Exhaust hanger parts... and general gripe about parts sources...

[johnshenry]

The exhaust on my '69 290 has started to make a loud noise, and I found that the center bracket and hangers are missing all together.  To make thing worse, by wife, turning into a driveway, dropped the right rear wheel into a huge pothole (more like a small canyon) and I think the rear muffler took the brunt of it.  The twin pipes in the center section are way off to the side of the "channel" in the floorpans, and one pipe is banging/scraping on the center "ear" that the rubber ring is supposed to hook to.  O think I might have to loosen all of the clamps an tweak the whole setup to make it align again.  NOT looking forward to that.

Anyway, I know I need the center clamp, upper and lower piece, and the rubber rings.  I have to say I have been frustrated by the lack of good supplier sites selling parts for these cars online.  In my VW hobby there are countless sites with exploded views, diagrams, VW part number references etc.  For the 113s I have yet to find a good reference site with diagrams, and the part numbers seem to be different at every site.  I think I registered for the EPC system/site, but have never been able to get it to work.  I have used K&K with some degree of success, SLS for reference but it doesn't make sense to order parts from Europe if I don't have to, and the Classic Center I have never been able to find anything unless I know the exact part number, or guess the right keyword (and no, "exhaust" will not find these parts in the 15 pages it returns).
</rant>

Maybe because relatively few of these cars were made, or am I just looking in the wrong places?  I have looked at the supplier page in the Tech Manual, but still have not found a good supplier site.

I got part numbers for the parts I need from the SLS site, but they seem to be SLS part numbers, not actual MB part numbers.

Any help?  Thanks....

[wwheeler]

I have had parts that I needed and didn't know the part number and emaled Tom Hanson at the Classic Center. If you give the best description you can and it's location, he has almost always deciphered my terminology and found the part number and determined if it is still available. Give him a ring or send an email.

[Rolland]

I've dealt with Jon and the Classic Center and have been very happy to say the least.  A few times he's consulted Tom, a few times, I've just emailed with a pic and description.  Pics work wonders if you can send them along. 

Rolland

[J. Huber]

John, as you noted, SLS is good for reference because of the pics as is EPC. For buying though, I have had very good luck with Miller's and Bud's Benz (primarily when Ray Paul was there and before that SL Classics)... Have not used Bud's recently. Another great source is Dave Gallon Restorations. He communicates very well and can get authentic MB for less than most.

[RickM]

Try this for diagrams and part numbers:

•   http://www.detali.ru/

•   Click on “Mercedes” in the leftmost column, under “Оригинальные запчасти”   (Translation “Original Parts”)

•   Click on “1.Car” in leftmost column, under “ClassName”

•   Scroll down to the appropriate link and Click/Select (Don’t confuse other models or a 107 280SL for your 113):
             o   113.042 230 SL - 230 SL
             o   113.043 250 SL - 250 SL
             o   113.043 250 SL USA - 250 SL USA
             o   113.044 280 SL - 280 SL
             o   113.044 280 SL USA - 280 SL USA

•   Click/Select on US or European link

•   Scroll and Click/Select on Subsystem for diagrams and part numbers.

[IXLR8]

Hi--

K&K has all the stuff you need.  Check 'em out at: http://www.kkmfg.com/catalog.php



Joe

[johnshenry]

Thanks for the tips guys.  I had ordered from KK before, but wasn't exactly sure what I was seeing in their diagrams.  The links to the other parts ref sites allowed me to confirm the parts I needed and I ordered them.

I ordered a mirror from Dave Gallon before too, VERY nice guy.  I'll get back to him with some other part needs....

JH

[tel76]

Hello John,
Why do you not visit your local MB dealer he will have all the info: you require and part #,
Sometimes, Sometimes you will be surprised that MB can be competitive,but not always.

[johnshenry]

Hello John,
Why do you not visit your local MB dealer he will have all the info: you require and part #,
Sometimes, Sometimes you will be surprised that MB can be competitive,but not always.

I will certainly do that if I get stuck.  But my MB dealer is much farther away than the mouse under my right hand.  Call me spoiled I guess.....   

[zoegrlh]

Can't find parts, you got to be kidding.  Have you gone to your MB dealer?  Almost all of the parts for the W113 are still on MB parts selves at the distribution centers both here and in Germany.  Just ask for then to look at the W113 parts catalog on the computer.  Dirgrams, etc. are found there by group numbers. 
Bob

[johnshenry]

Can't find parts, you got to be kidding.  Have you gone to your MB dealer?  Almost all of the parts for the W113 are still on MB parts selves at the distribution centers both here and in Germany.  Just ask for then to look at the W113 parts catalog on the computer.  Dirgrams, etc. are found there by group numbers. 
Bob

As I said in my original post, "...lack of good supplier sites selling parts for these cars online."  I would be happy to go to the MB dealer if that is what it takes, but I prefer to just order online.  That was my original gripe.  Perhaps I am just spoiled by my experiences in the VW hobby where most everything is a click or two away.

Some good tips in this thread however, pointers to some good part number reference sites, and a few suppliers I didn't know about before.

[johnshenry]

Spent the evening under the '69 last night.  I was able to loosen all of the U clamps (broke only 1).  I made SOME progress on getting things adjusted, but at 10:15pm made myself walk out of the shop and leave it alone.

The center (straight) pipes are shifted to the right (outside) and banging against the center "ear" mount on the floor pan.  The mid bracket and rubber donuts were missing.

I bought new donuts and "W" brackets, but the spacing on the pipes just ahead of the forward muffler is about 1.5" wider than the spacing these clamps are made for!  Makes me wonder if that was why they were missing??

Also, my system does not look segmented like the diagrams I see at the K&K catalog and at the Russian site:





On my setup, there are a pair of short downpipes from the headers, and slip joints/U clamps right at the front of the floor board where they bend and start going straight back.

Those pipes go all the way to the forward muffler (no mid ship joints like in the pic above) and are slipped/clamped there.

"Z" pipes between the mufflers like normal.

The mufflers look to be stainless, but with very coarse welding on them, almost look homemade.

Wondering if anyone has an exhaust system like that, or knows of an alternate manufacture that sounds like mine?  Or was mine some "bend your own" shop project??

I will have to modify the mid bracket to work, and succeeded somewhat last night in loosening the joints enough to be able to rotate them a bit and get things better aligned.

Also, how much clearance is normal/needed where the Z pipes pass under the right side swing arm/rear suspension.  Mine will be real close, but then again the car is up in the air and they are dropped down a bit.

Will spend some more time with this this evening.   Planning on going to the Northampton MA MB event Sunday and was very tired of hearing this pipe banging agains the floor board......

TIA

JH