engine bay detail

[n/a]

Hello:
    I am in the process of doing an engine bay detail on my 65 W113 and would like to get it right the first time regarding painting and plating. Can someone suggest a good restoration guide or web site showing good detail shots of a proper car. I noticed in removing the PO's cottage cheese quality paint that the area around the battery and air cleaner seemed to have been painted black (white car). Is this factory original? Any comment on which engine pieces where gold cad and which were silver?
Thanks
BB

BB

[Jonny B]

Faszination SL has a full size color photo of a 230 SL engine bay, this one does not have the throttle linkage in cadmium plate however, and I believe that is proper for the car. Meredith's book "Original Mercedes SL" has several good shots of the engine by itself. The gold fittings really stand out.

The interior of the engine bay should be body color. The battery tray is flat black, and the tray should show black when looking at the grill area from the outside.

Good luck,


Jonny B
1967 250SL Auto

[Joe]

Did you notice the fuel line to the CSV in that picture? I've not seen that particular configuration before, and wonder if it is original.
Joe

[W113SL]

Engine bay details.  Most of the fuel injection linkage should be cad or yellow zinc plated.  Most of the non-painted steel pcs are also yellow zinc or cad plated. Never have aluminum pcs cad or zinc plated as the process ruins the aluminum.  As a general rule, If its aluminum, its never painted or plated,  If it is painted it is a 60% gloss black.  I have a great color photo of a 280SL engine compartment.  I will try to have a shot of it posted on the web for everyone's viewing pleasure. The 230 and 250 compartments are very similar.

By the way, I sell the correct early style Norm clamos.  If you need them email me off line at W113SL@aol.com.  I also have other underhood details as well.

Good luck,

Pete Lesler
Luxury Imports

[mbzse]

Jonny, Pete and List,

This colour picture of an early 280SL engine bay that you mention is in a M-B W113 sales broschure of that time. The picture provides excellent reference. I attach a link here:
http://www.ritzsite.demon.nl/280SL/MB280SL3.htm
/Hans in Stockholm


/Hans in Stockholm

[Naj ✝︎]

I would suggest this zinc/cad plating is a late 280 thing.
Fuel lines, water pipes, fuel linkage etc. on my 230 and early 280 are painted black.
Here's another waY to do it if you have a bulging wallet:

Download Attachment: ChromEng
54.29 KB

65 230SL
68 280SL

[W113SL]

I have never seen any of these cars with painted fuel injection lines and linkages.  They were certinly all plated.  It is possible the early cars were cad plated without yellow dichromate added or they were not heavily dichromated.

I have been collecting sales literature, magazine articles and personally looked  at literally hundreds of pagodas over the past 24 years.  Many of the cars were low mileage original cars from 1964 to the end of production.

The heavily polished and chromed pieces in the photo, while pleasing to most uninitiated eyes, would suffer poorly when judged against one it's peers at a concours or car show.  I have even seen one car where the owner polished the underside of his aluminum hood.

I am not passing judgement on this sort of thing, just one's opinion versus one's expression.

Pete Lesler

[Jonny B]

The picture that Hans has a URL reference to, is the same one that Pete has made reference to. I was able to get a copy of it from a friend of mine. But getting the copy right off the net is a good source to, thanks for the link.

Jonny B
1967 250SL Auto

[Tom Colitt]

They are many details to an engine compartment,but all w113s had "yellow cad" plating on lines, fittings, metal clamps for hood strap, wiring clamps, alternator adjsutment, injectors, fuel pump linkages. The coloring was fairly strong as found on replacement ball joints, etc. from MB, but completely wears off after 30 to 40 years. Clamps for Steering container and water tank are white Cad", as are all "Gemi" hose clamps.

Other parts sometimes missed during restoration are to leave two 25mm bare, round "patches" where the two ground wires are bolted to holes in the engine bay (by water tank and near left relays). The aluminum flap for the accesory lamp is also painted satin Black as are the booster, air cleaner, water tank, front suspension mounting plates (held by the 4 M 8mm screws), any body color portions that would be visible from the front as seen through the grill and screen there were painted over rather sloppily and arbitrily possibly depending somewhat on body color and Fritz's mood on Monday). Engine aluminum was bare (glass beading)

Good Luck, Tom Colitt

Tom Colitt

[Naj ✝︎]

Is it possible that engines were 'dressed' differently for different markets?
naj

65 230SL
68 280SL

[W113SL]

I was finally able to get the picture from the URL to print.  This is exactly the same picture I have in my collection.  It came out of a 1968 280SL Prestige sales brochure.  These brochures are extremely rare, so it is great that we all have this photo to view.

The photo tells it all.  It does not lie or leave anything to conjecture.  This is the way they all looked when new.

I rest my case.

Pete Lesler

[rwmastel]

NAJ,
I guess anything is "possible", but I would bet money that almost everyone would say that your car is the first they've seen with painted fuel lines, etc.

Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both  tops
1994 E420

[Tom Colitt]

Hi Don,

I gave all my "yellow cad" parts to someone in L.A. who threw them in with his own order. I think I paid him somewhere around $100. I would guess that $100 to $200 should cover the costs either way if you thoroughly prepare (wire brush) the parts before they process them. I forget exactlt what the process is called, but I know that someone on the w113 list once knew that answer (either class 1 or 2 zink plating for corrosion protection, the dichromate is part of that process and gives us the golden color.

Regards, Tom

-- <czapski@sprynet.com> wrote:


Hi Tom,
Did you have yellow cadmium plating done on parts under the hood?  If so, what is the cost of something like this.  I take it that this must be professionally?
Thanks,
Do

Tom Colitt

[n/a]

I'm a little nervous about removing the metal lines for the fuel injection to have them plated.  I don't want to cause any leaks.  Is there a certain procedure to follow?  Will I need to replace any seals on re-installation?
Thanks,
Don

[Cees Klumper]

I undid and refitted all the fuel lines when I replaced my engine recently. There's no seals to replace and I have no leaks. There are seals under the injectors themselves but you don't need to take them out. There's a torque specification in the Haynes manual so most likely also in the BBB and the Technical Data Manual ("Tabellenbuch") which I still need to check.
I am not sure about this, but I recall someone posting that there is a limited life to the fuel lines and they need replacing every ??,??? miles? So there may be some value in replacing the lines with new, nicely plated, lines, rather than going through the trouble of re-plating old lines if they are not up to spec anymore.
When you remove the lines from the fuel injection pump, start with one of the lines on either end, move the nut out of the way (upwards on the fuel line) and then proceed onto the next one. If you don't move the nut out of the way, the space is too tight to put your wrench onto the next one. I use the 17 mm crowfoot wrench that is also used for setting the valve clearances on the 280 SL (M130) engine because it is a nice and easy fit.

Cees Klumper in Amsterdam
'69 white 280 SL automatic

[Bob G ✝︎]

One thing no one discussed is the black valve cover and special effect engine dress up kit Daimler-Benz put out for show on the 250SL. I have pictures of this engine and it is a factory dress up kit & 5-speed The car I beleive was owned by Frank Mallory for some time befor it was sold.

Bob Geco