250 Fuel Injection Pump Back In . But runs very rich...

[marconi]

   Hello Joe and Everybody...
         I did remove the Injection Pump and those sure were some great pictures on this site that helped me..
     Three of the six plungers were stuck . I freed them up and put some fresh oil almost a quart back in it .The rack moved freely back and fourth... I set the timing scale at 20 after top dead center and lined up the marks on the FIP .. The car sure started up nicely but it smoked a bit and was running very rich... I was wondering if I installed the FIP 180 degrees out? The slash marks  on the FIP  were in line with each other when I put it in..  Did I goof up here ? Any help would be wonderful .. Thank you so much, Marconi..

[ja17]

Hello Marconi,

Well congratulations on getting this far first of all !   Hopefully a bit more work will prove fruitful.   

Anyway, you should check to make sure that the camshaft lobes over #1 cylinder are basically upward when the engine is set up at 20ATDC. Most likely you are correct otherwise you would have issues with the distributor wire locations also.

Did you check the WRD (warm running device) to see if it is stuck?

[marconi]

   HI Joe and Thank you so much for your fine advice and super web site..     I let the vehicle run for about a half hour and it just ran smoother and smoother.... It did initially blow blueish white  smoke for about 15 minutes off and on then it cleared up... I turned the adjustment on the rear of the FIP  with the engine off 2 clicks at a time . I did try to set the ignition timing at 0 at the 3000 rpms but was a bit chicken to rev it so high.. I will try again tomorrow but the installed electronic ignition made by allison may need some adjustment... I will tell you that my friend that owns the car had  it towed to  an established repair shop last month.. He had told them its been sitting for 17 years, They just poured 5 gallons of fuel into the tank and tried to start it .. YES... Old leaded fuel and rust etc was in the tank and they just added new gas to it and tried starting it ..They should be#@###@# well i really cant say but I couldnt believe how they attacked this fine automobile ..
     The engine was rebuilt a year before he parked it.. He had the brakes done and when he got home the left front wheel was red hot...He got frustrated and parked it..... 
     So ... I  removed the tank (it was full of rust and a smell i will never forget) ,took it to a tank shop they boiled it out and coated it.. I then changed the front brake lines and that solved the wheel lock up problem... I did manage to take the tour on your great informative site and found the proper way to adjust the electronic ignition .   I want to Thank you Joe and couldnt of got this far without your help .......       I apologize for yacking so much but I wanted to tell you that I did visit a wrecking yard here up North and found a few Mercedes in there with 5 cylinder engines and a couple 8 cylinders .. The five cylinders had the FIP in them and they told me I could buy them for 50 dollars... IF You would like them or have a use for them I would gladly pull em and send them to you.. Bye for now ,Marconi.........

[graphic66]

These cars don't sit and idle happily. They will load up rich. Get the car out and drive it. I am skeptical of the boiling and coating of the fuel tank. These are very complicated tanks and many on this site have had lines and holes plugged with the coating. Search for the fuel tank tour, I think there is one. Have someone sit in the car and hold it at 3000 RPM to time it. If that hurts your car it is doomed anyways.
   I would get some non resistor spark plugs and put them in, I am running NGK BP5ES. If your spark plugs have an "R" in the number they are resistor. Also check the resistance on each spark plug wire, they should be about 1000 Ohms. This applies unless you have the very late model 280SL with factory electronic ignition. The coil wire should have little or no resistance.
   Those 5 cylinder cars are diesels you found at the scrap yard. Great engines, but not many interchangeable parts with the W113. But always be on the lookout at the junkyard because many interior and other small bits can be interchanged. I had a 78' 406 Unimog and I was amazed at the number of parts that were the same on my 66' 230SL.
   I would say get the car out and drive it and see what happens. It can be best to put the new plugs in after driving it and getting the cylinders cleared out. If you put new plugs in a loaded up engine they may foul right out.

[marconi]

     HI Graphic , Thank you so much for your knowledge and advice..    I would love to drive that car but the clutch has not woken up as yet... I rebuilt the clutch master and cleaned up the slave cylinder... The pedal now returns to the proper position and I adjusted it with 1/8th clearance as the pages recommended.... The clutch engages but the car just sits there when you let the clutch out... I was going to pull the transmission after I got the engine running good ,which is now just about in that state...... I am a bit confused on the later installed electronic ignition which was made by allison and  research shows  they sold out to another company...I did find the adjustments on this site for the other electronics and tried to set it accordingly . I do not think I have it just right as yet but am going to fool with it now and the timing there after..................                                                                                                                                                            I grew up near a Mercedes Benz dealer about 40 years ago, I would hear those engines in the shop as they were being repaired rev way up and wonderd why?  Now 40 years later I realize they were getting them up to 3000 RPM S ................ Thanking you again Graphic and Joe  for your fabulous help , Marconi

[ja17]

Hello Marconi,

Glad to see you are making such good progress even after the pros at the local shop failed. Car does not move when in gear?  Might want to look to see if the driveshaft is turning.  If it is the problem may be in the rear diff.

I do visit the local yards here from time to time. I recently picked up an excellent 250SE SL cylinder head and injection pump. If you found 5 cylinder engines, these are diesels. The early eight cylinders gas sedans have fuel distributors and ECUs which are good items for 450SLs. I have a good supply of these kind of parts. Always be on the look out for 250SE sedans and 280SE sedans (straight six cylinder versions) W108 series.  The cylinder heads and injection pumps of these are the same as SL.  In addition the W108 sedans 3.5 and 4.5 versions have the desirable rear axle ration which is always in demand.

Don't forget to check the WRD at some point if you have not.

Take care,

Joe

[marconi]

  HI There Joe , Graphic and folks.. 
      I had to stop fooling with the car for a day or two. My wife was getting hostile... So  I let her cool off and then worked on the car a bit today..  I did check the cold start valve and it sure works great.. The car runs best when it is cold...I can hear the hissing as I put a length of hose to the valve ,actually it sounded like my wife when steam is coming out of her ears....
      Now I seem to hear a slight knocking in the engine and it smokes a bit gray...  I did check under the car as I put it in first gear and the driveshaft does not turn when the clutch is let out .  Any tips would be appreciated and I will be happily working on the car tomorrow. (The wife and her aunt are going to the mall and they will be there all day im sure yesssssssssssss....)   I sure enjoy the site and the fine help.. Bye for now , marconi

[graphic66]

Check the output shaft of the transmission. There is a rubber flex disc there that can come apart. Maybe the only the transmission output is turning but not the driveshaft. The flex discs are common to fail after many years in these cars. Also does the speedometer register while in gear with the clutch out? That could be another clue as to what is wrong.

[marconi]

 HI Graphic , Joe and all...
       The vehicle's speedometer does not move when it is in gear with the clutch out.   I was going to look at the rubber disc you described at the back of the transmission ,to see if its broken....
         I had another problem as I was adjusting the idle .. The engine developed a knock , I pulled off the valve cover and the number one exhaust valve ball socket was lose . I tried to tighten it up but had no luck.. I did manage to get it out ( because of your fine informative site) and the threads on it looked ok . The threads in the head on the very top did not  look to good..      I believe the valve was stuck ,because of the 17 year sleep etc. and while it was working  its way lose the ball stud must of absorbed the shock  ... I was wondering if anyone had some ideas on what I can do for the threads in the head , without pulling the head.... Thank you so much for your help so far Joe and Graphic... , Marconi

[ja17]

Hello Marconi,

You may be ableto  find a correct size tap and clean up the threads.  You can also make a "thread chaser" ( a tool to clean up th old threads)  by using a old ball stud base. Cut about six verticle cuts across the threads. Then use some oil or grease and carefully use the tool to restore the threads by turning it in and out . 

[marconi]

 HI there Joe...     
          Thank you for the fine information... I will give that thread chaser a try in the morning... This fine Site and folks makes me want to own an SL of my own .. Bye for now and Thank you Joe ,.. Marconi