Tool Kit Late 280SL

[MikeSimon]

While I am dabbling in other things, I ran into the tool kit in the trunk of my car. I tried to see what I have and have not and checked the Tech Manual, but the info there is not so clear to me.
Picture #1 shows all the tools that came with the car, including the red canvas bag.
All tools are "Matador" tools
I recognize I have a few tools missing:
The adjustable pliers (Wasserpumpenzange)
The cross-slot screwdriver insert
The screwdriver handle

Here are my questions:
-In the Tech Manual, it says that the red bag was supplied with a kit after production ended.
 I do have another bag, which snaps together and is blue on the outside (last picture) - is this original?
-I do have two lug wrenches, both say Mercedes Benz. one is one piece, the other has a handle which looks like a 2-sided spark plug wrench
 Is one of the correct for the car?
- My small pliers do not have a Mercedes Benz ID on them and are made by "HEYCO". Correct or not?
- If I try to source a screwdriver handle, what to look for? Do they have "Mercedes Benz on them?
- The wheel alignment stud seems to be rather short compared to some pics in the Tech Manual
- I think I am missing an open wrench , i.e; 13mm and??
- I have two 17/19 mm wrenches and one of them has a box end. Is this right?
- The spark plug wrench has a spring. As per TM, that is not correct for SL?

I think that is it...

[MikeSimon]

Picture limit per post is 4. Here are the rest

[mbzse]

Here are my questions:
-In the Tech Manual, it says that the red bag was supplied with a kit after production ended.
 I do have another bag, which snaps together and is blue on the outside (last picture) - is this original?
-I do have two lug wrenches, both say Mercedes Benz. one is one piece, the other has a handle which looks like a 2-sided spark plug wrench
 Is one of the correct for the car?
- My small pliers do not have a Mercedes Benz ID on them and are made by "HEYCO". Correct or not?
- If I try to source a screwdriver handle, what to look for? Do they have "Mercedes Benz on them?
- The wheel alignment stud seems to be rather short compared to some pics in the Tech Manual
- I think I am missing an open wrench , i.e; 13mm and??
- I have two 17/19 mm wrenches and one of them has a box end. Is this right?
- The spark plug wrench has a spring. As per TM, that is not correct for SL?

What you have there is a kit for a 1970's car, perhaps a W116 or R107.
Yes, the blue "another" tool kit bag in your picture is correct for W113 Pagoda.
The one piece lug wrench is correct
Heyco pliers in your picture are later than 1971, thus not correct for W113
For screw driver handle, you need black plastic type. Note it should be "large" (see picture attached).
The wheel alignment pin (stud) is nice and original (chromed steel); albeit discontinued on late 280 SL's as Mr Fatboy points out
You should have four double open-end spanners; see picture attached.
The box end 17mm is not correct for a W113 tool kit
The long spark plug tool with outer spring is not correct for a W113 tool kit

[mrfatboy]

It looks like you have a mixture of tools from two different kits from two model cars (113 & 107?)

Your blue canvas bag is correct for the w113. I have attached a picture with items incorrect for a w113.

The tire alignment tool was discontinued in Oct 68 so incorrect for your car.

You can buy the screwdriver handle (later thinner plastic(incorrect)) with inserts from Mercedes dealer now.  ~$16

[mbzse]

.../...I have attached a picture with items incorrect for a w113.../...

The pliers fell outside your blue ring marking...
Attached, the correct type "Hapewe" pliers. There was an equivalent one from manufacturer "Will" also (more rare)

Also, a picture showing the correct Hazet spark plug tool for the W113 kit

[mrfatboy]

Thanks Hans.  Corrected. 

[MikeSimon]

That is really awesome, thanks guys for the quick response.
Funny enough, I have some loose tools and have two HAPEWE and a WILL pliers, so I will replace the Hazet with either one of these.
Doe the pliers NOT say Mercedes Benz, the missing big one neither?
How about the plastic screwdriver handle? Does it say MB on it??
I also have a "springless" spark plug wrench. Does anybody have a part-number? Mine says 0005810667 and is by Hazet but is shaped slightly different than the one pictured and seems slightly shorter

Here are pics of some of the additional tools. Will and HAPEWE pliers, spark plug wrench - see the "bell" part is shaped different
and I have a 11/14 wrench, which I think was changed to the 11/13 for later models?

[mrfatboy]

I also have a "springless" spark plug wrench. Does anybody have a part-number? Mine says 0005810667 and is by Hazet but is shaped slightly different than the one pictured and seems slightly shorter

If memory serves, that is correct. The TM has this information.

[mbzse]

Neither the Hapewe (or Will) pliers nor the black plastic "Felo" screw driver handle has any star or M-B reference on them

[mmizesko]

You guys covered it very well.  I have nothing to add, except the fuse kit, and the optional fuse puller and the Special Lubrication kit.  lol.

Mike

[MikeSimon]

The lube kit was part of a supplemental kit, though.
One last question: It says in the Tech Mnaual that the bag was made of leftover MB-Tex, which is sort of a vinyl material and it makes the W113 kit special.
The one I have is not that. It is a blue canvas. So it is not "Pagoda"?

[Iconic]

That is a nice original blue tool bag.
Your bag matches my blue convertible top. 
They made them out of scraps from the convertible top material also.

[mbzse]

Yes, Pagoda tool kit bags were made from vinyl (M-B Tex), either smooth or with waffle (diamond) pattern. Then also (as mentioned here) the bags were made from fabric (canvas).
Many colours have been recorded.
The inside cloth was either olive drab, dark grey or grey-brown. More unusual was a light cream

[MikeSimon]

O.K. Good! The bag is authentic.
While I found a note in the TM about the change from the 11/14 to the 11/13 wrench, I could not find a reference that they deleted the wheel alignment tool. And some that I have seen for sale on ebay seem to be longer.
After looking through the car, I found the screwdriver handle with the cross-slot insert.
Now I am on the hunt for the slide-pin pliers. There seem to be a lot of the "129" pliers available, but I have not seen a 000 081 0238

[mrfatboy]

The tire alignment pin info is in Pagoda Notes

https://www.sl113.org/wiki/uploads/Restricted/PNv11i1.pdf

The longer pin is for later cars.

Good luck on finding the correct slip joint pliers with the MB star on them.  Very rare. You can buy ones from the dealer but they don't have the star.

[mmizesko]

My goodness Mike.

I was kidding about the Special Lubrication kit. 

I have about 10 kits and a plethora of tools, including the complete Special Lubrication kit.  I was serious about the fuse kit.  I don't sell any tools separately, so my Heyco 300's with the star are only available in a complete kit.

the tool "bag" as we call them were made from scraps from seat material (either waffle patterned or smooth) or from canvas material from the soft top.  The one you showed is original.  The stamped ones with the stars are from later 113 models.  The centering guide you showed is from a R107 or a sedan after 1971.  The Will pliers are typically from early 230's and are typically black anodized.

That's all for now.  Good luck in putting the kit together.

Mike

[mrfatboy]

I have never been clear on the "stamped" MB star tool bags.  They seem to be random. 

I have seen them on earlier cars. Fake?  Switched out?  Etc?

My friend's 250 has an original canvas bag with the stamped MB star.

Are we absolutely sure only later cars had stamped bags?  Years?

[MikeSimon]

So, it seems I have a real mix of tools. Some from later than 71 280SL cars, some from earlier than 71 280SL, but very few correct for the year and model.
It seems a previous owner has made an attempt to put a kit together and, seriously, after almost 40 years of ownership and mostly without concern for originality, I myself may have acquired some stuff I don't even remember anything about anymore.
I will keep investigating and try to figure out what exactly "later" means.
If the wheel centering tool was discontinued after Oct 68, it means the shorter one is incorrect for my car and the "longer" one is definitely not W113?

[mbzse]

.../...If the wheel centering tool was discontinued after Oct 68, it means the shorter one is incorrect for my car and the "longer" one is definitely not W113?

Just so.
However, there is no saying against that the original owner could have obtained a short wheel pin (because he felt the need for it) and put it in his tool bag 
Actually, the pin belongs in the slit on the inside of the spare wheel cover (see pic)

[mmizesko]

Mr Fatboy,

the answer is not really.  I've probably handled 20 pagoda bags in my last 8 years, and have only a few that are stamped, and they were in excellent condition, feeding my assumption that they were newer.  Since they all went away in 71, and my bag in my 70 was stamped, I came to that conclusion, which may be erroneous. Hans?

Mike

[pauloe]

what are the dimensions of the large (correct) plastic screw driver handle.  and what is the length of the two bits.  and is there supposed to be a metal insert in the plastic handle, where the bit clicks in. 

[eb@bluwil.com]

Where can I see documentation that alignment pin was gone after 1968 as was still part of my 1971 3.5 original family owned car and had pin. And I acquired a 2 owner 1970 ZF and has pin. I’m a new member to this group and link in thread said restricted and I could not open…. Is there something I’m missing….? Thanks in advance for all the great information.

[Leester]

Some sections of the website are available only to full members. Full membership is only 30 bucks and it may be the best $30 I ever spent.   

[MikeSimon]

Some sections of the website are available only to full members. Full membership is only 30 bucks and it may be the best $30 I ever spent.

I am a full member and I cannot open the link either now. I think I could open it at the time of the post.

[Pawel66]

I cannot get there through link either.

I can, however, get there from Tech Manual.