W108 Mercedes 280SE diesel conversion project

[TerryG]

If there are holes in your screen surround, I got a good tip from my LR man when it came to repairing mine. Get a bit of copper pipe and bash it flat then clamp it against the back with some steel behind. You can weld up holes in the surround without having to cut out and replace sections that way. The glass man commented on how neat the job was when he came to put a screen in.

[pryantcc]

If there are holes in your screen surround, I got a good tip from my LR man when it came to repairing mine. Get a bit of copper pipe and bash it flat then clamp it against the back with some steel behind. You can weld up holes in the surround without having to cut out and replace sections that way. The glass man commented on how neat the job was when he came to put a screen in.

Hi Terry,
Would the new steel then be stepped out from the original? My plan would be to cut out the bad bits and butt weld in replacement steel. I don't understand what the copper does?

Thanks,
Paul.

[TerryG]

Mine isn't but did require touching with a grinding disc to make it perfectly flat. I suppose it depends how much corrosion you have as to the best method of repair. Mine had a few 10p sized holes but the surround was largely good. not worth cutting out and welding in lots of new steel to repair that so using the welder to fill in the damage was a quick and fairly simple solution. If yours is like lace then I would agree that cutting out and putting in repair sections would be the way to go.

[pryantcc]

Mine isn't but did require touching with a grinding disc to make it perfectly flat. I suppose it depends how much corrosion you have as to the best method of repair. Mine had a few 10p sized holes but the surround was largely good. not worth cutting out and welding in lots of new steel to repair that so using the welder to fill in the damage was a quick and fairly simple solution. If yours is like lace then I would agree that cutting out and putting in repair sections would be the way to go.

Ah, I understand now, you filled the gaps with weld rather than new bits of steel. I agree, good idea for small stuff. Thanks for the tip!

[alabbasi]

I have a whole roof for one of those taken from a sunroof car. It's cut off at the A B and C pillars. The original intention was to add a sunroof to my 6.3 which someone had welded up, but I'm not thinking one of those long fabric tops that were popular in the 70's.

I hate to throw it away so it's yours if you can figure out the shipping from Texas

[pryantcc]

I have a whole roof for one of those taken from a sunroof car. It's cut off at the A B and C pillars. The original intention was to add a sunroof to my 6.3 which someone had welded up, but I'm not thinking one of those long fabric tops that were popular in the 70's.

I hate to throw it away so it's yours if you can figure out the shipping from Texas

Thanks, but my roof is probably the best part of the car in terms of corrosion! It has a sunroof already too, it tilts, but doesn't slide, I haven't investigated yet, have you come across this problem before?

[pryantcc]

I fixed my indicator switch yesterday, very pleased with myself! It wouldn't latch at all when switching on the right-hand indicators, and would only very weakly latch when turning left. I took the unit off and it turns out that the track which a roller follows to lock the switch one way, or the other was worn too flat. There should be a little "hill" on it which stops the roller rolling back on its own. The hill was worn down so I simply filed two slight valleys on the far side of the hill, and now the rollers sit in the valleys until either the driver or the automatic cancelling mechanism push them back over the hill to the off position. Result!

[JPB]

Well done to you but also well done to Mercedes-Benz for engineering these potentially complex stalk switches so that repairs of this sort could be made. That multi function stalk switch was still in use as recently as the previous generation of A class, though the current ones use the same cheaper twin stalk arrangement from the Smarts. "If it ain't broke", etc.

[pryantcc]

Well done to you but also well done to Mercedes-Benz for engineering these potentially complex stalk switches so that repairs of this sort could be made. That multi function stalk switch was still in use as recently as the previous generation of A class, though the current ones use the same cheaper twin stalk arrangement from the Smarts. "If it ain't broke", etc.

Absolutely JPB, I constantly find stuff like that on the 2 Mercs I own. I can service my 190 diesel without having to get under it! The sump plug is on the side of the sump and accessible from above, and the oil filter at the top of the engine. The bonnet can be raised to be completely vertical and totally out of the way in case you're working near the bulkhead. The likes of bulbs, etc., are a dream to change....

[SirTainleyBarking]

This is what you get when cars are designed by proper engineers who tell the likes of MBA's and bean counters where to go, with diagrams and technical drawings