHD,1967 early 250 SL, auto

[German Dude]

Rob,
after lengthy searches and reading in this forum (it could have been done with much faster but I tend to wander off into the depths of the info vaults of this fine page...) I figured the sender issue out myself.

I will put in an old-style sender - I have gotten in touch with a worthy member of this group who has a new one he doesn't need....

Maybe then I will be able to corroborate my mpg readings - right now, I go for 400 km and put in about 40 liters (+- 2liters), which I think isn't bad at all for a 40 year old dame.

Thanks for the spark plug hint. Sounds pretty clever.

By the way - anyone need a new-style cannister sender in excellent condition?

Best,

Juergen
64 230SL #2933, 4sp, signal red, white hard top
93 Citroen XM station wagon

[Naj ✝︎]

Juergen,


 

quote:The radiator mount rubber bushings will have to go too.

mine bolts straight to the body [!]

naj

65 230SL
68 280SL

[waltklatt]

Well first of all need to reinstall the wiring back into the dash as well as all the individual items back in their places.  Finish bleeding the clutch and install a modified speedo cable.  Then have the car painted new DB180 silver.  Install all the chrome, rubber, trims, etc. to the car.  Then enjoy the drive with the diesel sounds.
Other things to do is repair the front nose panel assembly on a friends car(ran into a pick up truck).

Walter Klatt
1967 220SL diesel
1966 230SL-friends
1963 230SL-hibernating

[France]

I hate to say this, guys, but to me winter means replacing the window gaskets, changing the synthetic oil, and TAKING THE TOP DOWN!  Viva Sarasota!!  Only one month before I'm driving Carling again...  once I get her tranny linkage fixed, that is.  Was it just a US safety measure to have the engine cut out when the tranny sticks in Reverse?  Cause that's what she did, outside a posh golf club in Sarasota.  Lucky for me that an admirer (of the car, not of me!) was approaching just as she died.  He called Triple A and bribed them $20 to tow me home.  Only in America. Fortunately the linkage can be easily fixed...  happy winter driving.

Now isn't that funny what Cees has done?  When I tried to type the word "s w a n k" to describe the golf club, the program automatically entered "s******" as if I had used a bad, bad word.

Trice
1968 280SL US, signal red/bl leather, auto, kinder

[German Dude]

Naj,

re the radiator bushings:

I wrote radiator - I meant alternator...

I guess these things happen when writing in a foreign language. Wouldn't have happened in German - no way I would have written "Kuehler" instead of "Lichtmaschine"!

By the way, my radiator bolts to the body too, but I have two little rubber straps that stick to the radiator and prevent metal-to-metal contact. Maybe something one can cut from an old bicycle tube - makes for a fairly snug fit too.

Juergen
64 230SL #2933, 4sp, signal red, white hard top
93 Citroen XM station wagon

[gwuisman]

I would like to suggest that pics are made of the the winter jobs and the photos are posted. This would make members more familiar with the ins and outs of parts of our cars and encourages those who hesistate to do things themselves to overcome their hesistation.

Gerard Wuisman
1970 280sl

[Bob G]

Bob Geco list to do:280SL
1) install Bosch 051 distributor
2) replace coil spring pads alignment
3) replace all hoses engine bay with new clamps & coolant
4) heater box o ring seal under cowel.
5) install new fog lights front bumper dish bumper over riders.
6) new horse hair pads for seats
7) fix broken braket on soft top mig weld
get some  cool looking German headlights.
9) do some explaining to my wife why all this is important?

[Jonny B]

Bob,

Should item no 9 be at the top of the list???

Jonny B
1967 250SL Auto

[Naj ✝︎]

Best to take the heat AFTER the bank statement arrives??

65 230SL
68 280SL