Titivating my Mercedes 124
Discussion
The calculation resulted in 35.5mpg when I filled it up today.
The car had some planned attention from Phil Baister this morning. First off, he changed the starter motor (circa £150 for the part). That was definitely worthwhile. It is quieter than the old one and starts even stronger. Next up he changed the thermostat. Since I overhauled the cooling system it has been running hot, about 95 to 100 deg C. No harm in that, save that it blows out a bit of coolant under pressure and I have to top it up every week or so. The cooling system overhaul included a thermostat but it must have been sticky because the car is now running bang on 85 deg C once again. He tightened up the parking brake. And finally he checked over the rear end for wear, finding none.
When I returned home, I changed one of the tiny little 0.4W bulbs in the heater controls. So it really is perfect again. I think some washing and polishing may be in order tomorrow afternoon.
My latest (unrelated) automotive purchase arrived this week. A little disappointing for the money, but still rather lovely.
The car had some planned attention from Phil Baister this morning. First off, he changed the starter motor (circa £150 for the part). That was definitely worthwhile. It is quieter than the old one and starts even stronger. Next up he changed the thermostat. Since I overhauled the cooling system it has been running hot, about 95 to 100 deg C. No harm in that, save that it blows out a bit of coolant under pressure and I have to top it up every week or so. The cooling system overhaul included a thermostat but it must have been sticky because the car is now running bang on 85 deg C once again. He tightened up the parking brake. And finally he checked over the rear end for wear, finding none.
When I returned home, I changed one of the tiny little 0.4W bulbs in the heater controls. So it really is perfect again. I think some washing and polishing may be in order tomorrow afternoon.
My latest (unrelated) automotive purchase arrived this week. A little disappointing for the money, but still rather lovely.
Absolutely nothing to report. There have been no issues in service; everything seems to be working well. A few weeks ago, Baister put new pads on it all round. And I sprang for replacement floor mats recently. Only the driver's was worn out but I had to buy all four: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122376351104?_trksid=p20...
This weekend we ran it down to Sheffield (via Otley) and back. There was a fair bit of time pressure but it runs very sweetly with the cruise control set spot on 100mph. I'm shortly taking it back to the Alps, another good test. I'll service it beforehand but otherwise there is nothing wanting beyond a very thorough clean and polish. I think he current mileage is 354,500 or so.
This weekend we ran it down to Sheffield (via Otley) and back. There was a fair bit of time pressure but it runs very sweetly with the cruise control set spot on 100mph. I'm shortly taking it back to the Alps, another good test. I'll service it beforehand but otherwise there is nothing wanting beyond a very thorough clean and polish. I think he current mileage is 354,500 or so.
Found this thread today, read the whole thing from start to finish.
Hats off to you OP, amazing work and dedication keeping a car like this on the road. To bring it back to what appears to be a near-showroom condition, absolutely excellent. I'm doing the same with my car, it's not a Merc but it's recently had all four wheel arch liners out to clean up behind and check for rust, brakes and fluids tended to and also bodywork, along with many small items being seen to. The plan is to get it to 200k, although seing yours I feel I should aspire to beyond 300k!
Hats off to you OP, amazing work and dedication keeping a car like this on the road. To bring it back to what appears to be a near-showroom condition, absolutely excellent. I'm doing the same with my car, it's not a Merc but it's recently had all four wheel arch liners out to clean up behind and check for rust, brakes and fluids tended to and also bodywork, along with many small items being seen to. The plan is to get it to 200k, although seing yours I feel I should aspire to beyond 300k!
I gave the car a full service today with a bit of disaster thrown in.
I changed the oil, oil filter, fuel filter, fuel pre-filter and the air filter.
Then it wouldn't start. It always takes a while when you do the fuel filter, maybe 30 seconds of cranking to purge the air from the system. But this took ages. There was some serious panicking on my part until I remembered that there is an 'O' ring on the pre-filter which also needs to be changed. With this installed, it started after 20 seconds and runs perfectly. Waste of an hour and goodness knows how many years of my life in worry. I hate myself when I am so incompetent.
I changed the oil, oil filter, fuel filter, fuel pre-filter and the air filter.
Then it wouldn't start. It always takes a while when you do the fuel filter, maybe 30 seconds of cranking to purge the air from the system. But this took ages. There was some serious panicking on my part until I remembered that there is an 'O' ring on the pre-filter which also needs to be changed. With this installed, it started after 20 seconds and runs perfectly. Waste of an hour and goodness knows how many years of my life in worry. I hate myself when I am so incompetent.
I am writing with a familiar trip report after a 2,000mile journey round France. A fortnight or so ago we took the Hull-Zeebrugge ferry with a full load of children, ski gear, sundry unnecessary plastic objects but, happily, no extraneous rubbish in the passenger compartment. This is my top bug bear when travelling: overspill from huge boot and cavernous roof box into the seating area. I am, no doubt, somewhere on the spectrum.
Reims-Gueux makes a great picnic place, especially when the weather is stunning.
We over-nighted at the Grand Hotel de la Cloche in Dijon's Place Darcy. If you have the means, I highly recommend it. Actually, it's pretty cheap for two inter-connecting rooms and, best of all, it is silent. This was the fourth time in twelve months so they were quite welcoming and only slightly condescendingly Français.
Then on to Montorlin, our ski shack destination for the following week. Montorlin is attached to Montchavin, which is a pleasingly un-trendy, modest, family-orientated resort entirely lacking in nightclubs and ponces. It seems to be full of people like me: harassed, broke fathers. It was also flipping boiling, so after a morning of winter holiday ski fun we could have an afternoon of summer holiday sun fun. And there is a good jet wash down the road in Landry.
While there, I took the chaps on a short train ride to Bourg St Maurice and back. As you can see, I had to bribe them with Lego. Adult fare, €2.00. Return! There is something about French trains. Makes you glad you pay tax in Britain, I suppose.
After a week of punishment—sorry, I mean, sport—it was on to Vézelay which I again recommend. We took the longer but faster and more spectacular autoroute blanche: A41 to Geneva, A40 to Bourg-en-Bresse and then A39 up towards Dole, then across on the A36 to pick up the A6 just south of Dijon.
Finally it was on to a friend's house in Normandy for a couple of nights. We took the boys to look at the motorway (like you do when your head is still in the 1950s) and, oh happy coincidence, a passing lorry blew a tyre just as it passed us. Now that was interesting for small children; and surprisingly smelly.
And what of my faithful w124-shaped friend? Well, it hauled us and what seemed like all of our belongings without hesitation or complaint. Cruising speed was 4,000rpm, 150km/h on the dial, more like 142km/h in real life. Faster than everyone else but not fast enough to attract the attention of the Gendames (of whom we saw but one, on the descent from Annecy to Geneva). Mpg at that speed, with the boite and the poids lourds is horrific: 26mpg. It would be more economical in an E500.
But it needs a head gasket. It has been smelling a bit funny at idle for a few months now. And I have had to keep topping up the coolant. No sign of any leaks. Then really caning it up some steep Burgundian slope (there was no way that X6 was coming past), it let out some whisps of white smoke. On inspection I noticed a bit of coolant on the side of the block. I shoved a can of leak fast in it and now, while it no longer needs topping up (so it seems), it really stinks at idle. It is booked in for 11 May. Terry has suggested that it is merely age and not a result of the long, hot run it had north of Paris last year. Who knows. I am getting it fixed.
I cannot help but think something like this would be a thousand times better at meeting my needs. http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017... Newer, safer, so much faster with 5.5litres and 388bhp at one's disposal, and probably no less economical. But so boring and so utterly lacking in character. I picked up the SL today and my wife followed me home in the w124 and it really is a good-looking car: the best car ever, I really think.
Reims-Gueux makes a great picnic place, especially when the weather is stunning.
We over-nighted at the Grand Hotel de la Cloche in Dijon's Place Darcy. If you have the means, I highly recommend it. Actually, it's pretty cheap for two inter-connecting rooms and, best of all, it is silent. This was the fourth time in twelve months so they were quite welcoming and only slightly condescendingly Français.
Then on to Montorlin, our ski shack destination for the following week. Montorlin is attached to Montchavin, which is a pleasingly un-trendy, modest, family-orientated resort entirely lacking in nightclubs and ponces. It seems to be full of people like me: harassed, broke fathers. It was also flipping boiling, so after a morning of winter holiday ski fun we could have an afternoon of summer holiday sun fun. And there is a good jet wash down the road in Landry.
While there, I took the chaps on a short train ride to Bourg St Maurice and back. As you can see, I had to bribe them with Lego. Adult fare, €2.00. Return! There is something about French trains. Makes you glad you pay tax in Britain, I suppose.
After a week of punishment—sorry, I mean, sport—it was on to Vézelay which I again recommend. We took the longer but faster and more spectacular autoroute blanche: A41 to Geneva, A40 to Bourg-en-Bresse and then A39 up towards Dole, then across on the A36 to pick up the A6 just south of Dijon.
Finally it was on to a friend's house in Normandy for a couple of nights. We took the boys to look at the motorway (like you do when your head is still in the 1950s) and, oh happy coincidence, a passing lorry blew a tyre just as it passed us. Now that was interesting for small children; and surprisingly smelly.
And what of my faithful w124-shaped friend? Well, it hauled us and what seemed like all of our belongings without hesitation or complaint. Cruising speed was 4,000rpm, 150km/h on the dial, more like 142km/h in real life. Faster than everyone else but not fast enough to attract the attention of the Gendames (of whom we saw but one, on the descent from Annecy to Geneva). Mpg at that speed, with the boite and the poids lourds is horrific: 26mpg. It would be more economical in an E500.
But it needs a head gasket. It has been smelling a bit funny at idle for a few months now. And I have had to keep topping up the coolant. No sign of any leaks. Then really caning it up some steep Burgundian slope (there was no way that X6 was coming past), it let out some whisps of white smoke. On inspection I noticed a bit of coolant on the side of the block. I shoved a can of leak fast in it and now, while it no longer needs topping up (so it seems), it really stinks at idle. It is booked in for 11 May. Terry has suggested that it is merely age and not a result of the long, hot run it had north of Paris last year. Who knows. I am getting it fixed.
I cannot help but think something like this would be a thousand times better at meeting my needs. http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017... Newer, safer, so much faster with 5.5litres and 388bhp at one's disposal, and probably no less economical. But so boring and so utterly lacking in character. I picked up the SL today and my wife followed me home in the w124 and it really is a good-looking car: the best car ever, I really think.
Great write up. Insanely jealous of the road trips you get to enjoy in Europe. A couple of hours barely gets you out of Sydney and the roads are mostly insanely boring here in Australia!
Re: Headgasket - I'd assume that with that mileage and age, it would be about due to go bang. Thing of how many hot/cold cycles the car has done. Things don't last forever! Hopefully it's a simple/cheap job depending on what has let go!
This thread almost tipped me over the edge in to buying a 300E the other week. Ended up getting cold feet for whatever reason. Mainly due to the age of the cars being in excess of 30 years...! Soft I know!
Re: Headgasket - I'd assume that with that mileage and age, it would be about due to go bang. Thing of how many hot/cold cycles the car has done. Things don't last forever! Hopefully it's a simple/cheap job depending on what has let go!
This thread almost tipped me over the edge in to buying a 300E the other week. Ended up getting cold feet for whatever reason. Mainly due to the age of the cars being in excess of 30 years...! Soft I know!
Rensko said:
Insanely jealous of the road trips you get to enjoy in Europe. A couple of hours barely gets you out of Sydney and the roads are mostly insanely boring here in Australia!
I don't know, I wouldn't mind touring in Australia, although I understand the traffic police are lacking a sense of humour. I confess I have looked into shipping my car there for a holiday but it is looking like America will win the day a few years from now. Rensko said:
This thread almost tipped me over the edge in to buying a 300E the other week. Ended up getting cold feet for whatever reason. Mainly due to the age of the cars being in excess of 30 years...! Soft I know!
I think you can make a case for the 300 E being the perfect car. Especially where you are, where there is no salt corrosion. It is very well-balanced; a good size inside and out; adequate but not excessive power; smooth and refined; and so elegant to look at.I switched the summer tyres over this evening. I am getting good wear out of both the summer and winter tyres. The summers (Conti PC5) are on 22,127miles; one pair (previously on the front) is barely worn and the other (previously on the rear) is down to 3.5mm and will be replaced this week. The winters (Conti TS850) are barely worn all round at 18,910miles.
In to Baister's for a new head gasket today. The head is going to be rebuilt while it is off, new valve seats, stems and seals and, if required, a skim of the face. None of this is obviously needed (apart from a skim if there is any warp) but Baister is of the view that if it is done the head will never need to come off again.
The gasket kit looks pretty neat. I'm glad to see it is carefully stored in Baister's lair.
I then walked back to work. Baister's is about 50 yards from the Tyne quayside path. What a stunning morning. It took me only 30minutes; a taxi would have taken 15, assuming it arrived immediately upon being summoned.
The gasket kit looks pretty neat. I'm glad to see it is carefully stored in Baister's lair.
I then walked back to work. Baister's is about 50 yards from the Tyne quayside path. What a stunning morning. It took me only 30minutes; a taxi would have taken 15, assuming it arrived immediately upon being summoned.
The head is off with very little trouble: one stuck bolt and one stuck glow plug, which Terry is confident he can extract without too much trouble. The head itself and its components are unworn, which is amazing given the mileage. Likewise the engine. The cylinder tops and bores are clean and unworn. Here is a selection of pictures.
The cylinder head itself (not much to see):
A close up of the leak: top left of the head as viewed in this picture. A small amount appears to have been going into the combustion chambers, rather more out of the side.
And the corroded gasket:
These next pictures show the absence of wear. This is the cam carrier with the tappets under.
And in close up:
Likewise the timing chain sprocket and the camshaft sprockets (the outlet cam is driven not off the timing chain but off the inlet cam):
Next up the pistons and cylinders. There is no wear at all to the piston tops and the bores are completely unscored.
Finally, there was no stretch on the timing chain and this is the worst-worn of the guides. This is a timing chain guide which has done 357,500miles, yet it is hardly touched:
So it is off to the engineering shop in Monday. It may be unnecessary to do anything more than clean it up, although it likely will need a small skim. Whether we bother doing the valve stem seals, guides and the seats remains to be seen, though I expect the seats will be left alone as they are without any wear.
The cylinder head itself (not much to see):
A close up of the leak: top left of the head as viewed in this picture. A small amount appears to have been going into the combustion chambers, rather more out of the side.
And the corroded gasket:
These next pictures show the absence of wear. This is the cam carrier with the tappets under.
And in close up:
Likewise the timing chain sprocket and the camshaft sprockets (the outlet cam is driven not off the timing chain but off the inlet cam):
Next up the pistons and cylinders. There is no wear at all to the piston tops and the bores are completely unscored.
Finally, there was no stretch on the timing chain and this is the worst-worn of the guides. This is a timing chain guide which has done 357,500miles, yet it is hardly touched:
So it is off to the engineering shop in Monday. It may be unnecessary to do anything more than clean it up, although it likely will need a small skim. Whether we bother doing the valve stem seals, guides and the seats remains to be seen, though I expect the seats will be left alone as they are without any wear.
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