Buying an '87 300D today...
Buying an '87 300D today...
So, from the sound it was way higher revs than possible with the IP (at least properly working one), so I was thinking that the governor got wonky somehow....but after calling AAA and getting my flashlight out to try and assess the damage (smelled HORRIBLE) I see that I forgot to return my oil separator setup back to its mount on the back of the intake manifold and that the inlet line was totally pinched off(bent back on itself)... So now I'm thinking that the oil got trapped on the top end and then as it started to leak past the valve seals it began to feed the engine causing it to run away...the sound was so loud I thought for sure it would throw a rod... Anyway, it still turns over but sounds really sick and slow prolly something totally borked internally...hope I at least didnt jack up my custom IP... got it home and found that the air filter housing (85 CA style) had a pool of oil in it... could also be cause of free revving, but no sign of oil in the turbo inlet..
Now, since I have like zero time to dick around with any of this, I looked to our old pal craigslist and found this: http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/3591801264.html
Going to pick it up in a few hours.
The good: pretty fresh motor with receipts from a reputable local shop... about 5K worth of parts and labor. Trans shifts quick and firm, plenty of power.
The bad: paint and interior are a little warm, no thanks to the lack of tint, garage space, cover, etc. but certainly decent and as far as I'm concerned, as long as it aint rusted enough to cause structural issues I could care less...but being in SoCal, there isnt really any rust, just a bit of fade and topcoat oxidation...also a crack across the length of the windsheild, about nose height for me, no biggie... "factory" alarm only likes to be disarmed from the passenger side door lock...no idea about that one, maybe loose wire inside driver's door?!?
The ugly: Front suspension is totally loose, thing floats quite a bit, almost like theres no shocks up there... and the guy tells me that hes seen the brake sensor light come on a few times here and there the last few times hes driven it... its got 310K on the clock and it feels like its never had dampers put in...
So in the coming weeks it looks like Im going to need a full suspension and brake re-hab... here's where you w124 guys (& gals as applicable) come in...
Like Rolf, I require my cars to be able to safely handle any power they can make before I start dicking with drivetrain performance... basically the first and best thing I ever did to the w123 was rehab that suspension, up until Wed morning I was still taking a nicely banked "35 mph" turn at almost the same speed I used to drive my twin turbo dodge stealth thru (65+ in the 300 and 70+ in the stealth but that thing had Tein coilovers on all four cornersl)
Anyway, I need to know best bang for the buck between H&R springs, eibach, etc...K-mac bushings and other hard parts (camber kit, springs even) who makes the best soft parts...like are the "HD" strut mounts from meyle the best or are there some other options that are better or equiv... bilstein sport or HD options for this platform? Any bigger brother model brakes that will bolt on? (preferably ones that fit inside 15" rims)
Many thanks in advance!
Josh
W123 Mods: 4 speed ** manual climate control ** '85 Kalitucky intake ** manual windows & full tint ** Euro headlights retrofit w/bixenon projectors ** 4 brake light mod ** Vogtland 50mm drop front & Lesjofors S600 drop rear springs ** 16" rims ** late w126 brake spindles, rotors & calipers ** full suspension rehab ** Bilstein HDs ** AL129X alternator & 1/0 starter and charging cables ** 300GD clutch/flywheel ** AFCO 80103N radiator & Earl's 41610 oil cooler ** custom block-off plate, remote oil filter & t-stat ** MW IP w/ tomnik's 6.5mm 'Holly' elements **
S124 Mods: 400E Rear subframe ** SL600 Brakes ** Late 300E 210mm diff ** SLK230 6 speed ** 17" CLK rims ** Vented RF Fender ** Facelift Hood, Headlights, and Lower Cladding **
OBK# 62
SurfRodder
02-09-2013, 12:27 PM #1Sooo...I lunched the motor on my '83 the other night... It had an exhaust leak on the down pipe, but since I was hoping to finally get my superturbo set up installed in the next few weeks after school is finally over, I elected to just patch up the leaking flex section with one of those DIY kits from autozone... Anyway, messed around with that for a couple of hours and took it for a quick test drive as I wanted to make sure it worked for PT and school the next day and made it about 1/2 mile down the road from my house. All of a sudden it lost power, so I gave her a little go pedal and then the engine started to run away on me... I threw her into neutral, pulled over and tried to turn it off...no dice... popped the hood and tried to use the shutdown lever...tottally bent that linkage trying to get her to stop...not even a slight change in speed...also trid to stal lit out by dropping the clutch in 4th...no change....had my hazards on but so much black smoke bellowing outta the pipe that no one could see the lights in the back... finally went over and yanked the fuel line off of the IP (as the engine started to sound even sicker and slow down a bit) and a few seconds later it finally shut down....oil pouring out of the VC gasket...all in I'd say it took about a minute, but the engine was free revving 7-8K+ by the sound of it...
So, from the sound it was way higher revs than possible with the IP (at least properly working one), so I was thinking that the governor got wonky somehow....but after calling AAA and getting my flashlight out to try and assess the damage (smelled HORRIBLE) I see that I forgot to return my oil separator setup back to its mount on the back of the intake manifold and that the inlet line was totally pinched off(bent back on itself)... So now I'm thinking that the oil got trapped on the top end and then as it started to leak past the valve seals it began to feed the engine causing it to run away...the sound was so loud I thought for sure it would throw a rod... Anyway, it still turns over but sounds really sick and slow prolly something totally borked internally...hope I at least didnt jack up my custom IP... got it home and found that the air filter housing (85 CA style) had a pool of oil in it... could also be cause of free revving, but no sign of oil in the turbo inlet..
Now, since I have like zero time to dick around with any of this, I looked to our old pal craigslist and found this: http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/3591801264.html
Going to pick it up in a few hours.
The good: pretty fresh motor with receipts from a reputable local shop... about 5K worth of parts and labor. Trans shifts quick and firm, plenty of power.
The bad: paint and interior are a little warm, no thanks to the lack of tint, garage space, cover, etc. but certainly decent and as far as I'm concerned, as long as it aint rusted enough to cause structural issues I could care less...but being in SoCal, there isnt really any rust, just a bit of fade and topcoat oxidation...also a crack across the length of the windsheild, about nose height for me, no biggie... "factory" alarm only likes to be disarmed from the passenger side door lock...no idea about that one, maybe loose wire inside driver's door?!?
The ugly: Front suspension is totally loose, thing floats quite a bit, almost like theres no shocks up there... and the guy tells me that hes seen the brake sensor light come on a few times here and there the last few times hes driven it... its got 310K on the clock and it feels like its never had dampers put in...
So in the coming weeks it looks like Im going to need a full suspension and brake re-hab... here's where you w124 guys (& gals as applicable) come in...
Like Rolf, I require my cars to be able to safely handle any power they can make before I start dicking with drivetrain performance... basically the first and best thing I ever did to the w123 was rehab that suspension, up until Wed morning I was still taking a nicely banked "35 mph" turn at almost the same speed I used to drive my twin turbo dodge stealth thru (65+ in the 300 and 70+ in the stealth but that thing had Tein coilovers on all four cornersl)
Anyway, I need to know best bang for the buck between H&R springs, eibach, etc...K-mac bushings and other hard parts (camber kit, springs even) who makes the best soft parts...like are the "HD" strut mounts from meyle the best or are there some other options that are better or equiv... bilstein sport or HD options for this platform? Any bigger brother model brakes that will bolt on? (preferably ones that fit inside 15" rims)
Many thanks in advance!
Josh
W123 Mods: 4 speed ** manual climate control ** '85 Kalitucky intake ** manual windows & full tint ** Euro headlights retrofit w/bixenon projectors ** 4 brake light mod ** Vogtland 50mm drop front & Lesjofors S600 drop rear springs ** 16" rims ** late w126 brake spindles, rotors & calipers ** full suspension rehab ** Bilstein HDs ** AL129X alternator & 1/0 starter and charging cables ** 300GD clutch/flywheel ** AFCO 80103N radiator & Earl's 41610 oil cooler ** custom block-off plate, remote oil filter & t-stat ** MW IP w/ tomnik's 6.5mm 'Holly' elements **
S124 Mods: 400E Rear subframe ** SL600 Brakes ** Late 300E 210mm diff ** SLK230 6 speed ** 17" CLK rims ** Vented RF Fender ** Facelift Hood, Headlights, and Lower Cladding **
OBK# 62
That sucks man. sorry about your baby. I tried putting a filter in my breather hose once. I don't think it flowed well enough. With only a mile or so of driving my car was smoking like crazy! Took it off and car went back to normal after a little while. Presumably I had something similar.
What are you going to do with this car now?
" straighten up that star on the grill, assholes."
lgreeley83
02-09-2013, 01:35 PM #2I'll take your oil cooler setup if you part it out. Lol. I'd beg you for that pump to but recently got set with a pump.
That sucks man. sorry about your baby. I tried putting a filter in my breather hose once. I don't think it flowed well enough. With only a mile or so of driving my car was smoking like crazy! Took it off and car went back to normal after a little while. Presumably I had something similar.
What are you going to do with this car now?
" straighten up that star on the grill, assholes."
Regardless of what springs you choose, don't use 6 cyl springs for the fronts. The 603 is portly and will smush 'em flat.
I'm using 400e sportlines up front (pretty soft) and rears from a '99 500sl. The rear SL springs use 14.5mm wire which is as thick as the E60 AMG rear springs- the stiffest available for the W124. Should you chose to tune out understeer with sways or springs, just remember that the rear has to get a lot stiffer on an '87. There's a lot of weight up front.
raysorenson
02-09-2013, 03:49 PM #3I'm not a fan of the lowering springs for a few reasons. First, they're too low. I need more than 1" of travel before I hit the bump stops. Second, they're all progressive. WTF? Progressive for the first 1/2" then firmer for the last half inch? Third, they're tuned for comfort. Comfort don't get it. I could just cut stock springs if that was what I wanted.
Regardless of what springs you choose, don't use 6 cyl springs for the fronts. The 603 is portly and will smush 'em flat.
I'm using 400e sportlines up front (pretty soft) and rears from a '99 500sl. The rear SL springs use 14.5mm wire which is as thick as the E60 AMG rear springs- the stiffest available for the W124. Should you chose to tune out understeer with sways or springs, just remember that the rear has to get a lot stiffer on an '87. There's a lot of weight up front.
(02-09-2013, 01:35 PM)lgreeley83 I'll take your oil cooler setup if you part it out. Lol. I'd beg you for that pump to but recently got set with a pump.
What are you going to do with this car now?
Not sure what I'm doing yet... I want to yank the motor and do a full rebuild...with Arias pistons (if they make forged steel, never had them do pistons for a diesel before so i dunno what all is avail), Crower rods and whatever rings look like theyll last a half million miles... if I dont get a warm fuzzy from that setup I may rebuild stock...well see what price/benefits rule out... stock may even be more expensive than custom in this situation...
that being said, I already have too many "projects" and a wife wary of such things, so I may end up parting it out. I'll let you know about the oil cooler if thats the case...
(02-09-2013, 03:49 PM)raysorenson I'm not a fan of the lowering springs for a few reasons. First, they're too low. I need more than 1" of travel before I hit the bump stops. Second, they're all progressive. WTF? Progressive for the first 1/2" then firmer for the last half inch? Third, they're tuned for comfort. Comfort don't get it. I could just cut stock springs if that was what I wanted.
Regardless of what springs you choose, don't use 6 cyl springs for the fronts. The 603 is portly and will smush 'em flat.
I'm using 400e sportlines up front (pretty soft) and rears from a '99 500sl. The rear SL springs use 14.5mm wire which is as thick as the E60 AMG rear springs- the stiffest available for the W124. Should you chose to tune out understeer with sways or springs, just remember that the rear has to get a lot stiffer on an '87. There's a lot of weight up front.
Thanks for the advice... def. like to have a good balanced suspension... I just picked the thing up and its pretty scary above 60 or so... and thats going straight, but the roads around here are all built pretty shabbily so theres a lotta rolling bumps = harmonic bounce that feels like a soggy caddy or something, def not what I am used to driving lately...
Im off to the part yard to see what brakes and springs I can snag cheaply.. I like progressive springs, but am not a big fan of too much drop either. Maybe if I find the right setup from a V8, Ill chop and swap... def. need to do brakes soon tho, im pretty sure these are going to be into the rotors soon.
What do you guys think of these springs?:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/H-R-SPORT-SPRING...0584691476
for the 500, so they should be stout enough for the 603...
W123 Mods: 4 speed ** manual climate control ** '85 Kalitucky intake ** manual windows & full tint ** Euro headlights retrofit w/bixenon projectors ** 4 brake light mod ** Vogtland 50mm drop front & Lesjofors S600 drop rear springs ** 16" rims ** late w126 brake spindles, rotors & calipers ** full suspension rehab ** Bilstein HDs ** AL129X alternator & 1/0 starter and charging cables ** 300GD clutch/flywheel ** AFCO 80103N radiator & Earl's 41610 oil cooler ** custom block-off plate, remote oil filter & t-stat ** MW IP w/ tomnik's 6.5mm 'Holly' elements **
S124 Mods: 400E Rear subframe ** SL600 Brakes ** Late 300E 210mm diff ** SLK230 6 speed ** 17" CLK rims ** Vented RF Fender ** Facelift Hood, Headlights, and Lower Cladding **
OBK# 62
SurfRodder
02-09-2013, 05:42 PM #4(02-09-2013, 01:35 PM)lgreeley83 I'll take your oil cooler setup if you part it out. Lol. I'd beg you for that pump to but recently got set with a pump.
What are you going to do with this car now?
Not sure what I'm doing yet... I want to yank the motor and do a full rebuild...with Arias pistons (if they make forged steel, never had them do pistons for a diesel before so i dunno what all is avail), Crower rods and whatever rings look like theyll last a half million miles... if I dont get a warm fuzzy from that setup I may rebuild stock...well see what price/benefits rule out... stock may even be more expensive than custom in this situation...
that being said, I already have too many "projects" and a wife wary of such things, so I may end up parting it out. I'll let you know about the oil cooler if thats the case...
(02-09-2013, 03:49 PM)raysorenson I'm not a fan of the lowering springs for a few reasons. First, they're too low. I need more than 1" of travel before I hit the bump stops. Second, they're all progressive. WTF? Progressive for the first 1/2" then firmer for the last half inch? Third, they're tuned for comfort. Comfort don't get it. I could just cut stock springs if that was what I wanted.
Regardless of what springs you choose, don't use 6 cyl springs for the fronts. The 603 is portly and will smush 'em flat.
I'm using 400e sportlines up front (pretty soft) and rears from a '99 500sl. The rear SL springs use 14.5mm wire which is as thick as the E60 AMG rear springs- the stiffest available for the W124. Should you chose to tune out understeer with sways or springs, just remember that the rear has to get a lot stiffer on an '87. There's a lot of weight up front.
Thanks for the advice... def. like to have a good balanced suspension... I just picked the thing up and its pretty scary above 60 or so... and thats going straight, but the roads around here are all built pretty shabbily so theres a lotta rolling bumps = harmonic bounce that feels like a soggy caddy or something, def not what I am used to driving lately...
Im off to the part yard to see what brakes and springs I can snag cheaply.. I like progressive springs, but am not a big fan of too much drop either. Maybe if I find the right setup from a V8, Ill chop and swap... def. need to do brakes soon tho, im pretty sure these are going to be into the rotors soon.
What do you guys think of these springs?:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/H-R-SPORT-SPRING...0584691476
for the 500, so they should be stout enough for the 603...
W123 Mods: 4 speed ** manual climate control ** '85 Kalitucky intake ** manual windows & full tint ** Euro headlights retrofit w/bixenon projectors ** 4 brake light mod ** Vogtland 50mm drop front & Lesjofors S600 drop rear springs ** 16" rims ** late w126 brake spindles, rotors & calipers ** full suspension rehab ** Bilstein HDs ** AL129X alternator & 1/0 starter and charging cables ** 300GD clutch/flywheel ** AFCO 80103N radiator & Earl's 41610 oil cooler ** custom block-off plate, remote oil filter & t-stat ** MW IP w/ tomnik's 6.5mm 'Holly' elements **
S124 Mods: 400E Rear subframe ** SL600 Brakes ** Late 300E 210mm diff ** SLK230 6 speed ** 17" CLK rims ** Vented RF Fender ** Facelift Hood, Headlights, and Lower Cladding **
OBK# 62
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