W108 Mercedes 280SE diesel conversion project

Post pictures and stories about your cars both present and past. Also post up "blogs" on your restoration projects - the more pictures the better! Note: blog-type threads often get few replies, but are often read by many members, and provide interest and motivation to other enthusiasts so don't be disappointed if you don't get many replies.
Message
Author
pryantcc
Posts: 289
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 6:35 pm

Re: W108 Mercedes 280SE diesel conversion project

#71 Post by pryantcc » Tue Jun 24, 2014 8:25 am

Hello All,
Given that this is a thread relating to an engine swap in a Mercedes-Benz, I thought it was about time I told you all about a completely irrelevant and unrelated Toyota. :D

My Hilux has some rust issues. I drove here to pick up some stuff, then drove over there to pick up some other stuff. When I got home, the weather was nice, so I got stuck into painting the new door and wings.
I didn't have to move any cars, and no parents or pets were involved!

Image

A glimpse of how untidy my garage is!
Image

Merc progress is still underway. Waiting for engine mounts to arrive still. Lots of little jobs being done.


Sorry, couldn't resist.

cdodgyd
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2014 4:09 pm

Re: W108 Mercedes 280SE diesel conversion project

#72 Post by cdodgyd » Sun Aug 17, 2014 7:49 am

2 1/2 months since the last (actual Merc) update - any progress?

Waiting with baited breath here!

My diesel W108 just gets cheaper to run - Tescos oil down to 80p/L now, even less with all the vouchers they hand out!

pryantcc
Posts: 289
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 6:35 pm

Re: W108 Mercedes 280SE diesel conversion project

#73 Post by pryantcc » Sun Aug 17, 2014 9:24 pm

cdodgyd wrote:2 1/2 months since the last (actual Merc) update - any progress?

Waiting with baited breath here!
Thanks for your patience!! :)

A long time since the last update so a long one to catch up! I spent a long time getting the auld Hilux through its test, doing some house alterations, parenting and that kind of thing! A few bits and pieces have still been done on the car. I've made up some brackets to change the old lever/rod operated throttle to a cable one for the throttle position sensor.
This is the new bracket to mount the sensor in the engine bay.

Image



This bracket is fot the other end to hold the outer casing of the cable. Some rustiness in the bacground which will need to be dealt with!

Image

The clutch pedal and master cylinder are in. They are from the gearbox donor clk. The fluid line to the slave cylinder is routed on the inside, but I still have to sort it out on the outside. It connects with a length of flexi hose coming from the gearbox housing.

Image



In other news, I've done some work to get the engine into its final position. My resourceful and very talented engineering friend made a mounting bracket for the gearbox. The OM606 engine is rotated to one side so that is isn't so tall in an engine bay. Although the bell housing on my gearbox fits the engine crank case, the engine the gearbox was attached to mustn't have had the rotation because my gearbox now sits at an angle as you can see in this photo. The steering componenets are horizontal, the bottom of the gearbox is not!

Image



The gearbox bellhousing could be cut and rotated to straighten out the gearbox, but I'm going to just leave it as it is. It doesn't look like it will present any mechanical issues with the build. I'll be crossing my fingers a bit regarding internal lubrication....

Here you can see the new bracket before painting and in its final position in all its glory!

Image
Image




Once the rear of the gearbox was fixed in position, the engine was nudged around the place in order to get the drive shaft to line up correctly in the centre of the carrier bearing:

Image



Now that that's done, it was a case of trying to make sure the engine ends up in the same spot once the new mounts are fitted. So, there are two dots on the sump which line up with two ends of a piece of TIG wire. Once the new mounts are made, the engine should settle back into the same spot. That's the plan anyhow!

Image



That's it, the Engine mounts shipped last Thursday, so once they arrive, it'll be a matter of figuring out how much they will compress under the weight of the engine, and making a mounting plates to suit.

User avatar
JPB
Posts: 10319
Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2011 3:24 pm

Re: W108 Mercedes 280SE diesel conversion project

#74 Post by JPB » Sun Aug 17, 2014 11:41 pm

Excellent stuff! :thumbs: I see no reason why the gearbox sitting at that angle should be a problem as long as there's sufficient oil in there and assuming that it doesn't have an oil pump in the style of the BL LT77 'box. If thae two conditions are met, then go for it, the construction all looks very neat, strong and professional in its execution. :)
J
"Home is where you park it", so the saying goes. That may yet come true.. :oops:

tractorman
Posts: 1399
Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2011 11:22 am
Location: Wigton, Cumbria

Re: W108 Mercedes 280SE diesel conversion project

#75 Post by tractorman » Mon Aug 18, 2014 7:46 am

The only snag I can think of is that the gear change may seem a little strange as moving side to side will also have a slight "uphill - downhill" motion. I suspect you won't notice that after a while though!

Nice engineering solutions though!

pryantcc
Posts: 289
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 6:35 pm

Re: W108 Mercedes 280SE diesel conversion project

#76 Post by pryantcc » Mon Aug 18, 2014 8:47 am

tractorman wrote:The only snag I can think of is that the gear change may seem a little strange as moving side to side will also have a slight "uphill - downhill" motion. I suspect you won't notice that after a while though!
I was looking at that over the weekend with my friend. We might be able to mount the gear shifter in the normal orientation and let the linkages compensate for the difference in angle between it and the gearbox. That's plan 'A' at least!

User avatar
JPB
Posts: 10319
Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2011 3:24 pm

Re: W108 Mercedes 280SE diesel conversion project

#77 Post by JPB » Mon Aug 18, 2014 9:38 am

pryantcc wrote:
tractorman wrote:The only snag I can think of is that the gear change may seem a little strange as moving side to side will also have a slight "uphill - downhill" motion. I suspect you won't notice that after a while though!
I was looking at that over the weekend with my friend. We might be able to mount the gear shifter in the normal orientation and let the linkages compensate for the difference in angle between it and the gearbox. That's plan 'A' at least!
The ball at the bottom of the lever doesn't move in the vertical plane now, so tilting its outer carrier won't change that fact. At worst, you might find that a slight kink at the bottom of the lever would be required to sit the gearknob in a natural position but the rest won't be affected by the end of the remote being off the horizontal. ;)

This was how it worked for me when - years back now - I fitted (in the course of work, not for pleasure) an LT77 in place of the TR6-style gearbox in a TR7 Sprint.
J
"Home is where you park it", so the saying goes. That may yet come true.. :oops:

cdodgyd
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2014 4:09 pm

Re: W108 Mercedes 280SE diesel conversion project

#78 Post by cdodgyd » Mon Aug 18, 2014 2:16 pm

Superb stuff - blue sky engineering there!

For future reference, I remember one of the trickiest bits for me was the exhaust because it had to twist and turn around the new engine mounts, starter motor, cross members, steering linkage etc. Flexible exhaust tubing is your friend but you MUST buy the stainless steel version. I tried mild steel flexi while experimenting and it lasted 6 months! Stainless has been on there 5 years or more and its still flexible and leak free. 30 quid will buy a metre on Ebay, so its not that pricey. The long centre section can just be plain stainless tube. The only original part of my exhaust is the manifold and end silencer. I disposed of the original mid-section resonator and its still quiet.

pryantcc
Posts: 289
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 6:35 pm

Re: W108 Mercedes 280SE diesel conversion project

#79 Post by pryantcc » Tue Aug 19, 2014 1:56 pm

cdodgyd wrote:Superb stuff - blue sky engineering there!

For future reference, I remember one of the trickiest bits for me was the exhaust because it had to twist and turn around the new engine mounts, starter motor, cross members, steering linkage etc. Flexible exhaust tubing is your friend but you MUST buy the stainless steel version. I tried mild steel flexi while experimenting and it lasted 6 months! Stainless has been on there 5 years or more and its still flexible and leak free. 30 quid will buy a metre on Ebay, so its not that pricey. The long centre section can just be plain stainless tube. The only original part of my exhaust is the manifold and end silencer. I disposed of the original mid-section resonator and its still quiet.
Thanks for the encouragement! Out of interest, what kind of clamps did you use on the flexi stuff? Hopefully I'll be able to make something up using the original exhaust tubing, once I get out to the engine bay, it's relatively straight-forward. I have to cut the cat out of the original turbodiesel exhaust, and hope, like you, to use the original back box. There's no centre box on my setup.

cdodgyd
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2014 4:09 pm

Re: W108 Mercedes 280SE diesel conversion project

#80 Post by cdodgyd » Tue Aug 19, 2014 8:43 pm

Good question - I used simple U clamps. The back and mid-joints are totally leak free and I haven't touched them since fitting. However the front one did leak, not hugely but enough to annoy me! Therefore I welded it with a MIG using mild steel wire. The weld has gone slightly rusty but the stainless next to it remains shiny.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 20 guests